More info about how TVI Express reached China

TVI Express reached China via a person named "Jin Ling", based on this blog entry

http://bbs.city.tianya.cn/tianyacity/Content/40/1/647431.shtml

The Jin Ling or 金玲, is a Chinese name. The problem is this can only be "Anny Kim", but who came up with the English name? 金 is always written as Jin, Jing, or Gin, if you are from China or Taiwan. Only in Korea would it be written as Kim.

TVI Express has reached Georgia (the country, not the US state)

Apparently a former general in their armed forces is pushing TVI Express, and a lot of military members claim to have been duped by their former superior.

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ru&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.megapolis.kz%2Fshow_article.php%3Fart_id%3D15182

German Press reports on TVI Express scam

Original article is at http://www.presseanzeiger.de/meldungen/handel-wirtschaft/349197.php

Here is the Google auto-translation:

TVI Express in many countries, illegal - imprisonment for salespeople in China

05/27/2010 21:16:29

(PA) "Travel Venture International Express" (TVI) was seen critically in Germany for several weeks and months. Relevant media wanted to trust the great promises and the concept is not entirely (the OBTAINER reported). Internationally against TVI came more and more doubts. Now it seems the whole thing to actually explode like last year, the real estate bubble of the banks with their bad loans....

The only slight objection I have is that it mentioned virtually every source that I had mentioned first, including Indonesia, China, and more. It's even possible that they simply borrowed from the comments I posted to the mlmexpertreview.org. Oh well. As long as more people learn about the fraud known as TVI Express, that'll be fine for me.

More dead TVI Express distributor clone sites

More dead TVI Express distributor clone sites:

www.tvimoneyexpress.com
www.tviexpressexperts.com (now forwards to some "secret money ring")
www.tviexpressinfo.com
www.tviexpressblog.net
www.tviteamtactics.com
www.gratefulcashnow.com
www.planb-tviexpress.com (actually promotes Pyxism)
www.tviexpresssydney.com (yep, the Aussie site now posts "I've been fooled" blog entries)
www.tvivacation.com (forwards to Youtube.com)

Folks, what other proof do you need that TVI Express is dead? Get out while you can!

TVI Expess: NOT trusted by Trust Guard

Apparently at one time, TVI Express was "trusted" by Trust-Guard.com, which is supposed to certify certain businesses. In fact, you can still find bazillion fan sites and articles and blog entries claiming TVI Express is trust-guard verified.

Here's proof that it is NOT (at least, not now)


https://secure.trust-guard.com/certificates/www.tviexpress.com

The fact that TVI Express does not display the "badge" should tell you a lot. Trust-Guard specifically says that it will not approve affiliate websites and MLM websites. TVI Express failed on both counts. So the fact that it was accepted once means even Trust-Guard was fooled. And how much does Trust-Guard cost? A few hundred dollars, that's it. That amount of "trust", obtained through FRAUD, was worth that few hundred dollars.

EDIT: Trust-Guard Customer Support was nice to write back and provided some information.

According to TGCS, TVI Express was dis-enrolled from Trust-Guard Business Verification on 30-SEP-2009. Due to business rules, the "reason" for the disqualification cannot be made public.

Any one still touting "Trust Guard" trusted is lying.

7 more lies by TVI Express

The following was posted by a TVI Express member in China in their version of Yahoo! Answers, where other members answer questions. In this case, "Is TVI Express a pyramid scheme?"  Unfortunately, I think the author copied someone else's explanation, replaced SOME of the references "Freedom Club?" to TVI, and tried to pass it off as an explanation. Let's analyze the 7 reasons to see how bogus they are.


TVI与传销的区别（七个不同）


7 Differences between TVI Express and pyramid scheme

① 产品性质不同
Difference in product

非法传销组织销售的产品多数是实物产品（不可重复销售），其利润来自单个产品的超值 销售利润（有限的）；尽管商品价格一般都远远高于公开的合理市价，例如300元的摇摆机强行卖到3900元；但其价格也不可能无限加价；这样的产品销售的 结果，必然伤害消费者，伤害会员的利益，危害社会。
Illegal pyramid organization usually sell real products (cannot be sold multiple times), and the profit is from huge marketups (limited); and the products are usually above the "market" reasonable prices, such as a $300 vibrating machine sold at $3900; yet the markup cannot go on indefinitely; thus the result of selling such items ends up hurting the consumer, hurting the members, and hurting society. 


