ComplaintsforDouglas James Ventures LLC

• Initial Complaint

  02/01/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I am filing a complaint against Douglas James -AKA Douglas James ******* DBA Elevated Mentorship and ************ on the specific promises made during the sales process. The sales presentations and the sales representative assured me of two booked sales calls per day through a Cold Email system. However, the reality of the situation contradicts their commitments.Despite Douglas James listing various assets they provided in response to other complaints on BBB, I remain unconvinced, as none of these assets align with the promised outcomes. I was explicitly told that the Cold Email system was outsourced because they lacked the expertise to coach or teach it themselves. Unfortunately, the outsourced system yielded zero responses and zero booked sales calls, rendering it ineffective.I provided Douglas James with numerous opportunities to rectify the situation, expressing my genuine desire for the system to work as promised. However, the promised system for booking sales calls at the specified rates simply does not exist. It seems as though they anticipate clients forgetting the promises made during the sales process, but I have meticulously documented every step and commitment.While some training was offered, it proved futile without a genuine system to attract clients and directly book appointments on a booking calendar, as assured during the sales pitch. Despite their disclaimer that results may vary, I find it unacceptable to receive precisely zero chances to sell.The coaching and training sessions focused predominantly on Cold Calling, joining ******** groups, and sending messages to random individuals activities that were not part of the agreement I signed up for.Subsequent to my dissatisfaction, I contacted Douglas James for a refund and spoke with ******, Douglas's brother-in-law. He pledged to provide a resolution within one week but failed to do so. Despite numerous attempts to follow up, my emails were consistently ignored, displaying a lack of professionalism.

  Business response

  02/05/2024

  Hi ****,

   

  It appears I might be getting targeted by someone that's confusing me with someone else.

   

  A disgruntled person left a bad review and a bad complaint on my profile.

   

  They seem to have done business with someone or some business named "Douglas James *******".

   

  I'm "Douglas James". Ofcourse, I'm not the only Douglas James in the world but I'm certainly NOT "Douglas James *******".

   

  Is there any way to get this review and complaint removed from my profile? I don't see how this can be allowed to be honest.

   

  Business response

  02/05/2024

  Hi ****,

   

  It appears I might be getting targeted by someone that's confusing me with someone else.

   

  A disgruntled person left a bad review and a bad complaint on my profile.

   

  They seem to have done business with someone or some business named "Douglas James *******".

   

  I'm "Douglas James". Ofcourse, I'm not the only Douglas James in the world but I'm certainly NOT "Douglas James *******".

   

  Is there any way to get this review and complaint removed from my profile? I don't see how this can be allowed to be honest.

  Customer response

  02/05/2024

  This company is attempting to hide from complaints by stating it is the wrong company. This is false. Douglas James is the correct company. Please reopen the complaint. Douglas James is personally responsible for his company. I have met him in person. He is not credible. He utilizes many **** to hide from complaints.  This complaint is valid and should be addressed. He runs a scam to set up a digital marketing company for his clients and does not deliver upon the promises. Look at his Face Book page to see how he advertises and for his identity. ************************************************************************************************************************ or *******************************************************

  If they still attempt to duck out of this complaint, ask them to set up a meeting to discuss. If they refuse, then you know they are not honest. 

  Customer response

  02/08/2024

  BBB complaints,

  I have emailed you today. I am also uploading documents here as well. This is proof that Douglas James Ventures LLC is the correct company. They use SLACK for communication. My handle is MYKL. **** ****** is an executive with the company. Also I have a reply email from the ****************************************************** email to my business email - ************************* That email has been damaged by Douglas James because they used it to send out 100 emails a day and the email is flagged as spam and sometimes blocked by ******. I have to use my personal email for communications now. Please reopen this case and post it on Douglas James BBB profile. See other complains they are very similar to my complaint. 

