SMS.com review: sms, roi-na, ipa, abs, gps are all a scam 106

Does anyone have a copy of their analysis they would be willing to share?! I am thinking about working for them and I want to see their work for myself to make a educated decision. If you do please email it to AdamTaxRes@gmail.com

Thanks, Adam

I am very grateful for all of your comments. I received a letter from them about applying for a position. After reading this and doing some checking I will not interview nor take a job even if offered salary. That's right, the position is commission and they don't even pay for travel outside the metro area. Here is the pitch.

Senior Area Manager:

This is a Full-time/Outside sales position titled Senior Area Manager. You would be a W-2 employee with full benefits. Our company is based in Illinois. You are managing a sales territory within your area. This is a local territory within your area requiring no overnight travel, but you must live within a reasonable driving distance of the open territory (50 Miles). You are not required to relocate for this position. You would work with a telemarketer who is located here in Illinois who sets 2-3 appointments for you daily. You are going to meet with business owners, and decision makers, CEO's, etc. to sell them a 2-3 day business analysis.

During the meeting, the Senior Area manager will determine what problems are keeping the business owner from achieving their maximum potential. Once identified the Senior Area Manager will recommend our Business Analysis service to further define and help the client attain their goals. Qualified candidates will have proven sales ability with the skills to make first-call closes. Excellent verbal skills with the ability to sell intangible services are a must. Experience should include 3+years of sales experience and general business knowledge. Business Administration or Marketing degree is a plus.

You do not perform the analysis, you only sell it. This is basically a needs analysis to diagnose where the weaknesses fall within the company and whether or not the consulting services would benefit that particular business. The business analysis' you sell are anywhere from $600-$2600 (Survey Fee). You are paid on a Straight Commission Basis (No base salary). If you have never worked on a straight commission basis in the past, please do not let this discourage you. You will receive 91% of the survey fee as your commission in addition to a percentage of the consulting services. A six figure income is very attainable in your first year. A vehicle and valid driver's license are required for this position. Training is provided for one week. If you have not already done so, you can go to our website at www.sms-na.com.

We are looking to fill this position immediately. Please contact me if you would like to move forward with an interview by phone. Once I received your call or email I will check to see that you live with in the perimeters needed. I am available from 8:30am-4pm, CST, Monday through Friday. You can reach me at [protected], extension 14015 or email me at tammy.slywka@sms-na.com.

Thank you & have a great day!

Let’s look as several claims over the next week.
This one by Buster One on March 9, 2011, he states I use to work for SMS and calls them a scam, no financial backing and do nothing.
SMS and its affiliates are not Bankers they are business, tax, and finance professional consultants. They will assist you in dealing with banks and have consultants with the experience, professional, and educational credentials to help.
The claim of doing nothing is so far from the truth, each of the consultants has personal pride. Just like the business owner the consultants are driven to secede. Sometime it comes down to the fact that owners have been in the forest so long that they no longer see what is truly going on around them. After a couple of days of interviews and observation the consultant usually can begin to show the businessman the larger picture that they have not notice after all these years. And as simple as some of the solutions seem they have in the past added up to large dollar amounts.
Yes, I have worked for an affiliate of SMS, but they have no knowledge of my writing in this blog and they do not know my real name. I have seen a lot of good come from this company

Do you really believe that, Upyourssociety comments are made by a former employee of SMS. Let’s do a little math on his educational information.
Graduated from high school at 18, than 4 year undergrad degree equals 22 years of age. Now Grad School, 2 years, would make you at least 24 years of age. Oh I forgot you were an analyst for Scott Forge, maybe 1 more year, now 25 years old.
Than you went to work for SMS at the age of 23; because you have a “time machine” that allows you to go back in time.
Your language is not that of a professional consultant, I believe that you are a scam.
Do the math “MBA”
18+4+2+1=25 years before going to work for SMS, yet you are now only 23 years of age

I can tell a good amount of folks out here are working employees. Can any one of you justify this lawsuit?

Attorney General Says Buffalo Grove Consulting Firm
Practiced Wide-Scale Fraud

Chicago—Attorney General Lisa Madigan today filed a lawsuit in Cook County Circuit Court against International Profit Associates, Inc. (IPA), a Buffalo Grove, Ill.-based management consulting firm, and its owner John R. Burgess. The suit alleges that the defendants use wide-ranging deceptive practices to ensnare hundreds of small-business clients into consulting service contracts that fail to fulfill the defendants' promises to boost their clients' bottom lines.

"International Profit Associates takes advantage of small businesses by painting an inaccurate and dismal picture of their financial condition and then conning the business owners into hiring IPA consultants who promise to turn things around, " Madigan said. "It is an unfair and deceptive scheme that has played out hundreds of times as reflected in the considerable number of complaints that my office has received from small businesses that lost tens of thousands of dollars to IPA."

"Small businesses are vital to our state's economy and are already struggling to weather the current difficult economic conditions. The last thing small business owners need is to be targeted for consulting services that simply will not benefit their operations, " Madigan said.

The suit also names as defendants: International Tax Advisors, Inc., Integrated Business Analysis, Inc., and Accountancy Associates, LLC, all based in Buffalo Grove, Ill. Burgess is the majority owner of all of the defendant companies.

Madigan's lawsuit alleges that IPA employs deceptive, high-pressure sales tactics to trap small businesses into management consulting contracts by falsely promising that the businesses will earn increased profits as a result of IPA's consulting services. Contrary to these promises, IPA typically charges the small businesses tens of thousands of dollars for services that fail to provide any constructive or useful information and do not result in any increased profits.

The complaint describes IPA's business practices in detail. IPA allegedly targets businesses through telemarketing, offering an initial evaluation of a prospective client's business for a nominal fee ranging from $300 to $2, 500. Once on site for the initial analysis, IPA sales associates allegedly convince small business owners that their companies are in serious financial trouble if they do not immediately retain IPA for consulting services.

IPA allegedly promises to prepare specialized, industry-specific recommendations that will help to improve a company's performance. The sales associates often promise that the businesses will see a three-to-one return on their investment in IPA consulting services and allegedly assure business owners that they will be able to afford the IPA services as a result of increased profits in the future. However, according to Madigan's lawsuit, the small business owners rarely realize an increase in profits and often are left in worse financial condition as a result of IPA's costly consulting services. One small business owner cited in Madigan's complaint paid IPA nearly $70, 000 in fees for consulting services that provided no meaningful advice to optimize business operations and, thus, failed to improve the company's profits.

