Asia Economic Institute et al v. Xcentric Ventures LLC et al

Filing 10

DECLARATION of Edward Magedson In Support Of MOTION to Strike Complaint 9 filed by Defendant Edward Magedson. (Gingras, David)

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GINGRAS LAW OFFICE, PLLC 4072 E. MOUNTAIN VISTA DRIVE PHOENIX, ARIZONA 85048 [phone]

David S. Gingras, CSB #218793 Gingras Law Office, PLLC 4072 E Mountain Vista Dr. Phoenix, AZ 85048 Tel.: [phone] Fax: [phone] [e-mail] Attorneys for Defendants Xcentric Ventures, LLC and Edward Magedson UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT CENTRAL DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

ASIA ECONOMIC INSTITUTE, LLC a California limited liability company; RAYMOND MOBREZ, an individual; and ILIANA LLANERAS, an individual, Plaintiffs, vs. XCENTRIC VENTURES, LLC, an Arizona limited liability company, d/b/a BADBUSINESSBUREAU.COM and/or RIPOFFREPORT.COM; BADBUSINESSBUREAU.COM, LLC, organized and existing under the laws of St. Kitts/Nevis, West Indies; EDWARD MAGEDSON, an individual, Defendants.

CASE NO: 2:10-cv-01360-SVW-PJW AFFIDAVIT OF ED MAGEDSON IN SUPPORT OF DEFENDANTS' SPECIAL MOTION TO STRIKE [Cal. Code Civ. P. § 425.16] Hearing Date: April 19, 2010 Time: 1:30 PM Courtroom: 6 (Hon. Steven Wilson) Complaint Filed: Jan. 27, 2010

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AFFIDAVIT OF ED MAGEDSON

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GINGRAS LAW OFFICE, PLLC 4072 EAST MOUNTAIN VISTA DRIVE PHOENIX, ARIZONA 85048 [phone]

I, Edward Magedson, declare as follows: 1. My name is Ed Magedson. I am a resident of the State of Arizona, am over

the age of 18 years, and if called to testify in court or other proceeding I could and would give the following testimony which is based upon my own personal knowledge unless otherwise stated. 2. I am the manager of Xcentric Ventures, LLC ("Xcentric") and the founder

and "ED"itor of the website www.RipoffReport.com which I started in 1998. The Ripoff Report site is operated by Xcentric. Serving as a forum for speech concerning bad business practices among other things, the Ripoff Report is the leading complaint reporting website on the Internet and one of the most ardent supporters of free speech anywhere. 3. In my capacity as the Editor of the Ripoff Report I have worked closely

with all levels of federal, state, and local law enforcement, including, but not limited to, various state attorneys general, county attorneys, Homeland Security, the United States Justice Department, United States Secret Service, FBI, FTC, SEC, US Postal inspectors, and local police, providing them with information used to locate victims, detect patterns of deceptive business practices and to prosecute violations of consumer protection laws, among other things. 4. The Ripoff Report is 100% free to use--it charges nothing whatsoever to

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users who create reports, nothing to viewers who read reports, and nothing to anyone wishing to respond to reports. 5. As of March 2010, the Ripoff Report site contains more than 500,000

unique reports. When expanded to include comments to reports (known as "rebuttals") the site contains many millions of unique posts with up to 1,000 new submittals each day. 6. Every user-generated submission to the site is screened and reviewed by

our staff of monitors who are authorized to make minor, non-substantive editorial changes in order to redact certain types of content pursuant to written guidelines. With very few exceptions, these edits are limited to the removal of offensive language, AFFIDAVIT OF ED MAGEDSON

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GINGRAS LAW OFFICE, PLLC 4072 EAST MOUNTAIN VISTA DRIVE PHOENIX, ARIZONA 85048 [phone]

profanity, racial comments, threats of violence, etc., and certain types of personal information such as social security numbers, bank account numbers and so forth. Other than such redactions, our staff is not authorized to make any changes to reports, nor do they do so. SUMMARY OF THE CORPORATE ADVOCACY PROGRAM 7. I have personally reviewed the Complaint filed against me in this matter by

Plaintiffs Asia Economic Institute, Raymond Mobrez and Iliana Llaneras. Based on this review, I understand that a large portion of this action is founded upon Plaintiffs' misunderstanding of the Ripoff Report's Corporate Advocacy Program or "CAP". Because an accurate overview of the CAP program is important to understanding why Plaintiffs' allegations of "extortion" are groundless, I will briefly explain the program before addressing the specific details of Plaintiffs' Complaint. 8. First of all, it is false to imply that the CAP program is an "extortion"

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scheme in which reports are solicited for the purpose of victimizing and extracting money from those named in a report. Rather, our program (which is explained further below) is simply one option among many choices for addressing reports on our site. 9. If a company or individual is named in a report which appears on the

Ripoff Report site, they always have the option of creating and posting a free response (called a "rebuttal") which explains their side of the story. Ripoff Report charges nothing whatsoever to anyone who wishes to post a rebuttal; they are 100% free. 10. Whenever I am contacted by anyone who states that they have been

targeted by a false or inaccurate report, my first suggestion to them is always to file a free rebuttal. In my experience, the vast majority of complaints regarding unfair reports can be quickly resolved by posting a well-written rebuttal. 11. For example, on September 16, 2009, a report (#495708) was submitted to The report

the Ripoff Report regarding a company called Overnightmattress.com.

(which is available here: http://www.ripoffreport.com/Bed-Bath/Overnightmattressco/overnightmattress-com-over-nig-355ee.htm) generally complained about the quality of 2 AFFIDAVIT OF ED MAGEDSON

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GINGRAS LAW OFFICE, PLLC 4072 EAST MOUNTAIN VISTA DRIVE PHOENIX, ARIZONA 85048 [phone]

a mattress purchased by the author, referring to is as "a glorified futon." In addition, the author stated that the company's return policy was misleading and unfair. In closing, the author issued a strongly-worded warning instructing other consumers to refrain from doing business with this company: "I would never use overnighmattress.com ever again and would STRONGLY suggest you never use them the transaction was horrible and expensive." 12. Rather than filing a lawsuit against Ripoff Report or the author, on

February 26, 2010, the president of Overnightmattress.com posted a clear and simple rebuttal to the complaint which explained his side of the story. The rebuttal, reflected in the screenshot below, calmly accepted responsibility for the author's dissatisfaction and it informed readers that in order to improve customer satisfaction, the company was changing its return policy to resolve the concerns expressed in the original report:

14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 13. To be clear--Ripoff Report never asked for and never received a dime from

