What can one say as an Internet attorney about marketer Perry Belcher’s arrest? I take no joy in it — and it certainly could have been prevented at many stages in his career. There are some who may become angry that it is being discussed in public (particularly marketers who have done business with him) but it needs to be analyzed in the context of ethics, the law, and Internet marketing in general.
Who is Perry Belcher? He’s not an Internet attorney.
A look at Perry’s Linked-in profile will give you some idea of his prior successes online. From what I can tell, he’s a very talented individual who made some poor choices.
Perry has been charged with computer fraud, imitation of a licensed professional, and deceptive business practices. This was the result of an investigation by federal, state, and local government agencies. You can read about it in the press release issued by the sheriff’s department after his arrest.
Sadly, there are many Internet marketers pushing the envelope with conduct as illegal as what Perry Belcher is alleged to have done (remember that an arrest alone doesn’t mean he’s guilty).
Shady small-time operators think they’ll fly under the radar and won’t get caught. Many act out of desperation when their online businesses aren’t making any/enough money.
Large marketers listen to their egos and believe they’re invincible because they’re better at screwing people over than those who do get busted.
If you have a friend who has crossed the line with their Internet marketing practices, share the story of Perry Belcher with them. Maybe you’ll get them to stop in time before they get caught. Don’t accuse your friend of wrongdoing. Just pass along the story and let them draw their own conclusions. If nothing else, maybe they’ll talk with their Internet attorney before doing something stupid online.
If you’ve ever dealt with Perry Belcher either as an Internet attorney or as his customer, please post a comment here describing what happened (good or bad).
03/08/09 update – Tenn. auctions off fortune amassed by Internet scam artist
08/30/09 update - Perry Belcher plead guilty. You can download his criminal records at this link.
No related posts.
Crazy.
This is an excellent post and the first time I found your blog.
I have never heard of Belcher before this but you’re right more and more marketers pushing the envelope for sure. He’s certainly “linked” into the crowd of some of the bigger players.
I was discussing this in my forum and its interesting because after reading the 4 hour work week I immediately investigated getting into the sale of supplements.
Writing copy for the sale of vitamins and supplements is a whole different ball game and this is one envelope being pushed to extremes all over the place… Such as where the secret ingredients are coming from etc..
As for writing ebooks and products claiming to be a Medical Professional, thats just wrong and this guy got what was coming to him.
I was an affiliate for his company Selmedica. Considering that he stopped paying affiliates back in Summer 2007, I was actually glad to see him arrested on *something*. He still owes me over $7,000 which I doubt I will see, but I have informed law enforcement in TN about his practice of not paying affiliates. I have a feeling they are inundated with similar emails, and Belcher may be up for a lot more charges. Even if he doesn’t go to jail (I think he will – and for a while), I know a lot of people who may be calling him up looking for their money. He might prefer jail.
Well, it is about time that some action has been taken on the deceptive marketers. I know nothing about Perry Belcher nor his products nor websites. But I do know about a great number of internet marketers that have conned the internet public with promises and promising to answer questions you may have regarding their software or products they are promoting. When you do send them an e-mail. requesting assistance, the answer you get is, ‘follow the instructions’ If I understood the instructions, technical terminology, I wouldn’t be seeking assistance.
There is so much Fraud (I think that would be the term) on the internet especially regarding lottery winning, inheritance etc. I wish something would be done about these. However, more of these state that they are from other countries, Mainly the ones I get are from UK. In fact, when to go to the United Kingdom to check on these sources, you are told that there are so many of them, they cannot be listed.
It is a sad state of affairs when people get the feeling that no one can be trusted and everyone is out to rip you off.
My opinion of what he did.. he would find small herbal businesses with products that sold well, copy their formulas, sell them for twice as much with professional looking web sites, and spent a fortune on advertising. Some of the products actually worked, but he messed up with false “experts”, credit card fraud, and not taking care of customer complaints. Must be a nut! He could have had a great thing going if he had just followed the “rules” and not gone overboard. The BBB has been after him for years because of numerous complaints.
The name of Perry Belcher’s company speaks volumes as to his marketing style:
“Perry M. Belcher Companies, Gotcha Marketing…”
Source – the Shelby County Sheriff’s press release.
Noah,
Glad you found your way to the blog and liked what you saw. Stop by any time.
Re: your comment. The nutritional supplement industry is so heavily regulated by the federal government that it is just begging for trouble to bend/break the rules when selling them. Protecting public health is always a winner for law enforcement and bureaucrats, particularly in an election year. Belcher apparently gambled one too many times and lost.
Best wishes,
-Mike
Pennsylvania Senior,
You hit a nerve when you mentioned the U.K. Although I know some very reputable Internet marketers who live across the Atlantic, some of the nastiest Internet pirates I’ve dealt with also live there. They respond with an anti-American snobbery as if it entitles them to steal web content and info products from American online entrepreneurs. It’s really a shame.
Best wishes,
-Mike
Anherbalist,
If what law enforcement alleges is true, the Belcher saga reminds me of the saying, “Pigs get fat but hogs get slaughtered.”
Without a moral compass, some Internet marketers simply get too greedy without understanding the legal implications of breaking the law.
