My friend Natraj Korgaonkar suddenly called me after 1 year, regarding a business meet. When he met me he started to enquire about my financial status, so I shared that it was not that good. He told me that he was running a business for which he left his job & is making more than the salary offered by the job. That sounded good so I fixed a meet. He told me that, it is 4 to 5 years project in which we will meet the VP (Vice Presidents) from different companies in the whole world. He assured that in this business I will be able to make rupees 4 to 5 crore in next 5 years. He asked me that if i would like to join him. I asked for a bit of details from him. He took me to his senior partner, named Mikhil Samel. Mikhil told me that they have very less positions for partners, which was valid only for that day hence i have to book the position immediately without delay, otherwise they will sign up some one else for their business project.

For this I was suppose to pay Rs. 3 lakhs to start the business, I did not have the arrangement for that sum so I said no to it. Then they said you can pay the booking amount approximately $595 (INR 45,000) and block the position. So I did the same. Then he insisted to make my husband join under me. I said will have to try first & then will put more money in the business, they then assured me the they will manage the business for me and were reluctant to share what exactly the business idea was. Since Natraj Korgaonkar was a trusted friend & used to work with me I believed it & also enrolled my husband for the same amount $595 (INR 45,000). When i asked about the business, they mentioned that “it is an e commerce business. Hence by paying money, i will be buying 3 shares of the company named Q.Net and i will be a partner”. They said ” I will get a IR code, which i can circulate amongst my friend & relatives circle and whenever they will shop, i will get the 10% to 14% of the total amount. They told me that projected profit per partner is 4.81 crore in 4 to 5 years. So, it’s not at all tough business.” When i was asking about company & business more, he never answered. He said its not our “standard operating procedure” SOP and you will know it gradually. As they were pressurizing me for money to close the position. I applied for loan, and i made an online purchase on the website using my credit card for both the transactions. We were not given options as to what we can buy & were forced to buy the holiday package (Explore 1 for 7nights & 8 Days).

Before enrolling said that this is very easy, he had promised me that I had to put in 2 to 3 hours daily from home, where few days later as after enrolling & making the payment he said I have to work at any time of the day & only as per his availability & meet at the place feasible to him. Most of the time when I called him he was busy during the day time & could not provide enough support. He used to come home at late night to explain the further procedures. I was not comfortable but had no option as I had payed already. I was shocked to see, that the destination for the Holiday package will decided by the company as per hotel & room availability & I had to suggest 3 options for the destination also that I will have to pay a sum of INR 6500 to book the date of my holiday which was not explained earlier. He showed me financial’s of the company and while seeing financials i came to know that it is “Network Marketing”, and I have to make 6 partners to start making money. than i realised that something wrong has happened with me. After Financials he took me to Mc Donalds, Hub Mall Goregaon, Mumbai for some Welcome session, In which they were talking about “Dreams”. They told me to write down minimum 20 Dreams that i would like to fulfill, than he told to make a name list of people whom i know. minimum 500 names. He explained that our name list should exceed by 10% every month, means we have to make new friend to make business partners. etc. The very next day after this session, he took me to a conference that these people call it as “System”. Where their Senior Partners (they call them Uplines) come and address the audience by showing off money & their experience. Still I was not clear that what is this all going on? What I have to do in business? and Natraj was not answering me regarding anything. Whenever i questioned him, he roudly replied that “just do as i am saying, dont dare to run your own brain in this work. No Questions, Just do as i say”. He gave a set of books and DVD’s to study before i start this business for which I had to pay additional INR 1000. I read the books & watched the DVD’s they were all about how to do network marketing. I was amazed to see, that I have got trapped by the tactics shown in the DVD’s & Books. Next time when he met me, he told me about Hot, Warm & Cold Zones. Hot Zones – Means the people who are very close to you and trust you a lot like your parents, best friends and relatives. Warm Zones – Means your normal friends Cold means – the people whom you dont know at all. These zones were the targets for them.

Natraj told me to make name list of all 500 contacts on my social networking websites. I was doing it than he told me to call up my near dear ones and tell them ” Bada acha business hath laga hai, send me money of minimum Rs.1 lakh immediately to my account. Agar profit nai mila toh, i will give you double amount in 3 years that no bank will give” He told me show urgency by saying ” I have only 1 position and i have to close it immediately, send me money jaldi se” . he told me not to answer any questions of anyone and keep the call. I felt very strange about all these things. According to me, this is not a right or ethical thing that was happening with me. Whatever they were teaching me, was not at all convincing for me. My ethics doesn’t allow me to do anything wrong and lie anyone for money. Hence after seeing all this, i started asking more questions from Natraj and he started getting more & more rude with me. I have been cheated because i saw that, they are teaching me ways to make people fool and get the money from your own friends & relatives. i found it completely unethical. The people who are called Up Lines, listen to every call. They listen to calls to know what are we talking about, as we are not supposed to say a single word without their permission. They want me to get people on the table to see this business plan, and immediately pay them money. I felt my money has been wasted unnecessarily and still i have to pay INR 6500 for the holiday package. I was never informed about the return policy or else I would have changed my decision to pay for this scam. On sheer trust i gave money and now i am paying EMI’s because i can’t lie or break anyone’s trust. Hence I didn’t even made a single partner in this business. I would like to get my money back, so that I can pay my loan back and can live my life peacefully.

Regards
vaismist@gmail