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Ethos 360 LLC

Ethos 360 LLC review: Stole my money - Unauthorized charges 12

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5:16 pm EDT
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I contracted with Ethos 360 LLC for assistance with the research and writing of a business plan. The agreement called for them to achieve specific milestones before receiving payment. Not only did they not deliver what was agreed upon, but they immediately put through all charges (i.e. for the entire agreement) and then closed up shop. They do not return calls or emails and their website is off line. No messages; no sorry for the inconvenience but we are out of business. Given the speed that everything happened, it is clear that management knew that there would be no performance when the contracted with me.

Stay clear from Doug Johnston, Brad Ward, Neil Elder and Ray Spears. They are criminals and deserve to be prosecuted for fraud, wire fraud, unlawful/deceptive trade practices, theft and anything else the authorities can find (tax evasion comes to mind). I have filed complaints with the Oregon Attorney General's Office, the Better Business Bureau, the Federal Trade Commission and anyone else I can find.

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The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.

12 comments
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WhiteCollarCrimes
Newport Beach, US
Nov 07, 2012 5:12 pm EST

If you have been scammed by ethos 360 please contact me as soon as possible. My name is Allison and I am a Financial Crimes Investigator in California with some insight on this company. I would appreciate hearing your story as this case has been picked up by law enforcement. [protected] ext 218

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lolakc
Grain Valley, US
Jun 03, 2012 11:47 am EDT

I'm also another victim of Ethos 360. The Company not only had stolen $1800 from me for a horrible business plan but I believe they sold my patent pending product idea to a company along with the marketing strategy and all the 'inside information'. Perhaps all of her victims should come together, create a blog and form a campaign against her so she's unable to make a living from scamming truly hard working individuals. If the employees at Ethos were truly honest and hardworking, why were there so many bogus rough drafts being sent to the clients? For instance, I gave Ethos all the ideas and inside information for marketing my product along with pictures, which they had requested a prototype. Strangely, this other company launched the product using all the inside information that I had given to Mike Peterson and Doug Johnston The 'rough draft' that I had received from Ethos360 didn't provide this important information. Actually, Ethos360 had created a very different strategy and provided information that would discourage any investor to consider. Very interesting.

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CEOwned
New Orleans, US
Dec 28, 2011 8:51 am EST

Ellisa Brenneman has changed the Registered Agent of Ethos 360 LLC in Miami to Brianna Barden:

http://sunbiz.org/scripts/cordet.exe?action=DETFIL&inq_doc_number=L11000123550&inq_came_from=NAMFWD&cor_web_names_seq_number=0000&names_name_ind=N&names_cor_number=&names_name_seq=&names_name_ind=&names_comp_name=ETHOS360&names_filing_type=

Interestingly enough, if you look at previous threads for other Ethos 360-related complaints on this board, you'll notice that in one of the shill reviews by the very fake "Barry Bradley" from Miami Florida, thanked "Brianna" and mentioned that it was nice to put a face to the voice.

It seems like Brianna is a carry-over from the old Portland-based Ethos 360 business who might also in on this scam.

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CEOwned
New Orleans, US
Nov 21, 2011 4:58 pm EST

There is another business that was origianlly registered by Ellisa Brenneman called "BUSINESS BATTLE PLANS INC.":

Florida Profit Corporation
BUSINESS BATTLE PLANS INC.
Filing Information
Document Number P11000091305
FEI/EIN Number NONE
Date Filed 10/18/2011
State FL
Status ACTIVE
Principal Address
80 SW 8TH STREET
SUITE 2000
MIAMI FL 33130
Mailing Address
80 SW 8TH STREET
SUITE 2000
MIAMI FL 33130
Registered Agent Name & Address
PARSONS, DEAN
80 SW 8TH STREET
SUITE 2000
MIAMI FL 33130 US
Name Changed: 11/03/2011
Officer/Director Detail
Name & Address
Title P
BRENNEMAN, ELLISA
80 SW 8TH STREET SUITE 2000
MIAMI FL 33130
Annual Reports
No Annual Reports Filed
Document Images
11/03/2011 -- Reg. Agent Change
10/18/2011 -- Domestic Profit

LINK:
http://sunbiz.org/scripts/cordet.exe?action=DETFIL&inq_doc_number=P11000091305&inq_came_from=OFFFWD&cor_web_names_seq_number=0001&names_name_ind=P&ret_names_cor_number=&ret_cor_web_names_seq_number=&ret_names_name_ind=&ret_names_comp_name=&ret_names_filing_type=&ret_cor_web_princ_seq=&ret_princ_comp_name=BRENNEMANELLISA&ret_princ_type=

Ellisa has since changed the registered name to a new person: Dean Parsons. Check the Registered Agent Change PDF document at the bottom of the above webpage.

Ellisa Brenneman is really trying to cover her tracks it seems!

Oh well, just keep the following names in mind for the future. Don't do business with any future companies run by these scammers and their questionable associates:

Ellisa Brenneman
Karl Christian Brenneman
Christian Brenneman
Mike Peterson
Dean Parsons

If anyone discovers more business associates or partners of the Brenneman's who are involved in new LLCs or Corporations in any state, please post their full names and the details to this thread, so that a quick Google search will alert future victims NOT to go into business with these criminals. Also, it will ensure that people re-consider partnering with Ellisa and Christian Brenneman in the future, lest they be deemed guilty by association and end up in all the search results that expose the Brennemans as the thieves they are.

