Vanguard Academy
Vanguard Academy Overview
The aggregated data is based on reviews and questionnaires provided by PissedConsumer.com users.
Vanguard Academy has 1.9 star rating based on 2 customer reviews. Consumers are mostly dissatisfied.
- Rating Distribution
Recent recommendations regarding this business are as follows: "Access to more humans than computers.".
Review authors value the most Website. Consumers are not pleased with Customer service and Location. The price level of this organization is medium according to consumer reviews.
The aggregated data is based on reviews and questionnaires provided by PissedConsumer.com users.
Vanguard Academy has 1.9 star rating based on 2 customer reviews. Consumers are mostly dissatisfied.
- Rating Distribution
Recent recommendations regarding this business are as follows: "Access to more humans than computers.".
Review authors value the most Website. Consumers are not pleased with Customer service and Location. The price level of this organization is medium according to consumer reviews.
Put on hold and waiting list twice and never receive a return call
Cannot get a live person to talk. I have thousands of dollars invested in vanguard. Should l begin looking for another investment firm?
User's recommendation: Access to more humans than computers.
Scammed by Vanguard Academy- age 72- desperate but hopeful.
Exact same process of roping me in as other reports. They used word for word the same promises and tactics. (same as case a038082- review # 401455)
I tried to contact Desmond Sullivan again, phones not working, put on hold for over an hour, disconnected, sent letters via snail mail and email.(no
I asked for only $5,000 refunded since I tried to use some of their materials. (outdated 1/2 way through their course). Total output=
$16,000.
Now my cs is ruined since I cannot pay the card and I probably will need to sell my house.
Depressed and mad for trusting. Can someone please help?
Preferred solution: Price reduction
SCAMMED by Vanguard Academy (formerly Vanguard Institute & Affiliated Businesses!!!
This is what I experienced with Vanguard Academy (formerly Vanguard Institute) and their “associates”. This complaint has to do with several “entities” alongside Vanguard because they all seem to work together as “affiliates” to boost each other’s business at your expense. Based out of CA, Vanguard Academy works worldwide through telemarketing. No contact information can be found on their website: www.vanguardinstitute.net only a physical address as they claim they don’t want the general public to contact them, they call who “THEY want” in their program.
Vanguard Academy gets your contact information from Rapid Fire Commissions, a UK based operation, or another like it. They target you because you showed interest in internet marketing/having a website. Information from past employees has indicated they also largely target senior citizens. Personally, I was taken for a total of just under $14,000 from all of these organizations, collectively. They prey upon one’s desperation to change their life/situation(s).
You’re sent from one entity to the other in hopes that you’ll buy into ALL of them. You’re tricked into believing they are all part of the same program by calling the next person to drain you your “Entity Coach” or the “Tax Coach”, etc. All of these businesses are unnecessary for you to start your own website business (even Vanguard Academy), but you’re made to believe that you NEED them for their training to be successful or to be “in compliance” with your state or the IRS. This is NOT true and is a deceitful tactic!
Apparently, they don’t care whether you’re fit for their program or not! If they determine you have the money or “resources” (i.e., credit cards, home equity loans, etc.) it doesn’t matter if you make it through their program and/or are successful…they are ONLY interested in the money they can get from you.
They are VERY aggressive and use hard sell tactics to lure you in. Mind bending and reverse psychology is used to boost your ego to where you, soon are telling them why THEY should let you into their program instead of them selling their program to you! You’ll be questioned on very personal things like your credit history, the spending limit on your credit card or cards, how much debt you already have on them. Watch out for this tactic…it’s how they determine the amount they can get from you and how they can “help you” figure out how to spread it between your cards.
All of these organizations have 2 to 3 options to them where the highest option is always played as the best deal (i.e., more money up front, but far less monthly charges than lower plans). Vanguard Academy’s program is not near as simple as they make it out to be…it is actually quite overwhelming and they won’t be much help to you. You’re given a “coach” for far less time than you’re led to believe (1/2 hour, one day a week for 3 months). Chances are your coach won’t be anything more than a glorified cheerleader…they’re main function is to keep you encouraged and get you through the first 3 months as quickly as possible.