而TVI俱乐部销售的是旅游服务产品，这类产品具有可以无限次重复销售的特性；公司通过战略 联盟，在网络上发展会员，以量制价，让更多的会员享受优质低价的旅游服务；会员加盟TVI，可以在网络上预订全世界的宾馆、饭店住宿房间，选择范围更大， 享受服务更周到，价格更低廉。会员通过加盟，还可以获得推广赚取佣金的机会，是一个多方共赢的营销利润体系。会员越多，各个联盟单位及会员个人都各自增加 利润；并不伤害任何人的利益，对社会有利无害。

TVI [Express] "club" sells travel service product, and can be indefinitely resold; through Internet, recruit online, and allow more people to book high quality low price travel service; people joining TVI [Express] can reserve hotels all over the world, enjoy higher quality, lower cost, better service, as well as a chance to earn commission by recruiting. It is a win-win system. The more members there are, the more people will benefit. Nobody is hurt, and the society benefits.

ANALYSIS: Sounds good, until it fails to explain how having more members would cause everybody to benefit.

People who join TVI Express are only interested in that $10000 USD. They are NOT interesting in selling travel at all. So you can pretty much conclude the explanation is, well, "hogwash".

The argument employed a variety of logical fallacies, including strawman, red herring, AND weak analogy. It basically tries to establish TVI Express as the "opposite" of a "typical" pyramid scheme, by explaining the effects of a "typical" pyramid scheme, and how TVI Express is "not" that.  However, all this does not explain why TVI Express is legal. All it really did was explain that TVI Express is NOT a "typical" pyramid scheme.

TVI Express fansites are dropping like flies!

A random check through a few shows TVI Express distributors are either abandoning ship, or dropping their website altogether! We've already covered Top Team TVI, TVI Team 100, and TVI GAT's "defection".

Further check shows that "tviexpressinsider.com" is now "404 not found", and "thetruthabouttvi.net" now forwards itself to Google!

Which other TVI "fan sites" have you found to be dead or converted?

Listen to real TVI Express member's support phone call

With his permission, recorded by him, listen to this gentleman, who were quite supportive of TVI Express, to being convinced it was a scam:

http://et.ft11.net/Bible%20Studies/tvi_scam/tvi_scam_production_5_7_2010.mp3  (note: MP3 file)

You can find his posts on http://expertmlmreview.org/mlm-company-reviews/tvi-express  in the comments.

Team TVI 100 also quit TVI Express

If you search for TeamTVI100 on Google, you'll see they had posted various explanations why you need their help to earn a lot of money from TVI Express. In fact, the description usually says

"Team TVI 100 is a Dynamic Team of Successful TVI Express Distributors and Internet Marketers Dedicated to Helping You succeed with TVI Express."

Yet if you go to their website right now, you'll see that they are telling you NOT to join TVI Express. Really.

"The TVI Express Opportunity had me fooled for quite a while. Looking back at my research into this company and the many phone calls and emails sent to their London Office, not one of them was answered. Since then many warning signals have been encountered."

--  http://www.teamtvi100.com/

Folks, rats are abandoning a sinking ship, and now the people are running for the lifeboats. This is the THIRD team I've checked recently that had abandoned TVI Express.

Will you go down with the ship like the good captain, or swim away to earn another day?

"Top TVI Express Team" renames itself "Team USA"

Apparently, "Top TVI Express Team" is no longer affiliated with TVI Express! They have multiple messages that says they are now affiliated with a LEGITIMATE business on their website...  Something called "Savings Highway". I don't know what it is, and I don't care. The point is they are no longer with TVI Express.

In fact, they got a new URL. However, the old URL is still pointing to the same blog/website. 

Does that mean the TVI Express is NOT legitimate? Hmmm...

