If You Have Been Hurt by Zaken

It's been over 6 years since I tried out the Zaken Corporation's supposed opportunity. Since then, I have talked to probably hundreds of people (I've lost count, but on average I get several calls a week). So many people have been hurt, scammed out of hundreds and even thousands of dollars. Check out the previous post to see a video where I discuss them and give you my opinion--the opinion formed over several years and hundreds of phone calls.

The trouble is, Zaken is very careful to operate within the letter of the law. They deliver a product for your initial payment (the infamous "kit"). They provide something for every penny you spend--or at least, pretend to. Directories of companies to call, postcards, "coaching" (which is NOT worth the $2,000 or whatever it is they charge, because most people can hardly get ahold of anyone after spending the money), a website (which never seems to become active, in spite of costing in the neighborhood of $100 a month). If you ask for a refund or question the legitimacy of the business, they often turn nasty. However, they apparently stop short of violating a specific law.

Sure, sometimes comments show up on this blog saying, "Hey, I don't know why you are saying these things; I just closed my 5th deal" or something along that line. I try to delete comments like those. However, if you see such a comment, click on the username. Chances are, they opened their profile the same month they left the comment, and the profile is empty. In contrast, those who are complaining about Zaken nearly always have something in their profile besides their username. So be very careful about believing comments that are supporting Zaken.

So what can you do if you have been hurt? What can you do? The truth is, not much. However, that doesn't mean you shouldn't try. If you paid with a credit card, you can try contesting the charges with your credit card company. If you are being charged monthly, you may want to change your credit card number (be sure to let Zaken know you no longer want the services, and do it in writing so that you have documentation). And speaking of doing it in writing, please make sure you have written documentation of how they have hurt you. If they make a claim and do not deliver, even though you kept up your end, that will give you an edge. If you feel they have violated the law, You can look at the California law to see for sure, then file a complaint with the Attorney General. If they haven't violated a law, but violated their own policies (which you should have in writing), you have legitimate reason to file a complaint. When you call, ask if you can record the conversation, then make sure that you get their consent to record in the recording. This will be helpful in proving what they said in conversation. If they say you can't record the call, quit on the spot and get your money back. (I did record the call once when I talked to them; it is legal if you get their consent.) If you have lost money, file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. File more than one if you have more than one complaint category. You can also try filing a complaint with the Attorney General in your state. It might not do much, but it might do something. Then go to the Ripoff Report and file a report or complaint there. The report at the bottom of the page is written by an ex-employee, and I believe that there is truth in it. If you do all these things, you just might be able to get your money back, or at least some of it.

The Attorney General's office in Oregon suggested that anyone involved in the company can get a copy of the by-laws. If you have purchased a kit, please request a copy. Then let me know what happens.

There is something else you can do. If you use any form of social media (Facebook, Twitter, Linked-In, etc), please tell your friends to beware of Zaken. A friend of mine just received their flyer, researched, and found this blog, much to her surprise! She did some research and said it sounded so good, but I was able to explain what she was seeing and she threw the kit away. You can help your friends avoid Zaken too. Please get the word out. If Zaken stopped making money, they would have to either change their practices or go out of business.

Let me be very honest here. I make money because Zaken exists. People who come to this site click on ads or take advantage of other offers I make that earn me money. If they ceased to exist, I would lose that tiny income stream (we're talking less than $100 a month).  This helps to pay for expenses related to this site, my time spent helping people, etc. However, I would rather lose that money and see Zaken go down than to keep getting it because they exist. I didn't ever plan to make money on this blog when I started it, and if I stopped making money on it tomorrow, I would still keep it up. I really want people to avoid Zaken. And I will say this: feel free to click on any ads you see on this site, but beware of what they may be offering! Check everything out with the BBB or the Attorney General. Spend nothing you aren't willing to lose.

If you still want to ask me about Zaken, or if you want to tell me your story, you can reach me at 503-919-2145 or mrs [dot] reynoso [at] gmail.com. I would love to hear from you!

You came here to find out if the Zaken opportunity is legitimate or a scam. My opinion is that whether or not it is legitimate, it is run like a scam, and even if it is legit, it is going to take a lot of effort and very few people have the time to make a success of it. You can get a summary of the content of this blog, as well as a more detailed opinion of the company, by watching this video:

I have tried several different methods to make money online over the past five years. I have learned many things--mostly what not to do--and I am finally getting to where I am making money and really enjoying what I am doing. I have started an email list so that anyone who is interested can keep up with what I'm doing. You can sign up in the box on the left. I'm looking for people to partner with, people who I can train to do what I'm learning to do. You can learn from me not just how to be successful making money, but also how to be the kind of person that will be successful in whatever endeavor you undertake.