Overnightmattress.com, nor does this company have any relationship with me or with the Ripoff Report site. This company is not currently a member of our CAP program, nor has it ever been a member of the program. Rather, this company posted this simple 3 AFFIDAVIT OF ED MAGEDSON

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GINGRAS LAW OFFICE, PLLC 4072 EAST MOUNTAIN VISTA DRIVE PHOENIX, ARIZONA 85048 [phone]

rebuttal on its own without paying anything to Ripoff Report and without incurring any cost aside from the time spent creating it. 14. As I stated above, I always recommend that companies file a rebuttal as However, in some

their primary recourse against any report they feel is inaccurate.

instances, companies may feel that additional steps are needed in order to help them improve customer satisfaction and resolve pending complaints. Corporate Advocacy Program comes in. 15. When a company becomes a member of the CAP program, several different First, the goal of the program is to ensure that complaints This is where the

elements are involved.

submitted by unhappy customers are resolved and that the root problems which caused these complaints are fixed so that future complaints can be reduced or avoided. 16. To achieve these goals, a company who joins the CAP program must agree,

in writing, to work with Ripoff Report and the unhappy customers who have filed reports in order to resolve their complaints. This must include offering full refunds if requested by the customer. 17. During this process, Ripoff Report acts as a liaison between the CAP

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member and its customers by contacting each author who has submitted a report to our site about the company. The email we send to each author explains that the company has joined our program and has made a commitment to resolve the customer's complaint. Assuming the complaint is resolved, we normally ask the author to post an update to his/her report reflecting this fact so that readers will see that the matter has been addressed. 18. In addition, regardless of the resolution of each specific complaint, when a

company joins the CAP program I will post information explaining this fact as an introduction to each complaint about the company on the Ripoff Report site. We want our readers to see that the CAP member has joined our program and that the company has made a firm commitment to increasing its customer satisfaction by working with Ripoff Report to resolve all past and any future complaints. 4 AFFIDAVIT OF ED MAGEDSON

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GINGRAS LAW OFFICE, PLLC 4072 EAST MOUNTAIN VISTA DRIVE PHOENIX, ARIZONA 85048 [phone]

19.

CAP membership never includes the removal of reports, nor is the text of

existing reports changed in any way. The only alteration made is to add an introduction to each report explaining that the company has joined our program and explaining the company's commitment to improved customer satisfaction, and this change is made only after the company has consented in writing to permit Ripoff Report to make the change. Other than adding this new information, existing reports remain visible on the site in their exact original form; they are never removed. 20. I frequently explain to people that one of the benefits of joining the CAP

program is that they can "turn a negative into a positive". When I say this, it is not meant to imply that by joining the program, the text of existing complaints will be changed or that negative statements will be removed. Rather, what I mean is that people who visit the Ripoff Report understand that when a company joins the CAP program, that company has made a serious commitment to increasing customer satisfaction. As such, when someone reviews a report about a CAP member, in addition to seeing the original complaint, they will also see that the company has joined our program and this will hopefully cause the reader (assuming they are a potential customer) to realize that the company can be trusted with their business notwithstanding any past mistakes. Thus, even negative complaints will produce a positive effect for our CAP members in the long run because by joining the program the company is showing that it is actively taking steps to improve its customer relations. 21. Because the purpose of the CAP program is to help increase customer

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satisfaction, I require companies to accept some level of responsibility for customer complaints even if they do not agree with them. I do this because I do not want a company to participate in the program half-heartedly without having made a sincere commitment to improving customer relations. If a company thinks they can simply join the CAP program and expect to receive no additional complaints in the future without making any changes to their current practices, I would not be interested in having this type of company as a member in our program. 5 AFFIDAVIT OF ED MAGEDSON

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GINGRAS LAW OFFICE, PLLC 4072 EAST MOUNTAIN VISTA DRIVE PHOENIX, ARIZONA 85048 [phone]

22.

I do not perform any kind of active marketing for the CAP program other

than providing general information about the program on the Ripoff Report website here: http://www.ripoffreport.com/CorporateAdvocacy.aspx. I also include a few comments about this program as well as a link to the above page in a standard form email that I send in response to anyone who contacts the site asking about how to resolve a report. 23. In my standard email (a copy of which is attached as an exhibit to the

Plaintiffs' Complaint and another copy of which is also attached hereto as Exhibit A), I also encourage the recipient to file a free rebuttal as their first course of action. Specifically, my email states: "You can simply file a rebuttal and explain your side of the story ... it's free ... and you don't have to even read any further, just log on and file a rebuttal telling your side of the story ... ." throughout the email. 24. Nothing in my email demands money to change or remove reports. In fact, This point is repeated several times

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my email clearly explains that we will NEVER remove reports in exchange for money: [A]s a matter of policy, we do not remove a submitted Rip-off Report, and we never will. Some people claim that we remove reports for money, but that is just plain false. We have been offered as much as $50,000 to remove just one Rip-off Report, but we declined because doing so is in violation of our policy, and more importantly, goes against what we what we stand for ... Please understand our position. Exhibit A. SUMMARY OF CONTACT WITH PLAINTIFFS 25. I understand from reviewing the Complaint filed in this matter that

Plaintiffs have accused me of attempting to "extort" money from them. This allegation is completely false. 26. Prior to this lawsuit, I had never heard of Plaintiffs until I received an email

on May 5, 2009, a copy of which is attached hereto as Exhibit A. Although this email is unsigned, it appears to have been sent by [e-mail], so I believe this email was sent by Plaintiff Raymond Mobrez. 6 AFFIDAVIT OF ED MAGEDSON

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GINGRAS LAW OFFICE, PLLC 4072 EAST MOUNTAIN VISTA DRIVE PHOENIX, ARIZONA 85048 [phone]

27.

