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	<title>BrokerScience Mortgage Marketing Blog &#187; dotnext</title>
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		<title>BrokerScience Issues Ben Behrouzi Coup de Grace</title>
		<link>http://brokerscience.com/blogging/brokerscience-issues-ben-behrouzi-coup-de-grace/</link>
		<comments>http://brokerscience.com/blogging/brokerscience-issues-ben-behrouzi-coup-de-grace/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 21 Nov 2008 17:36:56 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Trace Richardson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blogging]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ben Behrouzi]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[BrokerScience]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dotnext]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ePerks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[LeapFish]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://brokerscience.com/?p=600</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Wow! Yesterday was quite the blowout for Ben Behrouzi and DotNext Inc. First, TechCrunch stated the obvious and sad truth about LeapFish, then Ben and his employees were then caught red handed calling themselves &#8220;geniuses&#8221; in the comments section of the same article by IP address tracking and finally, Ben Behrouzi was reduced to name [...]


Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://brokerscience.com/legal/beginners-guide-learning-about-vlad-vs-eperks-ben-behrouzi/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: The Beginner&#8217;s Action Guide to Learning about ePerks / Ben Behrouzi vs Vlad Zablotkyy'>The Beginner&#8217;s Action Guide to Learning about ePerks / Ben Behrouzi vs Vlad Zablotkyy</a></li>
<li><a href='http://brokerscience.com/technology/ben-behrouzi-leapfish-techcrunch/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: LeapFish and Ben Behrouzi Spam Techcrunch. What&#8217;s new?'>LeapFish and Ben Behrouzi Spam Techcrunch. What&#8217;s new?</a></li>
<li><a href='http://brokerscience.com/legal/vlad-zablotzkyy-defeats-ben-behrouzi-eperks-dotnext/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: LeapFish / DotNext CEO, Ben Behrouzi Defeated'>LeapFish / DotNext CEO, Ben Behrouzi Defeated</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
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<p>Wow! Yesterday was quite the blowout for Ben Behrouzi and DotNext Inc. First, TechCrunch stated the obvious and <strong><a href="http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/11/20/leapfish-launches-another-meta-search-engine-no-one-will-ever-use/#comments" target="_blank">sad truth</a> </strong>about LeapFish, then Ben and his employees were then <strong><a href="http://brokerscience.com/technology/ben-behrouzi-leapfish-techcrunch/" target="_blank">caught red handed</a></strong> calling themselves &#8220;geniuses&#8221; in the comments section of the same article by IP address tracking and finally, Ben Behrouzi was reduced to name calling in front of the world on TechCrunch and on two articles on this blog.</p>
<p>Where does one go from such a melodic sequence of events that is music to the ears of anyone that has ever had the unfortunate experience of crossing paths with Ben Behrouzi?<strong> The truth is that there is nowhere to go.</strong> A little unknown blog with little to no traffic like BrokerScience can never accomplish what TechCrunch accomplished yesterday. More importantly, we&#8217;ve done more than our fair share of the heavy lifting in exposing Ben Behrouzi, ePerks, Leapfish and DotNextInc&#8217;s business practices.<strong> This means we are no longer going to be writing about Ben Behrouzi or any of his &#8220;companies&#8221;.</strong></p>
<p>There is one main factor driving this decision: time. There are not enough hours in the day to work on my own projects and there are enough hours in the day to cover the Ben Behrouzi and his exploits. We simply have to pick and choose where our energy is going. You may have noticed we weren&#8217;t blogging much anyways over the past months except for Benham Behrouzi news when it occurred and that was again, due to time constraints. That is also the reason that there has been a disproportionate amount of Behrouzi coverage.</p>
<p><span id="more-600"></span></p>
<p>It pains us to make this decision because we have an extremely in depth analysis of LeapFish almost completed and we were approached by a legal team that has volunteered to do a case analysis of Brabus Ventures vs Vlad Zablotzkyy, but we&#8217;re done. Additionally, there are many more stories that could be written even though we have printed virtually none of the first hand accounts and experiences of current and former employees, customers and acquaintances that have crossed paths with Ben that come in the form of voicemails, emails, and first hand experiences.</p>
