Thread: FlexKom aka Flexcom aka Weeconomy - legitimate MLM or scam ??

Originally Posted by ribshaw

It keeps coming back to the same things, the bad stuff was all in the past, happy talk, and big roll-out coming. For that matter, rolling out to new towns should be cookie cutter, not chatter as if it has never been done before. If FK has been around for 4 years it should be very easy for any piker to obtain a list of merchants that participate and some concrete data on BM earnings and retention.
I too suspect this and other details are being kept nebulous to keep recruiting dollars flowing.

For the Chattanooga roll out it seems they WAY over recruited BMs given the market of available businesses. At the same time not sure how interested parties can track the success or failure of the roll out. Never mind our interest in the program, how does the family at a Days Inn in Anytown USA evaluate digging into their savings if this is all they get?

Flexcom, Watsco, and UGA I hold out hope you provide concrete answers to the open questions.

================================================== ==

Not sure if this had been posted before, pretty interesting piece.

» FlexKom Review – Are They Really This Stupid?StupidityisContagious.com

The Chattanooga Market did not over recruit. We have 55 to 66 GTM's. We are serving Hamilton County, Bradley County, Murray County, Whitfield County, and Catoosa County. This is app. 1 GTM for every 10,000 in population. Again like any business, not everyone is working nor will they ever. I wish every company that I have been involved in would have 100% of the employees that work their tail off to be successful but thats just not the case.

Why would a merchant want to do this? Again, I will answer through my personal experience.
- I have a rather large chain (about 12) stores that signed up as a Global Team Member and they will use Flexkom in all there retail store, the reason is this, they do not have a rewards program to compete with their competition which is a major corporate company, so
1: They need a rewards program to offer their customers. This is a great one because its not just building up points but rather giving them a cash back reward to spend at their store or in the community.
2: Flexkom gives them a way to communicate with their customers via email. As a customer, the app is free but you use your email address to which the merchant will have access too.
3: This is an advertising tool. The merchant (on the app) can upload pictures, menus or whatever they like to the app and also put their contact information along with describing what they have to offer.
4: This is a way of advertising on a cell phone which is the way of the future, instead of doing billboards, newspaper, or radio which are not effective ways to advertise anymore in our society, being able to advertise on a FREE app on the cell phone where corporate america is fighting everyday to get on our cell phones is a great way to attract new customers.
5: The merchant DOES NOT change anything they are doing. They pick the TOTAL discount that they want to give and half goes to the customer and half goes to Flexkom. You are paying for advertising AFTER someone buys your product instead of paying for advertising and hoping someone comes in. Again, the merchant can give ANY percentage they are comfortable with depending on their industry.
6: This is not out yet, but they are working on an update for the app that will allow merchants to upload videos and push them to anyone in a certain distance that has a notification turned on regarding getting discounts. Example: I own a seafood restaurant, I have a lot of salmon left over for lunch, I do a video advertising if you come in before 10:00 tonight, take an additional 20% of salmon, upload video to the back office and IF the customer has turned on the option that they want to receive discounts on food, they will be sent a video message.

Originally Posted by NikSam

Ok, so your propaganda machine portrays as you moving full force to US market,
so far I only see reps running around and collecting money from people, recruiting other reps,
and almost nothing coming back from FlexKom but future promises.

Do you charge any money from Pilot stores (license, terminal) or you just leave the terminals there without any payment ?

Yes we are now just getting going in the US market, the terminal was just introduced in December, and in our area, we had to be trained and certified before they allowed us to get started. In every other area, except Mobile, AL which is also closed to new reps, you are correct that is all you will be seeing until an area has enough reps to take it to market.

No charge for Pilot stores.

Originally Posted by freighttrain

Then WHERE is this and PROVE to us that you are not making this up!

Dalton, GA
Chattanooga, TN

What would you like to see? Where are you located? Do you have the app?

Originally Posted by watsco

We also just got cleared to do business in Italy which is known to have the toughest regulations of any country in the world.

(Emphasis added.)