Shortly after receiving the email from Mr. Mobrez, I sent my standard

"form letter" response, a copy of which is attached hereto as Exhibit B. This email is a combination of my views on various issues and my answers to most of the commonly asked questions I receive. My email does contain some basic information about the Corporate Advocacy Program, but I never threaten anyone or suggest that they must join the program. The email also explains that the CAP program is not appropriate for every person or company named in a report. My email also explains the option of filing a free rebuttal. 28. After I responded, I received a call from Mr. Mobrez. I do not recall the

exact date or time of the call, but I generally recall that Mr. Mobrez wanted more information about the CAP program beyond what was contained in my initial form email. 29. In response, I told Mr. Mobrez that inquiries about the CAP program must

be done in writing to avoid any misunderstanding or miscommunication, so I advised that if he wanted more information about the program he should review what is posted on our website (via the link contained in my email) and then he was welcome to fill out the CAP application form which is available on our website here:

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http://www.ripoffreport.com/CorporateAdvocacy/Application.aspx. A copy of this form is also attached hereto as Exhibit C. 30. After our phone call, I received another email from Mr. Mobrez, a copy of

which is attached hereto as Exhibit D. In his email, Mr. Mobrez stated that he had reviewed the CAP program application on the website but that he felt the program was not appropriate for him. Specifically, he stated: "I realize that we cannot fill in the blanks as you have created them. It would not be prudent to stipulate to anything we did not do, and further are flagrant untruths. The form you sent to me, appears to be a `one size fits all' which clearly does Not apply to us." By stating that he could not "stipulate to

anything we did not do," I understood Mr. Mobrez to mean that he did not feel that the complaints against AEI had any truth to them and that he was not willing to do anything to change his business practices in order to resolve these complaints. 7 AFFIDAVIT OF ED MAGEDSON Because

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GINGRAS LAW OFFICE, PLLC 4072 EAST MOUNTAIN VISTA DRIVE PHOENIX, ARIZONA 85048 [phone]

membership in CAP always requires the company to agree to make whatever changes are needed to resolve complaints, Mr. Mobrez' attitude and denial of any wrongdoing would have automatically disqualified him from participating in the program even if he had expressed interest in moving forward, which he did not. 31. During my phone conversations with Mr. Mobrez, he became very

threatening towards me, stating that he "had people in Arizona" who could "find me", which I interpreted as a threat. Based on this, I sent a final email to Mr. Mobrez on July 24, 2009, a copy of which is attached hereto as Exhibit E. In this email, based in part on what I perceived to be threats to find me at my home in Arizona, I told Mr. Mobrez that "I am in California, .. I live here now." My final email to Mr. Mobrez also made it clear that I was not willing to remove any reports about his company regardless of money, and that he was welcome to file a free rebuttal. 32. After sending my July 24, 2009 email, I heard nothing further from Mr.

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Mobrez until I received notice of this lawsuit in late January 2010. 33. At no time did I ever threaten Mr. Mobrez or ask him for money in

exchange for the removal of reports, nor did I ever threaten anyone at AEI or ask anyone else for money in exchange for the removal of reports. 34. I have no recollection of ever speaking or corresponding with Iliana

Llaneras. I have no idea who Ms. Llaneras is. 35. At no time did Mr. Mobrez, Ms. Llaneras, or anyone from AEI pay any

money to me or to Xcentric Ventures. 36. Even if Mr. Mobrez was interested in joining the CAP program I would not

allow him to do so because he would not meet the program's requirements of accepting responsibility for complaints and agreeing to make changes to resolve future complaints. 37. Based on my review of the Complaint and the exhibits thereto, I am aware

that there are four reports which Plaintiffs allege contain various false statements about them. These reports (as is true of all submissions to our site) are automatically assigned "report numbers" by our servers. In this case, I understand that the four postings at issue 8 AFFIDAVIT OF ED MAGEDSON

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GINGRAS LAW OFFICE, PLLC 4072 EAST MOUNTAIN VISTA DRIVE PHOENIX, ARIZONA 85048 [phone]

are as follows: Report #417493, #423987, #457433, and #502429. For ease of reference, copies of the text of each of these reports (excluding the generic surrounding parts of the Ripoff Report site common to all pages which have been redacted) are attached hereto as follows: Exhibit F G H I 38. Report # 417493 423987 457433 502429 Submission Date January 28, 2009 February 13, 2009 June 1, 2009 September 30, 2009

I had nothing whatsoever to do with the creation of the four reports at issue

in this case. I did not create these reports, nor did I edit or alter these reports in any way. I did not "solicit" anyone else to write these reports on my behalf nor do I have any idea who wrote these reports. 39. Ripoff Report's servers automatically create a log showing the identity of

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the author of every report and rebuttal posted on our site. I have reviewed Ripoff Report's server logs for the postings at issue in order to determine the name(s) of the original author of each posting. According to these logs, the four postings were

submitted by four different authors with different names, different addresses, different phone numbers, email addresses and IP addresses. Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1746, I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the United States of America that the foregoing is true and correct. EXECUTED ON: March 22, 2010.

______________________________________ Edward Magedson

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GINGRAS LAW OFFICE, PLLC 4072 EAST MOUNTAIN VISTA DRIVE PHOENIX, ARIZONA 85048 [phone]

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE I hereby certify that on March 22, 2010 I electronically transmitted the attached document to the Clerk's Office using the CM/ECF System for filing, and for transmittal of a Notice of Electronic Filing to the following CM/ECF registrants: Mr. Daniel F. Blackert, Esq. Asia Economic Institute 11766 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 260 Los Angeles, CA 90025 Attorneys for Plaintiffs And a courtesy copy of the foregoing delivered to: Honorable Steven V. Wilson U.S. District Judge /s/David S. Gingras

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Exhibit A

From: Raymond [mailto:[e-mail]] Sent: Tuesday, May 05, 2009 11:35 AM To: [e-mail] m; [e-mail] Subject: Reports/0/417/RipOff0417493.htm=Report: #417493= Report: #423987]

Dear Editor, I spoke with someone at your office yesterday, who asked me to send an e-mail to explain who I was, and why I was calling. Simply put, our company has shown up on your "Ripoff Report," (link:

http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/0/417/RipOff0417493.htm) (Report: #423987) and we have no idea who this person or persons are making the complaint/s. We have
employed no one by the name/s registered on your website. How can you assist us in removing these bogus posts from your website? Yours truly,

Exhibit B

From: [e-mail] [mailto:[e-mail]] Sent: Tuesday, May 05, 2009 11:48 AM To: [e-mail] Subject: RE: Reports/0/417/RipOff0417493.htm=Report: #417493= Report: #423987]

Most things on the internet are anonymous ... people don't want to get sued. We did not make up the rules.. Best to read below.
Right or wrong.. true of false... Best to respond to the report. Be pleasant and show consumers what kind of person ./ company you are... it works for other business. If you handle it the right way, it will bring you new found business. Consumers like to hear a 3rd party opinion. They like to see how a business handles problems, whether they be true or false, ... if false, explain why, .. if true, who would not want to do business with a company that can admit, maybe they made a mistake, .. this shows a consumer that you have nothing to hide, it will show them that you want to take care of business, by taking care of that consumer, telling them to please contact you (in your rebuttal) so you can make things right for them. What consumer would not want to do business with someone that knows how to make things right... Just file a rebuttal.. the truth shall set you free. We do hear what you are saying ­ and let ' s say we believe you ­ but, we never really know for sure about those who email us, ..as you can imagine people tell us all kinds of things, lying to us... just to try to convince us to remove the report about them. How are we to know
who is telling the truth? And how could we afford to investigate all of the claims that are made by people who want their report taken down. Hopefully you realize the true value of Rip-off Report for

consumers, ..the authorities and the media do..
Our philosophy is that Rip-off Report is a permanent record just like when someone files a complaint in court. You can file a rebuttal, like when you file an answer in court when someone files a bogus law suit, .. the court will never remove the complaint from the public records either. They are now being found on the search engines too... When we get sued, those court record law suits are found right on the same page with Rip-off Report.