Another TVI Express China member sentenced for fraud

Using false front of promoting travel, entrapped elderly in pyramid scheme, sentenced to prison 以推销旅游为名 铆牢老人发展传销被判刑

【http://www.newssc.org 】 【 2010-05-21 18:47 】 【来源: Sources: 齐鲁晚报 Qilu Evening News 】

(记者李燕韩 跟南)季红娟、韩强在市区包下一间咖啡厅，名为组织退休人员旅游，实为发展传销网络。  (Reporter Li Yan, Han Gan-Nang) Gi Hong Juang and Han Qiang booked a coffee shop for meeting, claimed to organize retiree travel, but in fact, organized an illegal pyramid scheme. 昨天，闸北法院以犯组织、领导传销活动罪分别判处两人有期徒刑1年6个月及有期徒刑6个月缓刑6个月。  Yesterday, Zhabei court sentenced the two to imprisonment for 1 year and 6 months and 6 months imprisonment, respectively, suspended for 6 months, for organizing and leading a pyramid scheme.  2009年6 月，季红娟加入并发展韩强为“英国TVI旅游公司项目”成员。  June 2009, Gi Hong Juang joined Han Chiang in "TVI Express" member. 之后，两人包下长安路吉岛咖啡厅，通过四层宝塔形结构发展下线会员的方式，针对退休人员展开传销活动。 Later, the two booked the coffee house on Chang-An Road called Luji Island coffee shop, and started recruiting downline members in a pyramid scheme, aimed especially at retirees. 在传销活动 中，季红娟负责收取现金、替会员注册、发放奖励，韩强负责介绍项目。  In the pyramid scheme, Ms. Gi is responsible for collecting cash, membership registration, and disburse awards. Mr. Han is responsible for introduction [and promotion]. 为达到尽早牟 利的目的，季红娟、韩强规定每名参与者必须购买8个会员账号。  To achieve the purpose of profit as soon as possible, Ms. Ji and Mr. Han requires each participant to purchase 8 member accounts.   案发时，公安人员查获由季红娟管理的会员账号达200余个，涉案金额人民币40多万元。 Time of the incident, public security officers seized from Ms. Gi's account more than 200 member accounts, involving more than 40 million yuan. 同年11月，季红娟在上海火车站南广场被公安机关抓获归案。  In the same year in November, Ms. Gi was arrested in Shanghai Train Station Southern Plaza by public security officials. 12月，韩强向被害人沈某等人退赔了人民币1.l万元后，主动投案自首，庭审前又退赔了人民币5万元。  In December, Mr. Hang refunded to Mr. Shen and others to 1.l million Yuan in restitution, turned himself in to the authorities, then refunded additional 50,000 yuan before the trial. 法院认为， 被告人季红娟、韩强共同组织、领导传销活动，扰乱经济社会秩序，其行为已构成组织、领导传销活动罪。  The court held that the defendant Ms. Gi and Mr. Han has conspired to organize and lead pyramid schemes, disturb the economic and social order, thus their behavior constituted organizing and leading illegal pyramid scheme.  两被告在共同犯罪中，被告人季红娟起主要作用是主犯，被告人韩强起次要作用是从犯。 Of the two accused in the crime, the primary culprit is Ms. Gi, and the accomplice is Mr. Han. 被告人韩强犯罪后能自动投案，如实供述自己的罪行是自首，依法可以从轻处罚，并适用缓刑。  Mr. Han apparently chose to surrender himself to the authorities and made restitution. This has been taken into consideration by the court in probation and reduction of the sentence.  据此，法院做 出上述判决。 Accordingly, the court made the ruling. Translated from http://bxtz.newssc.org/system/2010/05/21/012732111.shtml#

TVI Express: more details about Australian investigation revealed

The Aussies are going after TVI Express hard! 

The investigators had also viewed a TVI web-based seminar. In the seminar a building in London is shown and said to be TVI's HQ. Documents filed with the court said the UK Office of Fair Trading had told the ACCC that TVI isn't there and companies TVI claims to have as partners deny any relationship.

 In other words, the UK Government Agency in charge of protecting consumers (US equivalent would be the FTC) says "TVI Express is NOT in London". And so call "partners" such as hotels, airlines, and such says "never heard of them".

What do you need to convince you that TVI Express is a scam? Word from God? 

TVI Express busted in Australia

EDIT: As pointed out by EmJay07, I will add   UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. The bust is not permanent... yet.

Australia consumer protection agency ACCC has obtained court order to stop TVI Express "distributors" from recruiting through Facebook, among other means, called it "pyramid scheme".