<p>There are some great takeaways and lessons to be had in reference to the brand destruction (personal and otherwise) that Ben has achieved through his legal tactics and business practices. I believe that ePerks vs Zablotzkyy and any future litigation that Ben may engage in have great potential to become case studies for collegiate level courses or otherwise teaching online reputation management and brand management. There is a lot to be learned from his mistakes, actions and business practices.</p>
<p>While we will no longer be writing about Ben or his companies, we will certainly defend ourselves if attacked online or elsewhere. It also goes without saying that if Ben were to bring ANY legal action whatsoever, we will make publicizing, writing about and exposing the case and renewing our exposure of Ben and his companys&#8217; business practices our number one priority. This will entail creation of a defense website and media campaign in addition to publishing the first hand employee and customer accounts we have refused to publish up to this point. The truth though is that we were prepared to do this six months ago.</p>
<p>Comments are turned off on this one for the obvious reasons.</p>
<h2><strong>Other BrokerScience Coverage of Ben Behrouzi / ePerks / LeapFish / DotNext:</strong></h2>
<p><strong><a href="http://brokerscience.com/legal/ben-behrouzi-voicemails-threatens-employee/">Ben Behrouzi Caught on Tape: Threatens to Blackball Employee on Voicemail</a></strong></p>
<p><strong><a href="http://brokerscience.com/legal/vlad-zablotzkyy-defeats-ben-behrouzi-eperks-dotnext/">Vlad Zablotzkyy Defeats LeapFish / ePerks / DotNext CEO Ben Behrouzi</a></strong></p>
<p><strong><a href="http://brokerscience.com/technology/ben-behrouzi-leapfish-techcrunch/">Ben Behrouzi, LeapFish CEO Caught Spamming TechCrunch</a><br />
</strong></p>
<p><strong><a title="Permanent Link to The Beginner&acirc;</p>


<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://brokerscience.com/legal/beginners-guide-learning-about-vlad-vs-eperks-ben-behrouzi/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: The Beginner&#8217;s Action Guide to Learning about ePerks / Ben Behrouzi vs Vlad Zablotkyy'>The Beginner&#8217;s Action Guide to Learning about ePerks / Ben Behrouzi vs Vlad Zablotkyy</a></li>
<li><a href='http://brokerscience.com/technology/ben-behrouzi-leapfish-techcrunch/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: LeapFish and Ben Behrouzi Spam Techcrunch. What&#8217;s new?'>LeapFish and Ben Behrouzi Spam Techcrunch. What&#8217;s new?</a></li>
<li><a href='http://brokerscience.com/legal/vlad-zablotzkyy-defeats-ben-behrouzi-eperks-dotnext/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: LeapFish / DotNext CEO, Ben Behrouzi Defeated'>LeapFish / DotNext CEO, Ben Behrouzi Defeated</a></li>
</ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>LeapFish / DotNext CEO, Ben Behrouzi Defeated</title>
		<link>http://brokerscience.com/legal/vlad-zablotzkyy-defeats-ben-behrouzi-eperks-dotnext/</link>
		<comments>http://brokerscience.com/legal/vlad-zablotzkyy-defeats-ben-behrouzi-eperks-dotnext/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 04 Nov 2008 05:22:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Trace Richardson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Legal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ben Behrouzi]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Brabus Ventures]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dotnext]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ePerks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[LeapFish]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ziddler]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://brokerscience.com/?p=410</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[On October 22nd, 2008, Ben Behrouzi / Eperks /LeapFish&#8217;s atorney, Ronald J. Cook filed for dismissal of their complaint against Vlad Zablotzkyy. This is yet one more embarrassment for Ben Behrouzi in addition to the public humiliation and ridicule that has already befallen him and his dieing brand ePerks, at the hands of the Real [...]


Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://brokerscience.com/legal/ben-behrouzi-voicemails-threatens-employee/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: LeapFish / ePerks CEO Ben Behrouzi Voicemails Exposed: Threatens to Blackball and Sue Employee'>LeapFish / ePerks CEO Ben Behrouzi Voicemails Exposed: Threatens to Blackball and Sue Employee</a></li>
<li><a href='http://brokerscience.com/legal/eperks-ben-behrouzi-sues-blogger/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Beginning of the End: ePerks CEO Ben Behrouzi Sues Blogger, Confirms No Strategy in Place'>Beginning of the End: ePerks CEO Ben Behrouzi Sues Blogger, Confirms No Strategy in Place</a></li>
<li><a href='http://brokerscience.com/legal/ben-behrouzi-eperks/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Ben Behrouzi / ePerks.com: A Case Study in Self Induced Search Engine Brand Destruction'>Ben Behrouzi / ePerks.com: A Case Study in Self Induced Search Engine Brand Destruction</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
