In 2012, the above mentioned businesses were engaged in an alliance for the sale, marketing and property management of property in the Detroit area. They advertised property on their respective web sites. They shares staff, management and ownership.
I purchased a property in Detroit through the web site of Experience International, which is run by Steve Worboys. Experience International took their cut in the form of something they termed an "Enabling Fee", which amounted to GBP1500.00
His partners in this transaction are mentioned above. The sales person I was dealing with, offered me all sorts of assurances prior to the sale. I particularly concerned with the management of the property as I was an overseas investor. I was quite upfront in stating that there was an ocean between me and Detroit and therefore I would need to be assured that there would not be any issues in relation to the management of the property. I was given these assurances and told that Experience International and Detroit Advantage were companies that could be relied upon, and should any difficulties arise, that they would be there for me.
Detroit Advantage, which was advertising the same properties in conjunction with New Orbit Funding (to which they shared ownership and management) and Experience International with whom they shared staff, was the management company for the property I purchased.
It has to be noted that the sales person that I was dealing with was using an email address for both Experience International and Detroit Advantage, and the manager of the property Denise Lambert was using an email address for both Detroit Advantage and New Orbit Funding. This establishes the link between all companies and Denise Lambert was still using the email address for New Orbit Funding during the time of the management of the property in question.
The first thing that happened was that the property that I had initially picked out had a problem with the title. This was after I had paid the Enabling Fee to Experience International. I was then offered a different property by Lauren Warlow (who was working for and using email addresses for both Experience International and Detroit Advantage/USA Advantage). I should have realized that this was going to be a disaster there and then, but the assurances offered to me by Lauren Warlow and subsequently by Denise Lambert that they would be there for me, helped alleviate those fears.
Within two weeks of closing, I received a fine notice from the City of Detroit for Blight, in the amount of 5,000 dollars. Detroit Advantage paid a smaller fine to settle the issue, but there and then I realized that there was a major problem with the tenants that they had placed there.
Then in early 2013, I received a notice to advise that the rent collector was shot and killed while collecting rent. I was absolutely shocked that cash rent was being collected in 2013. Given that the area had been advertised as being "Popular with Business People", I had been of the opinion that the tenants would be dealing in cheques, bank transfer or direct debit. The advertisement was a deliberate attempt to alleviate concerns with regard to purchasing property in the Detroit area and was part of a series of advertisements that were at the very least misleading and at the worst, false, and deceptive. Other examples of this false and misleading advertisement was the put up Reasons to Invest in Detroit on their respective web sites and also to send out emails advising that property values in Detroit were rising, when in fact they were falling.
My rent stopped coming in early summer 2013. I kept being told that it was sent by Denise Lambert, but it never reached me. I had to complain bitterly to Steven Worboys. He didn't want to deal with the issue, stating that it was nothing to do with him. He tried to get rid of me by saying that he was just a marketing company. This is despite him taking a fee and advertising the property in his web site as "Our Listings" and having a representative using his company's email address as well as Detroit Advantage. Eventually after hounding him to resolve the issue, I started receiving the rent again. This was only a few months into the purchase it must be stated. I was really worried now; as Experience International and Steven Worboys were doing everything he possibly could to distance himself from Detroit/USA Advantage and New Orbit Funding.
Denise Lambert during this time made an attempt to offload the property to another property management company. Apparently, complaining about what has happened to your rent was reason enough for her and Detroit Advantage/New Orbit Funding to make an attempt to rid themselves of their responsibilities as far as the promises made at the time of the original sale from a representative that worked for them. They were also trying to absolve themselves of responsibility with regard to the management of the property which they knew was in trouble. They were the ones that placed the tenants remember, not me and I was assured that there would not be any issues with regard to the management of the property.
I managed to insist that they remain property managers, as I did not want to allow them to sever the link. It was extremely important to me that they not be allowed to make it appear that they had nothing to do with the sale of the property or the assurances that were offered to me at the time of the sale. If they made a commitment to me, I expected it to be honoured, and yet here everyone was doing their very best to disassociate themselves from the sale and the management commitments that were part of the sale transaction.
A few months passed and October 2013 was the last month of rent that I received. I spent two months chasing Steven Worboys of Experience International, who now dug in and tried to state that he had no responsibility. The property was advertised on his web site as their listings. It was talked up as being in an area popular with business people. It was stated that there were great reasons to Invest in Detroit, and I was given specific assurances that I would not encounter any problems by the sales representative, that was working for both him and Detroit Advantage. Steven Worboys also conveniently forgot that he took a fee for the sale of the property, so it most certainly has something to do with him. I paid for service and his company took the fee, so therefore it had something to do with him, whether he liked it or not.
In the mean time I had been chasing Casey Harwood and Denise Lambert, to find out what had happened to the rent, and getting nowhere. They could not give me any answers as to where it was, except to state that it had not come in yet. This was a company remember that was taking a fee every month for its services as manager of the property. It was their responsibility to manage the property and they had an extra responsibility given that they knew that I was an overseas client and was totally reliant on them as managers of the property. This and being told that there would not be any issues in association to the management of the property ensured that the onus was on them to vet the tenants for credit worthiness and to do a background check to ensure that they were good tenants in previous rentals. They did not do any of this and they knew it.
Casey Harwood asked if I had considered selling the property. I wanted out, but when he told me that properties in that area were going for between 15Kand 18K, I was alarmed. This company had been saying for a year that property values had increased. This was advertised on their web site and in their weekly emails. I had paid 23K plus the GBP1,500 Enabling Fee to Steven Worboys of Experience International.
Then Casey Harwood disappeared. He stopped answering emails and declined to answer my question as to how I had paid 23K, but he was now telling me that properties in that area were only worth between 15k and 18k. He was the seller along with New Orbit Funding and Experience International originally, and so had profited enormously from the sale. They all made out big time and were now telling me to take a massive hit.
It amuses me that in his defences here, Casey Harwood goes on about customer service and trying to resolve problems and answering queries within 24 hours. I sent him several emails last November and December that he failed to respond to. I kept chasing Steven Worboys also, who continued to try and get out of his responsibilities as the advertiser of this property. He at one point in mid-December 2013 said that he would refund me the Enabling Fee that his company took. He never did it. I'm still waiting. It was just another lie among the many that I have received from all these companies.
In January, I continued to chase Denise Lambert and Casey Harwood. Eventually I was told that the property had been abandoned and that snow had gotten into it and left it damaged in the thousands of dollars. No wonder Casey Harwood didn't want to respond to me. Now the property was worth even less than what he had stated. This was all on their watch. It took them months to find out and tell me that the property had been abandoned and left opened to the elements.
Finally, towards the end of January 2014, I received an email from Denise Lambert to state that I was to be refunded by New Orbit Funding. True to form, I'm still waiting on it at the time of writing in July 2014.
I have been asking for the refund for months that I have in writing from these people. It does not state partial refund or state that I would have to wait forever for it to happen. They are at their old trick again, in trying to distance themselves from the offer of the refund.
Denise Lambert is trying to state that there is no association between Detroit Advantage and New Orbit Funding. She was using in 2013 during the period when she was acting as manager of the property, an email address with the handle of New Orbit Funding and Detroit Advantage. They shared ownership at the time of the sale in 2012 and staff and management at both the time of the sale and during the time that Detroit Advantage were managing the property and taking fees for this service.