"The TVI Express scheme is promoted by the respondents through various websites including the site www.tviteamoz.com and the TVI Express Oz group on the site www.facebook.com. People who wish to participate in the scheme are required to pay a membership fee of $330. Once an individual has paid the $330, they receive a ‘travel voucher’ and the opportunity to receive commission payments for recruiting other people into the scheme.

The ACCC understands that Ms Jutsen, Ms Brownlee and Mr Scanlon had planned to hold presentations across Australia and New Zealand this week to promote the scheme. The orders obtained by the ACCC will prevent these presentations from going ahead. If the individuals ignore these orders, they risk being in contempt of court."

http://www.dynamicbusiness.com.au/articles/articles-news/facebook-pyramid-scheme-tvi-express-accc-1533.html

Get out while you can!

Found a BETTER picture of TVI SERVICES certificate...

Very interestingly, the certificate is NOT found on TVI Express itself, but on a THAI website:

http://www.siamtviexpress.com/imagess/certificate_tviexpress3.jpg

So what would the error level analysis tell us? (  http://www.errorlevelanalysis.com/permalink/a1f3aab/ )

1) The blue "watermarks" were added, of course, but that's obvious

2) The frame was also added. However, it seems the frame was there first. A search through Google shows plenty of of certificates without an ornate frame. So the frame was decoration.

3) The green URL seem to be added about the same time as the watermarks.

Other than that, the certificate seems to be authentic.

Of course, it is TVI SERVICES, not TVI EXPRESS or TRAVEL VENTURES INTERNATIONAL. So what is the relation between TVI SERVICES and TVI EXPRESS? Never explained by TVI Express.

Of course, TVI SERVICES official address is in SURREY, not London. So how does this prove they are legit? It doesn't It just says there's a company called "TVI SERVICES" in existence, and official records say it's in Surrey, not London. As TVI Express never explained how it is related to TVI SERVICES, this actually raises MORE questions than it answers.

TVI Express... NOT a UNICEF donor?

For months, TVI Express had a webpage called "commitment.php" that claimed they donated to UNICEF, the UN fund to help poor children.

That page has been removed from all the links, but can be still read directly:

http://www.tviexpress.com/commitment.php

Is TVI Express too embarassed to have donated to UNICEF that they have to now HIDE their commitment to humanitarian relief?

Or perhaps they have NEVER donated at all?

Here's a "clone site" copy of the page

http://www.tviexpresstravel.info/comitment-to-service.html

So it *was* under community, but is now gone from the main TVI Express website.

Can you say SCAM?

Even more stupid TVI Express testimonials

The SECOND testimonial on TVI Express is even funnier. A Mr. Convoy claims to have spent some fabulous time in Four Seasons, Las Vegas, NV, USA by redeeming the TVI Express offer. The photo he provided was here:

Ah, but this is obviously a promotional photo, NOT the actual room he stayed in, because here's the same photo at a promo site!

Clearly Mr. Conway can't be bothered to take his own photo for proof of his stay! What does that say about his credibility?

More TVI Express funny testomonials

If you go to TVI Express, testimonials, you'll see a Mr. Tsairong Chang from Taipei, Taiwan, providing a photo of his hotel room as his "proof" that he enjoyed such vacation courtesy of TVI Express. While the picture is a thumbnail, the actual photo is available at http://www.tviexpress.com/uploaded_document/hof/B_hof_1268792474.JPG

First of all, he said he enjoyed the trip from Jan 13, 2010 to Jan 20, 2010. As posted on TVI Express website.

Yet the date stamp clearly says the photo is taken on the 14th, 8:32PM (lower right corner). Indeed, the EXIF headers confirms it was taken on the 14th.

Who takes photo of his room one day AFTER he moved in?

Furthermore no hotel staff would leave fliers on the pillows. If you zoom in to the photo, you'll see TVI Express logo on the upper left corner. Those are TVI Express fliers, and the whole scene was very obviously staged by Mr. Tsairong Chang... if he even exists.

Furthermore, the camera does not have a GPS, so this photo does not prove it was taken where he claimed it was taken, at a Taipei hotel.

