True. Pretty much, most of it has been covered and is summarized on this post.
Let me spill the beans: My Experience with following Adam and enrolling in Domain College.
I really didn’t want to be forth coming like this, but as illustrated with Frank Schilling, your request to get reimbursed or refunded only happens when a public statement is made. I have frankly waited too long and am still waiting on a failed commitment and no connection to an industry insider in order for me to capitalize from a website I paid $1500 for and which the transaction took place 13 months ago.
When entering the Domain Industry I looked for guidance and followed Adam since he seemed like a "mild mannered guy who will do anything for anyone". He displayed wisdom in the Domain Industry. He seem like he was well respected as an industry leader. He showed vulnerability. He cries out openly on a Youtube video, about his harbored feelings about how hard it was to let go of his Dads passing. He seemingly sounded genuine and trusting. I was in for a little shocker.
First: Adam's Domain Broker Course.
Normally the course was supposed to cost 2k. It was offered on AdamDicker.com. I felt like I was going to learn how to make good domain investments by a respectable domain industry figure. Adam offered a special on DomainSherpa for 1k (50% Off) and stated to visit this link to sign up
http://webcache.googleusercontent.c...main-broker-course/+&cd=5&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us
So, wanting to learn from the Industry Expert and getting real excited on getting 12 coaching sessions by what seems to be by Adam, I signed up. Did I get even one coaching session by Adam? No. Did I get 12 coaching sessions by anyone. No. After visiting the sign up page or link, is it made clear anywhere that the coaching would be given by anyone but Adam? Not to me.
I simply got many Youtube videos, featuring Adam (which I would guess, 95% are readily available on his Youtube channel or on Youtube.com in general or other Video Sources.
In fact I believe I had watched pretty much had already watched most of them already before this course. So okay. That sucks.
Than I should get excited about learning about domaining through Adam's group coaching. Wrong. One coaching session by someone I didn't even know existed because I signed up with the 50% discount. (Didn't state that on the Sign up page on AdamDicker.com. And this was the one and only thing that had some value to me, but was it worth 1k? Sorry, it wasn't that good.)
Okay, the course was offered by Troy Rushton. However, I think transparency on his "Domain Broker Course", on his website should have been in order. The course is laid out so you take a few courses each day. By the time I was finished and found out that what I thought I signed up for, would not be delivered, the 30 Udemy refund policy had already being surpassed.
Okay. Nothing criminal here. At this time my attitude was: I am eager to learn about domaining. Lets scratch that and move on.
Second: Failed promise on Website Development
www.FanExperiencePackage.com
While having one of my domains reviewed by Adam, he open stated that I can start marking large sums of money via a lead generating business by having Adam develop a website and get me connected to someone in that industry. I forked out about 1.5k and was told that I would be connected to an industry expert for which I can sell my traffic leads to and make lots $$$$$$ of money. After more than 13 months, and bi-weekly follow ups, I have yet to be connected with a source and quite frankly speaking, feel like I have been given the constant run around.
I understand the man has bigger fish to fry, but honor your current commitments. Being a Web Developer for about 10 years, I solely had Adam develop the site to get me connected and help build me the business with a business connection that I felt was out of my reach. In addition to this, I feel the website (5-7 pages) and content that was developed was okay'ish. Worth 1.5k without the industry connection? Not to me.
Okay, just a bad investment? Things were promised. Only thing delivered was a quick 5-7 page website.
Third: ZipZinged
In addition, it is a shocker to hear that ZipZing was only $29.99 shortly before I bought it for $299 while participating on Domain College.
Lets sum it up. 2.799k in the hole. The only thing I gained was a tiny bit more experience. A stale website that has no connection in that industry. And some okay software to filter domains.
In my opinion the entire cost to benefit ratio at this point is poor. Do I think Adam is a criminal? No, I wouldn't call him that. Do I believe that I been treated unfairly, unethically, poorly and with no consideration of following through with his commitments. Yes. I very much feel so. 13 months of waiting and then for 4 months of me constantly asking for updates on my connection for FanExperiencePackage.com for so many times gets old, being told: Tomorrow over and over. It gets frustrating.
Fourth: My Commitment to work on his personal projects seemingly have No Value
Pretty much I have asked Adam for a refund several times and keeping on getting empty promises and am still waiting for closure. I have repeatedly offered a way to resolve the issue and have even gone so far as to offering another domain of NicheKeywords.com in collateral (He bought SEORankKeywords.com two weeks ago) for the cost of the failed commitment on delivering the connection with the website.
I am new Domain Investor trying to learn the ropes and to be given the short end of the stick like this after working on one of his “Inner Circle Projects” for countless hours (60-70 hours a week) for a few months and not making a notable dime due to promises and commitments that we felt were not taken as serious as anticipated, has simply being overwhelming.
To sum it up, I and a few other people in the similar situation had to battle depression (full month for me) coming to realization that a few months of my /our life(s) were wasted on a project with near zero income. On other side of the spectrum, I felt that the project(s) that we worked so hard to get off its feet, simply never received the commitment, time and resources for them to succeed in the matter that we were expecting. But that is the StartupLife for you. Some make it, some fail.
Fifth: How to Ensure that New People in the Industry are not treated the same
The main reason is that I want my request to get refunded to finally to be taken serious. I have worked endless hours for a man and didn’t make nearly no money and then to ALSO get treated in this manner on failed website project became simply too much. A Person can only take so much.
The second biggest thing about me coming clean on this, is that this cannot be swept under the rug. I do not want to see other new people entering the industry to get the same treatment as I have. To have no say and no way to stand up for themselves because of the Uber presence some of these leading Industry Experts have.
So in no sense is there any criminal activity. I just hope that the people will be compensated for non completed promises made and that any future promises / commitments will be honored. That can be done. Right, Adam?
I sincerely hope that my story is among the very few out there.