I have listed several money-making opportunities in the sidebar to the left that I have tried and know to be legitimate. Feel free to check them out. I have tried all of them, so I know they are legitimate ways to make money. I've personally made several thousand dollars over the past few years either in those programs or using what I learned from them. The health and wellness company in particular has been the best business by far, and provides not just quick earnings but also long-term residual income--and it's NOT MLM!

If you want to talk to me more about Zaken or the projects I am working in now, feel free to call or write me: 503-919-2145 (Sun-Fri 9:30-5 PST); mrs.reynoso [at] gmail [dot] com. And if you have questions about other work-at-home opportunities and need some advice, let me know, and I'll be happy to do some research for you and see if they are legitimate or not.

I would love to help you be successful. I would love to help you earn more money. Lack of money causes so many problems, and knowing how to get more can be so empowering!

May you be successful in all that you do!

Lisa Reynoso

It's been about 3 1/2 years since I tried Zaken out, and I still get a few emails every month from people asking me what my opinion of the program is. If you read through my blog, starting from the first post, you would have a pretty good idea of what I know. Sorry I can't give you more info from personal experience. I returned the kit and got my refund.

After that, I tried out mystery shopping. I made enough money with this to pay off my credit card (not a high balance, but impossible to pay without income!) and have some spending money, which was nice. But as my baby became a child and needed my attention more, I found I couldn't keep up with it. I don't enjoy shopping anyway, so it wasn't the right job for me long term. Just so you know, this isn't the kind of mystery shopping where they send you $1,000 and tell you to wire it. This link will take you to a page where you can purchase a directory of mystery shopping companies, and they are all legitimate. I bought the directory and used it myself. You can learn how to tell the difference between a legitimate mystery shopping company and a scam by watching my video on YouTube.

Currently, I make some money with the ads on this blog (so feel free to click on them!), and am now starting a new blog, Life of a Happy Mom. It may not be a very good niche, but it is something I'm passionate about, and I know there are people out there who will enjoy it. This is what I'm currently doing online now. Update 1/24/11 I just started a new blog and am hoping to make it profitable. You might want to check it out: My Baby Has Eczema.

But since this blog is about Zaken, maybe I should say a couple of things. I don't know if it is a scam or not, but the guy who wrote this blog seems to be pretty sure, and I am inclined to believe him. Even if it is legitimate, it would be the kind of venture that only about 5% of the population would be able to succeed at, which means that unless you are very motivated and driven to work hard for nothing until you can land "the big one," it's probably not the job for you. Kind of like selling real estate. You put lots of time and money into advertising, driving clients around, etc, and only get paid when the sale closes. Not everyone can do that. Contrary to what he says in his ad, liquidations is NOT easy money. It's hard work. Keep that in mind.

It's been nearly a year since I posted anything to this blog (though I have been updating the sidebar). People keep writing me asking for updated information. As far as Zaken goes, this blog is as up-to-date as it can be. If you want to read about my experience with Zaken, go back to the first post and work back through the blog. Be sure to read the comments--they can be very enlightening.

If you are really serious about making money, though I cannot say whether the Zaken Corp is a scam or not, I will say that there is at least one program I have tried and made decent money with, and that is Mystery Shopping. With Zaken, you have no way of knowing how much your effort will get; with mystery shopping, you go out to a shop knowing exactly how much you will need to spend and how much you will earn. It helped me pay off my credit card after my daughter was born, and I highly recommend it. The Mystery Shopping Directory here is the very one I bought into and used, and it more than paid for itself in a couple of weeks.

For other ways to earn money, just look at the sidebar to the left. I try to keep this as up-to-date as possible. Also you can see what I'm doing on Twitter over there too! Feel free to contact me through my profile if you have any questions.

I thought I would give this blog one more update, because I know people are still finding and reading it. I just read a few of the comments and they are very enlightening--some of them probably more than the blog itself. If you are considering trying Zaken, it would be well worth your time to read them, especially those on the blog before this one.