As Madigan's lawsuit details, after a small business agrees to a consulting project, IPA consultants arrive, usually in pairs, and bill the small business at $275 each per hour, plus travel, hotel and per diem expenses. The consultants often produce reports and charts that appear to be based on boilerplate or generic data and do not provide specialized recommendations for the small business client as originally promised.

The complaint further alleges that IPA sales associates promise that business owners will not have to pay for consulting services if they are unsatisfied with the results. However, IPA allegedly uses aggressive collection practices to compel clients to pay for unsatisfactory service. Madigan's suit alleges that IPA demands immediate payments and, if a business owner does not make immediate payment, IPA consultants allegedly are trained to refuse to leave the business premises until their demand for a post-dated check is honored.

Since 2004, 215 consumers have filed complaints with Madigan's Consumer Fraud Bureau. During that time, more than 400 consumers have filed complaints with the Better Business Bureau.

Madigan's lawsuit asks the court to permanently enjoin the defendants from engaging in this conduct. The suit also asks the court to order the defendants to pay restitution for the small business owners, civil penalties of $50, 000 for violations of the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act, an additional $50, 000 for each violation committed with the intent to defraud, and the costs of the investigation and prosecution of the case.

Consumer Fraud Bureau Chief James Kole, Special Consumer Counsel Charles G. Fergus and Assistant Attorneys General Anshuman Vaidya, Katrina Wanzer Derhake and Joshua Orenstein are handling the case for Madigan's Consumer Fraud Bureau

I just had one of these stupid sms sales guys in my business. Seriously why would I even remotely want you idiots in my business? I read that attorney general lawsuit and I am puzzled why you all are still in business? Cp an any one of you stupid mother ###ers tell me why on earth would any business want you helping them? Please don't give me your stupid spiel on we help business owners achieve this or that crap again either. The dope that was just in here did plenty of that already.

I am 25 yrs old & I worked at SMS. They are piece of poop company. They lie to bussiness owners and people. They make u spend gas and they are poop. They have lawsuit everywhere be cureful of thum cause you will lose money. They have bad people working for thum all the time. In my country they don't allow company like sms to doing bussiness. I hope the attorney genital shut Down this guys. They bad people I speak truth I now them how they opurate.

I had a friend who has been working for SMS for a while. Even back when it was IPA and they had told me about all the sexual harassment lawsuits they have had and how they had to keep changing their name around. But I needed a job. And so I called and asked to speak Ron whatever his last name is. he told me to be in Monday (because I called on a Friday) early as possible. I traveled like 2 hours just so he can tell me I have the job. Not a real interview at all. I went to training for a week. It was pretty decent because of the people in there then I passed the written exam and the Oral exam. But now I'm out on the "Sales Floor" coming out of the Training class with Grant Simmons (Trainer) I had the mentality like I was going to have me on the phone with these owners. Monday I come back they had me listen to other people on the phone. Cool. Then they had me do what they call, "Call Leads" where you do everything the same but instead of having these Senior Area Managers (S.A.M for short) come to your business, they would call instead. Sounds easier right? WRONG! these people didn't even like my S.A.M so my calls didn't mean anything to them. They send you in the Zone which they feel like you will fit. I was automatcically put in the same Zone as my friend. I can say that at first I went in there on the sales floor with full force. Then after looking around at the different people working there I begin to wonder, they hire everybody apparently. I know equal opportunity, but these people clearly had criminal background records that weren't ashamed of telling me so I know that they weren't ashamed of telling Jimmy Jordan (I'm not sure what's his title, (but I'm assuming nobody is higher than him because my Zone Managers would have to answer to him). These people have tattoos all on there face and hands, gold teeth, pink and blue hair, and wearing all types of clothes non dressy. Like I said equal opportunity, so I couldn't really complain, but it often bothered me. But back to me. I get on the phones every day with determination with no result. I told myself that I will push myself a little more the following week. But before I got to my seat and asked for permission to get on the computer, they tell me that all my leads are fake. I couldn't believe it! I bussed my ### to get through to these owners and they told me that all the effort I put into it was worthless. So I tried to go through my day without going postal. At the nd of day I couldn't hold it in anymore. I had an emotional breakdown right there on the sales floor and my managers didn't give two flying ###s. They sat right there and said nothing. So if that wasn't enough, I come home and I get hit with a ton of bricks. My family needed me so I could afford to miss a day at work. I called them to say just that, and they told me I couldn't produce any legit leads and that they have to let me go. I also got a write up. This all happened so fast. Whatever happened to 3 strikes? Truth is I was not feeling that job in the first place. So them giving me the boot was fine with me. I made a few friends, had a a little fun, but most importantly I learned some things. I learned that corporate America prowls on people who seriousy need a job, hire them, train them, even feed them just so they can treat you like ### once you are hired. I have seen these managers yell, throw chairs, and threaten us the Business Coordinators ( or B.C. For short). They even keep you there for hours because you haven't finished your job. Some people that has been there forever put up with that but not me. The only thing I miss is the friends I made. I don't miss that intimidating feeling I would always get when I walk through those doors. I don't miss getting up at 4:30 in the morning to get to work at 7, get off work and only want to sleep. Complaint? No. But I'm not for SMS either. I saw it as a job and nothing more. I am grateful for the friends I made. The food was even good but I can afford to lose a job. Especially a job like that. If you like the type of stuff I mentioned, then apply because they always hiring, but just know that your pride and dignity will be stripped from you completely once you walk into their doors to work for them. I feel sorry for the other people that work there because they absolutely need the money, but I feel sorry for the owners I bothered every day I worked there. Either they were busy, not interested, or have already worked with us. They need their money too. They already have a lot of things going on, taking on a faulty consulting company shouldn't be the first thing to do when they wake up in the morning. I dont know why SMS feels that way. Don't know if they are a scam or not because that doesn't mean a thing to me. I can care less. They will be around. Harassing all you business owners and treating all you employees like ###. They will get hit with another lawsuit and change their name. Truth is, there are not going anywhere. You either learn to deal with them calling you or deal with them making you feel inferior. It's just that simple. You can take this as a complaint if you want, I'm just sharing my experience with SMS. Thanks for reading I guess and God Bless.