It speaks volumes that Detroit Advantage is trying to back track on the email sent in January which clearly stated that I was to be refunded. They negotiated it with New Orbit Funding of which I have a clearly established link. They were confident enough to put it in writing to me, and yet now that I have still not received it, are trying all they can to get out of their commitments and responsibilities. They carry on as if they were not responsible for the gross incompetence they engaged in as managers of the property. They try to distance themselves from the original sale and commitments made to me prior to the sale, when assurances were offered to me by Lauren Warlow who was acting on their behalf as well as of Experience International. They also forget that Denise Lambert was working for and using email addresses for both Detroit Advantage and New Orbit Funding during the time that she was acting as manager of the property.
I have waiting for months and months for the promised refund. I asked Denise Lambert who she was dealing with in New Orbit Funding and who it was that agreed to and authorized the refund. I requested the written documentation with regard to same. She failed to provide it and stated that the refund was agreed verbally over the telephone. When I pushed the issue, and asked her to provide me the names of the people in New Orbit Funding and Detroit Advantage that had agreed the refund, she again declined to provide me with the information and stated that as it was months ago that she had "Forgotten". Amazing chicanery and deceit. Downright lies, it has to be stated. She told me that I was getting a refund in January and months of me chasing up; she then tells me that she had forgotten who had agreed and authorized it.
Casey Harwood has posted notices here that his company is committed to customer satisfaction. I am not satisfied. He wants me to accept total financial disaster, while his company made out along with Experience International and New Orbit Funding, with regard to the original sale and subsequent management fees. His company and staff were grossly negligent with regard to the management of the property. They allowed the worst tenants to occupy the property and then took months to realize that it had been abandoned.
When finally I was told that I was to be refunded in an email from Denise Lambert back in January I thought the nightmare of getting involved in this Rip Off was finally coming to a close. No such luck. It is now almost mid July, and not only have I not received the promised refund, but Denise Lambert, Casey Harwood, Detroit/USA Advantage, New Orbit Funding are back to doing what they are best at - Avoidance of Promises made, Avoidance of Commitments Made and complete Avoidance of their Responsibility.
These people do not do what they say they will do. A lawyer supposedly acting on their behalf confirmed to me that I was to be refunded. He did so in an email but now he has disappeared.
I should would have my money back by now that I was told I was getting last January. Instead I'm still here filing reports against them and wishing that I had never heard of them – USA/Detroit Advantage, Experience International and New Orbit Funding.
Everyone who has lost money through any of these related companies should file a detailed report on the above website, you do NOT have to be a UK resident to report your loss.
The scale of the amount that has been lost should raise a flag to the authorities or better still get them investigated in the hope no one else will fall into a financial mess!
Was about to commit to USAadvantage until I google and found yours. Apparently, there was an editor's update below. Was wondering whether your issue was resolved?
Something is not very right of this website as you can do a posting without giving an email. And I wish to be in contact with you to do further due diligence.
Good morning, I would be grateful if you could let me have recent bank account details. I have won a garnishee order to recover my funds and expenses. The bank accounts I was sent are kept empty? any information will be helpful, please send you information to [email protected].
Detroit Advantage/usa advantage/direct property title LLc were the company names that I dealt with.
I purchased one property, 20524 Lesure, Detroit, MI 48235, for $19000 +fees+taxes $23000, in August 2013, caught up with the idea of having a bit more of an income for a low outlay, the advert said $652 net monthly income.
Looked great, so I went ahead, against my wife's advice, and sent a further $17275 for another purchase, Evergreen, again sitting tenants, newly refurbished, all checked out, just like Lesure was, great I'm on my way, afterall the help from Denise Lambert, the company co ordinator, I recieved was 1st class, how could this possibly go wrong!!!!! First up the promised rent, for Lesure, on the 9th of each month did not appear, again Denise chased up the property managers, ok I'll see what happens next month, nothing for 4 months, until the property management company was changed, to Inner city property management, another fee sent $99, they tried to contact the tenant, but they would not reply, eventually they replied saying they had a list of faults that required fixing before they would pay any rent, a newly refurbished property!!!.
I asked them to get a quote so I would make the property decent, they sent me photos of each issue and an estimate of over $4000 for repairs.I was about to continue with the repairs when I received a letter from Wayne county stating there were outstanding taxes due on the property, from 2011, $14392.90,the house would be foreclosed in the next few days, so much for the title closing agency, also the tenant had said they were only $600/month!!! Enough was enough, the management company explained that I could donate it through IPCM quit claim deed, this was signed and witnessed, then overnighted, at more expense, to make sure it beat the foreclosure deadline.Bye bye $23000.
Meanwhile the Evergreen property had a lien against it, so that was a non starter, a swap property was put on hold until the rent from Lesure came in, ha, ha. With this disaster, I wanted nothing to do with rentals and requested a return of my $17275, I received $5000, so you can understand how angry I am with this insult. At first I thought it was an error, they missed the 1 off the 15, heard nothing since, which is disappointing to say the least, if I do get any joy I will update this report, but I won't hold my breath!!! I am young enough to keep working to recover this theft. but I feel sorry for any person who has put their life savings into something like this, I hope they have more luck than me,they can't have any worse, I am sure there may be some very satisfied customers out there. I took the Lesure loss on the chin but the $12000 they have kept, after the loss I took is disgusting.If you do invest in this company, pay for your own independant surveyor/title search.
I am still chasing my money, I did receive $2500 in August with a promise of small payments to be fully refunded, now owed $9500, still lost $23000 on the miss sold property. Sadly as in many of these cases they have stopped replying to my emails, I had big hopes from Casey!!!!
I have contacted a few agencies including London trading standards, here is their reply, sums everything up really!
I acknowledge receipt of your e-mail and attached.
I note that the e-mail sender, Casey Harwood, has used the 70 St Mary Axe address. However I have been advised that the company moved out of those rented offices some months prior to June 2014. None of the names you provide are listed as registered UK companies at Companies House. They appear to be based in the USA.
I agree that the practices of the trader(s) with whom you have been dealing carry the hallmarks of a scam and I would recommend that you report the matter to the national fraud reporting line, ActionFraud, http://www.actionfraud.police.uk.
We are aware that the City of London, as an international financial centre is attractive to fraudsters who rent offices or mail forwarding services in this location to give the impression to prospective victims that they are bona fide companies with a wealth of expertise offering genuine investment opportunities. Both the police and ourselves are putting significant resources into investigating fraud involving so called alternative investments and disrupting and prosecuting where we can. However such investigations are lengthy and complex and therefore limited in number and we are unlikely to be undertaking any new investigations presently.
For some general background information on scams and how to protect yourself against them you should visit the Financial Conduct Authority’s website at http://www.fca.org.uk/consumers/scams . Be particularly on your guard against ‘recovery room scams’ in which people who have engaged with one scam are targeted further by the same or other criminal enterprises who try and persuade you they can recover some or all of your money for a fee but who are actually intent on defrauding you further. More information on scams is available in the following booklet: http://www.met.police.uk/docs/little_book_scam.pdf
Thanks for Posting in Relation to USA Advantage/Detroit Advantage
Good to see that some of these reviews are in the public domain. You had to post twice to get heard and Rip Off Report appear to remove some reports that they had previously approved. Very strange that some of the reviews in relation to USA Advantage/Detroit Advantage and New Orbit Funding were removed by the people who say that they never remove a report. Well, it appears that they do.