Best wishes,
-Mike
Alan,
Good catch on the company name. Wonder if it represents Belcher’s intent or if he unconsciously chose it to reflect what he’s been accused of doing.
Regardless, it certainly won’t look good to a judge or jury.
Best wishes,
-Mike
I have been using Belcher’s Selmedica co. thyroid supplement for a long time and its a shame that even health sites were promoting his illegal tapped herbs, probably filled with ashes in the capsules and getting people at risk for more health issues. This issue was prolonged too long and the feds should have seen this along time ago, But that is the way it goes. Thank God I am still breathing
Yeah, it a shame.
And what’s even worse now… [name redacted] (an Internet marketer) is doing some kind of deal with Perry Belcher.
[name redacted] has been making some reports available on Driving Traffic and what they are calling ‘Wholesale Traffic’.
This is probably a lead up to a product launch or something, ’cause that’s what all these guys do these days.
In the reports and on the site he’s calling Perry Belcher ‘Mr. X’. It doesn’t take much to link the two together, especially if you know the two and have heard them both speak.
I posted a message to [name redacted] blog about his involvement with Perry, and asking why he was supporting and basically promoting this behavior.
But [name redacted] is ‘Moderating’ his blog so no one can post any bad and/or negative comments.
I’m sure the State of Texas will be a bit interested in this as well.
Moderator Comment: The Internet marketer’s name was redacted because, to date, there has been no lawsuit, arrest, or other evidence to support the accusation. If such occurs, the marketer’s name will be reinstated to this post. Note that Belcher is presently not in any position to be doing any Internet deal with this or any other Internet marketer.
Here’s where it gets even worse…
It appears that they are, or have, created a product that teaches people how to drive traffic and sell people $17 20 pages ebooks using the same techniques and strategies.
It a shames.
— My Post To Ryan’s Blog —
On Wed, Apr 23, 2008 at 3:02 AM, WordPress
Comment:
Ryan Deiss…. I’m ashamed of you. I know you’re a marketer, and I thought you were one of the true Christian.
As a marketer… I know, you jump at the chance to make money. Can’t blame you for that.
As a Christian… One would think you would want to surround yourself with, and do business with people who are ‘true’ – and have a since of strong moral values.
Case and Point: Mr ‘X’ aka ‘Perry Belcher’.
This guy is a ‘total’ fraud.
Perry Belcher Jailed:
http://www.shelby-sheriff.org/press_releases/lakelandbusinessmanarrested.asp
Mike Young Law:
http://mikeyounglaw.com/wp/2008/04/16/perry-belcher-the-arrest-of-an-internet-marketer/
Rip Off Report:
http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/0/265/RipOff0265812.htm
About.com
http://thyroid.about.com/b/2007/08/28/more-bad-news-and-warnings-about-the-secret-cure-for-hypothyroidism-scam.htm
And these are just a few of the sites.
I have purchased product from you and Perry Belcher in the past. I have also heard you each speak, so putting the two together didn’t take much time.
And I’m sure the State Of Texas (where I reside) will be interested in knowing the you are marketing material (or plan to) based on Perry Belcher and his scam.
I really liked you. I thought you were one of the few ‘honest’ guys in the internet marketing area.
— Ryan Response To Me —
—– Original Message —-
From: Ryan Deiss
To: Tommy
Sent: Wednesday, April 23, 2008 4:16:29 AM
Subject: Re: [Wholesale Traffic System] Please moderate: “Download “Product Splintering” Special Report”
Tommy,
Normally I wouldn’t respond to these kinds of things personally, but since you called my integrity into question (along with my faith) I felt that a personal reply was appropriate.
For the record, Perry Belcher is a friend and a good guy, and what’s being done to him by the state of Tennessee is not right at all. Ask anyone who’s in business and they’ll tell you that stuff like this happens to people who don’t deserve it all the time, and in this case they came after Perry.
Their claims that he operates an “illegal” manufacturing company is 100% false. The fact is, the guy’s lab is fully registered with the FDA. The state simply didn’t understand the distinctions between homeopathic registration and pharmaceutical registration, which shows their ignorance. The fact is, ALL of his products were and are approved by the FDA. Again, the state was looking for pharmaceutical approvals and didn’t realize that there are different levels of FDA approvals. Pharmaceutical is the highest, but there are 5 other levels beneath that that the FDA regulates.
Likewise, their claims that he pretended to be a licensed medical professional are also false. On his ebook sites he called himself a “medical researcher,” which is not a licensed profession in any state.
There are a lot of things that can be said about this, but just know that almost no one (including Mike Young) knows much of anything about this case. Perry and I are friends. He’s a good guy and a good father and I’ll stand by him.
As for the About.com lady, she is a disgruntled competitor who was mad that Perry was beating her in the PPCs. Perry was actually filing motions against her for libel when all this stuff with the state went down.
The Rip-Off Report is the worst of all. Do some research on that guy and you’ll see that he’s been indicted by just about every AG in the country. He’s in the business of extortion, and he’s literally fled overseas so he can continue running his illegal business.
In the end, things aren’t always as they seem. If you have more questions I’ll be glad to answer them, but in the future please don’t be so quick to call someone’s faith into question when you don’t have all sides of the story.