  Customer response

  02/08/2024

  Further evidence of Douglas James communication. Please see attached communication with *** who is a representative of Douglas James. Email was to ************************ which is my business email. In previous messages, I have proven that ************************ is my business email. Thank you. ******* Shannon 

  Customer response

  02/12/2024

  Blue Room <************************>
  
  mYkL <*************************>
  
  
  Complaints
  
  This is proof that ************************ belongs to ******* ******* and complaint ******** is valid 
  
  Thank you,
  ******* Shannon 
  ************
  ************************
  *************************
  mYkL <*************************>
  
  Complaints;
  
  ************************
  
  BBB complaints department
  
  RE ********
  
  Please reopen my complaint against Douglas James Ventures LLC. This is the correct company. This company is not credible. They know very well that I am a client.
  
  Please see the attached documents.
  
  See SLACK for communication. I was given a handle of MYKL. see SLACK communication. 
  
  See the email reply. to my business email. ************************ - they destroyed my email so it sends everything to spam so I can not use it anymore.
  
  I have added ************************ to this email as proof that it is my email account. 
  
  Thus, I must use my personal email for everything *************************
  
  Further proof - ask them to contact me directly. If they refuse it is further proof that they are not being truthful with you. 
  
  Please reopen the case and post my complaint on the BBB website.
  
  Please confirm that this case has been reopened. 
  
  Thank you,
  ******* Shannon 
  ************
  AKA - MYKL
  *************************
  ************************ 
  
  
  --
  ******* *******

  Customer response

  02/15/2024

  I am filing a complaint against Douglas James Ventures for engaging in deceptive business practices. Their promises to set up a digital marketing business have proven to be a scam, and it is imperative to address their unethical behavior. Initially, they pledged to generate two sales calls daily through an email system sending 100 emails per day. However, the coaching staff's deliberate vagueness and lack of knowledge created confusion, deviating from the promised services. The coaches/trainers did not even know how to set up this system. As the program progressed, Douglas James Ventures executed a bait and switch, demanding an extra an additional $1500 for paid ads to fulfill their commitments. This unexpected financial burden is tantamount to a scam, trapping clients who have already invested $25,000. Their claim that digital marketing is not oversaturated contradicts their initial promises. Instead of delivering on setting up a digital marketing business, they focus on ineffective methods like cold calling and cold ******** messaging. Attempts to address these issues and request a refund are met with unprofessional behavior and ignored communication. This disregard for customer concerns is unacceptable, emphasizing the unethical nature of Douglas James Ventures. I request your intervention to investigate and take appropriate action against Douglas James Ventures. Exposing their fraudulent activities will protect consumers from financial loss and distress.

  Business response

  10/28/2024

  We are writing in response to the recent complaint posted under the profile for Douglas James Ventures LLC. It appears that the customer may have mistakenly associated our company with another individual or entity. Our company, Douglas James Ventures LLC, has no record of any transaction or business engagement with the complainant, nor are we affiliated in any way with Douglas James ******* **************************************** or the services described in the complaint.
  We uphold the highest standards of transparency and ethical business practices, and it is our priority to address all legitimate concerns of clients who have engaged directly with our company. However, as this particular complaint does not pertain to any transaction or agreement involving Douglas James Ventures LLC, we respectfully request that it be removed from our profile to avoid any further confusion and to maintain the integrity of our business reputation.
  We appreciate your assistance in resolving this matter and ensuring that complaints are accurately attributed to the appropriate parties.
  Thank you for your attention to this issue.

• Initial Complaint

  01/18/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I invested 10k in this business Nov. 13th 2023, to start a business by taking out a loan for this company under the *** plan that was at a discounted rate plus a $500 scholarship per the representative that closed me on the program. He also stated that all calls were being recorded every time we would talk. I questioned the ****** scholarship after the 2nd class because more money was needed for other software/licensing. When I questioned the $500 scholarship my coach was not knowledgeable about it so he did look into it he was told by one of the support staff that the ****** would have came off of the plan; however it did not come off the plan. I've reached out to numerous of people within this organization about canceling this program because of a sales tactic that was obvious false. Investing in this program has caused me a huge amount to stress and has put me in a financial strain. I didn't have 10k to invest I had to borrow the money so now I'm making payments on a loan for nothing in return. I invested in good faith. All I ask for is my refund in full.