Read below the usual email we send to people who ask us to remove Reports, .. some even threaten us with a law suit. So, we've included that information below, .. so please don't be insulted when we mention it below.
======================================= W e do remove social security numbers, bank account numbers, threats of violence, some foul language and links to places we do not know about. If we missed something and are notified about it, we will remove it.

This is the way the Internet is.. we did not create the laws. we did not create the Internet. we did not create the Report(s) filed. if you don't care what we have to say and don't want to read our philosophy below, you must read this first link below. Be warned. To those of you who threaten to sue, be prepared to go the long haul, and, when you want to do a walk away because you realize you cannot and will not win because you filed a frivilous law suit, ...you will be paying for our legal bill and in some cases and then some,

before we will let you out of the case. .. Just ask anyone who has sued us for years. Many of them will not admit to you that they paid us.. but they do.. If you are thinking of suing us, I hope you are personally prepared for this. We are. For those who are thinking of suing... http://www.ripoffreport.com/wantToSueRipoffReport.asp
you may be interested to know, since the above LINK was created, there have been a lot more legal superior court decisions, and other lower court decisions ­ some published decisions ... ALL IN OUR FAVOR.. and we have been sued more than 2 dozen times and never, that's NEVER lost a case. Suing us will only get you more publicity and additional listings on search engines.. Why do we win? ­ just do a Google search for Communications Decency Act ­ CDA.

below is for those who have read the case laws and/or those of you who have no intention of suing and are looking for ways to just make things right for your customers, or just setting the record straight - ... even if the comments are just about you personally, ... remember, we will all be blogged. Good or bad, right or wrong, we WILL all be blogged, somewhere..Best to set the record straight, here and now. .. Please read below.. =============================== please read some of our Philosophy I know the below copy is long winded - -

you do not want to miss any of what we are saying below - - many things are repeated so you understand our point,. this is all about NEW thinking for the 21st century... For many people, this just has not sunk in yet.
The short answer is ... a Rip-off Report cannot be taken off. if you keep reading, you will understand how you will end up doing better with the Report staying up and not removing the Report.. by you setting the record stright now, you won't have to worry about other blogs as much.. Either way, those who want to get information out about you will.

You can simply file a rebuttal and explain your side of the story ... it's free ... and you don ' t have to even read any further, just log on and file a rebuttal telling your side of the story, best to not be combative or insulting.
still not convinced ?

This is the 21st century. Good or bad, right or wrong ... we will all be blogged. This is the 21st century. Good or bad, right or wrong ... we will all be blogged. You can simply file a rebuttal and explain your side of the story ... it's free. You can simply file a rebuttal and explain your side of the story ... it's free. With or without Rip-off Report, someone would eventually blog you somewhere. With or without Rip-off Report, someone would eventually blog you somewhere. When the Reported business asks us, "why don't you check out these Reports before you post them" ... I ask you, where do we start and stop with evidence? ... No system is perfect. Here is a perfect example.... The United States of America puts people to death after 1 or 2 jury trials, all kinds of witnesses and countless appeals, to only find out 15 to 30 years later, ..ooops! ... Gee, they weren't guilty after all! ... and businesses want Rip-off Report to figure out who is right and who is wrong? Where do we start and stop with evidence? We cannot play judge and jurry..

FACT: CONSUMERS WANT TO HEAR A 3rd PARTY OPINION:
Most businesses ask: "In 2008, what good does it do if a consumer sees Rip-off Reports from back in 2005?" - - We tell them that this is THE most important benefit you can ever get from Rip-off Report! ... Yes, you the business, the person that was reported ... Any educated consumer who is surfing the web in July of 2008 and comes across a Rip-off Report on you personally or your business ... consider yourself lucky. ... Think about it. Remember, all businesses will get complaints: ALL!! .... If you address the complaint, rectify the situation, be nice and not combative, this will show the consumer that you were man/woman enough to address your issues ... This will also show how you are committed to making changes and committed to total customer satisfaction! ... What consumer would not want to do business with you after seeing how you took care of business by fixing a complaint and was nice about it ? .. to err on the side of the consumer. For example, even if YOU were not wrong and the customer was being a real jerk ... Here's what you do: without insulting the consumer you explain in your rebuttal in a very nice way why they should not be getting a refund, but, in the name of good customer service we will make things right with you. However, it is always best to add some sort of an admission of at least the possibility you or your company did make a mistake or someone from the company might have made a mistake, so, in the name of "good customer service make a statement on how you will be giving the customer the benefit of the doubt and will just issue a refund." .. this will go a long way! imagine what the consumer is thinking when they read this ... Even the guilty businesses with real customer service issues will look responsive (like a hero) and, hopefully, will get tired of making refunds and change their ways. Yes, this has always been one of the main goals of Rip-off Report. EVEN IF YOU ARE NOT A BUSINESS = YOU ARE AN INDIVIDUAL WITH A REPORT(S) FILED AGAINST YOU? .... Even if you are an individual and might have pissed off someone in the past, you need to do what you have to to just make it right with them. Like we stated above, ... just give them the benefit of the

doubt ... file a rebuttal to the nasty Report about you, state that you had made a mistake in the past and explain how you've contacted (or are contacting if the rebuttal is your sole method of contact) the author of the report to make things right with them. You can also state -- that you don't blame them for being upset with you. ... NOW, ... if you stated something like that on that nasty Report about you, ... after someone is looking you up on the Internet and reads what you wrote (what we've suggested here), ... please tell me, who would not want to do business with someone who took care of a situation like this! ?? We know it works -- from dead beat dads who did not pay child support to the business that actually ripped someone off ... they just show how they made things right. - You have to admit, if you read a complaint that way, you too would now trust that business. We are told this all the time by businesses. People who once threatened us, cursed us out and even businesses that sued us and lost (like they all do) .. they all say to us, they should have handles it this way from the very beginning as we've suggested to you hear in this email.

