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13 Ways How TVI Express / tviexpress.com (and other Scams) Trick Their Victims with earning tree cycles

Updated on June 27, 2018

Why Do People Fall for Scams?

Human mind has been tuned by millions of years of evolution into seeking connections between events, in order to anticipate events. It is crucial to survival. For example:

  • Animal eat this plant / seed, so it is probably edible by humans.
  • Avoid snakes with rattles at their tails and so on

These are distilled into "knowledge", and passed down through "education". It could be from parents, elders, uncles, teachers, etc.

However, knowledge must then be classified as fact, rational thought, or dogma. What's the difference among them?

  • Fact is self-evident.

For example: You see the tree branches waving in the wind. It's windy outside. That is a fact. It's DIRECTLY OBSERVABLE.

  • Rational thought can be justified by logical deductions, scientific experiments, observations, and so on.

For example: "earth is round" is a rational thought because you "can" sail around the world, horizon is curved, and so on. It can be inferred by logic.

  • Dogma has no rational basis other than "someone said so".

For example: a doctor said that certain vaccines are dangerous to children, and should be further studied, but really offered no proof of this alleged risk. (see Andrew Wakefield)

A scam works via two ways: by presenting dogma as fact, and by using logical fallacies to convince you that something is true when it is not.

Following are 13 different techniques used by TVI Express and its members (and a scam in general) to mislead their potential recruits.

Presenting Personal Testimony as "Fact"

Most of TVI Express's "testimonials" are just that... anecdotes. Most of their "defense" against critics are "I know ___ who made money so it's not a scam". Absence of corroboration or physical proof means it is merely a story. It cannot be verified. It is also a logical fallacy, since making money does not prove it's not a scam. A pyramid scheme will pay a tiny percentage of people and leave the rest with nothing. TVI Express's own explanation, 2 pyramids/matrices of 15 people each you need to cycle out of, means that your chance of making money is 1 out of 200+ , or less than 0.5%. It doesn't prove it's not a scam.

Here's one such example:

Cited from "In whatever name, It [TVI Express] is a pyramid scheme | The Voice Botswana NewsBlog" ( http://www.thevoicebw.com/?p=3116 ) Comments section

Kaygee August 6, 2010 in response to the editorial article:

For those serious about their need to gain financial freedom..Reading this article will mislead you people.I have joined TVI and before i joined i had lot of thoughts about dis business..As of now i m glad and thankful to my Batswana friends who introduced me to dis business.

My Asian friends have long told me that, they success lies in their desire to take risk..so peoples if you want 2 join TVI..determination,hard-work and team-work is the way to go in this business..You recruit people and you work with them to even recruit more people, while you keep advancing to the top and getting ur rewards yah thats the deal..very very easy….!

I m currently heading for $10,000 hopeful i will reach there in 2 months if not less..Lets the voice spread propaganda and discourage Batswana from being invester…!

By the way how can some people trust network marketing if they know nothing about it..?

This comment is in response to an editorial about TVI Express being a scam. It is all personal opinion, with NO explanation on why the editorial is wrong, offer any new information, other than "I am sure I will make money". She hasn't even made any money yet, yet she's convince this is legitimate, not a scam. If this is about religion, it would be called "faith".

Make it sound legitimate

TVI Express claims to be a networking marketing company, also known as multi-level marketing. It uses all the same terminology: it calls its members "distributors", it claims it pays out 72 cents out of every dollar brought in. It uses matrices. Its members "cycle out". So on and so forth. Just look at the following quotes from their own website:

"Network Marketing — also Direct Selling or Multi Level Marketing is the most powerful system of free enterprise in our modern world, and it is the business model that TVI Express chose from the beginning."
-- http://www.tviexpress.com/financial.php

"Today, TVI stands as the poster child for modern MLM done right"
-- http://www.tviexpress.com/financial.php
"TVl's first month of sales was bigger than any other network marketing company known, and we're still exceeding sales projections."
-- http://www.tviexpress.com/pop-up/why-tvi.php
"Network Marketing can be an amazing business opportunity, but it takes a lot of hard work, and we [TVI Express] are dedicated, above all else, to support each and every one of our distributors, from those just starting out, to the most experienced business leaders."
-- http://www.tviexpress.com/aboutus.php

However, keep in mind that in its own FAQ, TVI Express stated:

3. Do I need to sell any products?

No. You don’t need to sell any products. TVI Express is a unique e-commerce opportunity allowing you to build the Business around the globe sitting at your home.
-- http://www.tviexpress.com/faq.php

How can you be network marketing if you don't need to sell anything? That becomes clear when you read their other FAQs... Just recruit, and you'll be making money while you sleep. The membership is for... selling more memberships. That is a pyramid scheme. On one page, they are multi-level marketing. On another page they are unique e-commerce. On yet another page they are "home-based business". So what what is TVI Express?