USA Advantage and Detroit Advantage along with their partners in crime, New Orbit Funding defrauded overseas investors and everyone needs to know it.
Thanks for posting this report and preventing I fall in the same mistake for this -- Casey Harwood via mail226.atl81.rsgsv.net
Dear Sir,
Thanks for telling us your experienced. Anyone could fall in this type of trap.
I am lucky for not fall in the trap. I use the google map and could not locate their USA address and decide not to proceed for booking. Thanks for your posting this email and alert others don't repeat the same mistake.
I sent a complaint to the editor of rip off, explaining the concerns that they do not publish all complaints, that I have submitted, along with a lot of other ripped off victims, below is an extract from the email:
''The sad thing from the victims point of view is that Rip off appears to be endorsing these companies! when it should be warning people of the dangers.
The rating of a company includes satisfaction in dealing with issues, my guess is they will change their name again and keep doing it.
It is a sickening feeling reading their website, I feel sorry for anyone who even considers sending them their hard earned money in the hope of improving their income, as promised.''
Needless to say I did not receive a reply or had any of my points were posted, which makes a joke of their peoples issue website.
People ripped off, like myself, should make sure they protect anyone else and keep everyone aware how dangerous it is sending 1 penny to any of these companies
I was beginning to wonder if these companies had shares in Rip off too, they are still advertising they are whiter than white, while many submitted truths about them never appear and are spread across a number of headings, so the true picture of the scams are not visible in one place, to help stop anyone else getting ripped off.
Hello everybody! i don't want any more people lost money. i am from China, i purchased 3 Detroit properties (about $30000 each) from USAadvantage or usaadvantage a UK company who claimed the address in US, but the sales are in ondon, this is a company separated from a UK company owner is called Steve! just passed a few months, now, all properties went into trouble!!! there is no rent received after 3 months, and need money to repair or handling other actions. They pass my properties to a non-functional and lazily and dis-honestly property management company called new orbit funding or detroit advantage to manage. but the pm is a mess, they failed to manage properties, just ignore them. One of my property was vacant and theft few months ago, they just did not know and not report util few months later. if you want to have more information about the dishonst things they did. please leave me email at Sales Gareth Street !!! be careful!
Don't be silly. Your properties have never been refurnished and rented out. The property photos that you received were taken a decade ago. You met a liar and paid for a great story.
This is the Guardian report, disgraceful what has happened to investors, 30 people probably lost at least 30k each, looking at close to a million profit. How come they are still trading??
USA Advantage/Detroit Advantage & New Orbit Funding- Casey Harwood and Denise Lambert
These crooks have been mentioned most recently in an article in the Guardian newspaper. They took money from people in relation to worthless property in the Detroit area under the names of New Orbit Funding and USA/Detroit Advantage.
USA Advantage was operating as the management company (although "Management" harldly applies in their case). For this they took a fee, but they did not engage in any due diligence for the tenants that they placed in the properties. No background check, no credit check, no nothing.
Properties were abandoned and left opened to the elements on their watch. They also made promises of refunds to those affected, but didn't follow through. This is what you can expect from these con artists. They do not disclose what the management structure and ownership structure is of New Orbit Funding so they can blame a company of which they managed and were shareholders in. Confused? You should be. They were part of that business, and when things went wrong, they changed the structure of it, so they could say that they were no longer associated with New Orbit Funding. Must be nice to blame a business that you owned and managed at one time and pretend that it was somehow or another a different set of people running it.
This is what's happening now. The very same people - Casey Harwood and Denise Lambert had a direct association with New Orbit Funding said that NOF would be issuing refunds to those affected by their actions. What they don't tell you is that they are New Orbit Funding and when the refund doesn't happen they make out as if it's a totally different organization of which they have no control over. What a load of baloney. They are all one and the same. They are sneaky slimy crooks engaged in double speak.
Pretty much the same complaints as above. Bought 6 properties. Wish I had read the postings above earlier. The first 3 luckily self terminated before I paid. The other 3, same stories as above. First, Greenfield, had a $4000 furnace replacement cost immediately after the purchase closed. The 2nd, Pierson, didn't have a tenancy deposit. I'm still waiting for the 1st rent. The 3rd. Minnock, still waiting for the 1st rent. Upon confronting Denise, she intially fobbed off the boiler cost by saying it was the buyer's responsibility, then said will check with Casey(as he apparently works in a different office) and finally, said will check with her management and as the time of writing this, had promised to revert by 24 Nov but since then, has gone silent. Calls to her office went to a voicemail. I was also told by another Detroit property manager that USA Advantage has a bad reputation and many other buyers, especially foreign ones, are in a similar position.
Everyone who has lost money through any of these related companies should file a detailed report on the above website, you do NOT have to be a UK resident to report your loss.
The scale of the amount that has been lost should raise a flag to the authorities or better still get them investigated in the hope no one else will fall into a financial mess!
I have tried twice now to post the www.actionfraud.police.uk.
on the Rip off website, where all their endorsements are posted,they have rejected it without any explanation.
Along with with consumer complaint TV programme's and the above web site are the only way there is a chance of these people will be fully exposed, it is sickening reading their website and remarkable how they are still operating.
I have given up any chance of their promised refunds, but I would like to see some justice for all of us that have been scammed.
Has anyone managed to get any satisfaction from this Ombudsman so proudly advertised in their own endorsement, no one seems to have any idea where he can be contacted!
Does anyone know if Steve Worboys, Casey Harwood or Denise Lambert have been charged or convicted with fraud yet, hopefully they have and enjoying Life at her majesty's pleasure!!!
Its time USAadvantage were properly sued and the victims compensated. I'm another victim. My story is typical of the ones posted here - I got conned into parting with money in a property investment 2 years ago. To date I have received no rent money, or a valid explanation from these people I now know to be fraudsters.
I have the same bad luck as pals here. Gareth Street, the precedent of Casy Harwood sold me the "big burden", it's still there and I keep paying on the house, USD2700 just paid for 2014 property tax. My contact [email protected] . Please add me if we join to form a group to sue for Steve's rubblish company.
This is the scammer (Experience International - http://experience-international.com/ or Experience Invest - http://experienceinvest.com) made update. They made fraud in UK for long. The Financial Times (FT) also published articles at: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/fe0e82bc-8a32-11e1-a0c8-00144feab49a.html#axzz3QamU9iqW. DON'T buy / invest any through Experience International - http://experience-international.com/ or Experience Invest - http://experienceinvest.com. The name of company director is Steve Worboys. See all of them (scamming team) at http://experienceinvest.com/about/.
EDitor’s UPDATE: Positive rating and recognition has been given to Experience International for its commitment to excellence in customer service.
Experience International have high standards but understand occasionally things can go wrong. Experience International’s principal, Mr. Stephen Warboys, has informed us that his personal commitment is that his clients are completely satisfied. As a successful businessman, Mr. Warboys feels it is critical to listen to his clients and respond properly, "Experience International has high standards but we know occasionally things can go wrong. If this happens please tell us straight away and provide us the chance to put it right for you." By always putting his customers first, Mr. Warboys hopes to maintain Experience International as a successful enterprise both now and for many years to come.
The information provided in this report is based on comments made Katerina Botseva Steve Worboys held by a third party verification company with no biases toward Experience International.