Will the "industry" ever learn that its wordplay can be stripped bare by members of the world law-enforcement community who specialize in shining the light on deliberate ambiguities and reducing schemes to their essence?

In March 2013, some of the willfully blind and serially disingenuous TelexFree reps worded their claims largely the same way yours is worded. It is rank disingenuousness and, thankfully, serves only to bring additional scrutiny to a scheme.

From a TelexFree's rep's "news release" dated March 13, 2013:

“TelexFree business opportunity is open to entrepreneurs in Brazil and has recently opened up internationally including being authorized to operate in the United States.” (Emphasis added.)

The clear aim of this poison wordplay was to plant the seed that the U.S. government had given TelexFree its stamp of approval -- but that NEVER happened.

What agency of the Italian government "cleared" FlexKom to operate in the country?

If you're trying to imply that FlexKom created a corporate business entity in Italy, that's hardly "clearance." Nor is it evidence that FlexKom is wholesome and above-board.

The willfully blind Zeekers pointed to the registration of Rex Venture Group in Nevada and North Carolina as evidence no fraud was occurring. The ASDers pointed to registrations in Nevada and Florida as evidence no fraud was occurring.

But fraud was rampant within both enterprises and there were frauds within frauds, like what is happening now with TelexFree and WCM777, both of which also have corporate registrations that members point to as evidence no fraud is occurring.

PPBlog

P.S. You're right about Italy and its tough regulations. Italy has been known to seize the personal/team websites of domestic fraud-scheme promoters pushing "programs" in the country. It happened with Profitable Sunrise, which purportedly was authorized to operate in England through a shell company. It also happened with JSSTripler/JustBeenPaid, which bizarrely once fretted that its website could be taken offline by American "cruise missiles."

It also happened with Club Asteria which, more or less like the other scams, licensed itself to cross national borders and pick pockets on a global scale.

Originally Posted by UGA1

The Chattanooga Market did not over recruit. We have 55 to 66 GTM's. We are serving Hamilton County, Bradley County, Murray County, Whitfield County, and Catoosa County. This is app. 1 GTM for every 10,000 in population. Again like any business, not everyone is working nor will they ever. I wish every company that I have been involved in would have 100% of the employees that work their tail off to be successful but thats just not the case.

Why would a merchant want to do this? Again, I will answer through my personal experience.
- I have a rather large chain (about 12) stores that signed up as a Global Team Member and they will use Flexkom in all there retail store, the reason is this, they do not have a rewards program to compete with their competition which is a major corporate company, so
1: They need a rewards program to offer their customers. This is a great one because its not just building up points but rather giving them a cash back reward to spend at their store or in the community.
2: Flexkom gives them a way to communicate with their customers via email. As a customer, the app is free but you use your email address to which the merchant will have access too.
3: This is an advertising tool. The merchant (on the app) can upload pictures, menus or whatever they like to the app and also put their contact information along with describing what they have to offer.
4: This is a way of advertising on a cell phone which is the way of the future, instead of doing billboards, newspaper, or radio which are not effective ways to advertise anymore in our society, being able to advertise on a FREE app on the cell phone where corporate america is fighting everyday to get on our cell phones is a great way to attract new customers.
5: The merchant DOES NOT change anything they are doing. They pick the TOTAL discount that they want to give and half goes to the customer and half goes to Flexkom. You are paying for advertising AFTER someone buys your product instead of paying for advertising and hoping someone comes in. Again, the merchant can give ANY percentage they are comfortable with depending on their industry.
6: This is not out yet, but they are working on an update for the app that will allow merchants to upload videos and push them to anyone in a certain distance that has a notification turned on regarding getting discounts. Example: I own a seafood restaurant, I have a lot of salmon left over for lunch, I do a video advertising if you come in before 10:00 tonight, take an additional 20% of salmon, upload video to the back office and IF the customer has turned on the option that they want to receive discounts on food, they will be sent a video message.

All this sounds great, almost every opportunity out there sounds great. This is all the marketing stuff, I am hoping we can move past this to get the hard questions answered.

