Ignite and Stream Energy - Is it a Scam?

[DelValPC]

I agree , they are definitly good points.


Nancy, what area are you and your freind from? If they are in the philadelphia area , I would be more than happy to help him.Is he asking for help from his sponsor? Is he mixing the invitation with the presenation? Does he still have time to get his tenth point and get back the other 100?

As I am reading some of your posts I am wondering if I would have spent the 300 to do this if I had kids and had no job and didnt really have the money to spare. Knowing what I know now, I definitly would have done it and been glad I did. But, if I didnt know what I do now, I would not have done it. I would prbably wish I could though. I go to the casino sometimes and I could easily drop 300 dollars in about an hour. Before I signed up, I talked to my wife and told her about it and she used the casino as an example. She said that we have spent more than that on a trip to the casino , so why the hell not. Thats how I went into it. Its paying off for me. I have freinds that are doing it and freinds of freinds that are doing it. I only want people that are under me that can do it. If someone approaches me and I know they are only going to sign up and expect things to just happen, then I dont want them in my downline. They wont do anything for me and they wont do anything for themself. I dont really think you should assume people dont have money by the way they are dressed. That is a bit shallow. from what it appears from your posts that you have a problem with Ignite because your freind isnt doing well with it.I hope things turn around for him.

[NancyZ]

I am signing off of this thread. I have said all I can say. Good luck everyone. Hope you all become Ignite millionaires and laugh at those who are slaves to their job.

[sethbergman]

Ignite will TERMINATE you... without even telling you!

Ignite suddenly terminated me one day for marketing my business on YouTube. Most, IF NOT ALL, MLM's and network marketing organizations will encourage you to market your business as many ways as you possibly can. NOT Ignite! When I joined Ignite, I received little to no training, so I did what I knew best - internet marketing! I got hundreds of views on YouTube within a couple of months, and leads were pouring in. As soon as my business got up and running: SLAP!!! I was suddenly terminated, without any prior warning from the corporate office. I was crushed. All of the hard work that I had put into my marketing... COMPLETELY WORTHLESS!!! I found out via a YouTube comment from a corporate employee stating "Why do you continue to release these videos when I terminated you a week ago? Have you not tried to access your homesite?" I hadn't because it's $20/mo. to keep your homesite running, and I was behind that month.
I then called corporate and confirmed my demise with the company. I didn't even get an email or anything! Imagine if I hadn't seen that comment on YouTube for another month! So after speaking with the corporate office, I found out that any type of marketing (online or offline) that's not approved by corporate, is against their company policy. Great to know after the fact!
So if you're considering joining Ignite, then I suggest you read every word of the company policy. However I don't recommend it. I had a horrible experience. I'm moving onto bigger and better!
Hope that helps!

[endurance5000]

Ignite suddenly terminated me one day for marketing my business on YouTube. Most, IF NOT ALL, MLM's and network marketing organizations will encourage you to market your business as many ways as you possibly can. NOT Ignite! When I joined Ignite, I received little to no training, so I did what I knew best - internet marketing! I got hundreds of views on YouTube within a couple of months, and leads were pouring in. As soon as my business got up and running: SLAP!!! I was suddenly terminated, without any prior warning from the corporate office. I was crushed. All of the hard work that I had put into my marketing... COMPLETELY WORTHLESS!!! I found out via a YouTube comment from a corporate employee stating "Why do you continue to release these videos when I terminated you a week ago? Have you not tried to access your homesite?" I hadn't because it's $20/mo. to keep your homesite running, and I was behind that month.
I then called corporate and confirmed my demise with the company. I didn't even get an email or anything! Imagine if I hadn't seen that comment on YouTube for another month! So after speaking with the corporate office, I found out that any type of marketing (online or offline) that's not approved by corporate, is against their company policy. Great to know after the fact!
So if you're considering joining Ignite, then I suggest you read every word of the company policy. However I don't recommend it. I had a horrible experience. I'm moving onto bigger and better!
Hope that helps!