Rip-off Report did not invent the Internet,
and with or without Rip-off Report you would be blogged about your business or just you personally -- and again I say, ... this IS the 21st Century ... True or false or partly false, right or wrong, . we will all be blogged! Because so many people just don't get the concept that we know works so well .... I must reiterate... FACT: Businesses that admit they may have made a mistake, give their customer the benefit of the doubt, and show how they took care of the complaint. ... TELL ME, what consumer would not want to do business with them. Even if the complaint is totally false but the customer feels in their heart that they were wronged in some way, you can turn that around by explaining what you know in a nice way, maybe getting them to still do business with you by replacing the product, or the sales person, agent etc. .... If handled correctly, you will turn a negative into a positive.. Either way... The Internet is here to stay, and the tides have turned for the benefit of the consumer. BIG BUSINESSES with lots of money is no longer in control. ... This will not change.

Rip-off Report is thanked all the time
by businesses that first said, "this will not work, you are full-of-it!" ... Most Businesses admitted after doing what we suggested, they now get business from the Report, new found business they would have never had if the Rip-off Report did not exist. Those of you that have many complaints and need more help can always look into Rip-off Report's Corporate Advocacy, Business Remediation and Customer Satisfaction Program... a long name for a program that does a lot for both the consumer and businesses alike. AGAIN, YOU CAN FILE A REBUTTAL(S) FOR FREE We DO NOT author the Reports. Consider yourself lucky the customer did not make up some sucks.com website on your company located in some 3rd world country where you could not respond to the charges like you can on Rip-off Report. We think if you handle your response in the correct way, that will say it all, and in your favor, turning that negative into a positive, taking the high road.

If a Report is responded to properly, any half intelligent consumer will know what kind of company or davou turn around the possible negativity of a Rip-off Report. We
live in the Internet age. Unless Al Gore pulls the plug on the internet, we are all stuck with it. :-) Deal with it, and show what a good business or business person you are: put your best foot forward, go beyond the call of good customer service, then the Rip-off Report will work as a positive advertisement you will want ALL your customers to see. Better yet, Rip-off Report is a lot cheaper than those costly full page ads in the paper, advertisement on the Internet or on TV. Once you see this is working as a positive for your company, maybe you will think about donating some of those advertising dollars. As you will see, Rip-off Report WILL GET YOU NEW FOUND BUSINESS, if, but only IF, you handle the Report in a positive way. Anyone thinking of coming after Rip-off Report (filing a lawsuit) will get nowhere and will only, more than likely, get even more bad publicity, because that lawsuit is public information.

Rip-off Report has no way of determining whether you or the author of the report is telling the truth. We encourage you to post a rebuttal explaining your side of the story, but we have a uniform policy against removing reports posted by consumers.

I know at this point you don't want to hear it, but... here are more reasons Why WE DO NOT Remove any Rip-off Reports:
If we remove a Rip-off Report, we would be no better than the BBB. Although we do not remove reports, we do provide for the Author of the Report an UPDATE feature that allows the Author of the Report to supply additional positive or negative information regarding your business dealings. Do what's right ­ or, what about going beyond the call of good customer service. The consumer will be surprised and post your response - - you won't have to worry about them saying anything bad.. just show that you understand their point, and make it right with them..! YOU MUST UNDERSTAND OUR PHILOSOPHY:

If Rip-off Report removed a Report every time a business threatened, consumers would be back to where they were before. There would be no history of how the business took care of past problems. This Report on the business or individual can work as a positive or as a promotional tool if they respond properly and do the right thing by taking care of their customer. Consumers will see this and will want to do business with them in spite of what has been written about them. ... That is why we supply a REBUTTAL feature so that the company reported has a chance to respond by agreeing, disagreeing, or apologizing and explaining what will be done to fix the issue. By allowing consumers to view the original report, updates, and rebuttals, consumers will be able to make informed and educated decisions. This is mainly because consumers will be able

to see how the company in question deals with complaints. All business get them from time to time. Regardless, as a matter of policy, we do not remove a submitted Rip-off Report, and we never will. Some people claim that we remove reports for money, but that is just plain false. We have been offered as much as $50,000 to remove just one Rip-off Report, but we declined because doing so is in violation of our policy, and more importantly, goes against what we what we stand for ... Please understand our position. Remember, all businesses will get complaints ... ALL! ... as stated above, at least file a rebuttal that is pleasant and, if you wish, mention that you support this forum and freedom of speech -- even if you disagree with what was said. Whining to consumers about how bad and unfair Rip-off Report is will only sour their opinion of you. Also tell what the situation was at the time the Report was posted, even if it's a long time a ago and how you made improvements to your company to avoid this and similar things from happening again, and other positive comments about your company ... that is free. You can turn that negative into a positive! Consumers are probably finding your business on search engines that would never even know about you! If handled correctly, this can come permanent positive advertisement! .... You may have not mentioned it, but, we know it's always in everyone's mind that they want to sue us -- usually it's the dishonest companies that cannot admit wrong doing and could never change their ways that threaten to sue us.. For those who are thinking of suing...
http://www .ripoffreport.com/w antToSueRipoffReport.asp

For those of you who are a business only and have many Reports filed against them, read the following...
Those of you that have too many complaints and need more help can always look into Rip-off Report's Corporate Advocacy, Business Remediation and Customer Satisfaction Program ... a long name for a program that does a lot for both the consumer and businesses alike. This is a program that gives consumers confidence in doing business with you or your business.

This program changes the negative listings on search engines into a positive along with all the Reports on Rip-off Report .... (Reports are never deleted). As a condition of joining this program, the Reported business allows us to email everyone who filed a complaint that the business has contacted Rip-off Report and wants to make things right . This weeds out false Reports and shows your commitment to your customers and is later Reported in our findings about your company we post to every Report about your business. You must live up to your stated commitments through our program requirements. Read about this program and how it changes all the negative into a positive - fill out our Corporate Advocacy Program intake form.

http://www.ripoffreport.com/corporate_advocacy.asp This program now includes ­ Rip-off Report Verified:

Verified Safe Click the above link to see how businesses use this to their benefit. = Do a Google search for companies like: One Stop Motors The Tax Club Those are just some of the hundreds of examples of our members... We're always open for suggestions and improvements to our programs, even if we don't agree with you... :-)

ED Magedson - Founder [e-mail] www.ripoffreport.com Rip-off Report
badbusinessbureau.com

PO Box 310 Tempe, Arizona 85280

Exhibit C

Corporate Advocacy Program
Join Now
Please fill out the following form as completely as possible, so we may understand more about your company and Reports being filed against you. Once we receive your information, we will contact you within 2 business days. All questions are required. All answers will be kept strictly confidential. Ripoff ReportTM does not write reports, so we would never use the information gathered against you. Under what name(s) does your company operate? Please list all current or former names. How many offices do you have? In what state(s) do you operate? If you operate offices outside the United States, please list those countries also.