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<p>On October 22nd, 2008, Ben Behrouzi / Eperks /LeapFish&#8217;s atorney, Ronald J. Cook filed for dismissal of their complaint against Vlad Zablotzkyy. This is yet one more embarrassment for Ben Behrouzi in addition to the public humiliation and ridicule that has already befallen him and <strong>his dieing brand ePerks</strong>, at the hands of the Real Estate community at large.</p>
<p>The withdrawal was likely the result of a settlement with Vlad (the terms of which have not been disclosed) in which Vlad was required to post a <a href="http://www.go-beyond-mls.com/eperks-and-vlad-zablotskyy-settle-the-lawsuit/" target="_blank">statement</a> which is essentially a lawyer contrived &#8220;I&#8217;m Sorry&#8221;. One highlight is where &#8220;Vlad&#8221; requests that other bloggers covering the story print retractions. Vlad was outgunned and his willingness to settle clearly reflects that.</p>
<p>Considering that <strong><a href="http://brokerscience.com/legal/eperks-ben-behrouzi-brokerscience/">Ben Behhrouzi has threatened BrokerScience</a></strong> with threats similar to those he made against Vlad, we see this defeat as fitting, to say the least.</p>
<blockquote><p>&#8220;Behnam &#8220;Ben&#8221; Behrouzi filed what&#8217;s called an &#8220;unverified&#8221; complaint against Vlad.  That&#8217;s in contrast to a &#8220;verified&#8221; complaint, in which the plaintiff signs the complaint and declares under penalty of perjury that the statements in the complaint are true and correct.  The lawsuit ended in settlement without Behrouzi ever making any statement under oath.  Specifically, he never denied that he was responsible for the slander of Vlad.&#8221; &#8211; Brief Submitted to BrokerScience by Source that Wished to Remain Anonymous</p></blockquote>
<p>While most intelligent CEO&#8217;s couldn&#8217;t attract the kind of bad publicity and ill will Behrouzi has managed to generate for ePerks on their worst day, this is an area where Ben truly shines. Then again, Ben has proven himself to be a tactless bully time and time again, so this is par for the course.</p>
<p><span id="more-410"></span>Ben&#8217;s reward for bullying Vlad Zablotzkyy with childish antics is the distinction of having negative results in 7 of the top 10 results for his name when googling &#8220;<a href="http://www.google.com/search?q=ben+behrouzi" target="_blank">Ben Behrouzi</a>&#8220;. Great job Ben! These will remain for YEARS and YEARS. A google search for &#8220;ePerks&#8221; shows <a href="http://www.google.com/search?q=eperks" target="_blank">9 out of the top 10 results</a> have negative content.</p>
<h2>Spamming the Ben Behrouzi Way</h2>
<p>To counter the extremely negative public reaction to his business practices in google, Ben began a spam / search engine dilution campaign in August by creating accounts with a large amount of service providers such as youtube.com, vator.tv and others in hopes these would replace the existing negative google results that come up when googling &#8220;Ben Behrouzi&#8221;. You can find the complete list at the bottom of this very unprofessional and amateur looking homepage Ben has created for himself <a rel="nofollow" href="http://behrouzi.com/" target="_blank">here</a>. Over time, these will end up being virtually useless for his end goal of spamming the results for his name.</p>
<p>He has also started maxstartup.com that was originally yet another ePerks splog until recently. Don&#8217;t laugh too hard when reading this gem from &#8220;MaxStartUp&#8221;:</p>
<blockquote><p>I’ve had several failures in my life with some lessons that have left their spots, and have even been victim to online lies and an actual blog war instigated by the many that are motivated by the basest of human qualities.</p></blockquote>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<h2>Did Brabus Ventures Implode or is the Brand Simply Toxic?</h2>
<p>It is worth noting that Ben Behrouzi&#8217;s parent company, Brabus Ventures has recently disassembled its corporate website at BrabusVentures.com including removing the Cultures and Values pages that <a href="http://brokerscience.com/legal/ben-behrouzi-copyright-infringement/" target="_blank">Ben Behrouzi stole</a> from Mervyns.com and Chevron.com. It seems that the root cause is that Ben Behrouzi is distancing himself from Brabus Ventures with a name change, after all a google search for &#8220;<a href="http://www.google.com/search?q=brabus+ventures" target="_blank">Brabus Ventures</a>&#8221; shows 7 out of 10 listings have negative content regarding his company. <strong>We have no word yet on whether Ben plans on changing his own name to escape the embarrassment associated with it.</strong></p>
<h2>Simply Embarrassing:</h2>
<div id="attachment_477" class="wp-caption alignleft" style="width: 310px"><a href="http://brokerscience.com/files/2008/11/brabus_ventures_behrouzi.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-477" src="http://brokerscience.com/files/2008/11/brabus-300x251.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="251" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Brabus Ventures Before Disassembly</p></div>
