Sunday, October 21, 2007

Computer Career Institute - Web Promotion Specialist - computercareerinstitute.net

Computer Career Institute - Web Promotion Specialist - computercareerinstitute.net
Now called: Summit Institute - summit-institute.net
As of 8/31/08- they have AGAIN changed their name to: Personal Computer Training Institute. They have an article written by Alisha Mitchell - Expert Author. They now show a phone number of 505-839-0099 and an address is Albuquerque, NM 87101. The url we found is http://pcti-online.org/ and pctialbuquerque.com


What is a "web promotion specialist"? (Now called a Website Processing Specialist) What are the benefits? What are the downfalls? What does the certification do? Is it hard to work with Fortune 500 companies? Is this actual employment or something else? How does the "job placement" work?

In this article we will work on answering these questions and give a full review of what is offered and if it is beneficial to you.

We came across this information from an ad posted on Yahoo.com, which was written by a News Reporter, you can see the article here. This article really sparked an interest, since it does seem as though almost all, if not all, the work-at-home programs on the internet are scams of some type.

So, with this in mind, we decided to take the course with a grain of salt. A few of the things that seemed suspicious about the course, is that they seem to be trying to "sell" you on the concept. This shouldn't be the case. Notice all the testimonials on their site and the income claims. How many "schools" do this? None, that we know of. Also, if this is truly an educational site, why doesn't the site name end with .edu - instead of .net. This is strange also.

Another thing that caught our attention was how they persuade you to get in now, before the openings fill up - well, this is fine, BUT, you also see this on the internet with pretty much any work at home scam.

The news reporter article is suspicious also, no other articles or anything else from that reporter. A street address search for the news article comes up with Remax office.

The physical address for Computer Career Institute seems to be a drop box. We didn't find a main site for the college, just web pages promoting the "Web Promotion Specialist" program.

So, we decided to give it a try anyway and paid the $249 for the course.

The course itself is completely downloadable. This is a worry, since most downloadable products do NOT offer a refund, due the nature of the materials. If you read the "terms" on their page, it also does state that there are no refunds. On the main website page though, they state that if you don't get a job with a Fortune 500 company, they will refund your money. So, this was contradictory.

Regardless, we went forward, and started downloading and viewing the course. It is very well thought out, very informative, and to be frank, simple. The instruction is easy to follow along with.

What is the course about? Well, they teach you how to use blogger.com to post blogs. The blogs contain "reviews" for products or services. They also have you create blogs about concerts and books, that sort of thing. So, how do you make money? Well, the products and services you promote have affiliate programs. So, you write a blog about a product and then you have a link where people can go and buy that product, since you are an affiliate of that product or company, you get a commission for any purchases made through that link. So, in short, as an example, you sign up as an affiliate for TicketMaster.com - you then choose a band that is performing in the near future, you create a blog with that bands concerts dates, and you put a link in your blog for buying tickets. If someone buys a ticket for that concert using your link, you get a commission from TicketMaster. They also teach you how to use Google Adwords with your blog. So, when you create a blog, you put in a code for Google adsense. Google adsense then displays ads which relate to your blog content. If someone clicks on anything in the Adsense box, you get a very small amount paid to you. One thing we did find beneficial, is that they give you the MetaCode to put in your blog header, to help get your blog into the Search Engines. They do show you how to submit each of your blogs to the Search Engines also.

So, when they talk about you working with Fortune500 companies, all they are referring to is the fact that you can become an affiliate for these companies. We did find Walmart and others that do provide affiliate programs. So, this is very misleading, as you are not "employed" by these companies, you are an affiliate.

We did not find any situation where a company would reimburse you for your tuition fee. We sent an email to Computer Career Institute about this and did not receive an answer to this specific question.

As for the "certification", well, after completely the course, we received an email stating that we had "passed" the exam and we were now "certified". We then emailed back asking if there was some type of paper or diploma or something to that effect that we would receive, and we were told, "no, not at this time". So, seems as though the "certification" is just a crock.

IF, after reading this article, you decide you would still like to take the course, please contact us first, before paying $249. We may be able to share the course with you instead.

It is a serious disappointment that this company has gone so far as to create fake news sites and post bogus listings on the BBB site. They have taken "scam" to a new level.


As with any venture, you should always check out a company BEFORE paying any fees! Not only check with the Better Business Bureau, but, also check with sites like scam.com, and ripoffreport.com. Sometimes you can find a lot of information just by doing a Google search for the company and including the word scam after the company name.


BE SMART! All the best to you!

----UPDATE----- The company has changed its name to Columbia Career Institute and more recently it changed names again to Career Training Institute. As of 03/26/08, they are called Summit Institute with a URL of: summit-institute.net - They also changed the URL of the fake "news" report to: consumer-reporting.net - the reporter's name is Trish Morgan.

---UPDATE 08/31/08-----The company has AGAIN changed it's name to Personal Computer Training Institute in Albuquerque NM. The urls we have found are: pctialbuquerque.com and http://pcti-online.org/ - with a phone number of 505-839-0099. The same article has been put up as being written by Alisha Mitchell - Expert Author on an ezine website.

25 comments:

fmo said...