Experience International and Experience Invest are UK based real estate companies providing investors access to opportunities across various market sectors throughout the world. The company offers non-traditional products innovatively designed to meet the needs for today’s astute investor market sectors which are seldom available to the individual investor. The company completes 60-80 transactions per month. Approximately, 50% of their transactions are repeat customers and referrals.
The company feels they are set apart because they do stringent due diligence on a developer before they work with them. The process involves working with independent lawyers to verify titles which ensure that the market developer owns the land, has planning permission, and is in a legitimate position to market and sell the project. Additionally, Experience International states they are set apart because they have expanded their customer service team. For every 2 sales staff, they now have 1 support staff. When a client has an issue they will be immediately directed to a customer service advisor. If the company does receive a complaint they cannot handle, they bring in an ombudsman to mediate on behalf of the client to resolve issues.
Steve Worboys, Experience International's Managing Director, stated, “I have been with the company for 7 years and I have been dealing with investments from all over the world. We started with Bulgaria, then we went to Brazil, Egypt, France, and now we are focusing on the UK. Obviously, we always try to provide the best service possible; we occasionally have clients coming in to see the setup of the operation. In my opinion, apart from the occasional issues which are mainly caused by developers delaying the project or not delivering, we try to assist clients from the beginning and even after they have purchased with us.”
Experience International receives leads through the internet and then follows up with potential clients. They have signed an ICO (Information Communication Office) that verifies their data is legitimate and have acquired it correctly. When an inquiry comes in, the contact is passed to a sales representative who makes contact with the potential client to send them information. Then the client works directly with customer service to move forward with Due Diligence. The client works with Experience International to protect their funds (using services like Escrow).
In dealing with client complaints and questions, the company standardly responds to requests regarding the purchase process within the same day. If the requests have to do with delivering the project on time, they register the complainant and establish when the issue occurred. Then the company discusses what they can do to give the client the assurance that they are going to resolve the complaint within 48 hours. Katerina Botseva, Office Manager stated, “We always try to resolve it in house. If, let’s say the tenant has not paid their rent, then we contact the management company. If the house has damage, we have the building team try to resolve the issue. If the client is very unhappy, we work with the Property Ombudsman as it is recognized by the UK Office of Fair-trading.” The company continued on to mention if the client has a particular issue and they cannot resolve it or the resolution is not up to their satisfaction, the mediator can award up to 25,000 Euro in compensation. Although, the company states they have never had an instance where they were not able to solve the complaint in house and had to award compensation to a client.
An example of a complaint was when a client purchased a house and there was an issue that came up with the tenant. Experience International arranged with the management company to pay her the rent while the tenant was there, but then the tenant moved out. By the time they found a new tenant, there were amounts the client was not getting, was very unhappy, and wanted their money back. The company ended up reselling the house and paid her the tenancy money for the time that she owned on the house, then paid her exactly the amount she paid for the house. The client responded by swapping the management company for future projects.
Experience International is committed to do whatever it takes to make the client happy by moving away from international properties in their business practices. Additionally, with UK projects, they have all the client’s funds stay with a solicitor in escrow to eliminate risk for the client. In dealing with specific complaints on Ripoff Report, Steve Worboys stated, “I think what has happened there is they have not received their rent. In some cases, the property has not yet been refurbished properly in order to let a client in. That is where they have transferred the money to the developer and he has not completed the work. We have stepped in and financially contributed to completing the work.”
The company believes that being a part of the Ripoff Report Corporate Advocacy Business Remediation and Customer Satisfaction Program is good for their creditability as it provides the vehicle to show potential clients their commitment to customer service. Katerina Botseva stated, “ Clients make one call, but do not see the preponderance of work we do to resolve an issues. They do not see the amount of costs and time. We have always taken our customer service seriously, but there are some things that are out of our control.”
In regards to previous complaints on Ripoff Report, Experience International explained their relationship with New Orbit Funding. Worboys stated, “Experience International previously sold properties all over the world. One of those places was Detroit and in selling properties in Detroit, we were the marketing agent for a company called New Orbit Funding. Now Experience International is completely separate and there has been a new company formed called Detroit Advantage. They are based in both London and Bournemouth and they are the developer and marketing arm for Detroit properties. Experience International is transitioning into a company called Experience Invest and only sells properties in the UK because of previous issues.
STATED IMPROVEMENTS FROM Experience International.
”Customer satisfaction has increased from 85% to 95% and complaints have reduced by 90%. Client referrals and repeat business as a percentage of overall business have increased from 40% to 60% as a result of total customer satisfaction.
EXPERIENCE INTERNATIONAL / Statements from the owner.
”In the past 6 months we have seen a dramatic increase in the number of repeat clients which is testament to our commitment to customer service and transparency. The recent notable increase in customer referrals is a measure of how we are delivering on our promises to clients."
Our unparalleled market knowledge, multitude of marketplace choice and proven level of customer service has placed us as the leading UK overseas investment property specialists. We pride ourselves on our excellent customer service which ensures our clients return to us each time they wish to purchase an overseas property in an emerging market. Our network of specialized staff offer confidential, personalized and professional service ensuring clients make an informed decision to suit their individual requirements.
Experience International’s customer service team have reconfirmed the company’s commitment to customer service . The client liaison manager at Experience International stated "I have seen first hand Mr. Warboys' personal commitment to customer service and the design of the customer charter. It always gives me great pleasure to go back to any customer following the chance to put things right and our customer charter has exceeded expectations.
Experience International recognizes that complaints posted on Ripoff Report (whether true or not) are issues that need to be addressed, not ignored. If handled correctly, complaints can be valuable learning opportunities. With the feedback generated by Ripoff Report’s Investigation, Experience International has made organizational changes allowing its clients and employees a more streamlined approach to problem resolution and a commitment to a great client experience.
In summary, after our investigation, which included discussions with Mr. Warboys and many of his past and current associates, Ripoff Report is convinced that Experience International is committed to quality delivery of services resulting in total client satisfaction.
Read more about why consumers should feel confident when doing business with a member of Ripoff Report's Corporate Advocacy Business Remediation & Customer Satisfaction Program. Yes, it’s a long name for a program that does a lot for both consumers and businesses alike.
Read about Ripoff Report Corporate Advocacy Business Remediation & Customer Satisfaction Program.. A program that benefits the consumer, assures them of complete satisfaction and confidence when doing business with a member business. This program works.
As a matter of policy, when a business becomes a member of the Corporate Advocacy Program they agree to allow Ripoff Report to contact every client who filed a complaint so they can make things right with them. In order to confirm that the complaints were resolved, Ripoff Report is copied on all responses so we can insure that the member business did right by their customer…
USA Advantage Property LLC Reviews
Scam USA Advantage Property LLC
Do not get involved with this organisation Casey Harwood or Dennis Lambert con artist ... avoid. ..avoid...avoid Scam
In 2012, the above mentioned businesses were engaged in an alliance for the sale, marketing and property management of property in the Detroit area. They advertised property on their respective web sites. They shares staff, management and ownership.
I purchased a property in Detroit through the web site of Experience International, which is run by Steve Worboys. Experience International took their cut in the form of something they termed an "Enabling Fee", which amounted to GBP1500.00
His partners in this transaction are mentioned above. The sales person I was dealing with, offered me all sorts of assurances prior to the sale. I particularly concerned with the management of the property as I was an overseas investor. I was quite upfront in stating that there was an ocean between me and Detroit and therefore I would need to be assured that there would not be any issues in relation to the management of the property. I was given these assurances and told that Experience International and Detroit Advantage were companies that could be relied upon, and should any difficulties arise, that they would be there for me.