<div id="attachment_479" class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 310px"><a href="http://brokerscience.com/files/2008/11/brabus_ventures_behrouzi.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-479" src="http://brokerscience.com/files/2008/11/brabus_ventures_behrouzi-300x246.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="246" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Brabus Ventures After Disassembly</p></div>
<div id="attachment_536" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 309px"><a href="http://brokerscience.com/files/2008/11/dotnextinc.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-536" src="http://brokerscience.com/files/2008/11/dotnextinc-262x300.jpg" alt="The New Face of Brabus Ventures - DotNext Inc." width="299" height="342" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">The New Face of Brabus Ventures - DotNext Inc.</p></div>
<h2>The Next Generation of Fail: DotNext, Inc.</h2>
<p>DotNext, Inc. is the new incarnation of Brabus Ventures. When most companies change their name, they give notice on their home page and redirect visitors to the new domain. Not Ben Behrouzi. His ability to single handedly destroy brands is the reason he is running from the Brabus Ventures name / reputation. When people think of Brabus Ventures, they think of Ben Behrouzi, when they think of Ben Behrouzi, they think of ePerks and when people think of ePerks, they think of &#8230;.. well you get the idea. Ben Behrouzi, his brands and his ongoing business practices are very negatively viewed in the Real Estate Community.</p>
<p>Notice that at BrabusVentures.com lists ePerks and Brabus as the only company properties. It is not until you go to dotnexinc.com that you see LeapFish, Ziddler and Ihype as properties with no mention of Brabus or ePerks. They are clearly trying to stop the bleeding and brand destruction caused by being associated with the Brabus Ventures / Ben Behrouzi names by isolating ePerks and Brabus together. Wow and sad.</p>
<p>On a final note, in recent months, current ePerks employees have been briefing us on Ben&#8217;s latest &#8220;secret&#8221; project, LeapFish.com, but to be honest we don&#8217;t care. We&#8217;ve wasted enough time highlighting the <strong>EPIC FAIL</strong> that is Ben Behrouzi already. Surprisingly, Ben has failed to garner any top search engine spots for &#8220;Epic Fail&#8221; yet, but it is one thing Ben is consistent with, so give him time.</p>
<p>Thank you to the community and everyone that did what they could to help Vlad Zablotzkyy defeat Ben Behrouzi / Eperks / Brabus Ventures!!! While there are too many to thank individually, an honorable mention goes out to <strong><a href="http://andybeard.eu/" target="_blank">Andy Beard</a></strong> and <strong>&#8220;Big Gun&#8221; Swann</strong> for putting their weight behind Vlad.</p>


<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://brokerscience.com/legal/ben-behrouzi-voicemails-threatens-employee/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: LeapFish / ePerks CEO Ben Behrouzi Voicemails Exposed: Threatens to Blackball and Sue Employee'>LeapFish / ePerks CEO Ben Behrouzi Voicemails Exposed: Threatens to Blackball and Sue Employee</a></li>
<li><a href='http://brokerscience.com/legal/eperks-ben-behrouzi-sues-blogger/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Beginning of the End: ePerks CEO Ben Behrouzi Sues Blogger, Confirms No Strategy in Place'>Beginning of the End: ePerks CEO Ben Behrouzi Sues Blogger, Confirms No Strategy in Place</a></li>
<li><a href='http://brokerscience.com/legal/ben-behrouzi-eperks/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Ben Behrouzi / ePerks.com: A Case Study in Self Induced Search Engine Brand Destruction'>Ben Behrouzi / ePerks.com: A Case Study in Self Induced Search Engine Brand Destruction</a></li>
</ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>The Beginner&#8217;s Action Guide to Learning about ePerks / Ben Behrouzi vs Vlad Zablotkyy</title>
		<link>http://brokerscience.com/legal/beginners-guide-learning-about-vlad-vs-eperks-ben-behrouzi/</link>
		<comments>http://brokerscience.com/legal/beginners-guide-learning-about-vlad-vs-eperks-ben-behrouzi/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 18 Jun 2008 04:57:14 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Trace Richardson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Legal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ben Behrouzi]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[BrokerScience]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dotnext]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ePerks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[LeapFish]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Vlad Zablotzkyy]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://brokerscience.com/?p=354</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[1) Learn the ePerks Basics with the Seminal Piece on ePerks: ePerks.com: A Case Study in Greed and Self-Imposed Brand Destruction 2) Read the Blog Post / Comments That Started It All: ePerks- A Scam or A Gem? 3) Read the Cease &#38; Desist Letter, Threats and Lawsuit from ePerks CEO Ben Behrouzi: Cease &#38; [...]


Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://brokerscience.com/legal/ben-behrouzi-eperks/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Ben Behrouzi / ePerks.com: A Case Study in Self Induced Search Engine Brand Destruction'>Ben Behrouzi / ePerks.com: A Case Study in Self Induced Search Engine Brand Destruction</a></li>
<li><a href='http://brokerscience.com/legal/eperks-ben-behrouzi-sues-blogger/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Beginning of the End: ePerks CEO Ben Behrouzi Sues Blogger, Confirms No Strategy in Place'>Beginning of the End: ePerks CEO Ben Behrouzi Sues Blogger, Confirms No Strategy in Place</a></li>
<li><a href='http://brokerscience.com/legal/eperks-ip-address-link/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: ePerks IP Address Link to Vlad Zablotzkyy: When the Hunter Becomes the Prey'>ePerks IP Address Link to Vlad Zablotzkyy: When the Hunter Becomes the Prey</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
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<h2>1) Learn the ePerks Basics with the Seminal Piece on ePerks:</h2>
<p><strong><a href="http://brokerscience.com/real-estate/eperks-brand-destruction/">ePerks.com: A Case Study in Greed and Self-Imposed Brand Destruction</a></strong></p>
<h2>2) Read the Blog Post / Comments That Started It All:</h2>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.go-beyond-mls.com/eperks-a-scam-or-a-gem.htm" target="_blank">ePerks- A Scam or A Gem?</a></strong></p>
<h2>3) Read the Cease &amp; Desist Letter, Threats and Lawsuit from ePerks CEO Ben Behrouzi:</h2>
<p><strong>Cease &amp; Desist Letter: <a href="http://www.go-beyond-mls.com/eperks/" target="_blank">Chilling Effect: How A Behemoth Company Can Silence A Blogger</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>Read</strong>: <a href="http://brokerscience.com/legal/eperks-ben-behrouzi-sues-blogger/"><strong>BrokerScience Commentary on Suit</strong></a></p>
<h2>4) Read Vlad&#8217;s Response to Being Falsely Accused of Child Molestation:</h2>
<p><strong>How Far Do You Go To Silence A Blogger And When Does It Become Too Far? (Post deleted per Vlad&#8217;s Settlement)</strong></p>
<h2>5) <span style="color: #ff0000;">Listen to the Shocking Ben Behrouzi Voice Mails:</span></h2>
<p><strong><a title="Permanent Link to ePerks CEO Ben Behrouzi Voicemails Exposed: Threatens to Blackball and Sue Employee" rel="bookmark" href="http://brokerscience.com/legal/ben-behrouzi-voicemails-threatens-employee/">ePerks CEO Ben Behrouzi Voicemails Exposed: Threatens to Blackball and Sue Employee</a></strong></p>
<h2>6) Learn about the ePerks Link to Vlad Zablotzkyy:</h2>
<p><a href="http://brokerscience.com/legal/eperks-ip-address-link/"><strong>ePerks IP Address Link to Vlad Zablotzkyy: When the Hunter Becomes the Prey</strong></a></p>
<h2>7) Read about Behrouzi&#8217;s Threats Against BrokerScience</h2>
<p><a href="http://brokerscience.com/legal/eperks-ben-behrouzi-brokerscience/"><strong>Ben Behrouzi Insinuates Legal Action Against BrokerScience, Cites “Damages”</strong></a> and his confirmation to <strong><a href="http://www.inman.com/news/2008/06/13/eperks-sues-blogger-over-online-comments" target="_blank">take action against BrokerScience</a></strong> on Inman. Read BrokerScience <strong><a href="http://brokerscience.com/real-estate/inman-eperks-brokerscience/">commentary on Inman piece</a>. </strong></p>
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<h1 style="text-align: left;"><strong>ePerks: A Case Study in Brand Destruction</strong><strong>:</strong></h1>
<p><strong>(These are the &#8220;<em>minions</em>&#8221; ePerk&#8217;s Attorney infamously referred to in the Inman Article.)</strong></p>
<p class="entry-title"><a title="Permanent Link to " rel="bookmark" href="http://blog.sellsiusrealestate.com/legal/eperks-vlad-lawsuit/2008/06/16/" target="_blank">ePerks v Vlad: Strategies to Avoid a Viral World War</a></p>
<p class="entry-title"><a title="Permalink to ePerks - I Am Not A Minion Mr Cook" rel="bookmark" href="http://andybeard.eu/2008/06/eperks-lawsuit.html" target="_blank">ePerks &#8211; I Am Not A Minion Mr Cook</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.realestatevirtualassistant.net/im-mad-as-hell-you-will-be-too-when-you-read-about-vlad-zablotskyy-and-eperks" target="_blank">Im Mad As Hell-You Will Be Too When You Read About Vlad Zablotskyy and ePerks</a></p>
<p><a href="http://tracyrealestate.wordpress.com/2008/06/15/eperks-freedom-of-speech/" target="_blank">ePerks &amp; Freedom of Speech?</a></p>
<p><a title="Permanent Link to An Open Letter to Ben Behrouzi" rel="bookmark" href="http://agentgenius.com/?p=2168" target="_blank">An Open Letter to Ben Behrouzi</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.realestateradiousa.com/blog/2008/06/13/real-estate-radio-usa-episode-139/" target="_blank">Real Estate Radio USA Interviews Mary McKnight</a></p>
<p><a rel="bookmark" href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/556629/Vlad-Zablotskyy-V-ePerks" target="_blank">Vlad Zablotskyy V. ePerks The Cliffs Notes Version</a></p>