I'm sorry you had a bad experience with Ignite. For future reference, anyone working with Ignite can get ads/marketing ideas approved by Ignite directly. You simply email them and notify them exactly what you are looking to do, and they will either approve it "as-is" (meaning you can't make any alternations to the way you submitted it to them) OR they will deny your ad/marketing idea and give you recommendations to change it so it can be resubmitted for approval. They are really quite helpful!

I actually saw Seth's youtube post and thought it was well done (from the editing standpoint). Some of the information and the images of lifestyle were just flat out wrong. Nancy (a poster from above) would have had a field day with him portraying this image of wealth and financial freedom when it became difficult to pay the $20/month website fee. Regardless, making videos of such nature is clearly stated against company policy despite whether it was well done or not. Whereas much of this was your responsibility looking into before producing such a video, I think it is a shame your sponsor didn't give you some direction with this. This is a strong example of how this business is a team effort. It could have all been avoided had Seth emailed Ignite for approval. Do I think it was right that they terminated him without warning? I think a stern warning would have been appropriate but clearly that wasn't my call. I have witnessed lesser offenses be pointed out with warnings instead of instant termination. I suspect because it was a clear violation of what Ignite stands for, they pulled the cord pretty quickly with this one. I will remind people that this IS a business. They certainly don't have to concede to "act now and ask for forgiveness later." If someone is in violation, they have the right to terminate an account. I wouldn't feel entitled to complain for being fired if I committed a violation at my day job.

Ignite Associates have a series of training videos they need to watch. If Seth had watched all the training videos and read the details to the business he was investing in, this could have been avoided.

Just one of many places on your Ignite Power Center website discussing marketing states:

"Cold prospecting is counter productive to the Ignite business model and will not produce effective results. Spamming is against Ignite Policies and Procedures."

The idea of warm marketing was part of the reason I was attracted to this business.

He is right about one thing: if you are considering joining Ignite, read every word of the company policy. I think it goes without saying that you want to be properly representing a company you are invested in. Good luck!

[AfriBuilder]

Ignite in Maryland

I want to thank everyone that has posted on this forum, positive or negative. Ignite just launched in MD and I plan to attend their meeting this evening. You have all informed me and have been a great resource in my decision making. I observed that your postings all depends on your experience and I know that fingers are not equal at all.

I will decided on Ignite after the meeting in Columbia, MD tonight and tomorrow and hope to post my experience in this forum.

Again, thank you all for sharing your experience.

[Bpcontra]

AfriBuilder, that's great. That's exactly why I've begun sending people who are interested in Stream Energy to this forum thread. I want them to get both sides of the story and be comfortable with their decision to join.

[mstrohm]

I am not pro or con MLM companies. I am not an Ignite customer. But, I am fascinated by a wide spread behavior that complains if individuals make money, but concedes that big conglomerates will make money.

We willingly pay top dollar for Chinese junk at Walmart, but whine to pay that same amount for a hand crafted item on Etsy. It honestly confuses me!

If someone goes to a "big company" website and is hammered with ads, they think nothing of it, but if they go to a small independent website with a few ads, they complain about how "money hungry" the operator of the website is for displaying ads. It honestly confuses me!

I read as people say to stay far away freom MLM because you "make money" off of your friends, but they are willing to pay higher prices to the HUGE Electric companies. It honestly confuses me!

Such is life.

[laura dominguez]

ignite agent 1 week

alright. I'm an ignite independent associate for ~3weeks. here is my take and take from it what you will.

I joined primarily because the risk/reward was low. it cost me $329 to join which included support, manual, and some other stuff. Then an optional $20/month for a website that allows me to sign up customers and agents.

In 1 week I paid $329 + $20, yet they were running a bonus where I could make $200 if I found 2 people to switch the electricity in 7 days to stream energy. That was easy. If I hired an agent and they also did the 2 switches in 7 days I would pocket another $200 and they would pocket $200.

Math: $400 - ($329 + $20)= ~$51 ( there was a $3 processing check fee i think).

Not bad considering everyone on the net was crying out loud that mlms were bad since they suck the money out of you but instead I made ~$50 in 1 week? I'm not sure what all the fuss is about but I MADE money.

Then the next hurdle was how fast could I earn $20/month so my business was free? I'm on pace to get promoted to MD in ~ 6weeks. The avg is 8 months. I just found a good agent that had good connections.