Detroit Advantage, which was advertising the same properties in conjunction with New Orbit Funding (to which they shared ownership and management) and Experience International with whom they shared staff, was the management company for the property I purchased.
It has to be noted that the sales person that I was dealing with was using an email address for both Experience International and Detroit Advantage, and the manager of the property Denise Lambert was using an email address for both Detroit Advantage and New Orbit Funding. This establishes the link between all companies and Denise Lambert was still using the email address for New Orbit Funding during the time of the management of the property in question.
The first thing that happened was that the property that I had initially picked out had a problem with the title. This was after I had paid the Enabling Fee to Experience International. I was then offered a different property by Lauren Warlow (who was working for and using email addresses for both Experience International and Detroit Advantage/USA Advantage). I should have realized that this was going to be a disaster there and then, but the assurances offered to me by Lauren Warlow and subsequently by Denise Lambert that they would be there for me, helped alleviate those fears.
Within two weeks of closing, I received a fine notice from the City of Detroit for Blight, in the amount of 5,000 dollars. Detroit Advantage paid a smaller fine to settle the issue, but there and then I realized that there was a major problem with the tenants that they had placed there.
Then in early 2013, I received a notice to advise that the rent collector was shot and killed while collecting rent. I was absolutely shocked that cash rent was being collected in 2013. Given that the area had been advertised as being "Popular with Business People", I had been of the opinion that the tenants would be dealing in cheques, bank transfer or direct debit. The advertisement was a deliberate attempt to alleviate concerns with regard to purchasing property in the Detroit area and was part of a series of advertisements that were at the very least misleading and at the worst, false, and deceptive. Other examples of this false and misleading advertisement was the put up Reasons to Invest in Detroit on their respective web sites and also to send out emails advising that property values in Detroit were rising, when in fact they were falling.
My rent stopped coming in early summer 2013. I kept being told that it was sent by Denise Lambert, but it never reached me. I had to complain bitterly to Steven Worboys. He didn't want to deal with the issue, stating that it was nothing to do with him. He tried to get rid of me by saying that he was just a marketing company. This is despite him taking a fee and advertising the property in his web site as "Our Listings" and having a representative using his company's email address as well as Detroit Advantage. Eventually after hounding him to resolve the issue, I started receiving the rent again. This was only a few months into the purchase it must be stated. I was really worried now; as Experience International and Steven Worboys were doing everything he possibly could to distance himself from Detroit/USA Advantage and New Orbit Funding.
Denise Lambert during this time made an attempt to offload the property to another property management company. Apparently, complaining about what has happened to your rent was reason enough for her and Detroit Advantage/New Orbit Funding to make an attempt to rid themselves of their responsibilities as far as the promises made at the time of the original sale from a representative that worked for them. They were also trying to absolve themselves of responsibility with regard to the management of the property which they knew was in trouble. They were the ones that placed the tenants remember, not me and I was assured that there would not be any issues with regard to the management of the property.
I managed to insist that they remain property managers, as I did not want to allow them to sever the link. It was extremely important to me that they not be allowed to make it appear that they had nothing to do with the sale of the property or the assurances that were offered to me at the time of the sale. If they made a commitment to me, I expected it to be honoured, and yet here everyone was doing their very best to disassociate themselves from the sale and the management commitments that were part of the sale transaction.
A few months passed and October 2013 was the last month of rent that I received. I spent two months chasing Steven Worboys of Experience International, who now dug in and tried to state that he had no responsibility. The property was advertised on his web site as their listings. It was talked up as being in an area popular with business people. It was stated that there were great reasons to Invest in Detroit, and I was given specific assurances that I would not encounter any problems by the sales representative, that was working for both him and Detroit Advantage. Steven Worboys also conveniently forgot that he took a fee for the sale of the property, so it most certainly has something to do with him. I paid for service and his company took the fee, so therefore it had something to do with him, whether he liked it or not.
In the mean time I had been chasing Casey Harwood and Denise Lambert, to find out what had happened to the rent, and getting nowhere. They could not give me any answers as to where it was, except to state that it had not come in yet. This was a company remember that was taking a fee every month for its services as manager of the property. It was their responsibility to manage the property and they had an extra responsibility given that they knew that I was an overseas client and was totally reliant on them as managers of the property. This and being told that there would not be any issues in association to the management of the property ensured that the onus was on them to vet the tenants for credit worthiness and to do a background check to ensure that they were good tenants in previous rentals. They did not do any of this and they knew it.
Casey Harwood asked if I had considered selling the property. I wanted out, but when he told me that properties in that area were going for between 15Kand 18K, I was alarmed. This company had been saying for a year that property values had increased. This was advertised on their web site and in their weekly emails. I had paid 23K plus the GBP1,500 Enabling Fee to Steven Worboys of Experience International.
Then Casey Harwood disappeared. He stopped answering emails and declined to answer my question as to how I had paid 23K, but he was now telling me that properties in that area were only worth between 15k and 18k. He was the seller along with New Orbit Funding and Experience International originally, and so had profited enormously from the sale. They all made out big time and were now telling me to take a massive hit.
It amuses me that in his defences here, Casey Harwood goes on about customer service and trying to resolve problems and answering queries within 24 hours. I sent him several emails last November and December that he failed to respond to. I kept chasing Steven Worboys also, who continued to try and get out of his responsibilities as the advertiser of this property. He at one point in mid-December 2013 said that he would refund me the Enabling Fee that his company took. He never did it. I'm still waiting. It was just another lie among the many that I have received from all these companies.
In January, I continued to chase Denise Lambert and Casey Harwood. Eventually I was told that the property had been abandoned and that snow had gotten into it and left it damaged in the thousands of dollars. No wonder Casey Harwood didn't want to respond to me. Now the property was worth even less than what he had stated. This was all on their watch. It took them months to find out and tell me that the property had been abandoned and left opened to the elements.
Finally, towards the end of January 2014, I received an email from Denise Lambert to state that I was to be refunded by New Orbit Funding. True to form, I'm still waiting on it at the time of writing in July 2014.
I have been asking for the refund for months that I have in writing from these people. It does not state partial refund or state that I would have to wait forever for it to happen. They are at their old trick again, in trying to distance themselves from the offer of the refund.
Denise Lambert is trying to state that there is no association between Detroit Advantage and New Orbit Funding. She was using in 2013 during the period when she was acting as manager of the property, an email address with the handle of New Orbit Funding and Detroit Advantage. They shared ownership at the time of the sale in 2012 and staff and management at both the time of the sale and during the time that Detroit Advantage were managing the property and taking fees for this service.
It speaks volumes that Detroit Advantage is trying to back track on the email sent in January which clearly stated that I was to be refunded. They negotiated it with New Orbit Funding of which I have a clearly established link. They were confident enough to put it in writing to me, and yet now that I have still not received it, are trying all they can to get out of their commitments and responsibilities. They carry on as if they were not responsible for the gross incompetence they engaged in as managers of the property. They try to distance themselves from the original sale and commitments made to me prior to the sale, when assurances were offered to me by Lauren Warlow who was acting on their behalf as well as of Experience International. They also forget that Denise Lambert was working for and using email addresses for both Detroit Advantage and New Orbit Funding during the time that she was acting as manager of the property.