<p style="margin-top: 2px;"><a rel="bookmark" href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/558933/Vlad-Zablotskyy-A-Martyr" target="_blank">Vlad Zablotskyy &#8211; A Martyr for Reputation Management</a></p>
<p><a title="Permanent Link to Do I look Fat in This Lawsuit?" rel="bookmark" href="http://agentgenius.com/?p=1865" target="_blank">Do I look Fat in This Lawsuit?</a></p>
<p><a rel="bookmark" href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/554415/Nominee-for-PR-Blunder" target="_blank">Nominee for PR Blunder of the Year &#8211; ePerks</a></p>
<p><a href="http://lordmatt.co.uk/item/1128/" target="_blank">5 Ways to Support Vlad Zablotzkyy</a></p>
<p><a rel="bookmark" href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/552303/Suport-Vlad-Zablotskyy-in" target="_blank">Suport Vlad Zablotskyy in his defense against ePerks.com frivolous suit</a></p>
<p class="title"><a href="http://bonzai.squarespace.com/blog/2008/6/15/some-companies-are-stupid-and-eperks-may-be-the-stupidest.html" target="_blank">Some companies are stupid, and eperks may be the stupidest</a></p>
<p class="title"><a href="http://vegashomes.livejournal.com/4272.html" target="_blank">ePerks: A brand going down in flames</a></p>
<p><a href="http://coastalncrealtor.wordpress.com/2008/06/18/eperks-vs-blogger-vlad-zablotskyy-freedom-of-speech-in-cyberspace-at-stake/" target="_blank">ePerks vs Blogger Vlad Zablotskyy, Freedom of Speech in Cyberspace at Stake</a></p>
<p><a rel="bookmark" href="http://www.activerain.com/blogsview/552303/Suport-Vlad-Zablotskyy-in" target="_blank">Suport Vlad Zablotskyy in his defense against ePerks.com frivolous suit</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.freenevadamove.com/blog/mitch/eperks-sues-real-estate-blogger/show/" target="_blank">ePerks Sues Real Estate Blogger</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.cheatingagents.com/Ben_Behrouzi_Fair_Darts_page.htm" target="_blank">Ben Behrouzi&#8217;s Fair Darts</a></p>
<p class="entry-title"><a title="Permanent Link to " rel="bookmark" href="http://blog.sellsiusrealestate.com/legal/blogger-is-sued-for-business-disparagement/2008/06/10/" target="_self">Blogger Is Sued for Business Disparagement</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.rsspieces.com/write-a-post-supporting-your-fellow-real-estate-blogger-vlad-zablotskyy-in-his-battle-with-eperks-and-i-will-give-you-a-blog" target="_blank">Write a post supporting your fellow real estate blogger, Vlad Zablotskyy, in his battle with ePerks and I will give you a blog</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.rsspieces.com/eperks-sues-real-estate-blogger-blogosphere-unites-to-destroy-the-eperks-brand" target="_blank">ePerks Sues Real Estate Blogger, Blogosphere Unites to Destroy the ePerks Brand</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.realcentralva.com/2008/06/13/rss-pieces-provides-a-rundown-of-how-eperks-is-destroying-its-own-reputation/" target="_blank">RSS Pieces provides a rundown of how ePerks is destroying its own reputation</a></p>
<p><a href="http://movetostillwater.com/uncategorized/want-money-back-at-closing" target="_blank">Want money back at closing?</a></p>
<p class="post-title"><a href="http://www.bloodhoundrealty.com/BloodhoundBlog/?p=3215" target="_blank">Is ePerks.com’s Ben Behrouzi, infamous for trying to censor a real estate weblogger, stealing content from Mervyns and Chevron?</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.bloodhoundrealty.com/BloodhoundBlog/?p=3219" target="_blank">Support the Vlad Zablotskyy Legal Defense Fund: A real estate weblogger is being throttled by corporate bully ePerks.com. The free speech rights you will be fighting for are <em>your own</em>… </a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.bloodhoundrealty.com/BloodhoundBlog/?p=2798" target="_blank">Memo to ePerks.com: You idiots! Trying to censor a real estate weblogger is a poor way to defend your reputation — such as it is… </a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.realestatewebmasters.com/blogs/dennis-pease/5341/show/" target="_blank">ePerks To Sue Blogger &#8211; Freedom Of Speech Threatened</a></p>
<p><a rel="bookmark" href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/555711/Looking-for-lawyers" target="_blank">Looking for lawyers&#8230;</a></p>
<p><a href="http://blog.sellsiusrealestate.com/legal/blogger-is-sued-for-business-disparagement/2008/06/10/" target="_blank">Blogger is Sued for Business Disparagement</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.thebrickranch.com/?p=494" target="_blank">Sometimes everybody’s gotta take a side</a></p>
<p><a href="http://realestatenv.wordpress.com/2008/05/27/eperks-what-were-they-thinking/" target="_blank">ePerks: What Were They Thinking?</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.lvrealty.net/news/blogging-and-freedom-speech" target="_blank">Blogging and Freedom of Speech</a></p>
<p><a href="http://agentgenius.com/?p=1460" target="_blank">Blogger Get “Cease and Desist” from ePerks</a></p>
<p><a href="http://andybeard.eu/2008/06/ihype-eperks.html" target="_blank">iHype &amp; ePerks &#8211; How To Kill A Startup</a></p>