Let’s look as several claims over the next week.
This one by Buster One on March 9, 2011, he states I use to work for SMS and calls them a scam, no financial backing and do nothing.
SMS and its affiliates are not Bankers they are business, tax, and finance professional consultants. They will assist you in dealing with banks and have consultants with the experience, professional, and educational credentials to help.
The claim of doing nothing is so far from the truth, each of the consultants has personal pride. Just like the business owner the consultants are driven to secede. Sometime it comes down to the fact that owners have been in the forest so long that they no longer see what is truly going on around them. After a couple of days of interviews and observation the consultant usually can begin to show the businessman the larger picture that they have not notice after all these years. And as simple as some of the solutions seem they have in the past added up to large dollar amounts.
Yes, I have worked for an affiliate of SMS, but they have no knowledge of my writing in this blog and they do not know my real name. I have seen a lot of good come from this company.

Do you really believe that, Upyourssociety comments are made by an “former” employee of SMS. Let’s do a little math on his educational information.
Graduated from high school at 18, than 4 year undergrad degree equals 22 years of age. Now Grad School, 2 years, would make you at least 24 years of age. Oh I forgot you were an analyst for Scott Forge, maybe 1 more year, now 25 years old.
Than you went to work for SMS at the age of 23; because you have a “time machine” that allows you to go back in time.
Your language is not that of a professional consultant, I believe that you are a scam.
Do the math “MBA”
18+4+2+1=25 years before going to work for SMS, yet you are now only 23 years of age.

I have no imperial evidence but it appears that over half of these complaints are written by the same person. The syntax and grammar construction on over half of these seem to have the same finger prints all over them. How many of us write with excess in BOLD lettering all over a rational statement.

Thanks for all this information. Its clear the Better Business Bureau needs to be informed. They have a C- on the BBB but that should be more like an F. I guess they already have one but they use so many names, the BBB can't keep up. Unless we start informing the BBB, we will have this scam around awhile. I want to thank everyone for the heads up. I agree, that guys a pervert but he's also a scammer and belongs in the same house as Bernie Madoff. They should be cell mates and we can help him to his new home. Owners; if all of us inform the Better Business Bureau, we may help ourselves from all these predators. My secretary helped me out by checking up on them or I would have been scammed too. NOTIFY THE BBB.

That Burgess PERVERT guy that likes LITTLE GIRLS needs to pay you. He is a PIG!
How can you guys work around a PERVERT anyhow? The Attorney General's gona send that DIRTY OLD MAN to jail soon and they don't like perverts that like LITTLE GIRLS in that place very much. He better get his FAT ### in a gym and get some muscles cause he is going to need some.

A 16 year old? (What a dirty old man! That’s absolutely disgusting! Guess its easy to see why they lost the Sexual Harassment lawsuit and had to pay out $8, 000, 000.00 Heck the owner is a Pervert so Monkey see Monkey do I guess?

SMS is a fraud. Employees are being shorted hours and are pressured to make appointment that never sell. Owners get so sick at getting called that they start yelling at the poor BC's who are only trying to do a job.
Do not work with or for SMS under any circumstances.

GPS, SMS, IPA, ABS, ROI-NA are all owned by the same pervert!
ITS A FRAUD! IT’S A MESS! “IT’S DISGUSTING!" IT’S PERVERTED!” IT’S MISLEADING!

You decide for yourself, but maybe reading this will make it easier. These 5 are just the tip of the iceberg but you'll get the picture about who you're dealing with.

1. Look at this video, It's scary.
http://funalize.com/fox-news-story-on-rico-case-against-ipa/

2. There's your answer on this read:
http://illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/pressroom/2009_04/20090422.html

3. This is just another law suit of the many.
http://www.learwerts.com/Investigations/IPA-Consultants/

4. This is absolutely repulsing!
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-02-22/business/ct-biz-0222-chicago-law-20110222_1_eeoc-sexual-harassment-individual-class-members

5. A disbarred New York lawyer (John Burgess owner of SMS, GPS) with a criminal record for attempted larceny and patronizing a "16-year-old" prostitute, Mr. Burgess owns International Profit Associates, a management consulting company in Illinois.

A 16 year old? (What a dirty old man! That’s absolutely disgusting, what a Pervert!) Guess its easy to see why they lost the Sexual Harassment lawsuit and had to pay out $8, 000, 000.00 Heck the owner is a Pervert so Monkey see Monkey do I guess?

Note: That Rico “Criminal investigation” is alarming and disturbing. That's really bad but that's a Chicago Company for you. I don't think I'd want Al Capone looking at my books anytime soon. These guys are just really bad news, but at least it looks as though the Department of Justice is on to them and prosecution near in waits.

I just had this goofy looking sales guy trying to convince me to this analysis. I recognized the SMS name from past visits here and remembered reading up on them before. I quickly stopped his goofy sales spieel and asked him about this Attorney Generals lawsuit. As you would guess a scammer do; he turns white as snow, apologizes, and runs out the door nearly tripping over himself.

These SOB tried coming in my business today I knew something was funny about them. The scammer told me they would increase my sales if I paid them $500.00 for some analysis. The only analysis I want from them is the way out of the door.

SMS, GPS, IPA, ABS, ROI-NA are all owned by the same pervert!
ITS A FRAUD! IT’S A MESS!, “IT’S DISGUSTING! IT’S PERVERTED!” IT’S MISLEADING IT IS A DISASTER!
If after opening the following sites, you still wish to work for them, then you are them yourself and your really not much different. Is everyone (hundreds of business owners and employees) including the ATTORNEY GENERAL OF ILLINOIS all wrong and the Burgess (Pervert & Son) are just a bunch of innocent victums? You can decide for yourself but maybe reading this will make it easier.

1. http://funalize.com/fox-news-story-on-rico-case-against-ipa/

2.http://illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/pressroom/2009_04/20090422.html

3.http://www.learwerts.com/Investigations/IPA-Consultants/

4. http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-02-22/business/ct-biz-0222-chicago-law-20110222_1_eeoc-sexual-harassment-individual-class-members

5. A disbarred New York lawyer (John Burgess owner of SMS, GPS) with a criminal record for attempted larceny and patronizing a "16-year-old" prostitute, Mr. Burgess owns International Profit Associates, a management consulting company in Illinois.