I have waiting for months and months for the promised refund. I asked Denise Lambert who she was dealing with in New Orbit Funding and who it was that agreed to and authorized the refund. I requested the written documentation with regard to same. She failed to provide it and stated that the refund was agreed verbally over the telephone. When I pushed the issue, and asked her to provide me the names of the people in New Orbit Funding and Detroit Advantage that had agreed the refund, she again declined to provide me with the information and stated that as it was months ago that she had "Forgotten". Amazing chicanery and deceit. Downright lies, it has to be stated. She told me that I was getting a refund in January and months of me chasing up; she then tells me that she had forgotten who had agreed and authorized it.
Casey Harwood has posted notices here that his company is committed to customer satisfaction. I am not satisfied. He wants me to accept total financial disaster, while his company made out along with Experience International and New Orbit Funding, with regard to the original sale and subsequent management fees. His company and staff were grossly negligent with regard to the management of the property. They allowed the worst tenants to occupy the property and then took months to realize that it had been abandoned.
When finally I was told that I was to be refunded in an email from Denise Lambert back in January I thought the nightmare of getting involved in this Rip Off was finally coming to a close. No such luck. It is now almost mid July, and not only have I not received the promised refund, but Denise Lambert, Casey Harwood, Detroit/USA Advantage, New Orbit Funding are back to doing what they are best at - Avoidance of Promises made, Avoidance of Commitments Made and complete Avoidance of their Responsibility.
These people do not do what they say they will do. A lawyer supposedly acting on their behalf confirmed to me that I was to be refunded. He did so in an email but now he has disappeared.
I should would have my money back by now that I was told I was getting last January. Instead I'm still here filing reports against them and wishing that I had never heard of them – USA/Detroit Advantage, Experience International and New Orbit Funding.
Action to take
www.actionfraud.police.uk.
Everyone who has lost money through any of these related companies should file a detailed report on the above website, you do NOT have to be a UK resident to report your loss.
The scale of the amount that has been lost should raise a flag to the authorities or better still get them investigated in the hope no one else will fall into a financial mess!
I can help you
I used to work in Detroit with this company. If you can would you send me an email. [email protected]
Thank you for your posting
Was about to commit to USAadvantage until I google and found yours. Apparently, there was an editor's update below. Was wondering whether your issue was resolved?
Something is not very right of this website as you can do a posting without giving an email. And I wish to be in contact with you to do further due diligence.
Same same
Can we form a group to combat these menaces/fraudsters ? I'm a victim of the similar scams. Anyone interested, please contact me at: [email protected]
They got me too, I took them to court and won!!!
Good morning, I would be grateful if you could let me have recent bank account details. I have won a garnishee order to recover my funds and expenses. The bank accounts I was sent are kept empty? any information will be helpful, please send you information to [email protected].
Detroit Advantage/usa advantage/direct property title LLc were the company names that I dealt with.
I purchased one property, 20524 Lesure, Detroit, MI 48235, for $19000 +fees+taxes $23000, in August 2013, caught up with the idea of having a bit more of an income for a low outlay, the advert said $652 net monthly income.
Looked great, so I went ahead, against my wife's advice, and sent a further $17275 for another purchase, Evergreen, again sitting tenants, newly refurbished, all checked out, just like Lesure was, great I'm on my way, afterall the help from Denise Lambert, the company co ordinator, I recieved was 1st class, how could this possibly go wrong!!!!! First up the promised rent, for Lesure, on the 9th of each month did not appear, again Denise chased up the property managers, ok I'll see what happens next month, nothing for 4 months, until the property management company was changed, to Inner city property management, another fee sent $99, they tried to contact the tenant, but they would not reply, eventually they replied saying they had a list of faults that required fixing before they would pay any rent, a newly refurbished property!!!.
I asked them to get a quote so I would make the property decent, they sent me photos of each issue and an estimate of over $4000 for repairs.I was about to continue with the repairs when I received a letter from Wayne county stating there were outstanding taxes due on the property, from 2011, $14392.90,the house would be foreclosed in the next few days, so much for the title closing agency, also the tenant had said they were only $600/month!!! Enough was enough, the management company explained that I could donate it through IPCM quit claim deed, this was signed and witnessed, then overnighted, at more expense, to make sure it beat the foreclosure deadline.Bye bye $23000.
Meanwhile the Evergreen property had a lien against it, so that was a non starter, a swap property was put on hold until the rent from Lesure came in, ha, ha. With this disaster, I wanted nothing to do with rentals and requested a return of my $17275, I received $5000, so you can understand how angry I am with this insult. At first I thought it was an error, they missed the 1 off the 15, heard nothing since, which is disappointing to say the least, if I do get any joy I will update this report, but I won't hold my breath!!! I am young enough to keep working to recover this theft. but I feel sorry for any person who has put their life savings into something like this, I hope they have more luck than me,they can't have any worse, I am sure there may be some very satisfied customers out there. I took the Lesure loss on the chin but the $12000 they have kept, after the loss I took is disgusting.If you do invest in this company, pay for your own independant surveyor/title search.
This is my second attempt to submit this report
Update
I am still chasing my money, I did receive $2500 in August with a promise of small payments to be fully refunded, now owed $9500, still lost $23000 on the miss sold property. Sadly as in many of these cases they have stopped replying to my emails, I had big hopes from Casey!!!!
I have contacted a few agencies including London trading standards, here is their reply, sums everything up really!
I acknowledge receipt of your e-mail and attached.
I note that the e-mail sender, Casey Harwood, has used the 70 St Mary Axe address. However I have been advised that the company moved out of those rented offices some months prior to June 2014. None of the names you provide are listed as registered UK companies at Companies House. They appear to be based in the USA.
I agree that the practices of the trader(s) with whom you have been dealing carry the hallmarks of a scam and I would recommend that you report the matter to the national fraud reporting line, ActionFraud, http://www.actionfraud.police.uk.
We are aware that the City of London, as an international financial centre is attractive to fraudsters who rent offices or mail forwarding services in this location to give the impression to prospective victims that they are bona fide companies with a wealth of expertise offering genuine investment opportunities. Both the police and ourselves are putting significant resources into investigating fraud involving so called alternative investments and disrupting and prosecuting where we can. However such investigations are lengthy and complex and therefore limited in number and we are unlikely to be undertaking any new investigations presently.
For some general background information on scams and how to protect yourself against them you should visit the Financial Conduct Authority’s website at http://www.fca.org.uk/consumers/scams . Be particularly on your guard against ‘recovery room scams’ in which people who have engaged with one scam are targeted further by the same or other criminal enterprises who try and persuade you they can recover some or all of your money for a fee but who are actually intent on defrauding you further. More information on scams is available in the following booklet: http://www.met.police.uk/docs/little_book_scam.pdf
Thanks for Posting in Relation to USA Advantage/Detroit Advantage
Good to see that some of these reviews are in the public domain. You had to post twice to get heard and Rip Off Report appear to remove some reports that they had previously approved. Very strange that some of the reviews in relation to USA Advantage/Detroit Advantage and New Orbit Funding were removed by the people who say that they never remove a report. Well, it appears that they do.
USA Advantage and Detroit Advantage along with their partners in crime, New Orbit Funding defrauded overseas investors and everyone needs to know it.
Thanks for posting this report and preventing I fall in the same mistake for this -- Casey Harwood via mail226.atl81.rsgsv.net
Dear Sir,
Thanks for telling us your experienced. Anyone could fall in this type of trap.