People only see what they want to see, and hear what they want to hear. It is more comforting to them. In case of TVI Express, they see network marketing buzzwords, and automatically accept it as network marketing, even though there's nothing to sell, just recruiting. They quickly ignore all the other words that says TVI Express is NOT network marketing, or even legitimate.

Make bold statements that sound great

When you see statements like "Make $10000 a week" you should automatically be suspicious. The old adage "If it's too good for be true, it probably is." Yet people WANT to hear those messages, esp. if they WANT $10000.

TVI Express have many plenty of bold statements... one of the leaders in travel network marketing, and so on and so forth. Did any one VERIFY any of the claims? Nope. Just because they say so doesn't make it true. THEY are the newbies on the block, less than two years old. They need to prove their claims, and everywhere we turn, they lie or equivocate. No sales figures were released, ever (since their FAQ states there is no sales, there would be no sales figures any way). When you hear hyperbole, you should be automatically skeptical, esp. with fantastic claims such as "make $10000 in a week!"

TVI Express.com, their official website, has the following on their front page:

"You get a Company that is literally doubling each month with extraordinary growth worldwide, and life-changing wealth created by those taking advantage of the momentum."

"And witness how our Distributors coming from different walks of life are making thousands of dollars a month, with a simple and effective system which is changing the entire industry."
"Plus the opportunity to earn over $10000 per week in cash to travel & party around the world!"
"At your fingertips, is the power to skyrocket your income into orbit, regardless of your age, level of experience, or background. Isn’t it the time to go from unsure... to unstoppable?"

And that's just on the FRONTPAGE! Is there any proof? None other than personal testimonials that is impossible to verify.

Yet people see all these bold words, and are "emboldened" to take action... By jumping into this scam.

We are the exception, not the rule

Some TVI Express shills use reverse psychology... They claim that "truth" was universally rejected before it becomes universally accepted. Just look at Copernicus, or the Wright Brothers... Implying that TVI Express is one of those "truths" that is suffering some setback but will come back stronger than ever.

This is, to put it plainly, bull****, because they are naming the exceptions, not the rule. There are PLENTY of truths or theories that were NOT rejected out of hand, but rather just accepted. Just because SOME theories were not initially accepted turned out to be correct doesn't mean ALL theories not initially accepted turned out to be correct. Any one trying to convince you so is using a logical fallacy.

Here is an example of a TVI Express member responding to critics with "Heresy" argument:

Cited from "In whatever name, It [TVI Express] is a pyramid scheme | The Voice Botswana NewsBlog" ( http://www.thevoicebw.com/?p=3116 ) Comments section

Mpho August 6, 2010 in response to an editorial article criticizing TVI Express as a pyramid scheme

What a cynical Jurnalist! you write before you research! The reality of a cynical mind has no room for new ideas, so the wise said! This is not a well researched article and it does not live up to the standards of good jurnalism and i will equateyour utterances to great people who made very stupid comments and missed out on great opportunities with their followers!

“Radio has no future! Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible! X-rays will prove to be a hoax!” — Lord Kelvin, British scientist and President of the British Royal Society, 1890. Guglielmo Marconi and the wright brothers never listened to such cynical minds and invented the radio and heavier than air machine respectively.

“I think there is a world market for maybe five personal computers.” — Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943. With such thinking, Bill Gates was handed the Market on a silver plate and IBM lost out…now guess who is the richest man on earth.

“Drill for oil? You mean drill into the ground to try to find oil? You’re crazy.” — Workers whom Edwin L. Drake tried to enlist to his project to drill for oil in 1859.

“The bomb will never go off. I speak as an expert in explosives.” — Admiral William Leahy, U.S. Atomic Bomb Project.

“The Americans have need of the telephone, but we do not. We have plenty of messenger boys.” — Sir William Preece, chief engineer of the British Post Office, 1876.

So Mr Jurnalist, you are instilling your cynical mind in to those who don't know or have not researched about it themselves. The possibility is most of the ppl will listen to you and believe you, without having to apply their mind to what you are talking about.