<p><a title="Permanent Link to Memorial Day and the Plight of a Blogger" href="http://agentgenius.com/?p=1998" target="_blank">Memorial Day and the Plight of a Blogger</a></p>
<p><a title="Open Letter to ePerks.com" href="http://www.phoenixrealestateguy.com/open-letter-to-eperkscom/1046" target="_blank">Open Letter to ePerks.com</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.cheatingagents.com/" target="_blank">ePerks Shafts Realtors</a></p>
<p><a href="http://lordmatt.co.uk/item/1126/" target="_blank">Are ePerks Spammers?</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.inman.com/news/2008/03/26/real-estate-rebates-and-referrals-with-a-twist" target="_blank">Real estate rebates and referrals with a twist</a></p>
<p><a title="Permalink to ePerks &amp; iHype - Legal Kneejerk - Sues Blogger" href="http://andybeard.eu/2008/06/eperks-ihype-legal-kneejerk-sues-blogger.html" target="_blank">ePerks &amp; iHype &#8211; Legal Kneejerk &#8211; Sues Blogger</a></p>


<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://brokerscience.com/legal/ben-behrouzi-eperks/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Ben Behrouzi / ePerks.com: A Case Study in Self Induced Search Engine Brand Destruction'>Ben Behrouzi / ePerks.com: A Case Study in Self Induced Search Engine Brand Destruction</a></li>
<li><a href='http://brokerscience.com/legal/eperks-ben-behrouzi-sues-blogger/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Beginning of the End: ePerks CEO Ben Behrouzi Sues Blogger, Confirms No Strategy in Place'>Beginning of the End: ePerks CEO Ben Behrouzi Sues Blogger, Confirms No Strategy in Place</a></li>
<li><a href='http://brokerscience.com/legal/eperks-ip-address-link/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: ePerks IP Address Link to Vlad Zablotzkyy: When the Hunter Becomes the Prey'>ePerks IP Address Link to Vlad Zablotzkyy: When the Hunter Becomes the Prey</a></li>
</ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>LeapFish / ePerks CEO Ben Behrouzi Voicemails Exposed: Threatens to Blackball and Sue Employee</title>
		<link>http://brokerscience.com/legal/ben-behrouzi-voicemails-threatens-employee/</link>
		<comments>http://brokerscience.com/legal/ben-behrouzi-voicemails-threatens-employee/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 13 Jun 2008 00:05:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Trace Richardson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Legal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ben Behrouzi]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Brabus Ventures]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dotnext]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ePerks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[LeapFish]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://brokerscience.com/?p=339</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Leapfish / Ben Behrouzi Bombshell Since BrokerScience first began covering LeapFish and ePerks CEO Ben Behrouzi, we have received a lot of reader submitted information in the form of: stories of first hand experiences with LeapFish / ePerks / Ben Behrouzi (as employees and customers), emails, voice mails, and other miscellaneous information and data relating [...]


Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://brokerscience.com/legal/ben-behrouzi-eperks/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Ben Behrouzi / ePerks.com: A Case Study in Self Induced Search Engine Brand Destruction'>Ben Behrouzi / ePerks.com: A Case Study in Self Induced Search Engine Brand Destruction</a></li>
<li><a href='http://brokerscience.com/legal/eperks-ben-behrouzi-sues-blogger/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Beginning of the End: ePerks CEO Ben Behrouzi Sues Blogger, Confirms No Strategy in Place'>Beginning of the End: ePerks CEO Ben Behrouzi Sues Blogger, Confirms No Strategy in Place</a></li>
<li><a href='http://brokerscience.com/legal/eperks-ben-behrouzi-brokerscience/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: LeapFish CEO Ben Behrouzi Insinuates Legal Action Against BrokerScience, Cites &#8220;Damages&#8221;'>LeapFish CEO Ben Behrouzi Insinuates Legal Action Against BrokerScience, Cites &#8220;Damages&#8221;</a></li>
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<h2>Leapfish / Ben Behrouzi Bombshell</h2>
<p>Since BrokerScience first began covering LeapFish and ePerks CEO Ben Behrouzi, we have received a lot of reader submitted information in the form of: stories of first hand experiences with LeapFish / ePerks / Ben Behrouzi (as employees and customers), emails, voice mails, and other miscellaneous information and data relating to Ben and company. We have published virtually none of it and do not plan on publishing it in the future unless it is pertinent to the facts involved in our coverage. The following voice mails are an exception. They help establish a pattern of legal harassment by Ben Behrouzi that goes all the way back to his days at Reply.com.</p>