Hi there,
I got scammed too...
I found your contact here http://immyownboss.blogspot.com/2007/10/computer-career-institute-scam.html
Are you able to make any money?

Please send an email to talk about this at
adxiko@gmail.com

Gardner said...

Oh my God, I can't believe they got me on this one. I just purchased the CCI course a week ago. Obviously i wish I'd seen this before i purchased.I was convinced by that consumer reporter, Dan Stafford, and also, the fake BBB thing on the website. I'm really surprised that i didn't do my do dillegence, with all the warnings about home biz scams on the net.I haven't told my wife yet, but I'm going to. I guess the scamers are getting more crafty, however they'd better remember that we all reap what we sow, in other words, what goes around, comes around, because my God watches from above and sees it all.I will be more wise in the future.

voiceofbragg said...

We are talking about http://www/wpscourse.com or not????

Bob said...

Well I hang my head in shame because I too got scammed. I usually will do my research. I got convinced that the reporter site was real and then without thinking I bought the program. I wish I would have known.

Molliosis said...

I enjoy the blog used here to destroy this scams reputation. It looks exactly like what they tell you to do. I can not believe I lost even more money to another scam.

rbdwyer001 said...

Thank you, thank you, thank you. You just saved me $249.00. God bless you.

melbiz said...

Thank you! I was considering taking the course - I figured that most scams usually ask for a smaller amount of money and don't offer a refund. FYI - I did sign up for one of these as posting work from home things and it is really time consuming. And just like this article says, you only get money if people click through, etc. I only paid $20 to sign up for that one. I never ended up fully completing the program b/c it was so complicated. lol

Javagirl35 said...

You all have to hear this one!!! I was really fooled by this one! It was advertized through google, had a very convincing website, the whole nine yards and then some! Check out Euro Investment Solutions. I went through submitting a resume, answered a million questions etc, finally I was "hired". I was considered a "Financial agent". Come to find out, it's a big scam and had to do "Money laundering"!!!! It was supposeably based out of Germany, and when I started to notice the emails coming in 6 and 7pm (EST) that would be: 12 midnite/1am in Germany. What financial institution works those hours!? Ya right!

filam01 said...

My wife and I are grateful for finding out for us if this was a legitimate business. In fact, I emailed Trish Morgan and this is what she said


"Let me reassure you that I have conducted a thorough investigation on Summit Institute and I am satisfied their course is an excellent opportunity. My mom and intern continue to earn substantial income (in the $8,000 a month range each) from the program. The great thing about Summit Institute is that their course actually guides you through the process of registering and getting accepted with a number of companies, so by the time you complete the course you are already up and working.

If it will ease your mind, you might want to check the BBB report on Summit Institute in Virginia Beach, VA. You will see they have a spotless record.

Trish Morgan

No where does she back up my concerns or questions regarding this business being rated A- in the BBB. In fact the BBB recently last April of 2008 said they were being investigated. It indicates that this business is not a member of the BBB nor does it have a rating from the BBB of Virginia. "smells like a scam to me".

I hope that no one got scammed. We are so grateful that you've done your research for us.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

kathy said...

Yep, nearly got me too. When I couldn't find any info on the web for "website processing specialist" it was beginning to get a little stinky for me.

Fortunately, I kept searching and came upon your blog. Thanks so much for spraying the "Fabreeze."

What's truely a dirty rotten shame is that scams like these take money from people who badly need to keep it in their bank accounts. What a bunch of JERKS.

I believe that when it comes down to the end, those who do crappy things will get theirs!

Gotta remember that old cliche "if it sounds to good to be true, then it probably isn't true" or something like that.

Thanks again and keep up the good work!

Sydney said...

THANK YOU, THANK YOU! You have saved me $249 I could ill afford. I am disabled, therefore, live on an extremely tight budget and thought this now revealed "scam" would be the way to go to increase my income to be able to afford more food, pay bills, etc. I was so close to signing up for this scam this morning, until something just didn't make sense, so I thought I better do some due diligence first to make sure this is legit. That's when I found this blog - and I am forever grateful to you all for your comments.

What gets me is why do folks like this still get away with these scams when it is clearly Fraud, which I thought was illegal in this country! I understand it would be impossible for anyone to keep track of every single scam out there, but when these scam artists stoop as low as trying to con the disabled, disabled vets who have actually fought for these scam artists' lives, and the elderly, it's going too far and is most definitely out of control. It really is a shame that hard working, unemployed, and even disabled folks who are willing to work their fingers to the bone to just keep a roof over their family's heads, are taken advantage of by these scams.

Does no one have ANY shame left in this country?

Once again, "thank you" for informing us of the truth regarding this particular scam. At least now I don't have to worry if I'm going to have enough money to eat for the next month because I didn't throw it away on something I "thought" was going to help me increase my income!

Tee333 said...

Wow! I only wished I had been warned by someone. The reporters's support and the program really looked real. I went through the entire process and got a certificate linked to me after passing the exam(which I had to print out and frame my self). After doing so, became very excited to begin making money and having such a flashy title. Wow! is all I can say. With all that is going on in the world to day and how much prices in everything have increased like crazy - everyone is looking for and trying to make ends meet and to play with people's money, time, hopes and confidence is asking for trouble. It's only a matter of time - KARMA........................