EDIT: One more problem: Tsairong Chang is NOT a Taiwanese name. In Taiwan, it would have been written as Tsai-Rong Chang. The practice of removing the dash and combining it into one word is done in China, but NOT Taiwan. 

EDIT2: Another problem does that look like a 5-star hotel room to you? It looks about the grade of Holiday Inn, or even a Motel 6. Two-star hotel, maybe, three at the most.

Another TVI Express mystery: TVI SERVICES?

Found this picture on a TVI Express Thai website:  (http://tvismart.com/image/office0003.jpg)

This is supposed to "prove" that TVI Express is a registered (i.e. "legit") company in UK.

Note that is NOT a thumbnail. That is the actual picture. Thus, the wording is ALMOST unreadable. However, you can barely make out the company name: TVI SERVICES LTD.

Who is TVI SERVICES, and how are they related to TVI EXPRESS? That is a very good question. So what can be found about TVI SERVICES? Fortunately, UK requires every company to file something. And here's the info available:

Name & Registered Office:
TVI SERVICES LIMITED
C/O FLETCHER KENNEDY LIMITED
7 PETWORTH ROAD
HASLEMERE
SURREY
GU27 2JB
Company No. 06844674

Status: Active Date of Incorporation: 12/03/2009 Country of Origin: United Kingdom Company Type: Private Limited Company Nature of Business (SIC(03)): 9305 - Other service activities Accounting Reference Date: 31/03 Last Accounts Made Up To:  (NO ACCOUNTS FILED) Next Accounts Due: 12/12/2010 Last Return Made Up To: 26/06/2009 Next Return Due: 24/07/2010

If you look up "Fletcher Kennedy Ltd", you'll find that it is a company registration agent (i.e. they register companies for other people, and charge "service fee"). The REAL address of TVI SERVICES is unknown. Unless there's some proven link between TVI SERVICES of UK, and TVI EXPRESS (of Cyprus, or UK?), this document means nothing. Therefore, the office picture is even MORE suspicious. It is clearly NOT the Marble Arch Tower address. So where is this office building, as the address was not listed there?

And even if there IS a link, why would it need to use a different name? A check through CompaniesHouse.gov.co.uk shows no company registered as TVI EXPRESS or TRAVEL VENTURES INTERNATIONAL, so name duplication is NOT a reason. Why else indeed?

EDIT: Furthermore, the image is likely manipulated. If you take the image through Error Level Analysis

http://www.errorlevelanalysis.com/permalink/6ed5eb6/

You can see very clearly where the image very likely to have been manipulated. If the photo is original, the degradation pattern would be pretty uniform (dots). As you can see, where the text are shows "blocks" of stuff being pasted over. Entire BLOCKS of text shows manipulation, not just individual lines.

Indeed, if you download the picture and open it in Irfanview, the EXIF tag says it was retouched with Photoshop 7.0.

Examples of such certificates are very easily to locate online via Google Image search. Manipulation is child's play. Furthermore. the certificate come as plain paper, not that ornate frame, which is very obviously added via Photoshop. 

EDIT2: A larger version of the picture shows no sign of background manipulation. The problem was apparently introduced by Photoshop used to "shrink" the picture. 

Confirmed: TVI Express fan manipulated picture

I've went ahead and labeled all the evidence of manipulation in the picture that I can spot (with some help, thanks, OO). Click on the picture for closer look.

Clearly, someone was removed from the picture. WHY would a TVI Express clone site post a picture with somebody removed, and be so obvious about it? WHO was removed?

Another problem about the TVI Express Advisory Board

The problem is with "Anny Kim", alleged Advisory Board member in China.

First thing to note: Kim is NOT a Chinese surname. It's Korean. Remember Kim Jong-il?

Second, here's a photo of Anny Kim, Tarun Trikha, and one other guy.

Did you notice where they met? In a McDonalds. Yes, look at the balloons. The logo on the balloons is unmistakable. The red "booths" are also signs of a McDonalds. Mr. Trikha even seem to be holding a drink, with a straw sticking up. On the other hand, while the characters aren't readable (not enough resolution) in the back, it does look Chinese. It is hard to tell either way.

And did you notice the "stairs" over Mr. Trikha's right shoulder? It doesn't match! This photo had been edited! Here's another view of the same picture, albeit cropped:

There was another person behind Mr. Trikha, in a beige shirt. His collar was very visible. Yet the guy is NOT in the big photo, and where he *should be* had been edited! And there is NO DOUBT this is the same person and the same photo! All the balloons match!