-Ryan
— My Response Back To Ryan —
I agree with you ‘In the end, things aren’t always as they seem’…
I’ve done a bit of research, and taken the time to pick up the phone and call a few folks. I did not dive into this without a bit of thought and a plan.
I didn’t just wake up and jump on some bandwagon.
Some things are ‘just’ wrong…
If he’s done nothing wrong, why are most, if not all of his sites selling these $17 medically researched report closed down. And why are affiliates complaining about not getting paid. If you do just a little research you’ll find a bunch of affiliates complaining about not getting paid.
Here are a few ‘more’ of his sites that have closed down:
http://www.licex.com/
http://www.stanchions4less.com/
http://www.lawnfungustreatments.com/
http://www.selmedicaaffiliates.com/
http://www.hardwoodrenew.com/
http://www.bitterlicks.com/
http://www.fungrxforpets.com/
http://www.parvoguard.com/
http://www.groutrenu.com/
http://www.thwartbugbedrepel.com/
http://www.mrmagneticsigns.com/
One of the few sites that I could still find operating is:
http://www.carbonlessforms.com
I totally understand and appreciate that he can drive traffic, and that traffic is the life-blood of any business.
The problem I have is the ‘Value’ proposition, and the ‘Reason Why’… Is there true value in the product and/or service? Is it for an honest purpose?
Heck, he and you (I think) admittedly said that he used PLR type products and a host of Philippines writer to create these $17 short ‘medically researched’ reports, that by most accounts are crap.
Then there’s the recurring billing thing…
Look, if it looks like a skunk, and walks like a skunk, it’s going to smell like a skunk.
I understand and appreciate the fact that Perry’s your friend. We all have friends that we’re not too proud of at times.
I have been telling everyone about this for a long time. It is about time this so called internet marketing experts get what’s due. They outsource their operations to the philippines and lay off everybody here and get cheap poisons(not medicine) from china and who knows what’s inside those things. Something is out of synch if we glorify these guys
What is a shame is that people like him give all “herbalists” a bad name. There are a lot of herbal remedies that work better that prescription medications,and a lot of mom and pop herbal businesses that consider customer satisfaction the cornerstone of their businesses. Before you buy on the internet, check out bbb.org to see if complaints have been filed on a company and how they weere handled. In my case, ten years and no complaints – that is how you run a business!
Prescribed medications cause over 100,000 deaths annually, so they are all about profit as well.
Mike, it is nice that you actually participate in your blog, Thanks!
Because of the lies and misrepresentation that Perry Belcher wrote about on the Selmedica website, I believed what I read and ordered the product Alvidar for my daughter.. Afer 3 days she was rushed to the hospital because of rapid heart rate and a sick feeling…I called their office and a female told me it takes sometimes 3 mo’s for this product to work so I had to give it 3 months before I could get a refund…of course we didn’t use the product anymore.. Waited 3 months only to find the sales lines were no longer in service.. saw the information about Perry on the internet.. He talks highly of his family, but I wonder how they feel about the fact his selfishness and greed caused heartache and pain for many people. I am sure his mother would have a broken heart knowing what her son has done to many innocent people..Defrauding and misleading so many trusting (fools) like me.. Sure opened my eyes and learned my lesson the hard way..
A statement has been made by Ryan Deis – the Internet Marketer abotu Perry’s “predicament”, it is full of lies but you guys can read it here:
http://wholesaletrafficsystem.com/statement.html
I saw Perry speak last year at a conference. I had never heard of him before that. I’m surprised to hear of this news, but since I don’t know the facts I can’t really comment on it.
I just read Ryan’s statement, and I’m not sure how it is “full of lies”. I know Ryan personally, and one thing I can say about the guy is that he’s genuine. Therefore, although he may have been mislead in some way, I highly doubt that he’s going to throw a bunch of lies around and purposely ruin the solid reputation he’s built for himself by doing so.
And for anyone reading this who says that he’s already ruined his reputation by promoting the content from his call with Perry, then you need to read his statement to understand why he’s doing what he’s doing.
I don’t know the Perry guy at all, but I do know Ryan, and although he may not know the whole story, himself, there’s no doubt in my mind that he’s a guy you can trust with your life.
Ryan Deiss is perfectly entitled to his own view of what has transpired. The thread is focused on Perry Belcher rather than Deiss. That being said, the defense is remarkably similar to that provided by Internet marketers for friends who recently promoted hidden continuity programs. There comes a point in time that when one is in a hole, the digging must stop. Deceptive business practices in general hurt all Internet marketers by destroying credibility and encouraging government to overregulate ecommerce to protect consumers. Coming to bat for a friend is a good thing…if that friend deserves it. Pig sty marketers, however, should be shunned like lepers instead of defended under the buddy system.
Hi Mike,
Thanks for addressing the issue.
“Laws of unintended consequences”, for some.
I remember working aa a contractor, working many long hours and days. Someone (ones) decided they wanted to get paid for “overtime”–and, over time, that happened. I got a nice check for the overtime.
But it also meant that I couldn’t work more than 8 hours a day or 40 hours in a week — which was one of the reasons I did contracting!
When people push the envelope (not saying Belcher did), it only calls down “the feds” (generic term to represent all sorts and manner of legal heat) on everyone and makes a legit business more difficult.