...

As you can see, this man did not present ANY evidence that TVI Express is not a scam. He just threw out a bunch of quotes from people who turned out to be wrong. He listed nobody who turned out to be right, so he's presenting a one-sided argument. All he did was imply that TVI Express may not be a scam, but he offered ZERO proof. He claims he want you to keep an open mind, but offered no counter-point.

(By the way, these quotes were lifted verbatim from Ringworks / Things People Said / Bad Predictions)

Later mpho claimed that he was merely responding to attack on MLM, and he was defending MLM in general. However, the criticism is leveled at TVI Express alone.

Deny the Allegations

TVI Express and its supporters do not explain WHY their "business" is legal and compliant with the laws. Instead, they challenge their critics to prove that TVI Express is illegal. Since they are the new kids on the block, with NO credibility, why should the critics do all the work?

TVI Express is the new business that looks suspiciously like a pyramid scheme (and is declared a pyramid scheme on at least three continents now: Australia, Asia, and North America) it should be up to TVI Express (and its members) to explain why it is NOT a pyramid scheme. Every legitimate MLM explains how it is NOT a pyramid scheme on their website with a "code of ethics" and probably an ethics panel. TVI Express got NOTHING. There is no code of ethics. There's nothing in the FAQ that explain WHY they're not a pyramid in ANY country's laws, including the two countries that TVI Express claim they are legally bound to: India and Cyprus. Cyprus is in the E.U. and thus E.U.'s anti-pyramid law applies. India has a law on "Money Chits". So far, TVI Express has not issued ANY statement about how they are compliant with those laws.

There are some unofficial announcements, again through uplines and spokespersons with unverified credentials, claiming that certain lawyers in the US was hired to make the company compliant with US laws, which is about as close to an admission that they are indeed illegal in the US.

When challenged, TVI Express members simply deny TVI Express is a pyramid, but then describe a pyramid scheme but insist it is NOT pyramid scheme because recruiting is "hard work". Or they present a bogus definition of pyramid scheme and try to defeat that as a strawman.

Cited from "In whatever name, It [TVI Express] is a pyramid scheme | The Voice Botswana NewsBlog" ( http://www.thevoicebw.com/?p=3116 ) Comments section
jj August 19, 2010

most of u say that it is a pyramid scheme. but just look at facebook or myspace before they started. it just kept on adding up. get 4 people and they will get another for of their own. its just the fact that people are lazy to even recruit. they invest thinking money would come right away without even working. for any business, you have to work your butt off. the article is not well researched. if u look at a corporate, they get all of the money while the people underneath them have a set wage. they also have no or VERY little chance to be the owner of the company. in network marketing such as TVI, you get paid depending on your performance. if u work u get money, if u don't work, then u do not get money. I don't think TVI gets all the money just like what this article said. The people who work gets the most part of the earned money because the more they work, the more money they get.

The comment "jj" simply stated that TVI Express is not a pyramid scheme because... people actually have to work hard. "If u don't work, then u do not get money." But how *do* you work? From TVI Express FAQ:

5. What do I need to do to cycle out of the boards?
The first thing you need to do is sponsor two (2) people who join the TVI Express Opportunity. This will qualify you to cycle out of the boards as you progress ahead in the Compensation plan. Secondly, you need to encourage and teach those two downlines (people you sponsored) to sponsor more people and duplicate the process. Following these two simple steps will have you making money even while you sleep

Nothing about selling, just recruit people, teach them to recruit and you will be "making money even while you sleep". Why is that NOT a pyramid scheme?

In another example, when challenged, TVI Express supporter simply deny the allegation, but with no evidence. Following is an exchange of comments on Hubpages at the hub http://hubpages.com/hub/TVIExpress-Review. Content was edited for brevity and relevance:

Kschang wrote:

... [You didn't mention] Or that China has convicted at least three and sentenced them to prison for running TVI Express in China?

Mike Johnson wrote:

..."The three people sentenced for imprisonment in China" is an absolute rumour. Please update yourself.

kschang wrote:

Sure, updated. SIX TVI Express members convicted. 3 sentenced to jail.

Shanxi ordered confiscation of property of THREE TVI Express members, fined $200000 RMB

Two convicted in Chan-An for TVI Express fraud aimed at retirees, sentenced to 6 months and 18 months in jail

Dongtou public security arrested TVI Express recruiter for defrauding public, sentenced to jail

There was no further reply from "Mike Johnson".

