Real Consumer Reviews and Ratings
John Beck's Free & Clear Reviews and Ratings
Rate this product.
Overall Rating 
Manufacturer
Family Products, LLC.
Product Description
You'll receive 5 books: Real Estate for Pennies on the Dollar- Tax Deed Edition, Real Estate for Pennies on the Dollar-Tax Lien Edition, Free & Clear Real Estate Directory, John Beck Amazing Profits, Free & Clear Properties by Mail. You'll also receive a bonus book: Making Money with Free & Clear Properties on the Internet.
Average Retail Value
$39.95 (prices may vary)
Comparisons
Amazing Profits by John Beck | Carleton Sheets No Down Payment
Consumer Ratings
Major Scam!
10/9/2008 - Mike Edwards of OR, USA writes:
This is a scam. The infomercial sounds great. You call their number and they try to upsell you on all kinds of stuff. One of which was to pay extra for fast shipping as they say it will take 4 to 6 weeks if you don't. I declined all the special offers including paying for expedited shipping and received everything they offered as EXTRA anyway within 3 days. Then a representative called me and told me that they wanted to make me rich and that their motivation was to make me a rags to riches testimonial which they would use on future infomercials. The first interview asked me how many credit cards I had and what was the total amount of credit I had available. After passing the first interview, they decided that I was a very eligible sucker with a lot of credit available and I then graduated to the second interview. The second interview told me that I would need to pay $13,000 with my credit cards and that the contract would arrive shortly after. They refused to allow me to see a contract until I paid. It was then that I realized that this was obviously a scam and did some fast research on this company. After reading many horror stories that started out like my own story, I knew it was time to stop and go no further with them. I immediately called my credit card company and had them reissue a new card canceling the existing card to protect from future charges by this company.
good news
8/18/2008 - anonymous of tn, usa writes:
it's a really great product. i didn't have to call and place a order over the phone or anything. it just worked out for itself.
Don't get suckered like I did .....
6/27/2008 - Ralph of Ca, USA writes:
Well, here I am a 48 year old retired engineer and yes, I got suckered. The sad part is that I knew the whole time I was being played and yet it didn't seem to matter. They had just the right words at just the right time to turn me into a blubbering idiot. While this may seem impossible to the rest of you, it is truly a miracle in the making. These folks are Professional Cons - or Pro Cons. The product is useless. They promise you the world and deliver nothing but a few well-timed phone calls. What they sell you is a dream that everyone has to make big money with only a reasonable investment of time (10-15 hours per week) and no money out of your pocket. It's not going to happen with this system. At first call they ask you a lot of questions about how much credit you have available on your credit cards. They give you a homework assignment to add up all of the available cash advance $'s you have available and to call each and every one of your credit card companies to ask for a higher limit and a lower interest rate. The next phone call is from a supervisor who has all of the information you've given them (I didn't actually tell them the truth) and they pick a price that is nearly 1/3 of what you tell them you have available to mentor you and get a 100% return on your investment. They tell you they will return half of your total investment (in my case about $12,000) after you turn over 5 properties with profit using their system and then they will return the remaining 50% when you turn 3 more properties. Their explanation is that they will then be able to use you in one of their infomercials and profit millions from your testimonial that you bought and sold property using their system without ANY money from your pocket. The way it works is that you are to borrow your credit card cash line limits and then supposedly repay the credit cards before a payment is due. They call this using OPM - Other Peoples Money. Problem is that if you don't sell your properties fast enough you end up paying considerable interest on your investment. They tell you they will not charge your credit card the mentoring fee (again, in my case nearly $12,000) until 72 hours after you have received your complete package and they tell you that you will be able to call their specially trained mentors directly and speak to them before you are ever charged a penny. Bullshit. After I agreed to their terms over a recorded phone line I asked for the phone number of my mentor and was told he would call me. I got very nervous at that point and called my credit card company within 12 hours to give them a heads-up about the situation just before calling John Beck's office to cancel the contract as the law allows me to do. I recorded all phone conversations. I was told by a supervisor that my contract was canceled and that they would not be sending the package. My credit card was charged two days later on the day FedEx tried to deliver the package which I refused. I had told them at the beginning of our dealings that I also record every phone call and have proof of their claims. I was transferred to another supervisor in the customer retention department asking why I was canceling and trying to convince me they had made a mistake by charging me long before the 72 hour promise. The answer to your burning question: Yes, I got a full refund but it took two more phone calls in the next day or so and a couple of legal and news/media threats with my recorded conversations and a printed phone log from my phone company. I continued to get multiple phone calls on a daily basis for two weeks until I made one more call to their office and sent a FAX with a full accounting of their harassment tactics phone calls. Do yourself a favor - if you read this before you've made your first call to them you are a Winner. If you've bought their system and then found this website (like I did) start keeping serious records and record all of your phone calls to and from them. It's your only chance for a full refund and a happy ending. Fortunately I was able to get them off my back with my phone recordings and my phone bills (cell companies are wonderful that way with all incoming/outgoing phone numbers listed) showing all of the calls they made to me long after I canceled my contract Best of luck to you all!
get out early!!