By the way, the above site lists Dean Parson's email address as: dean456@gmail.com

And it says that Elissa Brenneman's phone number is: [protected]

For legal reasons, I ask that nobody contacts either of them or bombards them with inconvenient questions. Florida is a place for rest and relaxation, after all!

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camster
, US
Nov 21, 2011 2:44 pm EST
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

Perhaps the Florida attorney general of department of consumer affairs - I'm not sure how this works with a bankruptcy --- where did you get that filing information? It doesn't list a FEIN which perhaps means that it is not yet formed.

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scammedbyEthos360
, US
Nov 19, 2011 2:42 am EST
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

I too got ripped off of $2800 for a worthless business plan that I cannot even edit! I just found out they registered a new company just a few weeks ago in Miami, Florida. Looks like my money help pay for their move to Miami, Florida. Can't we do something about it - here is their record:

Florida Limited Liability Company
ETHOS 360 LLC
Filing Information
Document Number L11000123550
FEI/EIN Number NONE
Date Filed 10/31/2011
State FL
Status ACTIVE
Principal Address
80 SW 8TH STREET
SUITE 2000
MIAMI FL 33130
Mailing Address
80 SW 8TH STREET
SUITE 2000
MIAMI FL 33130
Registered Agent Name & Address
BRENNEMAN, ELLISA
80 SW 8TH STREET
SUITE 2000
MIAMI FL 33130 US
Manager/Member Detail
Name & Address
Title MGRM
BRENNEMAN, ELLISA
951 BRICKELL AVE SUITE 3504
MIAMI FL 33131

LINK:
http://sunbiz.org/scripts/cordet.exe?action=DETFIL&inq_doc_number=L11000123550&inq_came_from=NAMFWD&cor_web_names_seq_number=0000&names_name_ind=N&names_cor_number=&names_name_seq=&names_name_ind=&names_comp_name=ETHOS&names_filing_type=

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successones
Saint George, US
Oct 31, 2011 8:23 pm EDT
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

Ethos 360 no longer exists. Clearly the curtain fell.

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camster
, US
Oct 31, 2011 8:16 pm EDT
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

I just learned of the Ethos 360 closure today after trying to contact them for over a week. I paid for my business plan in full and only have the draft version which needs a lot of work. I filed a complaint with the Oregon Attorney General --- and will call my credit card company to see if they can do anything about this. What else can we do? Did they declare bankruptcy or are there any assets that we can recover?

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Smittycent369
, US
Oct 30, 2011 11:55 pm EDT

I have a small start up company in Central Oregon I did some research online for a professional business plan, and found Ethos360 on the Internet. I talked with Doug Johnston on October 6, 2011, he said to come down to the office so we could go over the paperwork that I had. So on October 7 I went down to their office to have a meeting.After the meeting was over Doug said he was excited to work with me. He said the price for them to build the business plan was $3200. Doug said they needed half down to start building the plan, so I wrote a check for $1600 two days later I met with Neil Elder to go over the paperwork that I had given them. The one thing odd that I noticed when I went to their office is that there were moving boxes in one of their spare offices all stacked up, but didn't think anything of it because I was excited for my business plan to be built. I think they knew they were going out of business and were still willing to take my money. On October 14 I received an email stating this.. I hope all is well!
Please find attached the pdf version of your first draft.  This is meant to be a foundation on which we will work with and build upon to create a business plan that accurately portrays your over all concept and idea.
Our billing department has been notified of this draft delivery and your card on file will be billed the final installment as per the service agreement. 
Once payment is cleared, I will be sending you the Microsoft Word version of the draft for the revision period.  We are now entering the revision and refinement stage of the process. 
It's at this stage we will work to refine and finalize the document together.  Remember that you have 21 days of unlimited revisions to ensure that the plan is complete and to your satisfaction.
Kind Regards. Thank goodness I didn't give them a credit card because they would've charged it another $1600 right before they closed up shop. Now all I have is a worthless rough draft of my business plan. If anyone has any good ideas on what I should do next please reply thank you.

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GoldenGirl333
San Francisco, US
Oct 30, 2011 10:57 pm EDT

Ray Spears is an alias of Christian Brenneman - they're the same person. Thus, Ray Spears is nonexistent.

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ripped off 3xs
Las Vegas, US
Oct 30, 2011 5:44 pm EDT

I too lost $2800 and they never delivered the rough draft, Ray Spears is a crook and had the balls to send me an email on the Friday they skipped town and fired me. I am filing as well and also with my credit card company.

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Neil Elder
Columbia City, US
Oct 30, 2011 4:03 am EDT

To all of the clients I have had the pleasure of working with at Ethos 360: I was laid off on 10/17 with the rest of the Ethos 360 staff. I was simply an employee of Ethos 360. There was a lot of really great employees at Ethos 360 including Doug and Brad that are good, honest, and hard working people. We were all shocked to find out that Ethos 360 closed its doors. I took pride in what I did with Ethos 360 and I worked very hard for each and every client that I was assigned to and operated with the highest of integrity. I found out Sunday 10/16 at 11 PM that I and the staff of Ethos 360 was laid off via e-mail. Since that time, I have not had access to any company phone or email. I had nothing to do with what certain members of the ownership at Ethos 360 have done to a once good company.
Please see the attached story from the Oregonian regarding the closure of Ethos 360 posted on 10/29/2011.

http://blog.oregonlive.com/complaintdesk/2011/10/customers_nationwide_upset_aft.html

Kind Regards,

Neil Elder