Spread rumors instead of facts

TVI Express shills often do NOT deal with facts, but rather rumors (or dogma). "I heard that _____ made $10000 in 3 weeks." "I heard that ACCC vs. TVI Team Oz case was dismissed." "I heard that TVI Express is opening an office in Florida, USA soon." Do they have proof? None other than their upline. Where did their upline get their information from? From THEIR uplines.

Nobody bothered for any proof or verification.

Ever play "pass it on" while you were kids? The statement that went in one end ends up completely changed when it reached end of the line. Each link in the chain could have modified the rumor, embellishing it, editing it, and so on. In the real world, such statements quickly took on a life of its own as urban legends... like "George Washington has a set of wooden dentures", "Secret Ingredient of Dr. Pepper was prune juice."... you get the idea.

Example 1: TVI Express hired no lawyers, but members claim they did

Here's one such rumor disguised as fact on a TVI Express member website:

Grimes and Reese Working to Make TVI Express Full United States MLM Compliancy

The law firm of Grimes and Reese was contacted on September 7,2010 to confirm once and for all if TVI Express has contracted the company to make sure that all United States MLM laws are in full compliance. Kevin Grimes was spoken to directly and below is a message from Presidential Don Traurig with a summary of the conversation and other very vital TVI Express news .

—————————

Hi Team, We obtained some big news today from Grimes and Reese, the law firm working on making TVI compliant in the US. Remember this is the same law firm that Donald Trump uses for his networking company and also the one that Monavie uses among many other networking companies in the US. They are the premier law firm to represent network marketing companies in the US. We spoke directly to Kevin Grimes of Grimes & Reese Law Firm on the phone this morning (Tuesday, Sept. 7th). He confirmed that TVI Express is one of their clients and that Grimes & Reese is currently working with TVI to make them compliant in the United States. I know its hard to be patient but most great things in life do take patience and knowing that Grimes and Reese is working on making TVI compliant with the laws of the US is monumental news to us!!!!! Stay focused, keep your eye on the goal line and lets go help some people!!! We expect to have some more great news by Friday of this week!!!
————–
Anyone that has had concerns regarding this information from either online websites or from word of mouth can now rest assured that Grimes and Reese has confirmed from Kevin Grimes himself that they are representing TVI Express to make sure they are in full compliance with all US multi level markeing laws.

cited from http://increasemymonthlyincome.com/grimes-and-reese-confirm-tvi-express-as-client-for-us-compliant/

There was no official announcement from TVI Express, or from the lawfirm of any sort of working relationship. This message was from an upline, Don Traurig, who did not provide any proof. There was no recording, no transcript, no phone records, nothing. Apparently, everybody was just supposed to take his word for it.

However, here's another message from from the same website, allegedly from Don Traurig, which allegedly originated from Tarun Trikha...

2. Mr Trikha also confirmed again that his attorneys in the US are currently working on compliance but also asked for people not to send emails or make calls to them since it ties up the attorneys and their office.
cited from http://increasemymonthlyincome.com/tvi-express-ceo-tarun-trikha-conference-call-september-92010-news/

So basically... "Trust me, and don't bother verifying it." That is the very definition of dogma.

Now that Tarun Trikha is no longer on the advisory board, his words cannot be trusted at all.

Example 2: TVI Express have no "global license", but members said they do

In 2010, TVI Express had spread to South Africa, and surrounding countries such as Namibia, Botswana, and Swaziland. Their members claim that "TVI Express has a global license to do business anywhere in the world legally". Local regulators were not amused. Quoting from "Times of Swaziland" (link no longer active)

Meanwhile, Sifiso Mahlalela, the senior agent, had assured the prospective members that the Central Bank of Swaziland would definitely permit them to operate because TVI has a global licence.

The governor said there was nothing like a global licence, all international companies operating in the country have local licences for doing business in Swaziland.

cited from http://www.times.co.sz/News/23415.html

So the local participants in South Africa and nearby countries are spreading rumor "TVI Express has a global license". which is completely false. They are spreading lies, and this is triggering investigations in multiple countries.


Failures must be the downline's fault, not the system

TVI Express supporters, when confronted with eminent end of TVI Express in north America (one state have issued a cease and desist, with rumors that two other states are about to do so, and possibly entire Canada) blamed their downlines (hundreds and thousands of them) for "not working the system", instead of admitting that the whole thing was a scam to start with and they were wrong in recruiting all the people.