<p>One common theme among all current and former employees we speak to that have worked under Ben <img class="alignright size-full wp-image-995" title="benbehrouzi" src="http://brokerscience.com/files/2008/06/benbehrouzi.jpg" alt="benbehrouzi" width="243" height="247" />Behrouzi at Reply.com or ePerks.com is that they <strong>fear the consequences involved with sharing their story</strong>. The legal harassment and <a href="http://brokerscience.com/re-web/eperks-re-web-2/eperks-ip-address-link/" target="_blank">worse</a> that ePerks critics such as Vlad Zablotzkyy (link removed due to page removal as part of terms of legal settlement with Ben), Dennis Pease and <a href="http://brokerscience.com/legal/eperks-ben-behrouzi-brokerscience/" target="_blank">BrokerScience</a> have endured are a testament to those concerns.</p>
<p>One person that is not afraid of Ben Behrouzi is former Reply.com employee Scott Chestnut. Scott worked under Ben Behrouzi (who was the Chief Technology Officer despite the fact that he was still in school working on a philosophy degree) as a Senior Network Engineer. While building out what was to be a million dollar network, Scott realized that working for Ben was an unworkable situation, so he walked out in frustration. The following voice mail from Ben Behrouzi chronicles Ben&#8217;s threats to blackball Scott and insure he is unable to gain employment, insinuating this will affect him for life and have deep reaching effects.</p>
<blockquote><p>&#8220;My new goal in life is going to become to ruin your name across this entire East Bay&#8230;&#8230;..you can take that to the bank, you can put your future kids or your girlfriend or whoever you want to put on it.&#8221; &#8211; ePerks CEO, Ben Behrouzi to employee that left the company</p></blockquote>
<h2>Ben Behrouzi Threatening to Blackball and &#8220;Ruin the Name&#8221; of Former Employee</h2>
<p><span style="font-size: medium"><strong><a class="linkification-ext" title="Linkification: http://brokerscience.com/files/2008/06/benscott.mp3" href="http://brokerscience.com/files/2008/06/benscott.mp3">http://brokerscience.com/files/2008/06/benscott.mp3</a></strong></span><br />
Later, Ben left another message regarding a vendor, CDW. He again makes false allegations and threatens legal action. Even though he claims he is in the process of preparing legal action, no legal action ever took place, an experience similar to what others have faced.</p>
<p><span id="more-339"></span></p>
<p>Ben suggests <em>&#8220;using dollars</em>&#8221; to make up for the indiscretions he accuses Scott of, similar to the verbiage he used when he threatened BrokerScience and tried to set up a conference call to discuss &#8220;<em>damages</em>&#8220;.</p>
<p>At some point after Scott walked out, Ben and his team were reportedly let go from Reply.com and Scott was again offered his position back at Reply.com.</p>
<h2>Ben Behrouzi Threatening Legal Action Against Former Employee / No Action Was Ever Filed</h2>
<p><span style="font-size: medium"><strong><a class="linkification-ext" title="Linkification: http://brokerscience.com/files/2008/06/benscott.mp3" href="http://brokerscience.com/files/2008/06/benscott.mp3">http://brokerscience.com/files/2008/06/benscott2.mp3</a></strong></span><br />
<strong>Conclusion. </strong>These voice mails are more evidence documenting a pattern of legal harassment and threats by Ben Behrouzi against anybody that gets in his way. While I am not familiar with the legality of of blackballing I am somewhat certain that &#8220;ruining someone&#8217;s name&#8221; for the purposes of insuring they cannot obtain employment is nothing short of defamation. Ben&#8217;s actions are consistent with the lack of ethics we have seen ePerks and iHype exhibit. There is now no question that in our opinion, Ben Behrouzi operates without an ethical or moral code.</p>
<p><strong>Feedback: </strong>Do you have a negative or positive LeapFish / ePerks / Ben Behrouzi story you would like to share as an current or ex employee, colleague or customer? We can&#8217;t guarantee we will publish it, but appreciate your feedback and it may help bloggers like Vlad Zablotzky fight against Ben Behrouzi and company. <a href="http://brokerscience.com/contact/" target="_blank">Contact us here</a>.</p>


<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://brokerscience.com/legal/ben-behrouzi-eperks/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Ben Behrouzi / ePerks.com: A Case Study in Self Induced Search Engine Brand Destruction'>Ben Behrouzi / ePerks.com: A Case Study in Self Induced Search Engine Brand Destruction</a></li>
<li><a href='http://brokerscience.com/legal/eperks-ben-behrouzi-sues-blogger/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Beginning of the End: ePerks CEO Ben Behrouzi Sues Blogger, Confirms No Strategy in Place'>Beginning of the End: ePerks CEO Ben Behrouzi Sues Blogger, Confirms No Strategy in Place</a></li>
<li><a href='http://brokerscience.com/legal/eperks-ben-behrouzi-brokerscience/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: LeapFish CEO Ben Behrouzi Insinuates Legal Action Against BrokerScience, Cites &#8220;Damages&#8221;'>LeapFish CEO Ben Behrouzi Insinuates Legal Action Against BrokerScience, Cites &#8220;Damages&#8221;</a></li>
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