While I have your attention, I’d be interested in your comments on the privacy policy, etc., on the Revolution Money Exchange site. I find people promoting this more reprehensible than hidden forced continuity. Money, you can get more of. Once your privacy has been lost, it’s kinda hard to regain.
Judy,
Thanks for sharing your experience. As for the privacy policy, you’ve spotted a trend arising from competitive forces to monetize sites. In fact, web sites that lose money on all of their content can still profit from the sale of visitor/customer information. From a legal perspective, these types of policies tend to be okay if there is clear disclosure (unlike hidden continuity programs). The line is crossed where the information is collected and supplied/sold to third parties without disclosure to the visitor/customer that is what is occurring. Of course, a better (consumer-friendly) marketing practice would be to have an opt-in rather than an opt-out provision for the collection and distribution of such information. Given a carrot for opting in, such as a free info product, most would do so without regard to the privacy implications.
Best wishes,
-Mike
Hi,
Thanks for the quick response, Mike.
Y’know, if I opt-in and somebody uses or sells my email address, that’s one thing. I can change email addresses, filter things out, stuff like that.
But financial information ???
That’s a little bit scarier.
Hi!
I would like to bring to your attention that Perry Belcher has been selling Homeopathic/Herbal drugs.
Don’t you get it that herbal drugs can or can’t cure you? Just like those other medically approved drugs out there, herbal drugs may or may not work. Its not penicillin, ok?
As for the complaints, heck, most of the complainants are either former disgruntled employees or competitors, or guys who didn’t know the fact that I just said about medicine in general. I would think that the guy was set-up, because he was making tons of money from the internet. The public officials probably needed something to show off, to make an example of to the media and the masses. Talk about witch hunts. How about the real guys in the net who really bilks people out of their hard earned money? How about the real criminals who auctions something on the net but you later find out that the auction item is not really in their possession? Or the crooks who sells a non-existing product? Or thieves who lures you to invest on a non-existing product or service? Why don’t those FBI and local official hotshots go after them? This Perry guy was selling something that was really there! Hope this guy wins his battle against these petty charges!
Gaby
Gaby,
Thank you for your response.
This post was not an attack on Perry Belcher or a referendum on the merits of homeopathic/herbal remedies.
What it is a warning sign to Internet marketers on what to avoid doing to prevent the government coming after you. You’ll also note that in addition to the legal charges, the Internet is littered with complaints by affiliates Belcher is alleged to have not paid their commissions. My hunch is that many of them are fully cooperating with the investigation
There are certain things one can do online that is the equivalent of pulling up to an intersection, seeing a police car, and deciding to squeal your tires, honk horn, and give the office the middle finger as you drive by. Even if you’ve done nothing illegal, you’ve just begged the police to pull you over. Tease the tiger enough times and you’ll get bit.
The Perry Belchers, Gary Halberts, and Vincent James of the world did this with their marketing tactics too many times and the government took them down. Probably the most egregious example in the natural remedies arena is Kevin Trudeau.
Best wishes,
-Mike
Thank you so much Mike for elaborating and educating us on the Perry Belcher debacle especially when so many internet marketers would prefer to bury this and just hope it all goes away.
You – not some in the internet marketing
in-crowd – are really looking our for the little guy and gal out there and giving them the honest to goodness information on protecting themselves.
Again thank God there are people like you who truly give a darn about protecting people unlike th misguided others who keep quiet about important stories like this one.
Thank you so much for not being cowed by the social pressures and internet marketing herd mentality so prevalent in this crowd. Bravo to you Mike!!!
Jones,
Appreciate your kind words.
To be sure, taking a stand on this one has probably cost me a few clients. However, Internet marketers who insist on defending the indefensible misconduct of another are unqualified to be represented.
You can never recover your good name if you roll around in the mud with pig sty marketers.
The only hope for staying profitable in such cases is to prey upon the constant flow of newbies to the Internet who can be taken advantage of. That’s a shame but it is reality.
Best wishes,
-Mike
I don’t know if Perry Belcher is guilty or not but I LOVE his products! Is there any way I can purchase some of his products while the trial is pending? Is someone going to take over his product lines while all of this is going on?? His product “Equitab” has changed my life and i’m going crazy with out it!! Does anyone know any information on if I can still purchase this product or when I will be able to again?? Thanks!!
Jess,
Thanks for sharing your experience with Belcher’s products. I’m sure other readers would appreciate knowing how Equitab changed your life. Please explain.
You may want to contact Ryan Deiss (who is apparently in contact with Perry these days). If anyone would know what Perry is selling and where, Ryan’s probably your go-to guy.
Best wishes,
-Mike
Mike,
Just came across your blog. I don’t know Perry Belcher personally, but I have now read the complaints, comments and the statement from Ryan. I am a customer of Ryan’s and have a ton of respect for him.
The complaints do seem like a witch-hunt to me. I think herbal supplements in general are crap. But they ARE legal to sell.
The complaint states that Perry ‘defrauded’ his ‘victims’ of about $18K. Seriously? This guy is making many millions and his ‘unfair business practices’ ‘defrauded’ $18K? Give me a break!
‘Unfair business practices’ is one of those catch-all charges authorities use when they can’t find something else to charge you with. Like the federal government recently started charging people with ‘perjury’ regarding charges the feds could not prove (Martha Stewart anyone?).
