SMC Specialty Merchandise Corporation: Start a Business for $25? Really?
(UnhappyFranchisee.Com) Have you had any experience with the heavily hyped and infomercialed SMC Specialty Merchandise Corporation business opportunity? The infomercial stars pitchman huckster Tom Bosley, who was the father on Happy Days. They boast that you can start a business for only $25 and make thousands your first week or even day.
What do you think? Leave a comment below.
Here’re a few comments from unhappy SMC investors:
I also fell prey. To this very well orginized scam! This is what they pulled on Me. First SMC withheld the starter kit. Till My electronic check cleared, The transaction was complete and posted in My bank. The follwoing day. I received My kit 27 days later. Called to let them know and schedule thier appointment. Three days later they called. Two days after the scheduled date. Then the following day. Smc took another $39.95 out of My account. So I called them they said, ‘Don’t worry we didn’t set Your start date yet’. I was lied to again right then, They did start it The day they cashed the check!. So even when I did cancel My membership. They called My house to inform Me. I still owe them $400.00. I don’t think so. They aren not getting another penny from Me. Stay away from this scam company!!!!!!. John Round Lake Beach, IL
The 30-day trial is a scam. They start the trial on the date that the ship the membership kit. By the time you get the kit, and finally get your ‘business coach’ on the phone, you already lost 15 days of your trial time. Then if you want to cancel before the trial is up, they make it a TOTAL NIGHTMARE. You even have to send back the promotional literature, and the catalog. They tell you that your free ‘gift card redemption’ site will be automatically cancelled but thats not true either. You have to call up eMerchantClub and cancel it manually because they will contiue to charge you $29.95 a month for the stupid, free cookie-cutter site they give you when you sign up.
SMC’s entire deal is about selling you a $1,500.00 website that only sells to people who either buy gift card from you, or register on the site and receive a ‘free’ $10.00 gift card, that of course you have to buy in advance. Either way, you pay. The kicker is that they refuse to give permission for you to build your own website and host it yourself, because they want to charge you $29.95 a month to host the useless $1,500.00 website.
SMC’s product line is some of the worst junk I’ve seen in any mail order catalog. Its all stuff no one wants. If anyone wanted this crap, SMC wouldn’t have warehouses full of it.
The testimonials on their website are obviously fake. They actually have different people with the exact, same word-for-word testimonials, bragging about the exact same amount of money they supposedly made over the exact, same period of time. Its like they take the same testimonial, paste it all over the page, and just change the picture.
Our coach was annoying and rude. As soon as she realized we weren’t stupid enough to go for the $1,500.00 website, she shut up and wouldn’t go any further with us, even after we told her we wanted to do other, non-internet programs that they offer. She actually tried to have us set up another appointment to talk to her a week later, so that our trial period would expire, and we’d be locked into paying the membership for a year. We began the cancellation process immediately.
If you want to make some money drop shipping on the internet, there are lots of drop-ship suplliers out there. All you have to do is some research, and stay away from the ones that offer you a website. Eb, New York, New York
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yes i was in roll with them buying items from them to resale i was seting up from home and flea markets in lafayette la the items are nice but the price we have to paid for them is carze and then try to resale it it not ease to sale and then the biggings thing about it all they telling ever one not to said were these items comming from but yet they all over the tv trying to get ever one to buy this items from them to open a business so i feel it a rip off as well i was thanking about going thow them agin even knowing how there are to start up my business so im not sure yet if i well
When I started with SMC, there was no annual fee and they didn't have Internet. I became a lifelong member. Where are they now? I'd really like to know.
Sorry! I messed up with my name. I ordered and received products through them. Everything seemed fine then. Anyone have any more information on whether this comp[any still. It seems that people are still getting their catalog. Heck, I'll bring a class action lawsuit against them for my money back. lol
I joined smc, got my catalogues n paperwork.I ordered the items I wanted to resell n instantly sold them and mad money. I have had no problems at all with people or service or products. I would suggest smc to anyone that wants to make extra money.
Well.....I signed up with SMC long before any internet program. The internet was in its infancy so really it was just a membership to join a wholesale warehouse to buy supposedly at wholesale prices. Too bad that their catalog's retail prices are actually higher than real retail. There were/are other company's catalogs that have similar items way cheaper. All come from china of course. Believe it or not after 5 years I actually DID sell $5000.00 worth of merchandise taking it to craft shows and setting up a monthly rental booth in a couple of craft stores. When this happens they refund your then $300 membership fee. I was an idiot tho and took the refund in merchandise, LOL. Now after several years am still trying to sell the items on Ebay which is hella hard when the whole country is full of other SMC members or former members like me selling the same items. Can't really take the nice figurines and decorative items to a swap meet as in SoCal the mexicans have taken those over and nice things like merlins, dragons, American Indian figures, Classic Wildlife and the like don't sell there. Nothing worse than sitting in a hot swap meet at a local drive in with mexican banda music blaring not selling anything, heh.
Phil, you're an idiot. That's the first thing that popped into my head when I read your post. I can't believe they let you post that bigoted garbage on here. What does SMC and your lack of making money with them have to do with Mexican people? If it bothers you that much, stay home and avoid the "mexican banda music". Jackass.
would like information to start a business or businesses with you and a catalog of your products sent to me at darnell jones [redacted] please
My husband and I almost 18 yrs ago joined Specialty Merchandise Comoany. We paid the fees and paid off our membership in the time alloted. We always had great service, we always got books. I even did the school fund raiser program. It turned out amazing. Everything came as orderd. I even sold my stuff at the local flea markets and whenever I had a yard sale. The prices were very reasonable and I pretty much got what the asking price was. I myself even bought the fairy, hummingbirds and dragon deco items for my own home. Once I recieved a damaged item. O call, talked to a rep on the phone. They sent me a new one right away.
What is the start up cost?
I found this company one night while up late trying to figure out how to make extra money. To my surprise, they were fair in every way to my knowledge. I haven't seen any commercials lately nor have i been affiliated with them lately but when i was selling there items i did well.