Originally Posted by UGA1

The Chattanooga Market did not over recruit. We have 55 to 66 GTM's. We are serving Hamilton County, Bradley County, Murray County, Whitfield County, and Catoosa County. This is app. 1 GTM for every 10,000 in population. Again like any business, not everyone is working nor will they ever. I wish every company that I have been involved in would have 100% of the employees that work their tail off to be successful but thats just not the case.

Why would a merchant want to do this? Again, I will answer through my personal experience.
- I have a rather large chain (about 12) stores that signed up as a Global Team Member and they will use Flexkom in all there retail store, the reason is this, they do not have a rewards program to compete with their competition which is a major corporate company, so
1: They need a rewards program to offer their customers. This is a great one because its not just building up points but rather giving them a cash back reward to spend at their store or in the community.

But they are losing twice. Once on the discount and then again what they have to give to flexcom in equivalent. If they can't compete with 'a major corporate company' to begin with, this will surely put them out of business. The 'major corporate company' can give better deals because they buy in bigger volume to begin with. Now what happens if the 'major corporate company' wants to use flexcom? And why wouldn't they if it's so great

Originally Posted by UGA1

2: Flexkom gives them a way to communicate with their customers via email. As a customer, the app is free but you use your email address to which the merchant will have access too.

So does my quickbooks and I'm pretty sure any other business program should people actually decide to use it. Programs are only as good as what gets input to them.

Originally Posted by UGA1

3: This is an advertising tool. The merchant (on the app) can upload pictures, menus or whatever they like to the app and also put their contact information along with describing what they have to offer.

So can a website like many have already.

Originally Posted by UGA1

4: This is a way of advertising on a cell phone which is the way of the future, instead of doing billboards, newspaper, or radio which are not effective ways to advertise anymore in our society, being able to advertise on a FREE app on the cell phone where corporate america is fighting everyday to get on our cell phones is a great way to attract new customers.

Don't know what year you are living in but in 2014, it's now and has been already in progress.

Originally Posted by UGA1

5: The merchant DOES NOT change anything they are doing. They pick the TOTAL discount that they want to give and half goes to the customer and half goes to Flexkom. You are paying for advertising AFTER someone buys your product instead of paying for advertising and hoping someone comes in. Again, the merchant can give ANY percentage they are comfortable with depending on their industry.

Yes they do.....they have to pay flexcom for them wanting to give a discount.

Originally Posted by UGA1

6: This is not out yet, but they are working on an update for the app that will allow merchants to upload videos and push them to anyone in a certain distance that has a notification turned on regarding getting discounts. Example: I own a seafood restaurant, I have a lot of salmon left over for lunch, I do a video advertising if you come in before 10:00 tonight, take an additional 20% of salmon, upload video to the back office and IF the customer has turned on the option that they want to receive discounts on food, they will be sent a video message.

Originally Posted by UGA1

Yes we are now just getting going in the US market, the terminal was just introduced in December, and in our area, we had to be trained and certified before they allowed us to get started. In every other area, except Mobile, AL which is also closed to new reps, you are correct that is all you will be seeing until an area has enough reps to take it to market.

No charge for Pilot stores.

exactly what 'certification' would that be. If there is nothing 'legally' required, then this is just bluster. I'm a certified auto mechanic - so what.

Originally Posted by Whip

Why, as a merchant, after giving a discount (that I am free to give at any time anyway and many merchants do), should I have to lose even more money by paying flexkom the equivalent of that discount? I have already lost money by giving the discount.

Retail Stores give discounts and advertise. PEROID. I have been involved with retail shops for years. Everyone discounts and everyone advertises. Its not losing money, its retaining customers and getting new ones. Lets see who all has a discount program? Kroger, Walgreens, CVS, Bi-Lo, Mapco, etc etc etc. Its a way of life and the small and medium size business has to partake to be able to compete. Flexkom is not going to just GIVE away the discount program, of course they are going to make some money. The above companies have invested lots of money into their discount programs and continue to discount.

Originally Posted by ribshaw

All this sounds great, almost every opportunity out there sounds great. This is all the marketing stuff, I am hoping we can move past this to get the hard questions answered.