Here's an example of an upline blaming the downline for not doing the system. The upline is Sherry Dossey, who had several hundred downlines.

sdossey in August 2010

I normally don't commit on anything negative such as this, but no one is responsible for any body losing any money in their business but themselves. I put together a perfect system but we do not live in a perfect world so it didn't work. The system did not fail...The people failed the system and blamed me. I did everything I could do to make sure everyone made money. I told them we had to have at least 85 to 90% of the people working the business to pull everything back on track. If this had happened everyone would have been making a lot of money. These people put in $250 dollars and set back for a free ride thinking we would do all the work and they would draw big checks. At first everything worked perfect, but the bigger it grew we could not keep up with doing all the work. Only 8% of the people worked this business. A lot of the people that didn't work made money. and yes there were some that worked that got in at the end and got hurt. but nobody was responsible. You go open a Burger King and never leave your tv set to unlock the doors, how much money will you make. That is exactly what happened here. No different except it was less than $300 dollars instead of $300,000+.

I am so sorry and have taken more bad things said to me and about me than most people will in their life.

I will always believe in team work and will always help others be successful.

God Bless,

Sherry

Cited from http://hubpages.com/hub/TVIPresidentialGroup comments section

If the company FAQ says "making money even while you sleep", and Sherry Dossey tell people who join they need to work hard, who are people going to believe? Does Ms. Dossey even know what "hard work" actually involves?

After-the-fact Rationalization

Much of TVI Express member defense involves stating "I know _____ earned $10000 so it's not scam", with implication that anyone who join can make $10000. However, one thing does not lead to the other. If B happened after A, A did NOT necessarily caused B. Or in this case, just because ______ made $10000 does not mean you can too.

In fact, here's a TVI Express member admitting that she made money, but her downlines did not. However, it's the government and her downline's fault, not her.

Following is an excerpt from Donna Ebreu's website "TVI Express Review Blog" (which is actually a recruiting website, and is still up)

I believe TVI was never a scam. In the US, though, they don’t like MLM and the rules are strict. TVI didn’t make it. Same thing happened in Australia. ...
Shut down or no shut down, the TVI comp plan through trial an error turned out to be too difficult for the average marketer to make m0ney. People dropped out like flies. And those that tried hard got way discouraged.
I made m0ney, but the majority of our team could not. It was heart-breaking for me.

Keep in mind that Donna Ebreu claims to be MLM "coach with integrity" on her personal website. Yet here she admit that she made money in an illegal scheme and her team did not, right after she blames the MLM climate in the US and Australia for TVI Express's illegallity. Not a single word of apology about the illegallity of TVI Express or how she had fallen for it, line, hook, and sinker and dragged her team into it. Instead, it's the government's fault for making things too difficult, and people are "discouraged" from working hard (recruiting more victims).


False Analogies

By using emotive words with false analogies, TVI Express shills are hoping you will ignore all logic and join the scam. They use big words like "business opportunity", "don't you want to be successful", and so on, and make analogies such as "TVI Express is a travel club like AAA (American Automotive Association)".

This is a false analogy because TVI Express's benefits are either worthless (selling you a "travel portal" that can be accessed for free) or impossible to redeem (the 7-day 6-night trip hotels are all in India, the redemption portal are usually out of order, and now costs extra $150 to redeem when it should have been "free"). What good is a club with worthless benefits?

Cited from Tvi Express is not a pyramid | The Voice Botswana NewsBlog ( http://www.thevoicebw.com/?p=3428 )

From Luckson Timela:
... Products are not always in the form of something you can pick up and hold (tangible). If it were the case, what would you say about the banks and their services, insurance companies or Travel Agencies? Are they not selling services? What about our own local hotels that sell membership, which entitles an individual similar discounts that Tvi, express gives? Does it make them ‘pyramid schemes’? I doubt. ...

The problem with this comparison is false analogy. The statement can be restated as follows:

a) TVI Express offers service
b) Legitimate businesses like banks, insurance, travel agencies offer service
therefore
c) TVI Express is legitimate

This is a false analogy. Just because A and B are allegedly alike in ONE aspect does NOT make them identical in OTHER aspects.

Indeed, this is now a very popular falsehood perpetuated by TVI Express shills, that TVI Express is actually a "travel club", not a business opportunity, even though TVI Express had never presented itself as a club, but always as an income opportunity "to earn $10000 a week", right on their homepage.