  Business response

  02/02/2024

  Thank you for taking the time to share your concerns regarding your experience with our *** program. We understand that this has been a source of stress for you, and we take your situation very seriously. After a thorough review of your account and the details surrounding your participation in our program, we'd like to address the points you've raised. Firstly, we want to clarify the misunderstanding regarding the $500 scholarship. Our records, supported by the discussions recorded during your enrollment process, indicate that this amount was indeed applied as a discount to the overall cost of the *** plan you selected. We apologize if this was not clearly communicated to you at the outset. Regarding the additional costs associated with necessary software and licensing, we aim to be transparent about the potential overheads our participants might incur. This information is outlined in our introductory webinars, including the one conducted by Beau, where he discusses the operational costs involved in starting and running a business like this. We also noticed that you ended up not enrolling into ***, but you did enroll into our 8 week coaching program and attended only 3 out of the 8 classes provided as part of that program. While we understand that financial constraints can impact one's ability to fully engage with our offerings, we are committed to supporting our clients through their journey. Our support team's records show high levels of communication with you to resolve your queries and concerns. However, we acknowledge that there may have been some confusion due to *****'s departure from our team, which might have affected your ability to get timely responses. Given your circumstances and our commitment to customer satisfaction, we are open to discussing a resolution that acknowledges your investment and the value you've received from the program thus far. We propose a meeting to explore possible solutions, including additional support to help you complete the program or discussing alternative compensations. Our goal is to ensure that all our clients feel valued and supported throughout their learning and business development process. Please let us know a convenient time for you to discuss this further, and we will do our utmost to accommodate. Thank you again for bringing this to our attention. We are here to support you and work towards a satisfactory resolution.

  Customer response

  02/02/2024

  I am rejecting this response because: ******** communicated to me was ******* if I joined within that weeks window with a ****** deposit and that included a ****** scholarship. There is no indication that the ****** the scholarship was applied to balance; however if it was applied I should have been knowledgeable. That further proves my point of lack of transparency and the fees for additional add on were not mention in the webinars that was sent to me prior to me joining however I would have not joined. I had to borrow 10k which means I would have not vested in this had I known it was more fees that would have mounted up substantially. Borrowing this money has caused me a great deal of financial stress and anxiety.  Only one person which was the coach followed up with me on the scholarship question, he was not knowledgeable and another student wasn't knowledgeable either about any scholarship.  Feel as tho I was closed on false and misinformation. I'm asking for my full refund so that I can pay this loan back. 

  Lemeaco Ivy ************ 

• Initial Complaint

  10/24/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I was interested in joining the Douglas James team. I went through with watching the trainings, conducted meetings with my mentor **** and proceeded towards finalizing the terms. On 25 Sept 2023, I did not have the amount of money that was asked to proceed with starting the business venture so I decided to go for the *** package and the financing option. Prior to talking with the financial advisor, I was briefed by my mentor that if I was not approved for the financing then I would be refunded the $500 in which I deposited within **** business days. After credit checks, I was not approved and owed a refund. I have contacted my mentor via texts and emails. I recently was contacted back by the mentor stating that he checked and the refund was processed and should be returned soon. It has been about a month and have yet to be refunded my money.

  Business response

  11/06/2023

  Greetings! Thank you for this opportunity to respond! This was a simple misunderstanding, we have already refunded this customer's deposit and they are all good to go! We look forward to working with them in the future if there becomes alignment to do so! Thanks and have a great day!

  Customer response

  11/06/2023

  I have reviewed the business response and accept this resolution. 

  I am informing you that I was refunded my money from the Company. Thank you for your help. 