"how does the family at a Days Inn in Anytown USA evaluate digging into their savings if this is all they get? "
This is what you ask me and I answered by telling you everything the merchant gets, where is the hard question that you ask me??

Originally Posted by Whip

exactly what 'certification' would that be. If there is nothing 'legally' required, then this is just bluster. I'm a certified auto mechanic - so what.

Every GTM that wants to sell to a merchant in our area or any area has to be trained by corporate. For our are, we went to a corporate training in Chattanooga, TN app. 3 weeks ago. It was a one day training and you had to attend to be able to sell to merchants. It was located at the Embassy Suites/Hamilton Place in Chattanooga TN. You are welcome to call and verify if you would like.

Originally Posted by UGA1

Dalton, GA
Chattanooga, TN

What would you like to see? Where are you located? Do you have the app?

You could just as well tell me that youve got stores up on the moon. How is this any prove? Do you even know how to prove anything?

You mean that app that has a Flexkom pin in the White House? I dont believe that app If you dont mind.

Originally Posted by UGA1

Every GTM that wants to sell to a merchant in our area or any area has to be trained by corporate. For our are, we went to a corporate training in Chattanooga, TN app. 3 weeks ago. It was a one day training and you had to attend to be able to sell to merchants. It was located at the Embassy Suites/Hamilton Place in Chattanooga TN. You are welcome to call and verify if you would like.

Not really because it means nothing. Is that what you are claiming it means to get a 'certification'? lol. I would hope at the least people are trained on how to use what they are trying to sell.

Originally Posted by UGA1

"how does the family at a Days Inn in Anytown USA evaluate digging into their savings if this is all they get? "
This is what you ask me and I answered by telling you everything the merchant gets, where is the hard question that you ask me??

You have SAID that this is what the merchant gets. Watso provided a HYPOTHETICAL of what BMs might earn. The company is 4 years old, where is the proof? These are pretty common disclosures that should be made to all prospects before any money changes hands. This stuff should be in writing somewhere, where is it?

1. Who are the merchants in the worldwide network?
2. Where are the earnings statements of BMs in already developed markets?
3. Where is the marketing analysis of the Chattanooga market based on past market penetration to prove Flexkom has not simply over recruited on a promise?


This may help. http://www.mlmlaw.com/library/guides/ftc/netrule.htm

Or this. http://www.business.ftc.gov/document...consumer-guide

Originally Posted by Whip

But they are losing twice. Once on the discount and then again what they have to give to flexcom in equivalent. If they can't compete with 'a major corporate company' to begin with, this will surely put them out of business. The 'major corporate company' can give better deals because they buy in bigger volume to begin with. Now what happens if the 'major corporate company' wants to use flexcom? And why wouldn't they if it's so great



So does my quickbooks and I'm pretty sure any other business program should people actually decide to use it. Programs are only as good as what gets input to them.



So can a website like many have already.



Don't know what year you are living in but in 2014, it's now and has been already in progress.



Yes they do.....they have to pay flexcom for them wanting to give a discount.

Of course they have to pay Flexkom, everyone who has a rewards program pays for it!!! They decide their discount. If they are giving a 10% discount already, then nothing changes, they just do a 10% total discount.

How does your quickbooks get you your customers email address? In a convenient store or many other retail stores having access to your customers via email is huge. A great benefit for the merchant. Most customers are not just going to give you there email but if they are getting a FREE app to where they will be getting cash back rewards then I assume they will be willing to give up their email address.

True, websites are great. What do they cost to build? and are they really benefiting your customer base like a rewards program? or are they just benefiting the merchant. IF WE DISCOUNT, WE MAKE CUSTOMERS HAPPY AND CAN RETAIN AND GROW OUR BUSINESS

Living in 2014 thank you, how many small businesses to you have on your cell phone?? I have 0 but I do have Starbucks, Delta, Ebay, etc. This gives the small to med size business a way to get on your cell phone.

Again, of course they pay Flexkom for the advertising and rewards program.