You’re led to believe they’ll build a website for you…what you actually get is the “platform” and you design the website yourself. If their platform, which is real basic, is not conducive to the business you selected and you go with something else, you will STILL be charged $39.99 per month, called a “membership fee”, which is supposed to include the hosting. However, if you don’t go with Web Builder, you won’t get their hosting, your technical support will be VERY limited (if any) and you’ll STILL be paying $39.99 per month on top of what they’ve already managed to add to your credit card(s)…which is upwards of $8,600 for Vanguard’s program alone!
They’ll tell you need to work hard, however they don’t give you any idea HOW hard it will be but that they’ll have you making $3,000 to $10,000 per month within the first 6 months! I imagine this is possible, but it’s VERY unrealistic! This would be akin to winning the lottery. The amount of time and work that goes into the training, building a website and running a business is PHENOMINAL compared to how it is presented to you! Realistically, this training and a venture of this sort is something that should take not less than 2 years, yet it is condensed into a short 6 month course. Most of what they tell you is deceptive, but it’s what they DON’T tell you that’ll get you into trouble.
REMEMBER that you have a 3-day Right of Rescission period if you want to back out, but you’ll have to be as aggressive with them to get out as they were with you…they won’t let go of your money easily! There’s far more to it all than Vanguard Academy (and the other organizations) will tell you up front and the problem is…you won’t know the half of it until your 3-day Right of Rescission is over…so think about it very carefully and ask yourself AND them some of the questions below:
Organizations involved:
1. Vanguard Academy (formerly Vanguard Institute)
2. Rapid Fire Commissions (Starter scam for the bigger scam: Vanguard Academy)
3. Daeus Financial (primary entity under which the next 3 fall)
4. Daeus Business Entity (Taken for $3,990)
5. Your Entity Solutions (Part of Daeus Business Entity)
6. Daeus Tax Services (Taken for $2,390 and they still think I owe them more!)
7. Strategic Tax Services (Part of Daeus Tax Services)
8. Daeus Credit Services (Another Daeus entity that will attempt to get another $6,000 to “manage your business credit”)
9. Monterey Financial (Financing for Daeus/Strategic Tax Services if you can’t afford their entire fee up front)
10. International Coach Federation (Entity where their “coaches” come from)
11. Premier Mentoring (??? I have NO idea where this entity fits in, but it has something to do with Daeus)
Tactics:
1. Overly aggressive, persistent
2. Deceptive and vague
3. Fake kindness and caring of your personal situation
4. Ego building (yours)/manipulative
5. Withholds TONS of information (“beating around the bush”)
6. Getting personal with you and your finances, debt, credit card(s)
7. Recording your conversation with them while they control the conversation
8. NOT having themselves on record when they make the promises to you that you can’t prove otherwise
Common phrases to watch for:
1. We’ll GIVE you a website.
2. We’ll walk you through the entire process.
3. We’ll “hold your hand” all the way.
4. You’ll be making $3,000 a month within the first 3 months.
5. We’ll have you making upwards of $10,000 a month within 6 months.
6. We’ll work with you until you’ve made back your initial investment.
7. We worked with one guy for a full year before his business made a profit.
8. Do you have just 10 – 15 extra hours a week to spend? (HA! Unless you’re a genius or already experienced in business, bookkeeping, marketing, etc…it takes more than triple that amount of time!)
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Unfortunately, I worked with Desmond at this company for 1 year. I was only a kid, and was not aware that I was working for a scam.
Once I found out I quit.
The only way to get a refund is to contact your credit card.
Demand a refund for getting scammed and provide the credit card company with evidence, such as other forums that suggest this is a scam.
Best of luck.