Appeal to Ignorance

Many TVI Express shills point to lack of prosecution of TVI Express as evidence of its legitimacy (that is, until it was revealed that multiple countries have gone after this scam). This is called "proving a negative" or "appeal to ignorance", which can be stated as "Don't you think the government would have gone after TVI Express already if it is a scam?"

When confronted with evidence of prosecution for TVI Express members in China, Australia, and so on, shills often deny such thing as occurred, or switch to discrediting the government, like "they always go after the MLMs, this is no problem at all", "China is an oppressive regime" and so on.

Here is an example of a TVI Express member responding to critics with "Appeal to Ignorance" argument:

Cited from "In whatever name, It [TVI Express] is a pyramid scheme | The Voice Botswana NewsBlog" ( http://www.thevoicebw.com/?p=3116 ) Comments section

Mpho August 6, 2010
... Intelligent ppl will attend the seminars and understand, not get information from a cynical mind [Article criticizing TVI Express]! I attended Amway seminar last week and im going to join, I saw all the models and how it works, I don’t expect to be rich the following day! Robert Kiosaki of “Rich Dad fame”, who is a multi millionaire himself, cannot endorse a scam.

As you can see, this man basically claimed that a) TVI Express is a MLM (assumed) b) Robert Kiyosaki supports MLM therefore c) TVI Express is supported by Robert Kiyosaki therefore d) TVI Express cannot be a scam.

Here's another example... from one of the comments posted on one of my hubs:

ucantstoptvi wrote in May 2010

...do u think companies like disney world, hertz, marriot, klm, sheraton, and many many more would have partnered with this company if it wasn't a legitimate company? c'mon dude!

There is no proof that there was such a partnership, merely his assertion. In fact, it was revealed by a Spanish newspaper "Mallorca Zeitung" that TVI Express was actually sued by Avis, Lufthansa, and Marriott for using their name and logo without permission.

"You don't understand us"

A skeptic doubts all claims and needs to confirm them. Skeptic does NOT have a theory to pre-color their judgement. TVI Express shills, on the other hand, sees everything through their world view: TVI Express is wonderful and you will make a lot of money with it. With that worldview, they challenge any view that does not conform to their world view.

Any bad things about TVI Express? Spoken by "enemies of TVI" or "people who don't understand".

Any good things about TVI Express even though it was unproven and uncorroborated? It must be true if it came from an upline.

In fact, they even go as far as to stating "you have to join us to understand us". It is a tactic often used by Holocaust deniers (and Evolution Deniers i.e. Creationists). Nothing will convince them even though the collection of evidence, in combination, is overwhelming.

Cited from "In whatever name, It [TVI Express] is a pyramid scheme | The Voice Botswana NewsBlog" ( http://www.thevoicebw.com/?p=3116 ) Comments section

Kaygee August 6, 2010 in response to the editorial article: ...

By the way how can some people trust network marketing if they know nothing about it..?

Cited from a comment on my blog:

betty said...

TVI Express is not a scam. Why is it that people feel they have the right to critique a company without being a part of it? How can a person give reliable and factual information just by doing “research” on the internet? How in depth was your research? What makes you a reliable source or even qualified enough to know what is factual and what is not in your research? Where are your credentials that you and your research are reliable? Where are your links to show what exactly you are talking about or referring to? Your blog and the responses to it are absolutely laughable. I would guarantee it, that if you are slamming TVI Express it is only because you are not a part of the company and the growth within the company. TVI Express offers a brilliant, and might I add legal, legitimate and awesome plan for all who become members of the discount travel company “Travel Venture International.” For an individual to know firsthand and be able to judge TVI Express you must me affiliated with this company or how will you truly know?

... February 3, 2010 2:00 PM

There's a lot more ranting after this, but there's no point in citing it. The point is "betty" provided NO evidence why TVI Express is legal at all. She later claims she has a bachelors in criminal science, but cannot cite any law to support her position.

And here's a hubpages comment left at one of my hubs on TVI Express:

zorlac July 2010

How could you say that this is a scam whereas you never became a member and no proof of evidence? show us some proof.

This is after reading a whole hub of evidence, mind you. Yet he still demands more proof.