No individual deserves the full weight of the state government thrust upon them for such petty stuff. From what I can see, there was no illegal activity and any complaints should have been civil, not criminal.
For all those that want Belcher’s head on a platter – think again. If you’re cheering for this guy to go down via the hands of the state government, consider that the state government will GLADLY do the exact same thing to you. I love how it’s easy to jump on the bandwagon until it’s your neck on the line.
And if you think this kind of thing only happens to people that stradle some ‘line’ of ethical business practices, you’re wrong. These strong arm tactics are employed from the local to the federal levels. It’s an ‘us’ versus ‘them’ mentality and once you’re in their cross-hairs, facts, evidence and all of that silly stuff really doesn’t matter anymore. ‘They’ don’t like you, so ‘they’ will expend a tremendous amount of resources to crush you.
If/when Perry is found ‘not guilty’, do you think he will be compensated for lost revenues, time, embarassment, etc.? Nope. That is how the state tries to break people even when they have no substantial case.
Well, that’s my 2 cents or so.
Valerie,
Thanks for your response. This thread is not an attack on Ryan Deiss in any way. However, Ryan has decided to defend Perry Belcher and is accordingly drawing heat from certain quarters.
Let’s assume that everything you say is true about Belcher, a “witch hunt” etc. Even under such circumstances, the lesson to be learned from this is what not to do when it comes to drawing unwanted attention from the government. Belcher isn’t the first and he won’t be the last.
However, one can learn from his experience and avoid making the same mistakes when marketing online. Legal or illegal, his actions made him a target.
I’d contend that if Belcher had actually studied what happened to Vincent James, he’d never be in the position he is today with the government.
My hope is that someone who reads about Belcher (and James for that matter) learns from their experiences so they don’t become the next to fall.
Best wishes,
-Mike
The BBB has been trying to get him for years, if you go to BBB.org and look up Selmedica – that pretty much explains his record. I don’t see how anyone can defend that. Has nothing to do with the fact that he was selling supplements and more to do with credit card fraud. If you offer a money back guarantee, you have to honor it and refund unhappy customers- PERIOD
Mike,
Your point about drawing ‘unwanted attention’ is well, reality. I guess my argument is that government action should be based on the law and not emotion. I do not want to have to fear my government (at any level) just because they don’t like me (for whatever reason).
Your solution – stay out of their way. My solution – do what is legal and if they come after you anyway, fight it tooth and nail. What we’re doing here is condoning an unwaranted level of government attack BECAUSE of our personal opinion of the recipient. In other words, the government may be doing something wrong, but it’s OK because we don’t like the guy anyway. However, if that is allowed, the ‘regular’ internet business owner is NEXT. And maybe just because the government doesn’t UNDERSTAND your business. That is scary.
P.S. anherbalist – The BBB.org is not a policing agency. They don’t really ‘go after’ anyone. But I can tell you who does – the credit card processor. I know wihout a doubt that if a credit card processor detected fraud, too many chargebacks, etc. that every account Belcher has would be shut down without question (and probably without warning). If a customer paid via credit card and complained for ANY REASON, the credit card company would take the customer’s side 100% of the time and refund their money.
thanks,
Valerie
i havent tried any of his herbal products, maybe some of them works as advertised, maybe not. but lets not forget that he also sell the “secret cure” ebooks. these ebooks are advertised as secret cures for a variety of illnesses. so what does these ebooks contain, who makes them, and who are they marketed? well mr. belcher had “writers” from the philippines to “research” for “cures” in the internet and compile them to an ebook. he also had website developers who creates websites (and i mean tons of websites) with testimonials and endorsements from bogus medical professionals. all people who does the ebooks dont have any medical background and are not qualified to do medical researches especially for serious medical conditions.
Now we’re getting into legal versus ethical. Is selling eBooks written and researched by a foreign third party legal? Yes. Ethical? Maybe. It depends on the quality of the information.
Seriously like 99% of all eBooks on all topics are created this way (RentACoder, Elance). But if I have someone create an eBook, give me source references, which I verify, then I’ve only used the process to save some time writing the first draft.
In terms of the information in Belcher’s books, I have no clue. I’ve never read one.
Claiming you’re specifically a “doctor” is illegal. Claiming you’re a “medical researcher”, I’m not so sure. That is the state’s case and I think they’re probably going to lose depending on the judge’s interpretation of the statute. I’d bet the websites and the books also have medical disclaimers. I don’t know if that will play a factor.
Valerie,
What the government “should do” is very different from what it actually does. Idealism is fine. But the real world operates differently.
For example, one can exercise free speech rights by denouncing the IRS and income taxes all day. Yet it should come as no surprise that tax audits will follow.
Same thing with herbal supplement business and consumer protection arms of government.
You bait the bear often enough, you’re going to get bit…even if there’s a 100 good reasons why you did it.