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  06/08/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I was pursued by this company known as Douglas James Ventures, LLC as they were very persuasive about the company. I followed through as I was informed to do so and even went as far as paying their mentorship fees of $10,000 and another amount of $14,999.00 in hopes to gain knowledge and support with starting my own company. As the months went on, I was told that I was one of the few who was hand picked to meet the *** with another charge of $6,000.00 and that it would benefit me. It was not until after this last transactions and 20 or more smaller transactions that I was, for the most part, cut off from any mentoring or advising I paid for. This only put me and out of a whole lot of money. I was left with no mentoring or advisement by this company. They literally took my lifesavings and profited off of me and I received absolutely nothing from this company in return. I attempted to contact anyone and request a refund and that is where I was completely cut off from any sort of communication with Douglas James Ventures, LLC.

  Business response

  06/21/2023

  Greetings and thank you for allowing us to respond!
  
  After investigating this customer account (*****************************), we found that the customer was delivered ALL assets outlined in our agreement. This is to include a number of new appointments for their business, a new paying client with an upfront value at $16,000 (which isn't guaranteed) and new leads for their new client with the potential to land more clients.
  
  Below you will find a detailed date by date sequence of events of our involvement with this customer. In summary, he attended all the coaching calls, received all his assets, landed a client, got great results with that client according to reports, and was invited to an additional coaching phase and then went unresponsive.
  
  6/30/22 Customer ***************************** had onboarding call
  7/5/22 Customer ***************************** had market research call with coach
  7/15/22 Customer ***************************** attends handoff
  7/18-7/22 Customer ***************************** was sent recording and ALL documents from handoff week
  7/27 Customer ***************************** was sent logo and branding guide to approve
  7/28 Customer ***************************** APPROVED logo and branding
  8/4/22 Customer ***************************** claimed he was in the dark about where he was, however, account manager was very specific up to this point on what was happening
  8/5/22 Account manager endorsed Customer ***************************** to next phase which was his GHL integration call
  8/9/22 Customer ***************************** was sent demo deck for approval and educational content if he wanted to edit that asset himself
  8/10 Customer ***************************** was sent funnel for review along with educational content if he wanted to edit that asset himself
  8/17/22 Customer ***************************** attended week 1 of coaching
  8/18/22 Customer ***************************** received his social media posts
  8/24/22 Customer ***************************** attended week 2 coaching call
  8/31/22 Customer ***************************** attended week 3 coaching call
  9/7/22 Customer ***************************** attended week 4 coaching call
  9/8/22 Admin offered an OPTIONAL coaching call Customer ***************************** replied I would love to, but unfortunately I'm going to meet a client, will there be a recording
  *This is him meeting with a potential client
  
  09/08/2022 Check-in 1-1 Call with Customer *****************************:
  
  -Customer ***************************** expressed being happy with his program.
  -Customer ***************************** mentioned that he was able to get a meeting with a solar prospect. He got a contract drafted and a meeting booked for a sale.
  -Customer ***************************** decided to sign up for our in person Event and paid in full.
  
  9/8/22 Customer ***************************** was invited to an in-person event and said put my name on the list
  9/9/22 Customer ***************************** paid for live event
  9/13/22 Customer ***************************** attends week 5 of coaching
  9/16/22 Customer ***************************** sent paid ads form to complete to begin the prospecting phase of the program
  9/20/22 Customer ***************************** completed fulfillment form, because he LANDED A CLIENT
  9/23/22 Customer ***************************** was sent some brief videos on some GHL tasks to complete before going live
  9/26/22 Client was wondering when the ads would go live and claimed Thank you, hope I'm not being pushy, but this is my ticket to spending time with my six kids more
  9/26/22 Customer ***************************** jumped on a call with ***** because he needed help building his clients funnel
  Customer ***************************** paid ***** for his services
  9/28/22 Clients ADS WENT LIVE**
  9/29/22 Customer ***************************** wanted to be removed from in-person event
  10/10/22 We sent Customer ***************************** a lead report that showed they generated 18 leads for the Customer *********************** client
  10/11 -10/13/22 Admin reached out to Customer ***************************** to schedule a check-in call with us to discuss his ads
  
  10/14/2022 Resolution Call with Customer *****************************:
  