Attack the critic

Since I started criticizing the TVI Express scam, I've been insulted and called a "competitor" too many times to count. Many have accused me to having ulterior motives. Some claim I have failed in MLM and thus have a personal grudge against TVI Express. Others accused me of being an ex-member, a Judas, out to betray TVI Express.

Very few bothered to debate or examine my evidence pointing to TVI Express being a scam. (And the few who tried trotted out the logical fallacies explained above). None of the following bothered to debate me. They merely insult me instead. Some "smarter" ones included some of the falsehoods sampled above.

Here are some select samples of comments on my blog documenting TVI Express:

Home Biz Bum said...

Well Kasey you really got them this time!

So this was printed as a 3rd party report in some obscure Spanish newspaper and translated using (the always reliable) Google Translate tool....so therefore it simply must be true!

You are a joke! Why don't you try and do some REAL research to back up your vitriol?

The internet community is so tired of all you self proclaimed "MLM Gurus" that so blatantly use this forum to promote their own agenda.

What opportunity are you promoting this week?

I would be surprised if you even have the balls to publish this.

May 3, 2010 1:06 PM

And here's a few comments left here on hubpages. There are plenty more. Some has language so foul I had to delete them.

international lawyer September 2010

stupid guy..who are you..why you not display your.. you think you are right..i alredy scan you...stupid guy

zorloc July 2010

For sure you are belong to another mlm that tries to destroy the TVI's reputation. I assure you will never win and TVI will keep growing and become a household name. More power to TVI Express!


maverick
July 2010

kschang.....a person who is afraid to show his face........you said you own 3 companies and help run a fourth.....which companies are these...i wonder if you have the guts to tell us.....wonder how many lies there are in your companies.... you just seem to be a frustated person who has failed miserably in his attempt at doing business in a mlm company...good luck to you anyway....

When All Else Fails: Ignore the critics

TVI Express thus far has failed to acknowledge ANY of the criticisms officially. Any response to the criticisms were issued through unofficial spokespersons and "uplines" who, as independent contractors, should not be allowed to speak for TVI Express, but do any way.

As explained above, TVI Express has no explanation why it is not a pyramid.

An Indonesian TVI Express "leader" had gone as far as telling people to ignore all criticism, ignore all doubt. The statement is at http://tviexpressjakarta.wordpress.com/faqs/ And here's the Google translation:

Q:TVI Express I was interested in this, that's what I was looking for as much info about this Express TVI. Well, here are some websites that I found, that tells about the "lies" TVI Express this business:

http://90recruits.blogspot.com/2009/09/tvi-express-scam.html
http://www.mreload.com/TVI/

http://kschang.blogspot.com/

Please could give an explanation.

Thank you.

A: Yes I also have studied the web-site. TVI Express is purely business and there is no element of deception at all. In case of movement of TVI Express would lie in Indonesia even the WORLD will stop, but the reality is not, TVI Express is getting larger and more powerful?.

You spend time and energy with worry, anxiety that really hurt. While the Member TVI Express with extraordinary spirit who is building their business empire. Immediately stop analyzing, stop worrying, stop suspicious. Immediately take part in this business "while" very good momentum.

They don't even bother to lie anymore, just a flat out "ignore the critics" mandate. This tactic is straight out of a cult operation manual: the leader is right, no criticism allowed.

Three Factors That Make Scams Appealing

Why do people fall for these scams? Again, human brain seeks connections between events, in order to improve the chance of survival, and often, the connections made between events are faulty, and there are three primary reasons.

"I want to believe"

This is more than just a a slogan on a poster in the X-Files office; this is the reason a lot of people fall for scams... BECAUSE THEY WANT TO. Scam promise them riches, changed lives, comforts, luxuries... and they want that. It is comforting to believe that you'll make lots of $$$ by doing minimal work. People who are content in life do not fall for scams. People who are constantly worried about their livelihood are the ones getting scammed.

It is worth noting here that TVI Express seem to concentrate on areas with depressed economies and large amount of little-educated people. TVI Express first started in India, then moved onto China and Korea, then moved onto US and various former Soviet Union members, few of which have good economies. Recently Tarun Trikha allegedly said in a conference call that their next office will be on Greece, ANOTHER country with a severely troubled economy. Do you see a pattern?

"Immediate gratification"

By promising "7-day 6-night trip to 3-5 star accommodations anywhere for two with return airfare" immediately upon joining, TVI Express satisfied the urge to get immediate gratification.