Best wishes,
-Mike
Hi! Just want to ask how come this jake guy who doesn’t know a thing about belchers products, knows so much about his operations in manila?
well, guess he’s one of those disgruntled employees from manila who got fired because he can’t do his job well. Honestly, these disgruntled employees, who were fired because they can’t do their jobs well enough, or can’t even do their jobs, are the guys behind these attacks and complaints. I know they planned it. They were after his company cause they were sacked under “unfair reasons”. You know what they did? They went in with fake credentials on their resumes (well, most, not all), asked for large amounts of salary, allowances, and other priveleges that most guys here only dreams of. Hell, they make more than engineers and managers here, and they just got hired to boot. And they just loaf around all afternoon, trying to act busy, especially when Mr. Belcher is around. They took advantage of the guys generosity and kindness, and when the management caught on to their “productivity”, they got pissed. They went on and on that they will find a way to sue Mr. belcher and his company here. That they will find a way to shut down his operations. After 8 months, I’m not surprised that Mr. Belcher is in trouble. And yes, his company has shut down. And it all started with fake complaints from these guys. Bravo! Such selfish persons. They didn’t even take into consideration that what perry belcher brought here has helped a lot of families, because of his generosity and kindness. All these charges started because of these great bunch of guys, whos only talents involve faking resumes and faking complaints.
I stand by Mr. Belcher, he is one of those guys who are so unselfish, that he’d be willing to pay for stuff that somebody else stole (Thats a true story, someone he once knew stole a laptop from one of his employees here, and he paid for the laptop, imagine that!). I’ve seen him offer guys to finance their own businesses, just loan them the money, and if the business doesn’t work, he won’t ask for the money back. He was sympathetic to guys who were having money problems, and just doles it out, without question. Is this the guy that you are calling a crook? Someone who would give thousands of dollars away just to help someone he barely knew? (I’m not that person, by the way).
He didn’t bilk anybody, he put those warnings on the websites, that if it doesn’t work, he’d give the money back, and he did. He also stated the secret cures club membership, right there on the order box of the sites, not on fine print, most of those guys didn’t just read it. I’ve answered some of those calls, and the customers didn’t read it.
He almost went broke financing the office in Manila, and this is how those idiots repay him. By tricking you and your vaunted government into making a fraudulent case against him. Can you ask those guys who arrested him to get those guys who were “victimized” by belcher? I’m sure they’d need to give them temporary visas and air fare money form the Philippines to the USA.
It’s a shame, just a real shame.
Sincerely,
GRATEFUL FORMER EMPLOYEE of Mr. Perry Belcher
P.S.
Hey mike, since you’re all about the law and stuff, can you expose what I just said here? About those disgruntled employees who started this? cause its all true. I hope you would, being an advocate of truth and justice.
JakeFake,
While I appreciate positive PR spin, blaming Perry Belcher’s current legal situation in the United States solely on disgruntled former employees in the Philippines calls for willing suspension of disbelief. There was a lot more at issue than an employment dispute — and anyone who has actually looked at the case would know that.
Perry Belcher could be the next Mother Teresa or Marquis de Sade. It wouldn’t matter. The purpose of this post and thread is to warn other Internet marketers about the type of conduct that makes one a government target in an effort to prevent future prosecutions.
If disgruntled former employees were part of Belcher’s problem, that’s just one more lesson to be learned.
As for your accusation that I have somehow worked with the government to make a “fraudulent case” against Belcher, either provide factual evidence to support your claim or retract it.
Regardless of the merits of what the government has done in this case, I played no part in Belcher’s prosecution. That you posted a personal attack on me here using a fake name speaks volumes about your character. Not mine.
And as for your attack on my “vaunted government,” let me just remind you that many American lives were lost saving the Philippines from Japanese occupation in World War II. Ingrate.
-Mike
Mike,
I never siad you worked to help build any case. I was asking you (although in a sarcastic way) to bring into light that former disgruntled employees were a part of the campaign against belcher. Thats what I was asking. I never implicated you, sir. I was merely asking you to expose that.
Sorry if my statement was misunderstood. I apologize for that. Sorry for offending you, sir.
I wrote a couple of e-books, so I can tell you exactly how it goes down. They give you the name of a disease. Sometimes they provide you with some info from a medical encyclopaedia. But otherwise you just type it into the search engine of your choice and translate the information into marketing speak, twisting the facts so as to make it either more entertaining or more scary. For instance, arthritis is referred to as an auto-immune condition. This is cute, because you can then put it into a sentence with other scarier auto-immune conditions like AIDS. However, it is mainly rheumatoid arthritis that is auto-immune; osteoarthritis and most other forms of arthritis are not. Whichever way you look at it, they are publishing misinformation, and when health issues are involved that is very serious indeed.
Now, perhaps Belcher may have successfully tiptoed around the law by calling the writers ‘medical researchers’. But customers who buy these things are expecting expert opinion, and indeed they are marketed as ‘insider knowledge’. It is at the very least dishonest to sell these things when nobody involved has ANY KIND OF MEDICAL QUALIFICATION WHATSOEVER. It is also dishonest, in my view, to make out that Filipino + Google = “medical researcher”.
Was Increase Media a terrible place to work? No. Are all its employees the scum of the earth? No. A little hypocritical perhaps in that they failed (and by the looks of it still do fail) to accept the fact that what they were doing is dishonest, and keeping themselves in deliberate ignorance of the rest of Belcher’s activities. I realized at my initial interview that Belcher was an fraudster, and you only have to Google his and Selmedica’s name to confirm it. There used to be a notice on the office wall which ended “We are not telling our customers about this.” Does this sound like an honest businessman?