Originally Posted by UGA1

Retail Stores give discounts and advertise. PEROID. I have been involved with retail shops for years. Everyone discounts and everyone advertises. Its not losing money, its retaining customers and getting new ones. Lets see who all has a discount program? Kroger, Walgreens, CVS, Bi-Lo, Mapco, etc etc etc. Its a way of life and the small and medium size business has to partake to be able to compete. Flexkom is not going to just GIVE away the discount program, of course they are going to make some money. The above companies have invested lots of money into their discount programs and continue to discount.

Providing a worthwhile service is how you retain customers. Not buying something someone says you need to retain them at a cost to your bottom line. You are saying they can't compete to begin with but they are suppose to give up more? Anyone giving something away, much less twice, is a loss no matter how you slice it.

Originally Posted by UGA1

Of course they have to pay Flexkom, everyone who has a rewards program pays for it!!! They decide their discount. If they are giving a 10% discount already, then nothing changes, they just do a 10% total discount.

How does your quickbooks get you your customers email address? In a convenient store or many other retail stores having access to your customers via email is huge. A great benefit for the merchant. Most customers are not just going to give you there email but if they are getting a FREE app to where they will be getting cash back rewards then I assume they will be willing to give up their email address.

True, websites are great. What do they cost to build? and are they really benefiting your customer base like a rewards program? or are they just benefiting the merchant. IF WE DISCOUNT, WE MAKE CUSTOMERS HAPPY AND CAN RETAIN AND GROW OUR BUSINESS

Living in 2014 thank you, how many small businesses to you have on your cell phone?? I have 0 but I do have Starbucks, Delta, Ebay, etc. This gives the small to med size business a way to get on your cell phone.

Again, of course they pay Flexkom for the advertising and rewards program.

as many as google provides like everyone else does.

Originally Posted by freighttrain

You could just as well tell me that youve got stores up on the moon. How is this any prove? Do you even know how to prove anything?

You mean that app that has a Flexkom pin in the White House? I dont believe that app If you dont mind.

Why do you have to be a smart**, asking me if I know how to prove anything?
I was trying to be nice and ask you what would be proof to you, pics, videos??
I really could care less if you believe anything I say or not. As I have said from the beginning, drive here and see for yourself, but no one seems willing to do that.

Originally Posted by Whip

Providing a worthwhile service is how you retain customers. Not buying something someone says you need to retain them at a cost to your bottom line. You are saying they can't compete to begin with but they are suppose to give up more? Anyone giving something away, much less twice, is a loss no matter how you slice it.

I guess we will see, but I can tell you a lot of merchants in my area disagree.

Originally Posted by ribshaw

You have SAID that this is what the merchant gets. Watso provided a HYPOTHETICAL of what BMs might earn. The company is 4 years old, where is the proof? These are pretty common disclosures that should be made to all prospects before any money changes hands. This stuff should be in writing somewhere, where is it?

1. Who are the merchants in the worldwide network?
2. Where are the earnings statements of BMs in already developed markets?
3. Where is the marketing analysis of the Chattanooga market based on past market penetration to prove Flexkom has not simply over recruited on a promise?


This may help. MLM Law - Lawyer Grimes & Reese PLLC - Attorney Specializing in Multilevel Marketing - Guide To The FTC Franchise and Business Opportunity Rule

Or this. Buying a Franchise: A Consumer Guide | BCP Business Center

I did not read what Watso said so I have no idea what you are talking about:
1. Honestly, for me and just me, I don't care. The POS 4 is the new technology that I am interested in not the other systems worldwide. Doesn't concern me, only what is happening now in my area and the future of the US market is what I am concerned about. I am not dodging the question, I just don't know and really don't care about the past because I probably would not have got involved with Flexkom based on the other technology and it not being app based.
2. The markets are not open yet. As I have said, these are Pilot stores and we are just now starting to use the system. Our training was only 3 weeks ago. They are moving into the opening stages though. We had to make sure everything was working properly between the merchant and customer (the customer being the GTM for now)
3. I don't need a marketing analysis. I am smart enough to know that if I put in the 2 merchants with an average of 500 customers each, that is 1000 customers, if I am just earning 50 cents per month on the customer rebates, thats $500.00 per month. So, if all 60 reps only put in 2 merchants = 120 merchants, they can make $500.00 per month with this example. In the counties I mentioned above there are many small business. Plenty of merchants to go around.