However, TVI Express cannot deliver. Redemption was impossible for long periods, portal was rewritten multiple times and still doesn't work, and only intermittently at other times. All announced participating hotels are in India, only "thousands" were admitted in announcements to have used the trips, and now costs extra $150 to redeem. And TVI Express and its members will never talk about the problems with the gratification. They just promise gratification... if you pay up (the $250+fees membership).

"Simplicity"

In reality, making money is a complicated business... you either work hard, or you have to have a keen eye for opportunities. Get-rich-Quick schemes in general, and TVI Express in particular, promise you "just do A and B and you get $$$$$!" In case of TVI Express, "just recruit 2 people and teach each of them to recruit two more people! and you will be making money in your sleep!" (straight from their FAQ)

Technically, they aren't lying. When you have 14 downlines, you get your $250 back into your eWallet, and you can sell a eVoucher to some other recruit to make another $250! When you have 4 more levels below that (over 200 downlines), you get $10000. However, what they don't bother to say is this is a pyramid scheme, since it sells nothing. All the money paid out is from members who joined up later.


The pictures and their captions are WRONG, which also shows how TVI Express supporters misrepresent the system. 

1) Traveller board: You don't get $500 cache. You get $250 in eWallet and a voucher code good for a membership (worth $250) that you must sell to a new recruit to pocket the $250.

2) Express board: You actually get only $10000 in your eWallet. The other $5000 is some sort of travel voucher that can only be redeemed for company events.

They never do tell you how difficult it is to get money out of the eWallet, or how much it will cost.

Alleged TVI Express lawyers explain why TVI Express is a pyramid scheme

According to several unofficial TVI Express announcements made through "uplines", TVI Express had allegedly hired Grimes and Reese PLLC, MLM attorneys, to make TVI Express compliant in the US. There is NO corroboration or confirmation of this announcement from a third-party source, thus its own credibility is very low.

However, let's keep that in mind. What does G&R have to say about pyramid schemes? Grimes and Reese has a website called mlmlaw.com, from which I cite:

...If a program compensates participants, directly or indirectly, merely for the introduction or enrollment of other participants into the program, it is a pyramid.

--cited from http://www.mlmlaw.com
/library/guides/Primer.htm

TVI Express members are fond of spreading the lie that if the program actually sells something, it's not a pyramid. THAT IS A LIE. It is the recruiting aspect that makes a program pyramid or not. It has nothing to do with the product.

Does this apply to TVI Express? Here's relevant entries from TVI Express FAQ

3. Do I need to sell any products?

No. You don’t need to sell any products. TVI Express is a unique e-commerce opportunity allowing you to build the Business around the globe sitting at your home. However, we do support leaders who take initiatives to promote the opportunity offline conducting seminars and workshops about the Opportunity.

5. What do I need to do to cycle out of the boards?

The first thing you need to do is sponsor two (2) people who join the TVI Express Opportunity. This will qualify you to cycle out of the boards as you progress ahead in the Compensation plan. Secondly, you need to encourage and teach those two downlines (people you sponsored) to sponsor more people and duplicate the process. Following these two simple steps will have you making money even while you sleep

10. What do I receive when I cycle?

You get the following commissions after you cycle out of the respective boards :
1) Traveller board : You receive $500 ($250 cash + an eVoucher worth $250)
2) Express Board : You receive $10,000 and a re-entry into the Express Board

But what is a board? There are two of them. See the pictures to the right. Both boards are 2x3 matrices, or 1-2-4-8 pyramids. You "cycle out" by filling the pyramid with recruits, either recruited by you directly, or by any of your downlines.

Thus, to summarize:

  • TVI Express members sell nothing
  • TVI Express members need to recruit at least two people
  • TVI Express members cycle out the board/matrix by filling the board/matrix with recruits (each pyramid is 15 people)
  • TVI Express members get paid when they "cycle out" of the board/matrix

According to Grimes and Reese definition, TVI Express is a pyramid scheme. Consider the rumor that Grimes and Reese was supposedly hired by TVI Express, this is very ironic indeed.


Conclusion

TVI Express and its distributors have used, and continue to use these techniques to mislead people, so the top 0.4% can get their $10000, leaving the rest out of luck and money. AND they were taught that it is their own fault that they can't get enough other dumb***es to join so they can enjoy their own $10000.

If you wish to join such a company that permits their associates to use these unethical techniques to recruit people, even assuming it is NOT a scam (but it is, and there are plenty of proof) then that is your choice.

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