The fact that he may have been a decent employer is as irrelevant as whether or not he is a good “family man”. He doesn’t profit by ripping off his employees or family, he profits by ripping off the public. The e-books are the tip of the iceberg.
I bought the product ovulex in hopes of conceiving a child to only find out that I had been scammed by perry belcher and lost my money. When i tried to contact the company all numbers where disconnected and so I called the police and they told me he was under investigation. Im wondering what I can do about this.
I was a former employee of Perry Belcher, right up until the door were shut. As far as what went into the capsules, well, what the bottle said was in them was in them, simple as that. He was not arrested for mis-lableing, he was arrested because he did not go through all the proper channels and took short cuts just to get rich. When the Attorney general sent him a letter to shut down selmedica, he promptly opened Allied health, using fake NDA numbers, instead of taking the time to actually register the new products. He just couldn’t go a few weeks without all that money coming in. As far as the affiliates go, well Perry liked to spend alot of money and impress people with his money, so therefore, he spent your money on cars and women instead of your checks. The frequent trips to china were not all business related, in fact many trips were made soley to rent cheap asian hookers and go to bath houses. When the money was there, he chose to use it for other things, such as his 7 series bmw that he bought at the same time that the affiliates were owed money (I know this to be true, the car was bought from Harry at city auto), not to mention all the other junk he bought just to leave laying around the office. Perry still owes all his employees for 2 weeks pay, as well as built up vacation time. He has no intentions of paying us either. He has started a new business with one of his top managers Roger B. and has that open under Roger’s name, but Perry is still in that office and the company is using all of Perry’s equipment. He has not even offered an apology or explanation to his employees. To top it off, he retro-cancelled our insurance as of the end of Feb. even though we paid premiums at $140/week through March 18. That left many of us with Dr bills that we thought would be covered by our insurance. I used to think Perry was a good guy, now I see he was just marketing himself, and not truely a good person. The dept. of labor says they cant’ help us get our money even though they said we are legally entitled to it. They said because the company is shut down we will have to get a lawyer, which is difficult to find now that I am at a new job. Perry has showed his true colors, and just how sorry he can be. Meanwhile, he is still scamming people. Just check out Kiva.org. What a joke, straight to his pocket. Also he sales a course saying he started making all his money with a hot dog stand. I cant’ tell you how many people he has scammed with that, when the whole thing was recorded in his office with his marketing manager Richard L. I’ll stop my rant now, but just know, this guy’s sole purpose was to make money, no matter what the means. If you were scammed in any way or fashion, I highly suggest posting it somewhere on the net such as this site. Perry needs to be stopped. To top it off, his lawyer is Leslie Ballen, the guy who got the Mary Winkler off with murder in Selmer, TN. 2 peas in a pod.
Hey ME, have you been in touch with the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office? It may not matter any more, because I have seen a report that a deal is being negotiated with the DA.
I took the time to read all the comments on this blog because I was under the mistaken impression that this blog’s purpose was to educate new internet marketers on what not to do to incur government wrath. The petty complaints of disgruntled former employees are a waste of time. It is extremely hypocritical of them to spout off about what he supposedly spent money on, or what kind of car he drives while they were cashing paychecks, bonuses, etc. Yes, I think he owes the employees their last paychecks and the affiliates their commissions, but it what the press has said is true, then all assets have been frozen and the company is now bankrupt before ANY of the charges have been proven. These are now civil matters, so what should have been done is now moot. And how do you know he doesn’t plan to do this once his trial is over? I don’t know Mr. Belcher personally, but I had a friend who used to work there. They had a very large customer service center, and refunded customers up to a year. Something is just not adding up. According to the websites, (that were shut down, again before any charges were proven, there are hundreds of thousands of customers. But he only supposedly “scammed” $18,000? Nobody forced any of these adults to buy his products. Marketing his product in the best possible light is not against the law, making false claims is, but if you read the websites or bought his product it states the standard, “this product has not been evaluated by the FDA, it is not intended to treat, diagnose, or cure any diesease”, etc, or something to that effect. No supplement is approved by the FDA, that is why they are supplements, and not prescriptions. Who cares if his sole purpose is to make money, more power to him. This country was built on capitalism. Petty postings due to jealousy on this or any other blog is ridiculous. And another thing, why is it ok for ME to name names but hides his or her own. You and Peredonov just sound like people with a grudge that doesn’t bring anything helpful to this forum. I am not wanting to know about how he supposedly treated his employees, I am wanting to know about his knowledge of internet marketing. Obviously, he can create and market any product and do very well selling it. If the product didn’t work, then ask for a refund or file a chargeback. Obviously, this guy is a brilliant marketer, whether he learned his lesson about his questionable, but legal advertising methods remains to be seen. Why should he be “stopped” from doing what he is legally allowed to do? As long as he now stays in the parameters of legal advertising, there is no end to what we could all learn. It would interesting to see if he now goes on the circuit to speak about what has happened to him so people can learn from his mistakes. But he also should talk about his internet marketing skills. It goes without saying that the health e-book business or whatever else he was selling, again legally, is over. Do the right thing, take care of your debts to people, learn from your mistakes and focus on what you know. And hey, this is a free country, so if you don’t want to hear what he has to say, then don’t listen! Last but not least, I have met Ryan Deiss, and he is one of the good ones. Obviously, he believes in the person and the traffic system he is promoting. Which means there is something more I can learn. Knowledge is power.