  -Call with the Client Relations Director.
  -Stated that his program is taking longer than he expected to produce money.
  -STATED THAT HE LANDED A $16,000 CLIENT USING OUR SERVICES
  -Customer ***************************** mentioned that he signed up with another agency program
  -Customer ***************************** had good things to say about our coaches and programs. He said that we did nothing wrong.
  -Customer ***************************** said that he had fun in organization and learned a lot.
  -Customer ***************************** stated that he is just going through a difficult financial time and has run out of money.
  -Customer ***************************** mentioned that he no longer wanted to attend the in person Event
  -We gave him the option to resell his event ticket to our community. He agreed to resell his ticket to our Customer ***************************** community.
  -Customer ***************************** did not show up to our in person Event.
  
  10/18/22 Customer ***************************** acknowledged his client got more leads but was unable to see them in GHL, seems to be an integration issue
  10/26/22 Customer ***************************** notified account manager to turn off his client ads **
  10/27/22 Admin invited Customer ***************************** to incubation phase (which is an additional coaching phase to provide Customer *********************** more coaching)
  
  Customer ***************************** went UNRESPONSIVE AFTER THIS DATE
  
  Regarding the request for refund, we don't agree that the request has been substantiated, due to our team's fulfillment of services for this customer. This customer has also been very friendly and amicable with our team throughout this process, until they went unresponsive.
  
  We do not offer refunds past a certain period due to the fulfillment costs associated with taking care of that customer, to include our time, assets, IP, payroll, software etc and even food and resources for events.
  
  If the customer wishes to come back and work with our company, we would love to welcome them, however, our team did all we can do for them and then they went unresponsive to our outreach for many months. **************** is our #1 priority and love the opportunity to create a better experience we can for them every step of the way. We've attached all supporting documents in our response and are happy to provide any additional information as needed.
  
  Thank you
  
  

  Customer response

  07/01/2023

  I am rejecting this response because:   Douglas James coaches also stole another business branding and logo for my first client from a business called ***********. There was zero actual training for social media advertisement. I did express multiple times that I was unhappy with the way the coaches directed training on multiple occasions. This same training is offered from other trainers for seven dollars a month. Douglas James coaches also did not provide any feedback on first client that I took on, which was a percentage based client, huge mistake. The ads were extremely bad and copy and pasted from other brands ads. No guidance on building a brand or SEO from coaches, which you can not do with SM ads, thats done through PR. 

• Initial Complaint

  07/10/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I can say that VIP was NOT worth the $25,000 AT ALL. It was the ULTIMATE LET DOWN. The team DID NOT execute any of their promises. No one has taken responsibility to make this right and it is an embarrassment. I invested myself into this process (9 months), and have yet to see them fulfill communicated expectations. The quality of deliverables were LOW and was told by my coach that the fasted way to get things done was to do it myself..isn't this part of my 25k investment? Communication was confusing and prolonged. Many students, including myself, had to ASK for spelled out curriculum, because it wasn't supplied at the beginning if the process. I was walking blindly, trusting the process to look back on disorganization, miscommunication and poor execution. I was sold The VIP Agency "Done for you" Program Sept 2021. 90 days I was supposed to have the program done "start to finish in 90 days", have my "business done and set up for me" in "approx 30 days" which was supposed to include "enroll, you onboard, we build out everything, hand it over to you, coach you on everything, we get you appointment, you close deals, and do fulfill for you, thats, completely turn key, we do all the work, you collect checks" which I can accurately say DID NOT HAPPEN 9 months in (***********************). At this point in my journey, I don't think this is even possible to achieve. I was sold on the premise "The VIP Agency is a Done For Service that Builds, Automates and Systematizes a Proven Revenue Ready Digital Agency Business for you. Everything is done and set up so you just have to press go" (***********************). Absolutely ridiculous- REMINDER 25k INVESTMENT. I am arguing this is an UNETHICAL BUSINESS. Any other program, book, or coach has warned from the beginning that this type of business takes work, commitment and understanding- DOUGLAS J****, YOU promised in VIP AGENCY "Done for you"- I am one of many who have had this experience. **************************************