Originally Posted by UGA1

I guess we will see, but I can tell you a lot of merchants in my area disagree.

You still didn't address why 'major corporate company' wouldn't use flexcom also? And if they do, what does that do to the little guy you convinced it would help them compete?

Originally Posted by UGA1

Why do you have to be a smart**, asking me if I know how to prove anything?
I was trying to be nice and ask you what would be proof to you, pics, videos??
I really could care less if you believe anything I say or not. As I have said from the beginning, drive here and see for yourself, but no one seems willing to do that.

Why dont you drive to Turkey to see for yourself that youve been scammed?

But a website listing all flexkom shops will do.

Originally Posted by Whip

Not really because it means nothing. Is that what you are claiming it means to get a 'certification'? lol. I would hope at the least people are trained on how to use what they are trying to sell.

Yes thats exactly what I am calling it, getting trained or certified to do a job is usually what happens when a legitimate company is doing business.

Originally Posted by Whip

You still didn't address why 'major corporate company' wouldn't use flexcom also? And if they do, what does that do to the little guy you convinced it would help them compete?

Have you watched the Flexkom video or seen any presentations? This is not for corporate america. This is for the small to medium size businesses. McDonalds, Wal-Mart, etc will not be using Flexkom. The merchants that will be using this will be your small to medium sized businesses like your local restaurants, dry cleaners, furniture stores, chiropractors, gyms, c-stores, etc….

So if Walmart or McDonalds (big IF I would say) did approach FlexKom, would FlexKom send them packing and say "we're for the smaller guys only"?

UGA1 said, "Of course they have to pay Flexkom, everyone who has a rewards program pays for it!!! They decide their discount. If they are giving a 10% discount already, then nothing changes, they just do a 10% total discount."

This is the part of the Yet-To-Be-Proven model that makes NO SENSE whatsoever.

I think everyone on this board will agree the Local Small Merchant is being squeezed on both ends - price and margin, by Costco, Sam's Club, Walmart, BJ's etc.

So along comes Flexkom. Rather than opening Las Vegas and proving the model there, they went straight to the MLMers, Money-Gamers, Over-priced product pedlars and offered them MILLION DOLLAR BONUSES to SELL THEIR FRANCHISE (as it is called in Europe) to other investors. Why not? They sold 40,000 in Turkey and never even had to prove their model (this is a fact and the information is there if you aren't afraid to look for it).

I give the guys down in TN and Ga credit though. I believe some of them are actually honest people that have bought into the STORY of HUGE SUCCESS in other markets.

So, you have a Local Merchant who has to compete on PRICE against the other chain stores and Flexkom comes in and says, " We have a solution. Instead of just setting up a mobile texting platform where you can engage your OWN customers and offer them 10% discounts, rewards etc.....use our FREE system and continue to take 10% out of your margins BUT ALSO.....give us another 10% so that we can pay our Multi-Level Compensation Plan and make our profit too. Mr. Local Merchant - - we plan on doing this with other merchants too. And, we will then take some of the EXTRA MONEY we are charging ALL OF YOU.....and give some of it back to you."

YEAH RIGHT?

So, with all of this extra money being charged the Local Merchant......does your system allow the merchant to communicate with their customers....right now?
OR, is this another one of those COMING SOON, WE REALLY MEAN IT THIS TIME - marketing ploys Flexkom is so famous for using all over the world?

I see most of the posts by UGA1 and Watsco DRIVEN BY FEAR. You can tell because they try and mask that FEAR with happy faces, not actually answering the questions
and acting like everything in FlexKom World is just fine.

I have said it before but it needs to be repeated. If there have been 2000 "investors" buy their POSITION IN THE COMP PLAN at $2,200 each, then Flexkom USA has already $4,400,000 UP FRONT.
They plan on keeping that money EVEN IF the USA fails like so many other countries have done.

My advice: If you have profited in the selling of this opportunity - - don't spend it.