TH said...

Thanks everyone! You not only save my money, but also my time. You know, sometimes time is even more important than money...

BTW, there is a link for "rebate processing at home" on this web site. Did anyone try it out? Did it work?

thanks

Unknown said...

Thanks you for putting this out there. My wife and I was about to do the course, but you have saved me from another scam.

BTW...they have changed the name again. It's not "Personal Computer Training Institute"

Unknown said...

Sorry about that. my last post should have been...It's now "Personal Computer Training Institute"

Tiano77 said...

Hello people,
I got scammed too! It is Personal Computer Training Institute. (PCTI)
I started questioning it after the name change when I bought it. They sold it under one name, then called it something else. The name in which you get the metacode is(computercareerinstitute.net). So then I searched that and realized I made a mistake. That name came up on Ripoffreport. This blog and many other postings on Google as well. (Very Helpful in Hindsight)
I tried getting my money back, they kept coming uop with excuses, and said that since it was downloadable there is nothing to refund. I said "yes there is, my money!" Luckily, the payment hadn't been processed off my acount yet. I e-mailed (Clickbank) and let them know my dilemma. I also called my bank and told them I suspected fraud. It didn't have to go that far though. Clickbank sent me an e-mail today notifying me of my refund. YES, MY REFUND. There is a first time for everything. So remember, you don't always have to fight with the seller. There are ways around it. I really appreciate the person who created this blog. I too, will have a blog on this subject. I am tired of losing my money to people like this.

Gina said...

Very interesting article. It did sound too good to be true but at the same time somewhat alluring. After reading your post that it was nothing more than just affiliate marketing via blogger which people can do for free by doing their own research and reading a bunch of squidoo and ezine articles, I'm glad I didn't waste my money. I was looking for that extra tidbit.

Well, you are brave to risk your money to see how this worked. That's $499 for a very elaborate piece of software.

I was also suspicious that their were no video tutorials, but then those would have been just as fake.

Total Expert said...

I was also foolish enough to buy into this whole idea. I wasted the time watching the completely elementary videos. This entire "scam" is just glorified affiliate marketing.

The trick being you make a separate blog for each "item" you are selling or reviewing etc. Rather than making one blog with multiple items you make an individual blog, with separate url etc and that's supposed to yield $$$$$$ by signing up with companies like commission junction, linkshare, google, etc. They consider being accepted into the amazon affiliate program "working with a fortune 500 company" This should give you an idea of how misleading this is since 99% of blogs are accepted for amazons affiliate program.

I watched the entire course and did not sign up for any offers because according the the refund policy if you aren't accepted by any companies you are eligible.

Well, I felt completely ripped off, because as I stated this is all just basic affiliate marketing. I wrote an email to their "customer service" and requested a refund. I was told they do not issue refunds. So I copied the text from their website with their "guarantee" and also cited how they are praised by the BBB. It took about 10 emails, but my money was refunded!

I wish I would have done more homework, but like everyone else I was on limited funds and looking to make a legitimate income online and was caught up with the fake news story etc and bought it. Luckily I was able to get my money back.

Sorry for the long rambling post, I just wanted to try to let everyone know how terrible my experience was.

Unknown said...

They changed their name once again, and I was close to buying in. I did my research under their new name, 6hourvideo.com and couldn't find anything on it... somehow I found your blog. Thank you.

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Chance said...

I am unfortunate to become fully aware of this scam a year and several months later. I read the article published by Dave Howard and how his daughter and wife are making thousands a month from the program at the time wps.com. I got sucked into the scam. I now know I have learned a $249 dollar lesson in STUPIDITY!! I have also learned new ways of getting my own website listed with top search providers, creating interesting blogs, and becoming an affiliate if I choose to with various companies. I believe the total I have actually earned from Jan 08-Jan 09 is about $24.00 which was subtracted due to inactivity. A lesson learned and knowledge earned. Thanks for sharing! CM-Illinois

Anonymous said...

OH my God!! Did someone knows how to stop these people?? I got scammed in a very professional way. I requested by refund and they said to me that they send the check and I cashed. When I requested from them to provided me copy of back and front of the check in order for me to get a letter notarized so they can re-issue another check; they said "they don't operate that way".

Now I'm trying to find their most recent name so I can find the address and slap them with a lawsuit in the small claim courts.

Can somebody help???

The 411 said...

My local newspaper has been advertising www.k348.com for a while now. I looked at it about 6 months ago and have been seriously thinking about it since. At that time it took you to the PCTI site which originated (per the site) in Florida (Florida doesn't regulate online businesses so this is a red-flag itself!). I also went to the BBB and pulled up that company to find it had an A- and it looked legit.

Today I looked further and that same k348 took me to "The Summit" institute or something like that; then I found your blog.

I'm sorry to see others have already lost their hard-earned money to these losers. I'm calling my newspaper office now to inform them--since I used to work there and know how they work, I'm sure they will discontinue running the ads, as will most papers with such information.

Thanks for the great work and for risking your dollars to save mine! :)

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