Was "Anny Kim" a fake person and inserted into the photo? You decide.

Is a McDonalds where you would meet for a TVI Express meeting?

TVI Express Advisory Board: fake body?

The more you look into the TVI Express Advisory Board, the less you like about it.

First of all, the Advisory Board is NOT "Board of Directors". Advisory Board, as stated on TVI Express website, is recruited from the ranks of existing members, and their job is to lead and motivate members. For this, they are given additional leadership and motivation training, and can be sent by TVI Express to various member events all over the world, expenses paid.

So any claim that the board members "represent" the company in any official capacity is just, well, FALSE! They are just another independent distributor!

Second, anybody ever notice that the ONLY face that EVER represent TVI Express is Tarun Trikha? We have already discussed Mr. Tarun Trikha twice before (here, and here), but I just noticed that NONE of the other advisory board members, just like the TVI Express management team, have ever been seen. However, unlike that of TVI Express management, at least one TVI Express clone site have pictures of such people.

A few of them probably really do exist, but do they get trips and whatnot like Tarun Trikha? And why was Rahul Khurana's name removed?

TVI Express and 10 Secrets of Highly Effective Liars

Read this hub and see if you agree, that TVI Express has a team of highly effective liars:

http://hubpages.com/hub/TVI-Express-and-10-secrets-of-effective-liars

Here's an excerpt:

SECRET #1: Have a reason to lie (and lie no more than needed)

The bad liars tell lies even when they do not have to, then have to cover up lies with even more lies. Eventually they told so many lies, cannot keep their story straight, and their lies are exposed.
The good liars lie just enough to achieve what they need.

TVI Express told just enough lies to make it sound good. They do NOT explain themselves, even when the charges are serious, like "TVI Express is a pyramid scheme!" They simply do NOT tell more lies than they must. The less they lie, the less likely they will be caught at a lie.

TVI Express, even their webhost is a joke!

How do you know what webhost TVI Express is using? You do a tracert (i.e. traceroute) on it. Traceroute traces the route of IP packet from you to the host you are tracing. So what do you get when you do tracert on tviexpress.com?

Following is actual capture from my tracert to tviexpress.com. I am going to remove a couple host names and IP addresses as I don't want my own location shown, but it would not affect the result.

C:\>tracert tviexpress.com

Tracing route to tviexpress.com [72.20.25.19]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

  1    74 ms    70 ms    91 ms  XXX
  2    82 ms    73 ms    75 ms  XXX
  3    99 ms    70 ms    72 ms  XXX
  4    93 ms    80 ms    87 ms  XXX
  5   134 ms    87 ms   113 ms  XXX
  6   143 ms    97 ms   137 ms  XXX
  7    87 ms    96 ms   108 ms  XXX
  8    70 ms    99 ms   121 ms  XXX
  9    83 ms   147 ms    80 ms  207.88.15.38.ptr.us.xo.net [207.88.15.38]
 10    87 ms    88 ms    88 ms  ge-11-3-1.mpr4.sjc7.us.above.net [64.125.12.181]

 11   136 ms    99 ms    99 ms  xe-3-0-0.er2.sjc2.us.above.net [64.125.30.177]
 12   111 ms   105 ms    78 ms  ge-3-0-0.mpr2.sjc2.us.above.net [64.125.26.201]

 13   111 ms    99 ms    76 ms  ge-3-1-0.mpr2.sjc2.us.above.net [64.125.30.134]

 14   108 ms   116 ms    94 ms  so-1-0-0.mpr4.lax9.us.above.net [64.125.26.29]
 15   110 ms    97 ms    87 ms  xe-1-1-0.er2.lax9.us.above.net [64.125.31.101]
 16    85 ms   140 ms    84 ms  64.124.161.210.allocated.above.net [64.124.161.2
10]
 17   117 ms   102 ms   121 ms  edge08-ge.lax1.staminus.net [72.20.0.8]
 18   117 ms   118 ms    93 ms  aggr-sw2-ge.lax1.staminus.net [72.20.0.44]
 19   436 ms   114 ms   209 ms  imajhost.com [72.20.25.19]

Trace complete.