How many Reports have been filed against you on Ripoff Report? Please include different names and the amount of Reports listed for each name. Number of Reports Number of Reports Number of Reports Number of Reports Number of Reports Number of Reports Number of Reports Number of Reports Number of Reports , Reported Name , Reported Name , Reported Name , Reported Name , Reported Name , Reported Name , Reported Name , Reported Name , Reported Name

Number of Reports , Reported Name How many years has this company been in business? Briefly describe what most consumers complain about.

Has your company ever been sued under any of the business names listed above? Yes No How many times?

Our program requires accepting responsibility for past problems and a commitment to making things better. Will you be willing to accept responsibility for mistakes made? Yes No Not Sure Please list any changes to your business you have recently made or plan to make that will help fix Rip-off Report problems. What improvements has your company made to avoid the reported problems in the future. Remember, consumers love to deal with businesses that can admit there were possible mistakes and have taken precautions for the future. Rip-off Report wants to promote that.

What is the average dollar amount of your sale? Please give a range, from lowest to highest. Name of person filling out this form: Are you an Owner? Yes No Position with the Company, if not an Owner (ex. President or CEO, Counsel, Other): Contact information: Address 1: Address 2: City: State: Zip Code: Phone Number: Email Address: Confirm Email Address: Remember, all answers are confidential and strictly for the purpose of determining suitability for the Corporate Advocacy Program. If you have any questions, please contact us.
Submit

Exhibit D

From: Raymond [mailto:[e-mail]] Sent: Friday, July 24, 2009 5:29 PM To: [e-mail] Subject: Asia Economic Institute, AEI, WorldEcon - application about CAP Dear Ed, As I mentioned to you on the phone, our Institute is a free Online publication which publishes current news. It is Not involved in sales, service or marketing of any kind. You may recall my mention that on your website my partner and I were accused of incredulous lies, posted by names unknown to our Institute, which included our being accused of "money laundering, running a "Scam," and calling into question my education. We are strictly a non-political publication focused on economic news, so we don't know how we can be labeled a scam. The other points are easily disproved. Once again, we have No idea who would post such flagrant lies about us, or our Institute. We pride ourselves on possessing a longstanding high reputation in everything we do. You mentioned that you are not international, but you are viewed in other parts of the world where the USA laws do not have jurisdiction. Therefore, how do you handle that matter? Having just returned from being out of the country, and reviewing the forms you e-mailed to me, and you asked me to complete them per your instructions, I realize that we cannot fill in the blanks as you have created them. It would not be prudent to stipulate to anything we did not do, and further are flagrant untruths. The form you sent to me, appears to be a "one size fits all" which clearly does Not apply to us. W e may have to deal with this the other way around Ed. I wonder if you ever come to Los Angeles. Perhaps we can meet in person to discuss your terms further. This has clearly harmed our good name, and we would like you to rectify this situation as soon as possible. On a side note, meant to ask you, what is the name of your dog? Meanwhile, I will await your response. Raymond Mobrez Asia Economic Institute [phone] x-223 [e-mail]

Exhibit E

From: [e-mail] [mailto:[e-mail]] Sent: Friday, July 24, 2009 6:32 PM To: [e-mail] Subject: RE: Asia Economic Institute, AEI, WorldEcon - application about CAP I am in California, .. I live here now. But, what's the sense of meeting? I want to help you, but, there is nothing we can do. W e do not remove reports. W e've spent over 3.4 million in legal fees ­ never lost a case ­ people know, we DO NOT RMEOVE REPORTS... You can file a rebuttal... No amount of money can change this. Even if you were the pope,. It would not make a difference. The pope has access to a computer I'm sure. Rip-off Report
PO Box 310, Tempe, Arizona 85280

Exhibit F

Report: #417493

Report: Asia Economic Institute, AEI, WorldEcon
Reported By: (Los Angeles California)

Asia Economic Institute, AEI, WorldEcon: Raymond Mobrez And Iliana Llaneras Complete exploitation as an employee. Do not work for the Asia Economic Institute its a SCAM! West Los Angeles California
... Don't let him win.
Asia Economic Institute, AEI, WorldEcon
Www.asiecon.org West Los Angeles California 90034 U.S.A. Phone: Web Address:

Category: Employers Submitted: Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Last posting: Monday, August 17, 2009

This is a fair warning. If you or somebody you know is thinking about working or interning at the Asia Economic Institute or anything associated with the Asia Economic Institute, please read on. I have known and worked with many people from that same institute and the collective feeling is quite the same. The Asia Economic Institute was supposedly found in 1999 by Raymond Mobrez and Iliana Llaneras, former bankers as far as I know. It is privately funded by the two who co-currently run another business that leverages their connections in the real estate industry. Asia Economic Institute has never made money and has gone back and forth as a non-profit to a for profit company many times. The one thing they succeed at doing well is hiring vulnerable recent grads and international students to join this "firm." They have promised many previous workers work visas, reference letters for university, and numerous raises and they have failed to deliver every time. Not only have they failed their employees on their promises, they also reduce pay illegally according to the laws of California, and fight any unemployment benefit claim that would be brought up after termination of employment. They knowingly take advantage of workers who think that these types of things are common practice. Most of my previous co-workers term it as an "internet sweatshop." The irony of it all is that once you start working, nothing ever gets done. On one hand they want as many workers as possible, but on the other, given the complete disorganization and no plan to make money, nothing ever moves forward. There are a couple of theories that could explain this paradox. One is that they are laundering money and writing off the Asia Economic institute as a loss to prop up their other real estate business. Logically, it would fit that they would keep hiring people to show they are trying to

keep the business alive. Another reason, which I believe as equally as any other, is that they have no idea to run any business and just continue to ruin people's lives in the process. Furthermore, the credentials of Raymond Mobrez, Director of the Institute, and Iliana Llaneras, are as muddled as they can possibly be. He claims to be a Ph.D. in Human Resources or something of the other to increase his ability to reel you in during an interview. The truth is that there are no credentials to back up the scheme that they are running. Please stay away from this place. Ray Los Angeles, California U.S.A.

REBUTTALS & REPLIES:

1Author1Consumer5Employee
#1
Consumer Comment
Respond to this report!

I would like to know more about this company
Chief - Los Angeles (U.S.A.) SUBMITTED:Wednesday, February 04, 2009POSTED:Thursday, February 05, 2009

Can you shed more light on Raymond?

#2
Ex-Employee
Respond to this report!