A 16 year old? (What a dirty old man! That’s absolutely disgusting, what a Pervert!) Guess its easy to see why they lost the Sexual Harassment lawsuit and had to pay out $8, 000, 000.00 

Heck the owner is a Pervert so Monkey see Monkey do I guess?

Please Note: That Rico “Criminal investigation” is alarming and disturbing. That's really bad but that's a Chicago Company for you. I don't think I'd want Al Capone looking at my books anytime soon. These guys are just really bad news and not the people I would want my little daughter with either. 

SMS, GPS, IPA, ABS, ROI-NA are all owned by the same pervert!

ITS A FRAUD! IT'S A MESS!, "IT'S DISGUSTING! IT'S PERVERTED!" IT'S MISLEADING IT IS A DISASTER!
If after opening the following sites, you still wish to work for them, then you are them yourself and your really not much different. Is everyone including the ATTORNEY GENERAL OF ILLINOIS all wrong and the Burgess are just a bunch of victums? You can decide for yourself and this will make it easier.

1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpaQKm4b6oE

2. http://illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/pressroom/2009_04/20090422.html

3. http://www.learwerts.com/Investigations/IPA-Consultants/

4. http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-02-22/business/ct-biz-0222-chicago-law-20110222_1_eeoc-sexual-harassment-individual-class-members

5. A disbarred New York lawyer (John Burgess owner of SMS, GPS) with a criminal record for attempted larceny and patronizing a 16-year-old prostitute, Mr. Burgess owns International Profit Associates, a management consulting company in Illinois. (What a dirty old man! That's absolutely disgusting! what a Pervert!)

That Rico "Criminal investigation" is alarming.

The following will help out any business needing real information. Truths don't lie, see for yourself:

1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpaQKm4b6oE

2. http://illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/pressroom/2009_04/20090422.html

3. http://www.learwerts.com/Investigations/IPA-Consultants/

4. http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=8039364

These guys are "predators" They seem to prey on business owners and the poor and unemployed by giving hope. To prey upon the vulnerable is low if not the lowest, so ultra cautions and beware! 

These guys want to charge $300.00 an hour to run my company like theirs? Lol Maybe I ought to charge them $300.00 an hour and a jail cell to go along.
Lol! What a joke!

1. They "LOST" the largest sexual harassment law suit ever in Americas history, $8, 000, 000.00
2. The owner has a criminal record for attempted larceny and patronizing a "16" YEAR OLD prostitute. (pervert)
3. The Attorney General sued them for fraud. (read the details of the law suit. It's exactly what they're doing right now)
4. I was reading all these blogs and apparently they're ripping off their own employees also.

Maybe we should solicit them to $300.00 an hour consulting instead. They need our help more then we would even want them near us that's for sure! What a joke!

NOW YOU KNOW WHY THEY "INSIST" ON SEEING YOUR TAX RETURNS AND BOOKS.
[It's obvious they want to know how much that they can't take you for]

MADIGAN FILES LAWSUIT AGAINST INTERNATIONAL PROFIT ASSOCIATES FOR CHEATING HUNDREDS OF SMALL BUSINESSES OUT OF THOUSANDS

Attorney General Says Buffalo Grove Consulting Firm
Practiced Wide-Scale Fraud

Chicago—Attorney General Lisa Madigan today filed a lawsuit in Cook County Circuit Court against International Profit Associates, Inc. (IPA), a Buffalo Grove, Ill.-based management consulting firm, and its owner John R. Burgess. The suit alleges that the defendants use wide-ranging deceptive practices to ensnare hundreds of small-business clients into consulting service contracts that fail to fulfill the defendants' promises to boost their clients' bottom lines.

"International Profit Associates takes advantage of small businesses by painting an inaccurate and dismal picture of their financial condition and then conning the business owners into hiring IPA consultants who promise to turn things around, " Madigan said. "It is an unfair and deceptive scheme that has played out hundreds of times as reflected in the considerable number of complaints that my office has received from small businesses that lost tens of thousands of dollars to IPA."

"Small businesses are vital to our state's economy and are already struggling to weather the current difficult economic conditions. The last thing small business owners need is to be targeted for consulting services that simply will not benefit their operations, " Madigan said.

The suit also names as defendants: International Tax Advisors, Inc., Integrated Business Analysis, Inc., and Accountancy Associates, LLC, all based in Buffalo Grove, Ill. Burgess is the majority owner of all of the defendant companies.

Madigan's lawsuit alleges that IPA employs deceptive, high-pressure sales tactics to trap small businesses into management consulting contracts by falsely promising that the businesses will earn increased profits as a result of IPA's consulting services. Contrary to these promises, IPA typically charges the small businesses tens of thousands of dollars for services that fail to provide any constructive or useful information and do not result in any increased profits.

The complaint describes IPA's business practices in detail. IPA allegedly targets businesses through telemarketing, offering an initial evaluation of a prospective client's business for a nominal fee ranging from $300 to $2, 500. Once on site for the initial analysis, IPA sales associates allegedly convince small business owners that their companies are in serious financial trouble if they do not immediately retain IPA for consulting services.

IPA allegedly promises to prepare specialized, industry-specific recommendations that will help to improve a company's performance. The sales associates often promise that the businesses will see a three-to-one return on their investment in IPA consulting services and allegedly assure business owners that they will be able to afford the IPA services as a result of increased profits in the future. However, according to Madigan's lawsuit, the small business owners rarely realize an increase in profits and often are left in worse financial condition as a result of IPA's costly consulting services. One small business owner cited in Madigan's complaint paid IPA nearly $70, 000 in fees for consulting services that provided no meaningful advice to optimize business operations and, thus, failed to improve the company's profits.

As Madigan's lawsuit details, after a small business agrees to a consulting project, IPA consultants arrive, usually in pairs, and bill the small business at $275 each per hour, plus travel, hotel and per diem expenses. The consultants often produce reports and charts that appear to be based on boilerplate or generic data and do not provide specialized recommendations for the small business client as originally promised.

