# Is this a scam? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 15, 2004, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-scam/279919 "2004-12-15T03:56:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![saluki\_fan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b2d939/32.png) [@saluki\_fan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saluki_fan)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2004, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-scam/279919/1 "2004-12-15T03:56:23Z")
so I just got this email from a company known as Network Direct Inc. and they offer some incredible deals. They offer incredible deals on everything from vacations, to cars, etc as long as I pay them $1400. This sounds too good to be true, but I want to be sure. There website is [networkdirect.com](http://networkdirect.com) Check it out and tell me what you think. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![saluki\_fan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b2d939/32.png) [@saluki\_fan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saluki_fan)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2004, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-scam/279919/2 "2004-12-15T03:57:40Z")
sorry, here it is ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2004, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-scam/279919/3 "2004-12-15T04:06:51Z")
So, basically, you pay them $1400, then you get to buy stuff from them wholesale? You know, a Sam’s Club membership is $100, and Costco is only $45. Costco even gives you deals on travel and car buying. I’d think they’d be a better deal, honestly. ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2004, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-scam/279919/4 "2004-12-15T04:08:41Z")
Just about any “membership club” that you have to fork over that kind of money for just to qualify for discounts is a scam. As you suspect, if it sounds too good to be true, it is. Especially if it comes in the form of unsolicited email. ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2004, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-scam/279919/5 "2004-12-15T04:10:26Z")
Oh and here’s an example of a red flag: Request Procedures To request a Discount Week, please fill out the Discount Week Request Form [PDF] in its entirety. Please retain a copy for your records and mail or fax the request form, along with your $89 Processing Fee as a deposit. Your Processing Fee will be applied toward your condominium stay. The Discount Week price for that resort must be paid at the time GCI contacts you with the confirmation. If GCI cannot book your travel needs, the $89 deposit will be refunded. That’s for a condo timeshare. So not only do you pay 1400, and the price of the condo (undisclosed, of course) you have to pay 89 bucks to even apply for time in the timeshare. ---
**Author:** ![nivlac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3bc359/32.png) [@nivlac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nivlac)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2004, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-scam/279919/6 "2004-12-15T04:27:39Z")
> [@saluki\_fan](#): > > so I just got this email from a company known as Network Direct Inc. and they offer some incredible deals. They offer incredible deals on everything from vacations, to cars, etc as long as I pay them $1400. This sounds too good to be true, but I want to be sure. There website is [www.networkdirect.com](http://www.networkdirect.com) > Check it out and tell me what you think. > > Thanks. Press the Delete key for this email. In fact, add the sender’s email address to your spam filter list. That is, unless you like giving away your money. ---
**Author:** ![Abbie\_Carmichael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/49beb7/32.png) [@Abbie\_Carmichael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Abbie_Carmichael)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2004, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-scam/279919/7 "2004-12-15T04:55:43Z")
_They_ approached _you_, and are offering you a “great deal” that they promise to give you as soon as you fork over the $1400. Scam? Little bit, yeah. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2004, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-scam/279919/8 "2004-12-15T05:13:50Z")
[Does this help?](http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=%22network+direct+inc%22+scam&btnG=Search) ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2004, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-scam/279919/9 "2004-12-15T05:22:51Z")
> [@Duckster](#): > > [Does this help?](http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=%22network+direct+inc%22+scam&btnG=Search) And from that search: > **[Ripoff Report | Network Direct Inc Review - Overland Park, Kansas](https://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/network-direct-inc-ndi/overland-park-kansas-66211/network-direct-inc-ndi-ripoff-lie-cheat-corner-overland-park-kansas-75445)** > > Ripoff Report on: Network Direct Inc NDI - Network direct inc ndi ripoff lie cheat corner overland park kansas > [@](#): > > I joined NDI it seemed like a good thing, to good. They offer you dicounts on everything you could ever want to buy. All you have to do is pay a small membership fee and then they tell you there is also a yearly fee to buy from them. So i joined and looked at the dicounts you get on their website. The discounts were a dollar on a playstation2 and other products there were none or it was more then a local store. After i saw this i canceled my membership. They give you 3 days to cancel. So on that 3rd day i sent in my signed cancellation notice. They say they never got it, and now they have turned it over to a collection agency called CMS that won’t give me their address. They want me to pay $1,688 in the next 8 months for my NDi “debt” or they will take legal action. This NDI company seems to prey on college students, so be careful. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2004, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-scam/279919/10 "2004-12-15T13:32:13Z")
Ask yourself: how much would I have to buy to make back the $1400 fee? Even if this were legit, you’d have to spend a fortune to break even. ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2004, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-scam/279919/11 "2004-12-15T13:32:42Z")
I find it a pretty good rule of thumb to never do business with spammers. If this email was unsolicited (spam) then there’s a good chance that the sender has violated the Terms of Service of their ISP, possibly even the law in some states/countries - are they the kinds of people you want to do business with? More importantly, as long as unsolicited email campaigns are successful, there’s incentive for them to keep doing it. Report the email using [SpamCop](http://www.spamcop.net/) and keep your hard earned money for a more worthwhile investment. If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2004, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-scam/279919/12 "2004-12-15T16:59:59Z")
> [@cazzle](#): > > I find it a pretty good rule of thumb to never do business with spammers. Amen, brother! Among other problems, this scam seems ripe to develop into a Ponzi scheme: “Let’s see - how 'bout we pocket $1000 of the ‘membership fee’ we receive from each suck… er, customer. We take the remaining $400 and use it to subsidize their purchases, thereby generating reports of the great bargains to be obtained by membership, thereby generating more members.”