Completely Agreed
Bbx - Terrance (U.S.A.) SUBMITTED:Friday, February 20, 2009POSTED:Friday, February 20, 2009

I used to work for this "company" and I have to completely agree with everything you said. Mobrez and Llaneras deserve serious legal punishment for ruining my life the same way you explained. Where is justice when you need it?

#3

Ex-Employee
Respond to this report!

Also...

Bbx - Los Angeles (U.S.A.) SUBMITTED:Friday, February 20, 2009POSTED:Friday, February 20, 2009

Check this out: http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/0/423/RipOff0423987.htm Another person who feels just like we do about Asia Econ.

#4

Ex-Employee
Respond to this report!

Shed more light on Raymond Mobrez??
Charles - Los Angeles (U.S.A.) SUBMITTED:Wednesday, March 04, 2009POSTED:Thursday, March 05, 2009

Nah--for the same reason we keep our sewage in underground septic tanks, rather than letting it bask in the sunlight. Unless you're a psychologist or documentary filmmaker, I wouldn't waste your time with unscrupulous, mendacious, buffoonish cretins.

#5
Ex-Employee
Respond to this report!

Your Report is Spot On -- Raymond and Iliana are Grade A Jerks
The Instigator - North Hollywood (U.S.A.) SUBMITTED:Thursday, March 26, 2009POSTED:Thursday, March 26, 2009

I completely agree with your report. It perfectly describes the modus operandi of Raymond Mobrez and Iliana Llaneras. As you noted, they routinely igmore employment laws, and treat their employees like dirt. Since Raymond is a member of the Mortgage Bankers Association, that organization should be notified of the shady business practices in which he and Iliana engage.

#6

Owner of Company
Respond to this report!

Asia Economic Institute is saddened by the false allegations posted on this "RipOff "Internet gossip site
Asia Economic Institute - Los Angeles (U.S.A.) SUBMITTED:Friday, April 03, 2009POSTED:Friday, April 03, 2009

The Asia Economic Institute is distressed and profoundly saddened by the false allegations posted on this "RipOff "Internet gossip site. Particularly as they may reflect on the many fine people who have worked with and for us over the years, including the Directors, Raymond Mobrez and Iliana Llaneras and the numerous respected and trusted public servants in the international banking system who count us as friends and associates, and the various Government institutions that rely on our integrity. We know that the truth will come out and are confident that appropriate remedies will be found by our attorneys. If you have been similarly injured by this site, we would like to hear from you. Please email us at [e-mail] or call us at [phone].

#7

Ex-Employee
Respond to this report!

well put, Ray

Humblevictim - Los Angeles (U.S.A.) SUBMITTED:Monday, June 01, 2009POSTED:Monday, June 01, 2009

This is an accurate portrayal of Raymond and Iliana Mobrez. Do not work for them. They are terrible human beings.

#8

Respond to this report!

Don't let him win.
Buttalhurts - Los Angeles (USA) SUBMITTED:Monday, August 17, 2009POSTED:Monday, August 17, 2009

Everyone who has been ripped off by this son

of a bitch, fill out this forum, I am willing and already started filing a suit against this scumbag, I had contact with the BBB (Better Business Bureau) and will be forwarding every name I have in my list to make sure this bastard pays. http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?hl =en&formkey=dE1YMmg1RXRqYUF0SmhBenVYanE1 NXc6MA fill it out, ill send you a email, give you updates towards what has been completed so far.

Exhibit G

Report: #423987

Report: Raymond Mobrez - Illiana Llaneras
Reported By: (Los Angeles California)

Raymond Mobrez - Illana Mobrez - Asia Economic Institute lie cheat tax fraud Los Angeles California
... Asia Economic Institute is saddened by the false allegations posted on this "RipOff "Internet gossip site
Raymond Mobrez - Illiana Llaneras
www.asiaecon.org Los Angeles California U.S.A. Phone: Web Address:

Category: Questionable Activities Submitted: Friday, February 13, 2009
Last posting: Saturday, April 04, 2009

I'd love to express my true feelings about Raymond Mobrez and Illiana Llaneras, but I have a feeling that they are litigious people, so I won't say it here, for fear they'd file a libel lawsuit against me (even though everything I would say would be true). Suffice it to say, if you are desperate for a job or an internship and are considering working at the Asia Economic Institute, I assure you: scrubbing toilets on your hands and knees at the nastiest fast food joint would leave you with more dignity and self-worth than you would have after working at Asia Economic Institute. Plus, you probably wouldn't have to fight to get your paycheck. If you feel like you have no choice but to work there, make sure you get everything Raymond Mobrez tells you IN WRITING BEFORE you begin work there. Oral contracts are nearly meaningless. Charles Los Angeles, California U.S.A.

Exhibit H

Report: #457433

Report: Asia Economic Institute - WorldEcon AsiaEcon - Raymond Mobrez Raymond Mobarez, Iliana Llaneres
Reported By: (Los Angeles California)

Asia Economic Institute - WorldEcon - AsiaEcon - Raymond Mobrez - Raymond Mobarez - Iliana Llaneres Unethical Practices, Employee Manipulation, Employee Rights Violation, Exploitation Los Angeles California
... 100% the truth
Asia Economic Institute - WorldEcon - AsiaEcon - Raymond Mobrez Raymond Mobarez, Iliana Llaneres
www.asiaecon.org Los Angeles California 90025 U.S.A. Phone: [phone] Web Address:

Category: Employers Submitted: Monday, June 01, 2009
Last posting: Monday, July 20, 2009

I was an employee of the Asia Economic Institute and a victim of their unethical, often illegal practices. Some of the practices are simply assennine, rather than illegal. Here are a few of the practices which you can expect if you "work" for the Asia Economic Institute. 1. Underpaying for time worked - Raymond "refuses" to pay over-time, and yet expects his employees to arrive early and stay late. This is expected in a salary situation, however it is ILLEGAL in an hourly wage situation. If you show up for work 15 minutes late, they will dock your pay .25 hours. However, if you work late, do not expect overtime. This is illegal. It will happen to you if you work for them. 2. Deducting state taxes, but not paying the state - I was kept off of the payroll for as long as possible so Iliana could avoid paying out State Taxes. These, however, were deducted from my paycheck each pay period. At the end of the year, I owed the State extra money which had already been deducted & never payed to the state or me. They will cut every corner possible to not pay you. 3. Raymond promises pay increases verbally, but refuses to act on them. This is perhaps one of the worst things that can happen to a young recent grad. You are working hard, told you have value, promised a raise, and then an excuse is made. The same thing happened when some employees were promised health insurance. The promise