So you got to staminus.net, then to imajhost.com... Wait... imajhost.com?

So what would happen if you go to imajhost.com? You can see that it's a webhost in Turkey! Diyabakir is in TURKEY!

So what about the TVIExpress.com? Don't worry, it is still there. TVIExpress is using what is known as multi-hosting. At the same IP address, the server is hosting MULTIPLE websites. Depending on the incoming http request, the server knows what website to display.

So it's clear that TVI Express is too cheap to pay for a dedicated server with its own IP address. It is actually sharing IP address with multiple hosts.

What is really interesting is the server is at Staminus.net, but a check through their website shows they ONLY offer dedicated servers, and they don't do multi-hosting, so someone is using Staminus server and backbone and reselling it as multi-host, and one of the customers is TVIExpress.com  Who is this someone? No idea.

Another interesting item to note... domaintools said TVIExpress.com has changed servers TWELVE TIMES over last two years. http://whois.domaintools.com/tviexpress.com

One last item... Spammers are pushing TVIExpress.com, and that made uribl.com add tviexpress.com to a blacklist it maintains.

What is the website reliability now, vs. back in October 2009? As we don't know when they switched to what server, it's impossible to say which moves are to improve reliability. But the point is... cost for a dedicated server at $100 or so per month is minimal, yet TVI Express is still using a shared server. WHY are they still so cheap?

Tarun Trikha: TVI Express Official?

One of the most stupid things posted online about TVI Express was a "conference call" that claims to have spoken to a TVI Express official, which supposedly answered a bunch of major questions regarding TVI Express. It is even separated into 7 parts, and put on Youtube, even though it's just a recording of a conference call.

The videos were undated, but based on the content, it should be in late September or early October 2009.  Upload date was October 27 2009, so that fits close enough.
 
The video claimed to have spoken to TVI Express board member "Tyroon" (sp?). The only name that came close would be Tarun Trikha, a member of the "TVI Express advisory board" (goes to TVI Express / advisory board).

And who qualifies to be on the advisory board? According to the link above, "Advisory Board is for especially selected elite members and true leaders with passion and dedication to help fellow TVItes." In other words, they are just TVI Express distributors, albeit those who have probably passed "presidential associate" levels (i.e. have bazillion downlines). They supposedly get extra training, but only for "motivation" and such things. They don't advise TVI Express at all.  

In other words, Advisory Board's purpose is to advise junior members. At best, they are "senior members" or "community mentors". Are they TVI Express "officials"? That is a very good questions. Are they speaking for TVI Express officially? Are stuff they promised legally binding on TVI Express? Nobody knows, because nobody had bothered to ask!

And if you look through the list of board members, you will see Mr. Tarun Trikha. Mr. Tarun Trikha had been spotted at several TVI Express meetings, including one in China back in June 2009, merely months after launch! He was then already listed as a "presidential associate", with tens of thousands of downlines. In fact, it is rumored that he is the real owner of TVI Express, and the first ever member.

Thus, you can pretty much decide the video is absolutely BULL****. TVI Express does not have a "board of directors". As explained above, "advisory board" is NOT "board of directors". They may sound close, but they are NOT the same. A board of directors advise the CEO how to run the company. An advisory board for TVI Express is to motivate more members, on trips paid for by TVI Express. Says so on their own website.

TVI Global Assist Team (TVI-GAT) quits TVI Express in disgust

That's right, TVI GAT (i.e. TVI Global Assist Team), which started out as a feeder program for TVI Express, is divorcing itself from TVI Express.

"We are removing TVI Express from TVI-GAT and will be modifying all web pages, marketing materials, banners, graphics, follow up series, to remove all references to TVI or TVI Express."

Can't get any clearer than that, can you? 

TVIGAT started out as a TVI Express junior edition. You join TVIGAT with $37 USD, then once you completed a 2x2 matrix with recruits (i.e. 1-2-4 pyramid) they pay your $250/$275 TVI Express membership. This is straight from their own comments on this very blog.

Folks, I have nothing against teamwork. However, when teamwork's effort is to feed more members into an obvious scam, that I *do* have a problem with, and looks like they have "seen the light". For that, I salute thee, GAT (formerly known as TVIGAT).