The complaint further alleges that IPA sales associates promise that business owners will not have to pay for consulting services if they are unsatisfied with the results. However, IPA allegedly uses aggressive collection practices to compel clients to pay for unsatisfactory service. Madigan's suit alleges that IPA demands immediate payments and, if a business owner does not make immediate payment, IPA consultants allegedly are trained to refuse to leave the business premises until their demand for a post-dated check is honored.

Since 2004, 215 consumers have filed complaints with Madigan's Consumer Fraud Bureau. During that time, more than 400 consumers have filed complaints with the Better Business Bureau.

Madigan's lawsuit asks the court to permanently enjoin the defendants from engaging in this conduct. The suit also asks the court to order the defendants to pay restitution for the small business owners, civil penalties of $50, 000 for violations of the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act, an additional $50, 000 for each violation committed with the intent to defraud, and the costs of the investigation and prosecution of the case.

Consumer Fraud Bureau Chief James Kole, Special Consumer Counsel Charles G. Fergus and Assistant Attorneys General Anshuman Vaidya, Katrina Wanzer Derhake and Joshua Orenstein are handling the case for Madigan's Consumer Fraud Bureau.

-

WOULD YOU WANT THIS IN YOUR BUSINESS?

John R. Burgess makes for an improbable courtier of presidents, or of a senator who might become one.

A disbarred New York lawyer with a criminal record for attempted larceny and patronizing a 16-year-old prostitute, Mr. Burgess owns International Profit Associates, a management consulting company in Illinois.

OWNERS BEWARE!
SMS, ROI-NA, IPA, ABS, GPS [All the same company owned by John Burgess]

If you have a doubt, no more worries cause here's your proof. You have your answer on YOU TUBE. Watch this video THEN read the ATTORNEY GENERALS LAWSUIT AGAINST THEM. Isn't that what they're STILL trying to sell us?

1. Attorney Generals Lawsuit
http://illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/pressroom/2009_04/20090422.htm

2. A must see video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpaQKm4b6oE

MADIGAN FILES LAWSUIT AGAINST INTERNATIONAL PROFIT ASSOCIATES FOR CHEATING HUNDREDS OF SMALL BUSINESSES OUT OF THOUSANDS

Attorney General Says Buffalo Grove Consulting Firm
Practiced Wide-Scale Fraud

Chicago—Attorney General Lisa Madigan today filed a lawsuit in Cook County Circuit Court against International Profit Associates, Inc. (IPA), a Buffalo Grove, Ill.-based management consulting firm, and its owner John R. Burgess. The suit alleges that the defendants use wide-ranging deceptive practices to ensnare hundreds of small-business clients into consulting service contracts that fail to fulfill the defendants' promises to boost their clients' bottom lines.

"International Profit Associates takes advantage of small businesses by painting an inaccurate and dismal picture of their financial condition and then conning the business owners into hiring IPA consultants who promise to turn things around, " Madigan said. "It is an unfair and deceptive scheme that has played out hundreds of times as reflected in the considerable number of complaints that my office has received from small businesses that lost tens of thousands of dollars to IPA."

"Small businesses are vital to our state's economy and are already struggling to weather the current difficult economic conditions. The last thing small business owners need is to be targeted for consulting services that simply will not benefit their operations, " Madigan said.

The suit also names as defendants: International Tax Advisors, Inc., Integrated Business Analysis, Inc., and Accountancy Associates, LLC, all based in Buffalo Grove, Ill. Burgess is the majority owner of all of the defendant companies.

Madigan's lawsuit alleges that IPA employs deceptive, high-pressure sales tactics to trap small businesses into management consulting contracts by falsely promising that the businesses will earn increased profits as a result of IPA's consulting services. Contrary to these promises, IPA typically charges the small businesses tens of thousands of dollars for services that fail to provide any constructive or useful information and do not result in any increased profits.

The complaint describes IPA's business practices in detail. IPA allegedly targets businesses through telemarketing, offering an initial evaluation of a prospective client's business for a nominal fee ranging from $300 to $2, 500. Once on site for the initial analysis, IPA sales associates allegedly convince small business owners that their companies are in serious financial trouble if they do not immediately retain IPA for consulting services.

IPA allegedly promises to prepare specialized, industry-specific recommendations that will help to improve a company's performance. The sales associates often promise that the businesses will see a three-to-one return on their investment in IPA consulting services and allegedly assure business owners that they will be able to afford the IPA services as a result of increased profits in the future. However, according to Madigan's lawsuit, the small business owners rarely realize an increase in profits and often are left in worse financial condition as a result of IPA's costly consulting services. One small business owner cited in Madigan's complaint paid IPA nearly $70, 000 in fees for consulting services that provided no meaningful advice to optimize business operations and, thus, failed to improve the company's profits.

As Madigan's lawsuit details, after a small business agrees to a consulting project, IPA consultants arrive, usually in pairs, and bill the small business at $275 each per hour, plus travel, hotel and per diem expenses. The consultants often produce reports and charts that appear to be based on boilerplate or generic data and do not provide specialized recommendations for the small business client as originally promised.

The complaint further alleges that IPA sales associates promise that business owners will not have to pay for consulting services if they are unsatisfied with the results. However, IPA allegedly uses aggressive collection practices to compel clients to pay for unsatisfactory service. Madigan's suit alleges that IPA demands immediate payments and, if a business owner does not make immediate payment, IPA consultants allegedly are trained to refuse to leave the business premises until their demand for a post-dated check is honored.

Since 2004, 215 consumers have filed complaints with Madigan's Consumer Fraud Bureau. During that time, more than 400 consumers have filed complaints with the Better Business Bureau.

Madigan's lawsuit asks the court to permanently enjoin the defendants from engaging in this conduct. The suit also asks the court to order the defendants to pay restitution for the small business owners, civil penalties of $50, 000 for violations of the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act, an additional $50, 000 for each violation committed with the intent to defraud, and the costs of the investigation and prosecution of the case.

Consumer Fraud Bureau Chief James Kole, Special Consumer Counsel Charles G. Fergus and Assistant Attorneys General Anshuman Vaidya, Katrina Wanzer Derhake and Joshua Orenstein are handling the case for Madigan's Consumer Fraud Bureau.

ALERT! ALERT! ALERT!
IPA, SMS, GPS ARE ALL THE SAME COMPANY!
The owners are "John Burgess and Tyler Burgess." The owner is a CHILD MOLESTER amoung other things. Would you want these people looking at your books?You have to see this! THIS IS ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW!