5/28/2008 - Alan of va, hampton writes:
I ordered the program as many of you did after late night/early morning viewing. After getting the package in the mail i didn't call them they called me seeking to upgrade me and like a crazy person i did, to the tune of $11,525. But i told myself if they slipped up once and didn't do what they said i would get out quick, so i left them no margin for error! They told me i would get a call the next day from a student advisor which never came and i knew it was time to move! I had to wait out the weekend but by the next business day after noon i sprung into action!! I called the number they gave me which was not the customer service number(they didn't give me that number) but the corporate office number and i got the number from them to customer service. Then when i told them why i was calling they told me they would cancel the $99 portion of the program I NEVER ORDER OR AGREED TOO! After that i was given another number to the mentoring program because that's where you have to cancel the full program from. Now I must admit they have been agreeable and so far have been willing to recredit my card with the money but its not done yet so i will keep you all informed!! I'm convinced if i had not moved within that 72 hr period of cancellation i would be stuck with a major disappointment right now!
Scam!!
4/27/2008 - Debbie of Florida, USA writes:
Wouldn't want anyone to know I fell for this. What a waste of money and a down right scam. I sell real estate and should have known better. I do look at real estate "How To Get Rich" products so I know how to handle the client who purchased and bring them back to earth. But there is no reason to have purchased this. It's my fault that I got robbed. Never again. Don't buy.
STAY AWAY
4/25/2008 - Deana of TN, USA writes:
Stay as far away from this product as possible. They will try every way possible to rpe you into thousands of dollars of stuff that you don't need, doesn't work, and won't give good customer service on. DO NOT BUY.
Fraud
4/10/2008 - don of CA, USA writes:
this email went to John Beck after we cancelled. If we had any questions about where you get your company money before we cancelled, we NO LONGER have ANY doubts. Your people agreed to CANCEL the program signup BEFORE the transactions had cleared our credit cards. BUT today, 1 DAY after cancelling and getting the AGREEMENT to have the cancellation done, TWO credit cards were CHARGED SO YOU CAN GET THE MONEY for 30 DAYS. That's what I consider LOW BUSINESS PRACTICE!!!!!! Don
Waste of money
3/5/2008 - Yvonne of Connecticut, USA writes:
I bought the product, optimistic at first. I decided to return it without prejudice. Getting my money back was an ok experience. The customer service was friendly. The part that angers me is that I still get soliciting phone calls from the company, trying to sell me the product. I kindly told one gentleman that I returned it and a month later, I am getting calls from the representative, Kelsey, even late into the night! Get a clue reps! What part of stop calling me don't you understand? Maybe you would like a phone call home late at night!
They Did What They Said They'd Do
2/15/2008 - Mitch of Arizona, USA writes:
My experience with John Beck’s people was very positive. I did not complete the mentorship program, but I did sign up for it. I did pay in excess of $10K, and when I cancelled within the 3 day trial period, I did receive 100% of the money back. They complied with their guarantee, and one shouldn’t ask for any more than that. I did have one session with the mentor along with two conversations with their VP of Customer Service. Both were professional and not pushy in the least. They were receptive to my involvement, and while disappointed that I wished to cancel, they were neither snide nor arrogant (as some other reviewers have said of John Beck’s people). That being said, I can imagine that many people might have trouble with John Beck’s program. It requires more than an average knowledge of real estate transactions as well as internet interaction. In reading all of the information provided, I do believe the program provides the knowledge needed to begin the investment process, but a novice will need to devote a considerable amount of time to make it all come to fruition. Since I did not complete the mentorship program, I cannot speak for the promised results. I was looking for the “silver bullet” which would lead to relatively easy money by buying at pennies on the dollar. In reading all of the material as well as scouring the outline for the mentorship program, I did not find the silver bullet, but I found a great deal of useful data that, coupled with my knowledge of real estate and research tools available on the interknit, should produce profitable results. Possibly the mentor would have provided the “silver bullet”, but I was unwilling to put $10K+ at risk to see if that mentor had the “magic” information. Bottom line: If you buy the package for $39.95 from the infomercial and truly read it and synergize it with a plan of acquiring properties and then selling them, you have the basic information on what you need to be successful. If you cannot synergize the data provided with other information you have or is available to you, then real estate is, like all investing, risky, and possibly you shouldn’t follow through with it. The mentorship program will likely provide a significant amount more information for the novice, but you’ll still have to acquire and sell property, and that involves risk (along with the risk of the monies for the education). Good luck!
