I don't know what I can do to change the course of investment history, but here goes.
This adventure began in the fall of 1995.
I too am a former CCI dealer. I bought into CCI and their claims for changing the way people will buy music. BIG MISTAKE! The had very talented sales people, "sale what you can" artists, at the end of the phone that pitched franchises to saps like me. I researched the company as much as I could and made an investment in their $7500 franchise. It gave me territories and enough cards to quadruple my investment! Sounds great doesn't it?
It didn't happen this way. My faith in CCI and Darrel Piercy (DP) faded fast when the all expense paid trip to the corporate office for two days of franchise training was a total farce. First CCI made up some excuse why they wouldn't book my flight for me, so I booked and paid for my own flight when they committed to reimburse me for it. The hotel CCI booked for me was nice. But at the time of checkout the corporate check that was used to pay for my room bounced and the hotel wasn't going let me leave unless I paid. So I did.
Training could not even be construed as training. CCI was in total reactionary mode when I came through the doors. There was no training program. It was shoot from the hip the entire first day. At the end of the day I was told that's the "entire" franchise training coarse thank you for coming and have a nice trip home. Yes I felt a little taken by this time. But, I justified it by saying to myself "this is a new upstart company with a great future" and went out to build my domain in the music industry.
So now I have my training and the knowledge needed to make this franchise work. I worked it hard. I created my own web site for internet sales. Contacted every school in my area for fundraising opportunities. Met with organizations. Joined my local Chamber of Commerce. I did trade shows. I worked it. I was selling cards! Great, right? Wrong!
The problems began when CCI wouldn't reimburse me for my travel expenses. After all it was only $600 dollars to this growing SUPER DISCOUNT music company. Why couldn't they afford this? After two months of calling them two to three times a week, I received a check. Went to my bank to cash it and it bounced. Oh you should have felt my panic. If a $600 corporate check bounces, what else is bouncing?
By this time I began to get complaint calls and e-mails about my card customers not getting their music even though their cards had been charged. A little shady as a business practice, but legal. But what bothered me most was the miss charging of their cards. Often double dipping or adding 0's to the total. Then correcting the charge saying it was a mistake. Once perhaps, but multiple times, I doubt it. That is illegal by anyone's standard.
Things really began to go down hill fast. CCI never delivered the full amount of cards that I had purchased with my franchise. Because I was on the internet, other dealers knew of my existence and began getting calls and correspondence from them. All with an identical story.
When things got so bad with CCI not delivering the product they were legally responsible to do, I began to get legal threats from my card purchasers. I didn't buy into CCI for this. So I shut down my business because my hands were tied and bad press locally and on the internet closed down my sales.
The straw that broke the back was when CCI changed their 800 number's. This meant that all the cards that all the CCI dealers sold were null and void, there was know way for card owners to contact them. To make things worse, CCI was unlisted in the 800 directory.
So I began to research why all this was happening. I discovered who their music suppliers were and asked a few questions to find out that they had stopped delivering music for them because CCI hadn't paid them. I also contacted who their former 800 number carrier was and CCI was dropped because they hadn't paid their bill with them.
Fact or fiction. This is what my experience was. I resolved it by putting it to rest. I contacted the DA's office in California and the US Postal Inspectors for mail fraud but they weren't that interested because there was only a couple people in this situation. After this, It wasn't worth the anxiety of fretting over this lose or more accurately, by my account, robbery.
It was to rest until I was notified by one of the other former dealers and told me how DP was going to profit again by TSIG acquiring them. My only suggestion to those interested in investing in TSIG because of CCI is, be cautious. The success of a company is only as good as the people running it. If they believe in unsavory business practices, then you are going to be the one to lose.
If you are doubting my integrity in this account. I just happened to save every complaint e-mail I received from disgruntled card owners. If you would like to get a copy of this file I would be happy to send it to you. It paints the accounts of card owners and their experience with CCI and how they abused everyone not just the dealers.
Jeff G.
p.s. I too have free Music Cards to anyone who would like one, or two, or three. They are worthless to me. E-mail me at jeff_g_nv@yahoo.com and I'll be happy to send you one. |