Please look at YOU TUBE: FOX NEWS STORY ON RICO CASE AGAINST IPA

WHY WOULD ANYONE WORK FOR THESE PEOPLE? OMG THAT LAWSUIT BY THE ATTORNEY GENERAL IS PRECICELY WHAT THEY'RE STILL DOING!
CALL THE FBI ATTORNEY GENERALS AND GET THESE GUYS IS JAIL!

NO NEED TO READ ANYMORE. READ READ READ !

MADIGAN FILES LAWSUIT AGAINST INTERNATIONAL PROFIT ASSOCIATES FOR CHEATING HUNDREDS OF SMALL BUSINESSES OUT OF THOUSANDS

Attorney General Says Buffalo Grove Consulting Firm
Practiced Wide-Scale Fraud

Chicago—Attorney General Lisa Madigan today filed a lawsuit in Cook County Circuit Court against International Profit Associates, Inc. (IPA), a Buffalo Grove, Ill.-based management consulting firm, and its owner John R. Burgess. The suit alleges that the defendants use wide-ranging deceptive practices to ensnare hundreds of small-business clients into consulting service contracts that fail to fulfill the defendants' promises to boost their clients' bottom lines.

"International Profit Associates takes advantage of small businesses by painting an inaccurate and dismal picture of their financial condition and then conning the business owners into hiring IPA consultants who promise to turn things around, " Madigan said. "It is an unfair and deceptive scheme that has played out hundreds of times as reflected in the considerable number of complaints that my office has received from small businesses that lost tens of thousands of dollars to IPA."

"Small businesses are vital to our state's economy and are already struggling to weather the current difficult economic conditions. The last thing small business owners need is to be targeted for consulting services that simply will not benefit their operations, " Madigan said.

The suit also names as defendants: International Tax Advisors, Inc., Integrated Business Analysis, Inc., and Accountancy Associates, LLC, all based in Buffalo Grove, Ill. Burgess is the majority owner of all of the defendant companies.

Madigan's lawsuit alleges that IPA employs deceptive, high-pressure sales tactics to trap small businesses into management consulting contracts by falsely promising that the businesses will earn increased profits as a result of IPA's consulting services. Contrary to these promises, IPA typically charges the small businesses tens of thousands of dollars for services that fail to provide any constructive or useful information and do not result in any increased profits.

The complaint describes IPA's business practices in detail. IPA allegedly targets businesses through telemarketing, offering an initial evaluation of a prospective client's business for a nominal fee ranging from $300 to $2, 500. Once on site for the initial analysis, IPA sales associates allegedly convince small business owners that their companies are in serious financial trouble if they do not immediately retain IPA for consulting services.

IPA allegedly promises to prepare specialized, industry-specific recommendations that will help to improve a company's performance. The sales associates often promise that the businesses will see a three-to-one return on their investment in IPA consulting services and allegedly assure business owners that they will be able to afford the IPA services as a result of increased profits in the future. However, according to Madigan's lawsuit, the small business owners rarely realize an increase in profits and often are left in worse financial condition as a result of IPA's costly consulting services. One small business owner cited in Madigan's complaint paid IPA nearly $70, 000 in fees for consulting services that provided no meaningful advice to optimize business operations and, thus, failed to improve the company's profits.

As Madigan's lawsuit details, after a small business agrees to a consulting project, IPA consultants arrive, usually in pairs, and bill the small business at $275 each per hour, plus travel, hotel and per diem expenses. The consultants often produce reports and charts that appear to be based on boilerplate or generic data and do not provide specialized recommendations for the small business client as originally promised.

The complaint further alleges that IPA sales associates promise that business owners will not have to pay for consulting services if they are unsatisfied with the results. However, IPA allegedly uses aggressive collection practices to compel clients to pay for unsatisfactory service. Madigan's suit alleges that IPA demands immediate payments and, if a business owner does not make immediate payment, IPA consultants allegedly are trained to refuse to leave the business premises until their demand for a post-dated check is honored.

Since 2004, 215 consumers have filed complaints with Madigan's Consumer Fraud Bureau. During that time, more than 400 consumers have filed complaints with the Better Business Bureau.

Madigan's lawsuit asks the court to permanently enjoin the defendants from engaging in this conduct. The suit also asks the court to order the defendants to pay restitution for the small business owners, civil penalties of $50, 000 for violations of the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act, an additional $50, 000 for each violation committed with the intent to defraud, and the costs of the investigation and prosecution of the case.

Consumer Fraud Bureau Chief James Kole, Special Consumer Counsel Charles G. Fergus and Assistant Attorneys General Anshuman Vaidya, Katrina Wanzer Derhake and Joshua Orenstein are handling the case for Madigan's Consumer Fraud Bureau.

-

IF YOU WANT PROOF THIS COMPANY IS A FRAUD, READ:

MADIGAN FILES LAWSUIT AGAINST INTERNATIONAL PROFIT ASSOCIATES FOR CHEATING HUNDREDS OF SMALL BUSINESSES OUT OF THOUSANDS

Attorney General Says Buffalo Grove Consulting Firm
Practiced Wide-Scale Fraud

Chicago—Attorney General Lisa Madigan today filed a lawsuit in Cook County Circuit Court against International Profit Associates, Inc. (IPA), a Buffalo Grove, Ill.-based management consulting firm, and its owner John R. Burgess. The suit alleges that the defendants use wide-ranging deceptive practices to ensnare hundreds of small-business clients into consulting service contracts that fail to fulfill the defendants' promises to boost their clients' bottom lines.

"International Profit Associates takes advantage of small businesses by painting an inaccurate and dismal picture of their financial condition and then conning the business owners into hiring IPA consultants who promise to turn things around, " Madigan said. "It is an unfair and deceptive scheme that has played out hundreds of times as reflected in the considerable number of complaints that my office has received from small businesses that lost tens of thousands of dollars to IPA."

"Small businesses are vital to our state's economy and are already struggling to weather the current difficult economic conditions. The last thing small business owners need is to be targeted for consulting services that simply will not benefit their operations, " Madigan said.