Free and CLear
2/11/2008 - Matt of New York, USA writes:
I have not used this product, but I am a real estate investor. I've seen this infomercial a numbers of times.I can tell you that you will not pay for back taxes and own a property for less then $1000. But paying on back taxes is a way to make secure money, and you don't need to order and make someone else rich to find that out. Do the research. counties hold annual auctions to raise money they miss on taxes. you bid on interest rates, usually starting around 28%. which is very good and if u can get in the know and make good public relations you could pay on taxes before auctioned and not worry about bidding down on interest rates. then you have a tax lien over a property. the owner has to pay back what u paid plus interest that you bidded. the state governs when they need to pay it back so your money will be held up for some where from 5 months to a year usually. then if they don't pay back the lien and interest THEN you own the property free and clear. and then you need to find a way to flip the property. this is a common technique for INVESTORS. unless your looking for good return for an investment don't try it. it takes money. and your money will be held up but 95% of tax liens are paid back, so your not likely to get a property.
ripoff
1/22/2008 - arlene of Florida, USA writes:
I bought this product at the local library annual book sale. Cost $3. And after thorough reading and investigation, this product is a rip off. The information is outdated, phones, addresses and websites. At least it positively does not work in Florida specially Miami. A broken down shutgun shack in Miami will not cost you less than 50K these days. as real estate anywhere here is at a premium and tax deeds do not exist here. You can buy a tax certificate in florida but all you get is interest if the tax is paid no property. The property usually goes to a bank that sells it for big bucks. All we have are foreclosure sales and they don't go cheap. My cousin in Nevada can't get anything either. Big bucks too. Those claims they buy for 200.29 and sell at a profit are false. Those people must be paid for lying. And I put plenty of time researching this after reading the book. But basically you might be able to find something like swamp land in the middle of nowhere that would be uninhabitable thats all. Look, think if it where that simple why would John Beck want to sell his secrets to you. He would make all the millions himself and maybe get his friends and family in it, but thats it. I just took the cd and books and donated them back to the library. They are worthless.
Incomplete/Outdated
1/18/2008 - Bernard of Arizona, USA writes:
Product is not complete to make purchasing tax liens/propertys. Web addresses are not valid. All I wanted was to get the nice returns on my money. Gaining a property is unlikly at best. You are better off geting a tax attourney. Keep your money.
John Beck product is a SCAM !
12/6/2007 - fabi of California, USA writes:
Purchased this product and received outdated handbooks. all the info exist on the internet. Could not get money back. I was lucky to not purchase their coaching but many people did and lost thousands of dollars. Stay away from john beck' product. I'm sure he will end up in jail soon.
Complete exageration Do Not Waste your money!
12/6/2007 - Mark of Washington, USA writes:
Bought the package, Studied it now trying to apply the information. It is so exposed it isn't a secret or even worth pursuing, Chance in a billion of actually succeeding as he states in the advertisement. Yes maybe 10 years ago before over saturation of this information. As the word got out about this, The next logical thing to do was to make an infomercial to add to his success. Not yours. I was a fool to believe in this because at the time I was desperate to make additional income. The reality is that Millions of other hungry people are out there trying the same thing now. This has been out for 12 years. Which at that time it was a good thing. The goldrush is over and this is just an attempt to cash in on stale old information. Good for him, Bad for us trying to survive.
One dissatisfied client
11/19/2007 - Larry of California, USA writes:
My biggest regret is that I didn't do some research on this service. I saw the TV infomercial and said to myself, "If these people can do this, so can I." I ordered the product and followed the instruction to call to get more information. I am too embarassed to say how much extra I paid to sign up for the coaching, but it is more than I have read anyone else paying. I started my coaching sessions and I thought everything was going great until my coach failed to call for the scheduled session, then that turned to not responding to my emails or phone calls. I finally was assigned a new coach and after 5 session I fond myself in the same situation. Comunication with this company is terrible. Promises are made that calls will be returned, and they never are. I have always been the one to try to make contact . I really do want to learn how to do this and from reading letters from those who have made it work, I have no doubt that the process does work. It is just that I need to know the steps to make it work, and I don't feel that I have received anywhere the educational value they have promised.
Scam or not, Do some leg work people!