Well Austin, that was a mistaken impression, because the intro says “If you’ve ever dealt with Perry, please post a comment here describing what happened” and not “Read further if you want to make money dishonestly without getting caught.” Let’s not kid ourselves — Belcher’s activities are dishonest. ME and myself have experienced this at first hand and are in the best position to know. I’m a capitalist too, but I think ‘marketing gurus’ like Belcher screw up capitalism. Capitalism as originally conceived and depicted by the likes of Rand is all about serving the consumer and who serves the consumer best gets the most money. If that was the only way to make money I would not have a problem with it. But guys like Belcher are nothing to do with serving consumers, they sell things simply because they are good at selling things. They don’t produce things, solve any problems, or satisfy any genuine need. The problem with capitalism is that it purports to reward people who are good at doing things (which is reasonable) but instead rewards people who are good at selling things.
I am not going to go into the legal nuances about how and to what extent government should interfere with business, or quibble over the words ‘medical researcher’ and ‘supplement’. Also I am not interested in Belcher’s personal life. As far as I’m concerned it is irrelevant whether he is a good family man supporting an ailing grandmother and a tribe of pygmies in the rainforest, or whether he spends all his money on sports-cars and whores. I just want to nail one particular point. BELCHER CAME BY HIS MONEY DISHONESTLY.
Austin, you seem to want to shrug and say “Caveat emptor”. True, a fool and his money are soon parted, and I am not my brother’s keeper, still less a moral crusader. But Belcher went into dangerous territory in healthcare. You are dealing with sick people who might act in ways they normally wouldn’t, out of desperation. What if someone had died from taking his pills? Not likely, but possible. How would your shrug feel then?
Incidentally, I happened to type his name into eBay a while back and he was auctioning business consultations for $1000 an hour. If he really has all the money that he is supposed to, then I can only assume that it is not liquid. I speculate that he may have cut even more corners than usual to resolve some cash flow problem, hence the comparatively trivial amounts that he is charged with getting illegally, and got caught.
I stumbled upon this page, and although I know nothing about this individual or his circumstance, it was an interesting read.
I’m wondering if you can enumerate some specific take-aways that might benefit online marketers. You can ignore the obvious (don’t make claims that can be easily proven wrong, don’t make up testimonials, avoid “miracle” type claims, etc.).
I wonder sometimes if even the average aggressive marketer with a good (honest) product had not better watch his p’s and q’s as well. As we all know, there is no shortage of entrepreneurial types who are good with their product and sales but poor with record keeping, administration, follow up, etc. As they say the devil is in the details and sometimes people pay heavily for sloppiness or lack of organization as much as wrong intent.
Perhaps a little primer for keeping on the straight and narrow would be useful here.
I have known P Belcher for years from his West Memphis days selling at jewelry shows and mixing bogus Afro hair-care products that were neither approved or accurate in their ingredient content. He is an Internet-Carnival-Barker that would admittedly drive around with a fancy car in poor neighborhoods to prey on underage, desperate girls. When I read about his arrest and charges….I was not surprised in the least. He is always looking for his next scam. This guy is a true amoral-crook with no conscience or moral compass. He can “charm” & indear, but only for a limited time. His true, corrupted nature will rear its ugly head in anything he touches.
It is my understanding that Perry Belcher will be speaking at Affiliate Incubator in Dallas (Sept. 25-27). Other speakers include Ryan Deiss and Russell “Hidden Continuity” Brunson.
Note: A friend with a warped sense of humor offered me a ticket. I declined. However, it should be entertaining for those who attend.
The only thing I have to say is Perry Belcher is the scum of the Earth.
Earlier this year while on business I had a panic attack for unknown reasons late one night in a hotel room.
Worried about this I seached the internet for some advice. I was unfortunate to run into Perry’s “the cure for anxiety” site.
As I was pretty desperate at the time I decided against better judgement to buy this e-book. What I got was a load of crap that only made my anxiety worse. Nothing like being duped to make you feel better.
To add insult to injury my cc was billed monthly thereafter as I missed the deceptive small print.
After not getting a hold of his company I researched Perry and contacted the local police after I saw they were looking for infomation on him.
I’m all for capitalism, but the products he was selling were purposely misleading and moraly unethical.
For those of you who defend him understand that his game is to fool people for profit…..end of story. He may be a good “marketer” but in the end honest consumers like me are impacted.
I hope Perry rebounds and starts doing seminars or some other trashy thing. I think it might be interesting for me to attend. I really hope he fields questions from the crowd.
Steve
This is an comprehensive & informative article. Internet marketers need to be more in tuned with Internet Law. They need to know what they are doing.
You certainly would do what he did offline, so why did he think it was O.K. to give medical advise online.
Jonathon Pugsley
Marketing Consultant
homebasedphilosphy@getresponse.com
http://www.marketingmergeonline.com
Anybody gone through his and Deiss’s Wholesale Traffic System?
Does it work if you do it with non-medical related products?