The suit also names as defendants: International Tax Advisors, Inc., Integrated Business Analysis, Inc., and Accountancy Associates, LLC, all based in Buffalo Grove, Ill. Burgess is the majority owner of all of the defendant companies.

Madigan's lawsuit alleges that IPA employs deceptive, high-pressure sales tactics to trap small businesses into management consulting contracts by falsely promising that the businesses will earn increased profits as a result of IPA's consulting services. Contrary to these promises, IPA typically charges the small businesses tens of thousands of dollars for services that fail to provide any constructive or useful information and do not result in any increased profits.

The complaint describes IPA's business practices in detail. IPA allegedly targets businesses through telemarketing, offering an initial evaluation of a prospective client's business for a nominal fee ranging from $300 to $2, 500. Once on site for the initial analysis, IPA sales associates allegedly convince small business owners that their companies are in serious financial trouble if they do not immediately retain IPA for consulting services.

IPA allegedly promises to prepare specialized, industry-specific recommendations that will help to improve a company's performance. The sales associates often promise that the businesses will see a three-to-one return on their investment in IPA consulting services and allegedly assure business owners that they will be able to afford the IPA services as a result of increased profits in the future. However, according to Madigan's lawsuit, the small business owners rarely realize an increase in profits and often are left in worse financial condition as a result of IPA's costly consulting services. One small business owner cited in Madigan's complaint paid IPA nearly $70, 000 in fees for consulting services that provided no meaningful advice to optimize business operations and, thus, failed to improve the company's profits.

As Madigan's lawsuit details, after a small business agrees to a consulting project, IPA consultants arrive, usually in pairs, and bill the small business at $275 each per hour, plus travel, hotel and per diem expenses. The consultants often produce reports and charts that appear to be based on boilerplate or generic data and do not provide specialized recommendations for the small business client as originally promised.

The complaint further alleges that IPA sales associates promise that business owners will not have to pay for consulting services if they are unsatisfied with the results. However, IPA allegedly uses aggressive collection practices to compel clients to pay for unsatisfactory service. Madigan's suit alleges that IPA demands immediate payments and, if a business owner does not make immediate payment, IPA consultants allegedly are trained to refuse to leave the business premises until their demand for a post-dated check is honored.

Since 2004, 215 consumers have filed complaints with Madigan's Consumer Fraud Bureau. During that time, more than 400 consumers have filed complaints with the Better Business Bureau.

Madigan's lawsuit asks the court to permanently enjoin the defendants from engaging in this conduct. The suit also asks the court to order the defendants to pay restitution for the small business owners, civil penalties of $50, 000 for violations of the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act, an additional $50, 000 for each violation committed with the intent to defraud, and the costs of the investigation and prosecution of the case.

Consumer Fraud Bureau Chief James Kole, Special Consumer Counsel Charles G. Fergus and Assistant Attorneys General Anshuman Vaidya, Katrina Wanzer Derhake and Joshua Orenstein are handling the case for Madigan's Consumer Fraud Bureau.

-

Wow,
I am so glad this blog is here. I just experienced the same bait and switch shady sales scam you all did.

Same “Senior Area Manager” contacted the President of our company stating they had clients requiring our products/services and he wanted to discuss. The President of our company transferred the call to me (Sales Director) and the “Area Manager” and I set up a meeting. About 5 minutes into the meeting I realized this guy was selling me something and I informed him that I did not appreciate him misrepresenting himself and wasting my time. However, we are going through a buyout where I am buying out the owners of the company I work with, so I listened. The Area Rep was very weird, shifty, and elusive wanting me to sign documents for an analysis (of which I denied).

I thank you all for posting this information I will follow my better judgment (and your postings) and will not be using their services!

I have gotten information about the siminar they have for new employee recruits. I will keep this site posted and up to date. I will add something each day I attend next week.

i lost my mobile

This is the most pathetic company of all time. Advise, don't even take the first call. They keep calling back to confirm appointments. They try to confirm with others in my office. They sent one guy out, Mr. Gore. I was polite and gave him 15 minutes. I am 90% certain he was either drunk or crazy. Since then my office keeps getting calls to confirm appointments. I keep telling them "no, leave me alone". Just now I told Mr. Jeff Kent (assuming it is his real name) to stop calling me because the last guy that called was a complete ###. He then told nme he wanted to make it up to me and would confirm my appointment for 10am tomorrow. I don't have an appointment for 10am tomorrow! What? I told him to forget it. IF SOMEONE SHOWS UP AT 10AM TOMORROW MORNING MY PLAN IS TO PARK THEM IN MY CONFERENCE ROOM AND CALL THE POLICE! Somebody needs to real this group in. I wouldn't show them anything in my business except the door.

I came looking here for the same reasons most of you have. These guys tried to tell me I had to make a decision to use their services on the spot. Red flag #1.
After their representative spent a day looking over our numbers, he definitely did bring some good suggestions as to how to improve our business. But promising the returns they do at a rate of $300/hr for their services I figured we should get some other quotes. This infuriated their sales rep who then became perturbed at us. So I decided to do some searching on the Burgess's & found Attorney General Lisa Madigan filed a lawsuit in Cook County Circuit Court against International Profit Associates, Inc. (IPA)and its owner John R. Burgess.
There are over 153 formal complaints through the BBB as well. Read the reviews for yourself:
http://www.bbb.org/chicago/business-reviews/business-consultants/international-services-in-buffalo-grove-il-54000004

Report everything to the AG. All the AG has to do is grab hold of the day to day telephone recordings and see for herself how all of these companies mentioned above orchestrate the the scam. The AG should get a list of past employees. The skeptics will argue that they are only disgruntled - I could agree with that argument if there were with only a few, but not a few hundred telling their stories. How does one explain that this same group(Under the IPA umbrella) were guilty of the largest sexual harassment case in America? They all still operate under the same roof and all that was done was that these shell(dormant) companies were acquired from different states in the US. The old IPA employees were then transferred to a company called SMI which in turn leases the employees back to CBS, ABS, GPS, SMS and GR. (The owner of the these companies is Tyler Burgess( Who is still under the direction of John Burgess.). The only way you can make sure that you can protect yourself if you do decide to use their management services is 1) Whatever the analyst or his boss( Called a Senex) promises you- make sure you write it down in your words not theirs on the agreement (Keep a copy)- be specific(especially how you intend paying) and secondly delay the decision by a week. If it still feels good after that period then move forward. Don't believe their canned references- most have been promised freebees to participate.