11/1/2007 - Dawn of Washington, USA writes:
I ordered this package from John Beck after watching an infomercial on the local boob tube(TV). With shipping and taxes I paid about $54. My books and cds arrived within 10 business days. Sooner than I anticipated. I browsed through the books and put them aside and started doing some legwork on google and other search engines. I am sure this stuff works but only if you put some sort of effort into it. You can't expect things to be handed to you, that is not how life works. I have not made any profit, nor have I flipped any properties. Why? Because I simply do not have the time. Am I a Beck Fanboy? Certainly not. Ordering the books is one thing, being duped into paying for crappy mentoring is just pathetic and I feel bad for those who have lost so much and cannot get it all back. There are several complaints that say they never agreed to have their credit/debit cards debited for Vault Fees however, you obviously were too excited at the time and did not hear what the IVR (automated voice box) was saying. IT SAYS VERY CLEARLY: YOU WILL BE BILLED AFTER YOUR 30 DAY FREE TRIAL IS UP, UNLESS YOU CALL TO CANCEL. If you don't cancel, then the onus is on you! Don't blame customer service for your lack of listening skills. If they refuse to refund your money, then contact your credit card companies and ask for a "CHARGE BACK." They will send you the forms and it can take up to 30days for you to get your money back. You need to try to get the money back before calling the credit card companies or else they will just refer you back to John Beck's company. I asked to be removed from any sort of Vault Service fees. I have 2 confirmation numbers, one for cancellation of any services from them and one for the refund that is to be going back on the credit card. I have been told it will take 5 days for it to appear on my statement. I will be checking in 5 days if it is not there, I will be asking my Credit Card company for a Charge back. Good Luck to those who managed to make a profit and to those who feel this is a scam for whatever reason they see fit.
Fraud!!!!
8/9/2007 - Anonymous of Arizona, USA writes:
John Beck seduces you with false claims about this product. However, the information that he sells is the same as everybody else's who claim to be real estate gurus. In addition, I was charged $40/month for what? Nothing, that's what. I am still fighting to get my refund and cancellation. It is junk. He is making money off of the naive. He is certainly not making it from real estate.
RUN!!!!
7/16/2007 - Anonymous of New York, USA writes:
I purchased just for the information- $30 seemed reasonable. Months later I was charged and additonal 40 a month for months. Efforts made to go through the co directly to stop the fradulent charges were futile. I had to contact my credit card co. I never got back all the money due. to add insult to injury servce leadership at the company are less than unprofessional , they are rude. Take the time to research the info needed on your own!
Free and Clear works
5/16/2007 - Joe of California, USA writes:
I bought this product almost two years ago. The first two months were very challenging. I spent over $5,000 getting trained before I made my first purchase. In the first year I spent over $20,000 getting all the help I could because I was determined to make it work. I have purchased nine properties up to this point and five have been sold at a big profit. I have made over $200,000 profit this past two years after all expenses. The four houses I currently own outright are all on the market. If I sell these homes at 80% of the current market value I will of made over $400,000 profit total. If I sell my four remaining houses for a total of $100 I will of made a profit of $80,000 up to this point. I have taken a lot of risks. It was not easy. If you think you can get rich easy, it won't happen. It is hard work. I admit John Beck made it sound a lot easier than it is. I knew before I bought the product that it wasn't going to be easy, nothing is. With anything is life if you are willing to take risks and work harder than anyone else, you will be successful. If you are planning on buying this product you need to have at least $50,000 put away for the purchase of your first house and all the training you are going to do. The lowest house I purchased was for 17,000, which I sold for 69,000 three months later. I haven't found the $500 house yet. In that respect the advertisement was wrong. I'm sure there were houses sold for that. Keep in mind if a million houses are sold and 1,000 of them are sold for less than $1000, those are the ones they are going to talk about in the advertisement. They only show you the one in a thousand deals on TV that were pennies on the dollar. Those deals are few, but for the most part if you work hard, you will find some great deals out there and make a lot of money. The least I made on any deal was $52,ooo. The total amount I spent on training and other expenses outside of the purchase any property ia around $36,000. All Five properties I sold, I have made over $52,000 on each one. If you don't have a lot of money put away, then don't buy this product. If you are looking for a life long investment for your future, then this product is for you.
False Advertisement
3/25/2007 - Charlene of Georgia, USA writes:
The information that I received was totally different from the commercial. There are a lot of more steps involved before you can just purchase a home and get the money ASAP. I'm not saying that it does not work, but I will definitely say that this qualifies as false advertisement. After listening to the DVDs to a certain point, I decided that it was not at all the same as the infomercial. So, I nolonger wanted to use it. Anything that is built on a false foundation may seem like it is growing but it won't last (prosper permanently). Plus when I tried to cancel to prevent the monthly billings, all of the emails failed to go through. When I finally got in touch with someone by phone, she was nice enough to refund me. Customer service was great!