TVI Express Indonesia Member posts nonsense

The following comment was left on one of my hubpage  hubs regarding TVI Express complaints:

I don't know about you but I am a TVI Express Associates. I wish that you either join TVI or just leave it alone. I have so many friends like you. 

Maybe your friends are actually right, and you're just being obstinate. Ever consider that? Why is it that when TVI Express says "almost a million members means TIV Express must be legitimate", they expect to be taken seriously, but when all the friends tell this guy that he's in a scam, he ignores it?

Can you not accept that there would be new 'invention' everyday? If you think that there are only pyramid system or the bonzi system, then you will not survive in the world of SALES. Remembering, selling of an idea is also Sales. 

Except there is nothing new about TVI Express. The 1-2-4-8 pyramid can be cloaked by a new name, like "2x3 forced matrix", but the 8-ball scheme had been around for decades, perhaps centuries.  Besides, sales have nothing to do with the compensation structure at all. Only a pseudo-MLM cycler scam would actually mix the two up and claim the two are intertwined.

You are a typical American who just cannot see other people getting rich just like the cover up on the alternative medicines in America. The bottom line is either you have a qualm with TVI or someone paid you to write this page. 

Oh, great. Paranoia is setting in. Accusing me of jealousy, then paranoia about conspiracy. What's next?And what exactly is a "typical American"? I am anything BUT a typical American. I am Asian-American. I use "alternative" medicine myself. Plenty of herbalists and such in Chinatown.

I *wish* someone is paying me to write stuff, and in a sense, Google AdSense is paying me pennies a day. I have a qualm with TVI Express because I believe it to be a VERY OBVIOUS scam. Do I really need more reason than that? Clearly paranoid people think so.

God made us to have wit. If someone invented a new idea, we must share in its joy not by lamenting and trying to bring it down. That has happened in the past and I am not surprised there are some more people in this present time, trying to do the same thing - destroying other people's idea. 

God also gave us wisdom, to judge things for ourselves. It is sad that your greed had overwhelmed your own wisdom. The only thing original about TVI Express is their cleverness in concealing their own identities, using every trick in the book, including moving legal entity from one country to another, using multiple company names, across multiple continents, using virtual offices, in order to delay investigation and prosecution by legal authorities. That is FRAUD, and must be brought down.

I raise my hat to TVI Express. And if you are such a genius writing all this stuff, use your head to create more ideas to make more people richer and not just think about your own pockets.

And how would debunking scams and frauds help my own pockets? Huh? Ever think about THAT?  Oh, wait, your paranoia already made you believe that someone PAID me to write all this "bad" stuff about TVI Express. That's a circular argument.

I *have* had many ideas to make many people richer, and they are LEGITIMATE as they actually improve productivity of manufacturing, among other things. I would never stoop so low as to dangle false hope in front of poor people to enrich myself. Those who do so are scum and must be exposed as such.

So in the end, he admits it was all about greed... TVI Express dangled the hope of that $10000 USD in front of people, and that is quite a bit of money in Southeast Asia.  It is enough to change lives, and that bit of hope is enough to make people forget all logic. He knew that everything I wrote is true, but he can't make himself believe it, and must resort to making up some motivations for me so he can pretend those things he saw are not real.

In a sense, this is a desperate plea for help... "Why must you dash my dreams of changing my life?  I want to believe!"

Well, X-Files is long over (pardon the pop TV reference)  I offer you the ancient Chinese sayings: "the more bitter the medicine, the better it is for the body" (苦口良藥), and "the best advice were usually ignored" (忠言逆耳).

As Mr. Spock would say, "Live long and prosper," but the latter cannot be done with TVI Express, at least not with a clear conscience. 

TVI Express Vietnam admits to not make money from travel

While the Google Translation is somewhat atrocious, the meaning should be clear:

"Travel is one of our activities and bonuses to encourage people to travel but this is not our work to make money" - Mr. Tran Anh Son, TVI Express Vietnam

As quoted from  http://tintuc.timnhanh.com/kinh-te/20100413/35AA2F83/Tour-du-lich-khong-binh-thuong-Su-that-khac-han-quang-cao.htm  (translated by Google)

He also admitted that "so far no one has received gifts of computers, villas, cars. "