My thanks to this site for helping me sort out my thinking on an experience that I just had with SMS. It started with the phone call from their 350 person phone room. I usually hang up on solicitors, but for some reason I gave the caller the time of day, and accepted an appointment for a representative to "stop by" for 10 minutes. Keith stopped by and we discussed a proposal for an "analyst" to come and visit for 1 to 3 days for $1, 500. I declined, but after a long conversation I agreed to a thorough business analysis, with the option to pay anywhere from $0 to $700 (my choice), after the analysis is complete. On Wednesday Nick came at 1 pm to begin his analysys. For the next 3 days Nick analyzed my operation, studied my financial records, made spread sheets, taught me basic cash flow analysis, made suggestions regarding my production and sales departments, met with my team leaders, and seemed to genuinely care about our success. I know where our weaknesses are, and he was right on with his ability to point them out. After the analysis he explained the consulting process, and told me that it could cost as much as $100, 000 to hire his team. I was not surprised, as I had a friend who worked in consulting who told me what to expect. Nick said that the next person to visit would be the project manager, who would lay out the entire project time line along with the expected budget for each phase. Nick said that we would be under no obligation to finish the project, and that we did not have to pay anything until we were happy with the results, and after we actually saw a 2 to 1 savings over the cost of their fees. When I asked for references, he didn't have any despite the claim that they had helped "thousands" of clients, and specifically "hundreds" of remodeling companies with revenues similar to mine (1.5M). When I said that I wanted to wait until I discuss the expense with my CPA, he said that it was a bad idea because the accountant would want the revenue for himself, and would recommend against consulting. I became confused by his comments, and declined to go to the next step. I paid the $700 because I felt that I received valuable advice on the running of my business (the value exceeded the price). I didn't trust the next step because it was for $5, 000 to set up the game plan, with no exact plan until after the game plan stage. It seems like a cash milking company, but I have not seen any comments on here from anyone who actually went through with their consulting services. Nick commented that with a little trust, (and a lot of money), I could take my company to the next level, making up to a million in extra profits over the next 5 years. Would you trade 100K for 1M over 5 years? It was tempting. I am looking for management consulting help, but they called me, and it made me suspicious. I'm going to look for help within my industry. I wouldn't call them scammers, but they are aggressive.
Look around, and you'll see that the most successful companies are usually very aggressive. Fortunately for me, Keith and Nick were prompt, and professional, and I found this site to stop me from moving forward too quickly.

My family business in NJ have been harrassed by this SMS company for the last month. We actually threw the guy out of our store back in december after we did some research online. Thank God my father hadn't paid them anything yet. My mother got 6 phone calls today from 6 different supervisors at SMS demanding that to schedule a follow up meeting. They were down right rude, yelling at her and cursing. She had some choice words for them which were well deserved. Is this company serious? What an absolute joke. Bravo to all the businesses that are posting here. Keep it going. We are not letting them get away with this and will be notifying everyone we can in NJ.

Wow, do I feel like I had the wool pulled over my eyes by SMS. Along with the last month of my life wasted working for this SCAM! My words of advice are to not take a job with them at all!
I started the job as a SAM (Senior Area Manager) and was very excited because they will set you 3-5 appointments a day in your area to run and I figured this should be great as I would assume you could close at least 1 per day with a payout of 91% commission which i thought was very good. Boy was I wrong, as I quickly learned that these were far from qualified appointments at all. (most the time it was just like a cold call walking in off the street) The brilliant "business coordinator" that sets these appointments completely misrepresents the company to people to get you in the door or just does not tell them anything as to leave the person confused as to why you are coming by or just tells them your in the neighborhood to drop off some information. Well, after weeks of working with the company one thing was sadly true. Once you got to the prospects office they were either a.) never there because they had no true reason to meet with you anyway according to how the appointment was set, b.) tired to tell the BC that they really did not need you to come by but that the BC insisted and was pushy, c.) just thought you were dropping off some info and they would look at it with no agreement to any type of true appointment, or d.) set the appointment because they were under the impression that we were coming in to do business (related to what they do) with their company but had no idea it had to do with advising or consulting. THOSE ARE NOT REAL APPOINTMENTS! Hell, even the BC told me himself that if he told the business owners who we are and what we really do we would rarely ever get any appointments. So because this was their style for getting you in the door you were pretty much on the defensive from the moment you stepped into the door for the "CONFIRMED" appointment.
There were just so many red flags I should of noticed that I should have gotten out even soon. One would be the type of people they have working at the home office in the call center when we went on the company visit during the training week there. Most of the people working in the call center looked and dressed like thugs or ex-convicts. (And these were the people setting my appointments) The next thing that stood out to me was the business cards they gave you with no local phone or email info of mine. And the last red flag was that we were a huge company working with hundreds of top companies and we never had a "legitimate" way to show prospects who we had worked with in the past.
Well, after leaving the company with more money spent on expenses then was every made I at least wanted to write this so that the next person considering working for this company has a heads up as to what kind of SCAM they are getting into. ALL GOOD AND BAD SALES PEOPLE NEED TO LOOK FOR ANOTHER COMPANY TO WORK FOR UNLESS THIS IS WHAT YOU WANT TO DEAL WITH EVERYDAY! I just wish I would of read this page before I wasted the last month. Thanks SMS!

I just had a visit from one of their "Senior Area Manager"s and smelled something fishy right away. Plus her card has no email address and the phone number is not hers, just her main office. It reminded me of a visit I had from IPA. After investigating further, it seems to be one and the same. Very, very pushy and the guy I'll call the 'closer' is supposed to come monday. I told him to call before hand, after I had some time to research, and confirm. I'm quite certain they will not. When they show up again, they will be turned away. Small business people out there... if you've endured these rough times as I have, do yourself a favor and follow your gut instinct. It's probably correct as usual!

I was recently approached by a Senior Area Manager of SMS - He was pushy and absolutely would not take NO for an answer. Even after I told him I was not interested (after 30 minutes of trying to close the discussion) he left only to return a few minutes later with a contract in his hand! In an effort to get rid of him I told him I would look it over... which I of course did NOT! I do not appreciate any sales person who displays this type of behavior!