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Heather of Circleville, OH, writes:
I joined Equinox with many promises from Jim Short, Bill Gould
and everyone else high up on the totem pole at Equinox. I went
to 2 different seminars costing $300 each just to attend. I
spent over $400 in hotel and food expenses, another $800 on
clothes that I could wear to the office.
I was at that time a single mother.
I didn't have the money to spend, but I did it because they
promised that if I worked hard I would become a millionaire
like them.
I drove 45 miles to this office everyday.
I spent my own money (hundreds of dollars) placing ads in the
paper, my mother took out a $12,000 loan against her house so
that we could become directors in the company. We now have products
sitting in our house because noone wanted to spend that kind
of money on shampoo!
My mother had to file bankruptcy
because of these people.
I was left with no money to support myself or my young child,
I had to rely on family and the goverment until I could get
back on my feet again! I felt really stupid.
Rita of Ashville, OH, writes:
I took out a $12,000.00 loan against my home to purchase
products because they really made me believe we would do well.
I had to file bankruptcy. My credit is ruined!
Stacey
of Van Meter, IA, writes:
I
made it out with only loosing $36. I am just writing this so
that maybe something can be done so that others aren't hurt
by it.
I
received a call from a Nash R. at a place he called "Infinite
Effects". He
told me they were a new company looking for people to work sales,
customer service, and management positions.
He said he had gotten my name from my aunt.
He asked me if I was interested in any of the positions
and I said that I was the customer service one.
He
said he had time to interview me at either 7pm that night or
1pm the next day. I
went there at 7. When I got there, there were two other people who said they
also had 7pm interviews with Nash.
They took each one of us back separately to a room with
a big screen TV, some chairs and a bunch of Equinox International
products.
They
told us a little bit about the water filtration systems and
then had us watch a video with William Gould in it.
They kept telling us how much money we could make and
how college got you nowhere and so on.
They made it all sound very convincing.
They
then told us about a seminar in Cinncinnati the next weekend.
They said it cost $300 to go but that we really should.
Nash then took me to the back of the building and told
me that he thought that I was the "sharpest" one there
and he wanted me to sponsor the other two and go to the seminar.
I
told him that I didnt know if I could come up with the money
for the seminar because I have a little boy and I have to buy
Christmas presents. He
told me to ask my mom and others for help with the money.
He finally got me to put down a $150 deposit for the
seminar. He then
sent me home with a manual and video about the products and
made me give him a $55 check for that, saying that I would get
it back the next day when I brought the manual back.
I
went back the next morning at 9am and returned the manuel and
told him that I couldn't do it because I couldn't get the money
or a sitter. He
continued to try and convince me that I could get the money
and told me to ask more people. He never refunded any of my money, not even the $55 which he
had said he would. I
left and he told me to contact him in the afternoon and let
him know and to go to a seminar that night where there would
be a call from William Gould himself.
When
I got home my mom called me and told me that a co-worker's friend
had gotten involved with the company and ended up bankrupt and
said they had brainwashed her etc. She also told me that Equinox had been on some news shows.
I then looked up and saw that it was true.
I
stopped payment on the checks that I wrote to Nash, and I haven't
spoken with him since.
He has been trying to call me, but I haven't been home.
They also have a list of names and numbers of people
to contact that we provided them, not totally understanding
how everything worked.
I
am upset. But my
main concern is what they are capable of doing to so many other
people. And how
they are still running a business, when just in August there
was a hearing on it.
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