was not kept and excuses were made. 4. If you are hired, Raymond or Iliana may fire you for no apparent reason within 1 to 5 days. I saw this happen to accountingassistants, as well as content producers. Ask anyone who manages to stick around for a few months and they will back me up. Do not stop looking for work just because Raymond gave you an offer. He always offers everyone a job. He just doesn't keep you around. After all this, I'd like to air more dirty laundry, because it makes me feel better after all the abuse I suffered at the hand of these robbers & cowards that run the Asia Economic Institute. I have no evidence as to the truth of any of these accusations except my own memory of conversations with Raymond, other employees, and my own perception of their actions. Allegation #1 - Raymond explained to me that he hires & fires based on race, religion, gender, etc. Raymond told me girls are good for administrative tasks, especially Filipinas, because they do what they are told. Raymond told me not to trust Persians and Muslims. He told me the "blacks" only want to work in entertainment so you should not hire them. This is offensive and illegal. Obviously. Allegation #2 - Raymond and Iliana are secretly married, but hide this fact very poorly. If you work there for a while and are trying to understand the nature of their relationship, it explains everything except for WHY they hide the nature of the relationship. Trust me, it makes no sense. Allegation #3 - Iliana and Raymond *MAY* be using the Asia Economic Institute to funnel money out of Iliana's successful structured finance business, into Asia Economic Institute with the purpose to avoid paying taxes. I have no evidence of this, but after working there, you begin to wonder why the company exists in the first place. Allegation #4 - Iliana and Raymond *ARE* absolutely batsh** crazy. They live in a strange fantasy land in which they are normal, decent people. This could not be further from the truth. Working together, running their business together, living together, the two have become so delusional they think its OK to abuse employees. Furthermore, they are germophobes who spend more time worrying about hand sanitization than managing their little project. Please keep in mind that this is only one opinion. Many other opinions can be found by searching for Asia Economic Institute on this site if you would like other opinions. Humblevictim Los Angeles, California U.S.A.

#1
Ex-Employee
Respond to this report!

100% the truth
Ex Aei Employee - Santa Barbara (U.S.A.) SUBMITTED:Monday, July 20, 2009POSTED:Monday, August 17, 2009

I back you up , they are indeed crazy as hell or evil as hell or both. I worked there for a while , and the day i stopped working there was one of the best days of my life. I hope they both end up in jail, or worse.

#2
Respond to this report!

Raymond isnt going to sucker me!
Buttalhurts - Los Angeles (USA) SUBMITTED:Monday, August 17, 2009POSTED:Monday, August 17, 2009

Everyone who has been ripped off by this son of a bitch, fill out this forum, I am willing and already started filing a suit against this scumbag, I had contact with the BBB (Better Business Bureau) and will be forwarding every name I have in my list to make sure this bastard pays. http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?hl =en&formkey=dE1YMmg1RXRqYUF0SmhBenVYanE1 NXc6MA fill it out, ill send you a email, give you updates towards what has been completed so far.

Exhibit I

Report: #502429

Report: Asia Economic Institute, AEI, WorldEcon
Reported By: jmgrip3 ( )
USA

Asia Economic Institute, AEI, WorldEcon Asia Economic Institute, AEI, WorldEcon Potential Internship - Don't do it! I was swayed by this website Los Angeles, California
... Your gut feeling was correct.
Asia Economic Institute, AEI, WorldEcon
West LA Los Angeles California United States of America Phone: Web Address:

Category: Financial Services Submitted: Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Last posting: Friday, October 09, 2009

I was considering starting a position at this company after having an interview with Raymond. I was put off when I spoke to him previously on the phone and he didn't give his last name or his company name. I had an in-person interview today and found out his last name. During the interview I had a gut feeling that he was operating a very shady business, and the fact that I disagreed with the majority of his viewpoints on the real estate market did not help. I then came home and googled his name, and found all these bad reports. He told me to come into the office tomorrow at 11am to start work, but as a result of these reports I am going to blow him off. I am looking for work, but am not that desperate to get involved in a shady situation that will ultimately lead to disaster. I know it is hard to find a position in today's market, but this should not stand. In today's internet world, Raymond's tactics will not work!!!! Everyone knows that you can't escape your reputation, and the likelihood that all these strangers with nothing in common would jointly agree that he is a lunatic without ever knowing one another is minuscule. Raymond, get a life, stop taking advantage of people.

REBUTTALS & REPLIES:

1Author1Consumer0Employee

#1
Consumer Comment
Respond to this report!

Your gut feeling was correct.
bigdaddycooool - Wickliffe (USA) SUBMITTED:Friday, October 09, 2009POSTED:Friday, October 09, 2009

These people are EXCELLENT talkers! Yes, don't get me wrong, I do mean that in a POSITIVE manner. When my colleague and I interviewed with the company Raymond would start talking about his career highlights, travels, Asia Connections, etc. and that of Iliana's and it did indeed sound impressive, but quite BORING. We think it was his soft feminine voice with a hint of an accent that lost us within the first 6 minutes. We were dying to get out of there so that we could be put out of our misery. Had we known he had a passive and soft, feminine voice, we would have gotten a few drinks before the interview so that our senses would be dulled and the boredom would not be so intense. The most entertaining part of the whole interview process was when Iliana would interrupt Raymond and interject additional information. She wanted to impress us and to sound intelligent at the same time but it was a real turn-off. She presented herself not to be intelligent, but a complete idiotic fool, a buffoon if you may. But in her defense, when she did interjected, what she contributed to the conversation was utterly ridiculous and it did make us laugh inside (at her and at Raymond too as he just sat there probably thinking how can I stiffle her). Raymond and Iliana do make the PERFECT co-worker team in this company. He seems passive and she seems aggressive; he has a passive voice and she has a strong voice; he seems to be smart (but not that much smarter than her, don't let the Dr. title fool you) and she seems to be not as smart; you get the picture. In reality they are not that bad. They are just trying to survive in this recessionary world like everyone of us. If they are trying to rip-off employees, vendors, etc. as one of the remarks seem to point then Capitalism is still alive; however, what comes around goes around. I am not sure what their business operations are but they can't be doing too bad as they are in a nice building in a nice neighborhood. If they are losing money then they must be doing something horribly wrong or they are unaware of what each other is doing. It would be ironic if one of them was pulling the wool over the others eyes. This way we can test our hypothesis to see which is the clever of the two to get away with it. Wouldn't it also be ironic if Dr. Raymond was not the clever one of the two; i.e., he is a PhD of some sort. Ok, I am becoming just as BORING as Dr. Raymond and I appologize for that. If anyone has interviewed with them, worked for them, or is owed any money from them, please post it here so we can have a discussion about these two wonderful human beings, Raymond Mobarez and Iliana Llaneras.