I am lucky for not fall in the trap. I use the google map and could not locate their USA address and decide not to proceed for booking. Thanks for your posting this email and alert others don't repeat the same mistake.
Some postings missing or removed from Rip off Report
Some reports appear to have been removed from Rip Off Report, even though they claim not to do this.
Do not do business with these companies - USA Advantage/Detroit Advantage and New Orbit Funding.
How they were able to get negative reports removed I do not know, but I have noticed that some are missing.
Rip off endorses this lot
I sent a complaint to the editor of rip off, explaining the concerns that they do not publish all complaints, that I have submitted, along with a lot of other ripped off victims, below is an extract from the email:
''The sad thing from the victims point of view is that Rip off appears to be endorsing these companies! when it should be warning people of the dangers.
The rating of a company includes satisfaction in dealing with issues, my guess is they will change their name again and keep doing it.
It is a sickening feeling reading their website, I feel sorry for anyone who even considers sending them their hard earned money in the hope of improving their income, as promised.''
Needless to say I did not receive a reply or had any of my points were posted, which makes a joke of their peoples issue website.
People ripped off, like myself, should make sure they protect anyone else and keep everyone aware how dangerous it is sending 1 penny to any of these companies
agree
I was beginning to wonder if these companies had shares in Rip off too, they are still advertising they are whiter than white, while many submitted truths about them never appear and are spread across a number of headings, so the true picture of the scams are not visible in one place, to help stop anyone else getting ripped off.
Hello everybody! i don't want any more people lost money. i am from China, i purchased 3 Detroit properties (about $30000 each) from USAadvantage or usaadvantage a UK company who claimed the address in US, but the sales are in ondon, this is a company separated from a UK company owner is called Steve! just passed a few months, now, all properties went into trouble!!! there is no rent received after 3 months, and need money to repair or handling other actions. They pass my properties to a non-functional and lazily and dis-honestly property management company called new orbit funding or detroit advantage to manage. but the pm is a mess, they failed to manage properties, just ignore them. One of my property was vacant and theft few months ago, they just did not know and not report util few months later. if you want to have more information about the dishonst things they did. please leave me email at Sales Gareth Street !!! be careful!
His name is Steve Worboys.
His name is Steve Worboys.
Buyers from China
Don't be silly. Your properties have never been refurnished and rented out. The property photos that you received were taken a decade ago. You met a liar and paid for a great story.
Read this
http://www.theguardian.com/money/2014/aug/02/-sp-beware-detroit-buy-to-let-property-marketed-uk-investors
This is the Guardian report, disgraceful what has happened to investors, 30 people probably lost at least 30k each, looking at close to a million profit. How come they are still trading??
BEWARE ALL THE TIME
GOD GREAT....
I have received all their impressive emails.....and I still studying them....Thank you very much of this review on google....
They are scamer.....
Our money come from sweat and thier , be alert all the time before u start to decide to invest.....
USA Advantage/Detroit Advantage & New Orbit Funding- Casey Harwood and Denise Lambert
These crooks have been mentioned most recently in an article in the Guardian newspaper. They took money from people in relation to worthless property in the Detroit area under the names of New Orbit Funding and USA/Detroit Advantage.
USA Advantage was operating as the management company (although "Management" harldly applies in their case). For this they took a fee, but they did not engage in any due diligence for the tenants that they placed in the properties. No background check, no credit check, no nothing.
Properties were abandoned and left opened to the elements on their watch. They also made promises of refunds to those affected, but didn't follow through. This is what you can expect from these con artists. They do not disclose what the management structure and ownership structure is of New Orbit Funding so they can blame a company of which they managed and were shareholders in. Confused? You should be. They were part of that business, and when things went wrong, they changed the structure of it, so they could say that they were no longer associated with New Orbit Funding. Must be nice to blame a business that you owned and managed at one time and pretend that it was somehow or another a different set of people running it.
This is what's happening now. The very same people - Casey Harwood and Denise Lambert had a direct association with New Orbit Funding said that NOF would be issuing refunds to those affected by their actions. What they don't tell you is that they are New Orbit Funding and when the refund doesn't happen they make out as if it's a totally different organization of which they have no control over. What a load of baloney. They are all one and the same. They are sneaky slimy crooks engaged in double speak.
USA Advantage is a Rip Off Agency
Pretty much the same complaints as above. Bought 6 properties. Wish I had read the postings above earlier. The first 3 luckily self terminated before I paid. The other 3, same stories as above. First, Greenfield, had a $4000 furnace replacement cost immediately after the purchase closed. The 2nd, Pierson, didn't have a tenancy deposit. I'm still waiting for the 1st rent. The 3rd. Minnock, still waiting for the 1st rent. Upon confronting Denise, she intially fobbed off the boiler cost by saying it was the buyer's responsibility, then said will check with Casey(as he apparently works in a different office) and finally, said will check with her management and as the time of writing this, had promised to revert by 24 Nov but since then, has gone silent. Calls to her office went to a voicemail. I was also told by another Detroit property manager that USA Advantage has a bad reputation and many other buyers, especially foreign ones, are in a similar position.
Action to take
www.actionfraud.police.uk.
Everyone who has lost money through any of these related companies should file a detailed report on the above website, you do NOT have to be a UK resident to report your loss.
The scale of the amount that has been lost should raise a flag to the authorities or better still get them investigated in the hope no one else will fall into a financial mess!
Re action to take
I have tried twice now to post the www.actionfraud.police.uk.
on the Rip off website, where all their endorsements are posted,they have rejected it without any explanation.
Along with with consumer complaint TV programme's and the above web site are the only way there is a chance of these people will be fully exposed, it is sickening reading their website and remarkable how they are still operating.
I have given up any chance of their promised refunds, but I would like to see some justice for all of us that have been scammed.
Ombudsman
Has anyone managed to get any satisfaction from this Ombudsman so proudly advertised in their own endorsement, no one seems to have any idea where he can be contacted!
USA ADVANTAGE/Experience International
Does anyone know if Steve Worboys, Casey Harwood or Denise Lambert have been charged or convicted with fraud yet, hopefully they have and enjoying Life at her majesty's pleasure!!!
Scammers USAadvantage
Its time USAadvantage were properly sued and the victims compensated. I'm another victim. My story is typical of the ones posted here - I got conned into parting with money in a property investment 2 years ago. To date I have received no rent money, or a valid explanation from these people I now know to be fraudsters.
I am a victim from Hong Kong
I have the same bad luck as pals here. Gareth Street, the precedent of Casy Harwood sold me the "big burden", it's still there and I keep paying on the house, USD2700 just paid for 2014 property tax. My contact [email protected] . Please add me if we join to form a group to sue for Steve's rubblish company.
Re: EDitor’s UPDATE
This is the scammer (Experience International - http://experience-international.com/ or Experience Invest - http://experienceinvest.com) made update. They made fraud in UK for long. The Financial Times (FT) also published articles at: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/fe0e82bc-8a32-11e1-a0c8-00144feab49a.html#axzz3QamU9iqW. DON'T buy / invest any through Experience International - http://experience-international.com/ or Experience Invest - http://experienceinvest.com. The name of company director is Steve Worboys. See all of them (scamming team) at http://experienceinvest.com/about/.
EDitor’s UPDATE: Positive rating and recognition has been given to Experience International for its commitment to excellence in customer service.
