Ok, here’s part two of our journey into the underbelly of the coaching industry.

When the coach-marketer promises the world, and you believe them.

“It’s so easy to get massive results, a flood of leads, sales every day, 10K a month, a week, a day, a minute… you just need to know my secret system.”

Sure it IS possible for clients to get amazing results. Flood of leads and 10K a minute is possible. You just need to question if it’s *likely* given your current situation, workload, niche, offer, adspend etc. Most coaches do have their clients best interests at heart, and sometimes occasionally slip in delivery, get overwhelmed, or drop the ball…

But there are is a percentage who prey on people who are exhausted and desperate for a solution, hyping them up on inflated promises and potential based on best case scenarios of outlier clients and then assert that it’s possible for everyone. I mean, it’s possible for every single human to go up to space in a rocket, but it’s not probable or likely. Running a successful, profitable business consistently over time takes more than some 7 step system.

If you are buying from an exhausted state looking for a magic bullet system, then you’re buying from a victim archetype. Drama dynamics tells us that if you’re in that state, the coach will show up as a saviour, and then very quickly become the villain in the pedestal to pit dynamic.

Ideally you want to buy from a sober state, not hyped up on inflated potential, and expecting that you’re going to need to put in a lot of work no matter what the coach says. A good rule of thumb is don’t invest more than you can afford to lose and still keep paying your bills and trading.

If you have bought a program and you think you got in over your head, don’t just shrink away in shame. Speak up. Be noisy in the program. Show up to calls. You have paid for a service. Don’t be afraid to demand you get what you paid for. If you do not get a reasonable response, ask for a refund. Within 60-120 days is a usual time limit for complaints. Keep all conversations documented. Go to your credit card company and report the merchant as selling “goods not as described”. Report a charge-back via your credit card, or PayPal.

When you have an experience with a coach, get in the habit of posing a public review of your experience. Good, bad or ugly, talk about it. You can post reviews on google, trust pilot, linkedIn, reddit. Remember to post positive reviews of the people who you have great experiences with. Where you can, please go to the effort of posting on impartial review sites for extra credibility rather than just your own socials. This will ensure the review has a lasting impact and shows up in search in future.

If you have had a bad experience, post it everywhere. Every post you make could save another person from a heart-breaking experience. These people get away with bad behaviour because clients either take it on the chin, chalk it up to a lesson, don’t want to cause drama, and don’t want to look silly that they got taken in by a scam.

1. Those who can afford to lose the money and keep going, and don’t want to waste time on drama.

2. And those who can’t afford to lose the money, but are too ashamed that they got scammed to say anything.

Stick to the facts, keep it specific, and centred on your experience of their service.

EG: on XX date, I paid $$$$ and was promised x,y,z in my sales call. My experience was… I was disappointed by… I found that… the service was not as described in this way… When I asked for a refund this is what happened…

Avoid absolutes, or making unprovable claims about the person. “they are a scammer”, “this person is bankrupt”, “in my opinion this coach is a criminal” These sweeping generalisations can fall into defamation even if you have had a legitimate bad experience as a customer.

You can also go to independent consumer protection authorities in your country even if the seller is from a different country.

* ACCC (Australian Competition and Consumer Commission) or your state Fair Trading office (e.g., NSW Fair Trading).

* Under Australian Consumer Law, if goods/services are not as described or don’t do what they should, you’re legally entitled to a refund or remedy.

* Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for deceptive practices.

* State Attorney General’s Office for state-level disputes.

* Better Business Bureau (BBB) for complaints (can pressure companies to resolve).

* Trading Standards via Citizens Advice.

* Protection under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 (refund if goods/services not as described)

* European Consumer Centres Network (ECC-Net) if you bought from another EU country.

* National consumer protection authorities within your country.

Watch out for the tactics of manipulative sales tactics that talk about massive results with little effort, or proven systems that you just need to follow step by step to success. If the only positive reviews of the coach are the ones they self-report, you need to wonder about that.

1. Pause whenever urgency or scarcity is pushed.

2. Ask for the refund policy in writing.

3. Research reviews outside the seller’s website.

– Ask chatgpt is NAME a reputable coach?

– Ask friends and associates before investing in a high ticket program.

– Ask to speak to a few clients about their experience.

– Google search for NAME + scam, and NAME + review to see if there are any negative reviews online.

4. Look for balanced testimonials (not just miracles).

5. READ THE CONTRACTS. Coaches who ask you to sign NDA’s or say “It’s a generic contract just sign it” are taking you for a ride. Read every clause. Think of the worst case scenario and if you’re ok with being bound by those clauses.

6. Trust your gut. if it feels rushed or manipulative, it probably is.

For high-ticket coaching/services: Always pay by credit card (not debit), ideally via PayPal using your credit card (so you get two layers of protection: PayPal dispute + credit card chargeback). Always keep screenshots of sales pages, promises, contracts, and communications, these are your best evidence.

1. Credit card (especially Visa, Mastercard, Amex) → BEST overall protection.

* Strong chargeback rights.

* Legal frameworks in many countries add extra coverage.

2. PayPal → Very good for online purchases, especially if the seller accepts PayPal directly.

* Good for disputes under $20k.

* But some categories not covered, and outcome depends on evidence.

3. Debit card → Decent backup, but weaker than credit.

4. Bank transfer, cash, crypto → Avoid for new or unverified sellers; almost no protection.

Ultimately it’s up to the customer to do due diligence and be skeptical. We’re in a trust recession in our industry because too many people have gotten away with these shady practices for too long. Sadly we cannot assume that everyone is doing the right thing, and making good on their promises because quite a few are not. The environment itself is ripe for manipulation and shady tactics.

Vulnerable, coachable people + Unregulated industry + Massive Income potential + easily manufactured social media authority is a recipe for opportunism to flourish. Buyer beware.

PS – If you have enjoyed this article and have ever been a customer or client of mine and would like to leave a public review you can do so here: https://g.page/r/CW6FDiSPcfA0EBM/review