The $/kw rate isn't the best but it's currently $.1199 1yr contract @1000kw and that's way better then txu/reliant. I don't force people to join me or switch. I just try and share why I did it and how I'm saving money now. My electricity bill saved me $72 last month since switching from my high reliant month to month rate.

all you need is 3 agents and 8 electricity customers. after that you just manage your downline and wait to get promoted unless your a go getter and want to find more to accelerate your promotion. I'm on pace to make $55/month residual (doesn't include hiring agent bonuses).

monthly payout: $55-$20 = $35/month.

That isn't bad since I wasn't making that before. And for every person in my down line that hires another agent I get another $75 each.

all in all not bad. Maybe I got a good game plan in how I built it up.

I welcome any new associate who is interested to hit me up and just ask me what I think. I'm not some professional salesman as I'm just a regular guy who wants to share their experience as this is my first business and mlm gig I've done.

I HAVE BEEN WITH IGNITE FOR A WEEK AND I HAVE MADE $200 IN TWO DAYS...YES TWO DAYS IT IS SO EXCITING I CAN'T BELIEVE HOW EASY IT IS....LOVE I AM WORKING MY WAY UP...ITS REAL

[canada94]

WOW! this threads to heavy for me.lol

[excelsior7032]

??

I just heard a friend telling me about this last night. I'm 28 years old, and I've heard this presentation a thousand times before, with different company names and different products/services.

If it looks like a duck, and talks like a duck...

Look, I'm sure there are going to be people who make money on this. There always are people who make money. There's also going to be many more people who tank on this thing, most likely because they are not qualified to understand how business works. The people who do make money probably grasp the business model and can sell. More power to them.

My friend gave a great presentation, smooth as silk. Not the typical hype bullspit you see with most MLM presentations. He will make some money on this thing. Of course, if he were in a real sales job, he could probably be making much more.

I simply told him to come back in 6 months. if he's making more money than he can handle in 6 months, then come see me. And whatever the case may be, I'll still say no. I have better things to do with my time than convincing people to switch to an energy company I know nothing about. If it works for you, kudos, just not my cup of tea.

[excelsior7032]

one more thing

Oh, and since this is a new company in my area (PA), you're sticking your professional reputation on a company that you know nothing about. How is their customer service? When I call my energy company, I am rarely on hold, and they handle their business effectively. I'm not going to push a service on friends and family on a company I myself have no confidence in. Are the rates competitive, and if they are competitive, is it a significant savings for the customer. I'd rather pay the extra small rate if it means I won't have to be on hold for 2 hours with customer service about a billing discrepancy.

My approach to business is customer focused, which is why I don't bother with MLMs. I just think focusing on recruiting sales people is a conceptually flawed business model. Defenders of MLM will call me old fashioned, and maybe I am. MLM defenders are shills, because that business model is old as well.

Now that I think of it, ANOTHER friend of mine (I use friend loosely) called me out of the blue and left a voice mail. I'd bet the mortgage he was calling me about Stream energy. Its funny to me because this is the FIFTH different crap company he has called me about. If all these MLM's are so successful, why does he keep switching company's/products?

[endurance5000]

As a customer you go through the same customer service as you would even had you not changed. In other words, nothing changes but the generation charge on your bill. So if you are happy with the CS you are already receiving, you can take comfort in knowing that will NOT change.

[Frugal]

Not to sound stupid, but what exactly is an MLM?!

[endurance5000]

"Multi-level marketing (MLM) is a marketing strategy in which the sales force is compensated not only for sales they personally generate, but also for the sales of others they recruit, creating a downline of distributors and a hierarchy of multiple levels of compensation. Other terms for MLM include network marketing, direct selling,and referral marketing."

Some more notorious examples are Amway, AVON, Mary Kay, and energy companies such as the one being discussed on this thread.

[elecmoneycom]

senior director

I started Ignite/Stream Energy in April 2006 and received my first Monthly Energy Income check in July 2006. I have received a check on the 15th of every month from then till now. Ignite/Stream Energy are for real. The more you put into Ignite the more you will take out of it.
scott cameron