  Business response

  02/15/2023

  Business Response /* (1000, 17, 2023/02/15) */ ***Document Attached*** E-MAIL DELIVERY Better Business Bureau Attn: **** ******* Sr. District Manager 1601 Elm Street, Suite **** Dallas Texas XXXXX E-mail: ***********@nctx.bbb.org Re: ****** ******** Mr. ******** Our firm represents ******** Mentorship and Coaching, LLC *************** The purpose of this letter is to respond to the complaint filed by Ms. ****** ******** ("********"). It appears Ms. ******** filed her complaint the day she notified ******** that she had any concerns. ******** worked with ******** and entered into an agreement providing her a partial refund in return for her satisfaction and release of claims and liabilities. ******** was supposed to inform the BBB of our settlement and resolution of this matter. It appears that she failed to do so. As a result, please find a recitation of the resolution of this matter, as follows: In September of 2021, Ms. ******** entered into an agreement with ******** for VIP services. These services included but were not limited to access to live event and recorded training on operating an online business. She signed up for a VIP package which included personalized training. ******** performed a considerable amount of work for Ms. ********, including the following: 2021 9/24 - ******** invited to a private Slack group and is onboarded into the training courses. ******** had several conversations with the client to discuss creating a logo for her online business and coordinating the integration of Ms. ********'s friend into the VIP experience. 10/8 - ******** creates a unique brand guide for Ms. ******** and forwards the documents for her review. 10/11 - ******** provides her feedback to the initial brand guild and ******** adjusts based on the requests. 11/18 - ******** finishes the creation of ********'s sales funnel and provides outline and instructions of funnel to her. 11/19 - ******** provides ******** written approval of all materials and sales funnels, agreeing to the satisfaction of all assets created. 11/24 - ******** attends the scheduled live training, provided only to VIP students. 12/1 - ******** starts to hand off the business directly to ******** for her implementation of the strategies to start her online business. 12/6 - ******** completed the creation of social media posts designed to promote traffic to ********'s online business. Posts are forwarded to ******** for review and approval. ******** accepts the posts. 12/7 - ******** finalizes creation of the student VIP paid advertisements and sends ******** to review. 12/10 - ******** reviews paid advertisements and submitted approval to ********. 2022 1/11 - ******** finishes creation of demo deck of products and send to ********. ******** submits to ******** a follow up demo deck and responses. 2/3 - ******** conducts VIP paid advertising onboarding call. ******** fails to attend requiring ******** to propone the launch of her store and advertising. 2/21 - ******** provides additional creatives of paid advertising to ******** to review. 3/21 - ******** sends third version of paid advertising creatives. 3/26 - ******** approves paid advertising. 4/11 - ******** posts approved advertisements live. 4/15 - ******** agrees to pause advertisements because she desired to change her offer. 4/26 - ******** wants to pause again based on her desire to "hone in her skills" After 6/16 Client does not respond again, until in July asking for a refund. In July 2022, ******** comes to an agreement with ******** to provide her a refund in lieu of a release. ******** completed a significant amount of work on her behalf. The settlement was a mutual compromise which was signed by the parties on the 12th of July, 2022. Upon executing the Agreement, ******** provided ******** with a partial refund of her purchase totaling $14,500.00. The release signed by ******** stated that she released all claims against ********'s "successors and assigns" will discharge any and all claims, demands, causes of actions . . . or demands of "any nature or kind." Paragraph No. 3.2. Furthermore, Paragraph No. 3.4, states that she agreed to "inform any organization, reporting agency, or body" that your concerns were resolved. At this point, and prior to the filing of the complaint with your office, ******** provided full satisfaction to ********. While ******** was required to notify your office about the complete resolution of this matter, she failed to do so. Given the release, however, the BBB should close ********'s Complaint. Sincerely, /s/ ******* ** ************ ******* ** ************, Esq.

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