Experience International have high standards but understand occasionally things can go wrong. Experience International’s principal, Mr. Stephen Warboys, has informed us that his personal commitment is that his clients are completely satisfied. As a successful businessman, Mr. Warboys feels it is critical to listen to his clients and respond properly, "Experience International has high standards but we know occasionally things can go wrong. If this happens please tell us straight away and provide us the chance to put it right for you." By always putting his customers first, Mr. Warboys hopes to maintain Experience International as a successful enterprise both now and for many years to come.
The information provided in this report is based on comments made Katerina Botseva Steve Worboys held by a third party verification company with no biases toward Experience International.
Experience International and Experience Invest are UK based real estate companies providing investors access to opportunities across various market sectors throughout the world. The company offers non-traditional products innovatively designed to meet the needs for today’s astute investor market sectors which are seldom available to the individual investor. The company completes 60-80 transactions per month. Approximately, 50% of their transactions are repeat customers and referrals.
The company feels they are set apart because they do stringent due diligence on a developer before they work with them. The process involves working with independent lawyers to verify titles which ensure that the market developer owns the land, has planning permission, and is in a legitimate position to market and sell the project. Additionally, Experience International states they are set apart because they have expanded their customer service team. For every 2 sales staff, they now have 1 support staff. When a client has an issue they will be immediately directed to a customer service advisor. If the company does receive a complaint they cannot handle, they bring in an ombudsman to mediate on behalf of the client to resolve issues.
Steve Worboys, Experience International's Managing Director, stated, “I have been with the company for 7 years and I have been dealing with investments from all over the world. We started with Bulgaria, then we went to Brazil, Egypt, France, and now we are focusing on the UK. Obviously, we always try to provide the best service possible; we occasionally have clients coming in to see the setup of the operation. In my opinion, apart from the occasional issues which are mainly caused by developers delaying the project or not delivering, we try to assist clients from the beginning and even after they have purchased with us.”
Experience International receives leads through the internet and then follows up with potential clients. They have signed an ICO (Information Communication Office) that verifies their data is legitimate and have acquired it correctly. When an inquiry comes in, the contact is passed to a sales representative who makes contact with the potential client to send them information. Then the client works directly with customer service to move forward with Due Diligence. The client works with Experience International to protect their funds (using services like Escrow).
In dealing with client complaints and questions, the company standardly responds to requests regarding the purchase process within the same day. If the requests have to do with delivering the project on time, they register the complainant and establish when the issue occurred. Then the company discusses what they can do to give the client the assurance that they are going to resolve the complaint within 48 hours. Katerina Botseva, Office Manager stated, “We always try to resolve it in house. If, let’s say the tenant has not paid their rent, then we contact the management company. If the house has damage, we have the building team try to resolve the issue. If the client is very unhappy, we work with the Property Ombudsman as it is recognized by the UK Office of Fair-trading.” The company continued on to mention if the client has a particular issue and they cannot resolve it or the resolution is not up to their satisfaction, the mediator can award up to 25,000 Euro in compensation. Although, the company states they have never had an instance where they were not able to solve the complaint in house and had to award compensation to a client.
An example of a complaint was when a client purchased a house and there was an issue that came up with the tenant. Experience International arranged with the management company to pay her the rent while the tenant was there, but then the tenant moved out. By the time they found a new tenant, there were amounts the client was not getting, was very unhappy, and wanted their money back. The company ended up reselling the house and paid her the tenancy money for the time that she owned on the house, then paid her exactly the amount she paid for the house. The client responded by swapping the management company for future projects.
Experience International is committed to do whatever it takes to make the client happy by moving away from international properties in their business practices. Additionally, with UK projects, they have all the client’s funds stay with a solicitor in escrow to eliminate risk for the client. In dealing with specific complaints on Ripoff Report, Steve Worboys stated, “I think what has happened there is they have not received their rent. In some cases, the property has not yet been refurbished properly in order to let a client in. That is where they have transferred the money to the developer and he has not completed the work. We have stepped in and financially contributed to completing the work.”
The company believes that being a part of the Ripoff Report Corporate Advocacy Business Remediation and Customer Satisfaction Program is good for their creditability as it provides the vehicle to show potential clients their commitment to customer service. Katerina Botseva stated, “ Clients make one call, but do not see the preponderance of work we do to resolve an issues. They do not see the amount of costs and time. We have always taken our customer service seriously, but there are some things that are out of our control.”
In regards to previous complaints on Ripoff Report, Experience International explained their relationship with New Orbit Funding. Worboys stated, “Experience International previously sold properties all over the world. One of those places was Detroit and in selling properties in Detroit, we were the marketing agent for a company called New Orbit Funding. Now Experience International is completely separate and there has been a new company formed called Detroit Advantage. They are based in both London and Bournemouth and they are the developer and marketing arm for Detroit properties. Experience International is transitioning into a company called Experience Invest and only sells properties in the UK because of previous issues.
STATED IMPROVEMENTS FROM Experience International.
”Customer satisfaction has increased from 85% to 95% and complaints have reduced by 90%. Client referrals and repeat business as a percentage of overall business have increased from 40% to 60% as a result of total customer satisfaction.
EXPERIENCE INTERNATIONAL / Statements from the owner.
”In the past 6 months we have seen a dramatic increase in the number of repeat clients which is testament to our commitment to customer service and transparency. The recent notable increase in customer referrals is a measure of how we are delivering on our promises to clients."
Our unparalleled market knowledge, multitude of marketplace choice and proven level of customer service has placed us as the leading UK overseas investment property specialists. We pride ourselves on our excellent customer service which ensures our clients return to us each time they wish to purchase an overseas property in an emerging market. Our network of specialized staff offer confidential, personalized and professional service ensuring clients make an informed decision to suit their individual requirements.
Experience International’s customer service team have reconfirmed the company’s commitment to customer service . The client liaison manager at Experience International stated "I have seen first hand Mr. Warboys' personal commitment to customer service and the design of the customer charter. It always gives me great pleasure to go back to any customer following the chance to put things right and our customer charter has exceeded expectations.
Experience International recognizes that complaints posted on Ripoff Report (whether true or not) are issues that need to be addressed, not ignored. If handled correctly, complaints can be valuable learning opportunities. With the feedback generated by Ripoff Report’s Investigation, Experience International has made organizational changes allowing its clients and employees a more streamlined approach to problem resolution and a commitment to a great client experience.
In summary, after our investigation, which included discussions with Mr. Warboys and many of his past and current associates, Ripoff Report is convinced that Experience International is committed to quality delivery of services resulting in total client satisfaction.
Read more about why consumers should feel confident when doing business with a member of Ripoff Report's Corporate Advocacy Business Remediation & Customer Satisfaction Program. Yes, it’s a long name for a program that does a lot for both consumers and businesses alike.
Read about Ripoff Report Corporate Advocacy Business Remediation & Customer Satisfaction Program.. A program that benefits the consumer, assures them of complete satisfaction and confidence when doing business with a member business. This program works.
As a matter of policy, when a business becomes a member of the Corporate Advocacy Program they agree to allow Ripoff Report to contact every client who filed a complaint so they can make things right with them. In order to confirm that the complaints were resolved, Ripoff Report is copied on all responses so we can insure that the member business did right by their customer…
Good joke!
Reading the complaints on this page, makes a joke of this statement!