But my main reason for wanting to update this blog is that I understand that people looking to work for Zaken (and wanting to make sure it's not a scam) are the ones that visit this site, mostly. Therefore I want to let you know about a work-from-home opportunity that, it my opinion, is much more feasible than Zaken. You can read about it in my other blog, Vibe in the Valley. That blog will be, like this one, an ongoing commentary on my experience in this venture. And as of July 5, I can say that it's working for me--and I failed in many previous attempts at home business, so that's saying something. So if you're looking for a legitimate home business, at least take a look. It might be the answer you are looking for. I would suggest, though, that whether you think the business is right for you, that you go ahead and sign up and order the product to try. You may decide you want to take it whether or not you work the business. I personally don't ever want to be without it again. But go to the Vibe in the Valley blog to read more about it.

Alternately, feel free to check out the recommended links at the left. If you have any questions about any of them, don't hesitate to contact me (through my profile).

Updated 4/21/08.

My sincerest apologies for not updating this blog earlier. I had my baby October 30, 2006 and have been busy ever since.

Here's what happened. With a baby coming, I knew I would not be able to work on the business (and was I ever right!) so I called told them I was going to return it, and then I did. They issued a prompt refund to my husband's credit card--not just for the original price, but also for the shipping. The only part we lost was the $10 for rushing the shipping, but that's okay. We weren't expecting to even get the shipping back!

So my conclusions? I don't really think it's a scam, but it could have been advertised more realistically. I hope those who are really trying out the business will post their results here on this blog under the comments and keep it going.

For those interested in home businesses, other than Zaken, take a look at the links I have to the left of the blog. Now that my baby's a bit older (almost 5 months now), I have a bit of time to look into this kind of thing. I'm experimenting with mystery shopping and also doing a bit of sewing/mending on the side, besides taking care of my baby and my husband. I will be keeping a running list of mystery shopping companies that I believe to be legit (that is, ones that have paid me). As for the sewing, if you live in the Rio Grande Valley area (or are willing to pay shipping), you can contact me at mrs.reynoso@gmail.com if you need sewing done. I have over 10 years of sewing experience. If you have problems getting clothes to fit, I can also make patterns customized to your figure. As of this writing, I am still learning, so my prices are very low. But in a few months I hope to get lots of experience, so in a few years I probably will start charging more, so get me early if you can!

Thank you all for reading and commenting.

9/27/06

Latest Update

I'm sure everyone that is monitoring this blog is dying to know how I'm doing, so I thought I'd give you a quick update.

On Monday and Tuesday, I spent a little over an hour each day making phone calls. The importer section of the local phone book has proved to be the most productive. In those two days, I found 4 companies with excess merchandise. However, all 4 companies are currently in the "let me check my warehouse and see what exactly we have" stage. Two of them know what but not how much, the other two don't know what for sure.

This made me realize that it's not quite as simple as they make it in the manual makes it out to be. It might take a few days from the time you find a lead to the time you get the information about it off to Zaken. But I figure I have at least two weeks yet before the course is due back, so I'm not worried. The more I deal with the company (Zaken), the more I feel it has to be legit. How could they make money if they weren't really in the liquidation business? If they only made money off of stuff people order from them (courses, stationery, directories, etc), how could they maintain such a sophisticated office system (if you call their main office, you get a list of several phone options, and some of those options have more than one person at the end of them). Why would they have such a big facility (you can see pictures at their website). I know there are people that complain that the business isn't what it was advertised to be. Maybe so. I would like to see them un-sensationalize their ads a bit. But honestly, just think what it would take to get into such a business on your own--all the money it would take, for instance. They make it very easy for you. So I'm not complaining.

So far today I haven't done much calling (thanks to a head cold), but was able to eliminate a few numbers (one dealt in fresh produce, and the others were wrong numbers) and send one company my business card (by fax--don't you love technology). I have a goal of finding at least one lead every day. Considering that my last two days netted me two each, I figure if I don't find one today, it's ok. I got a list of local manufacturing companies and spent an hour or so trying to sort out the ones that make consumer products and copying the information to my list of places to call. Whatever happens, I don't ever want to run out of leads.

I think I'm going to go eat lunch and then take a nap. If there's any time left, I might make a few more calls. I probably won't make another post on this blog until I have some definite progress to report (such as finishing my end of a deal with a company), but feel free to write if you want to know how things are at the moment.