Cambridge Who's Who...?
Has anyone heard of Cambridge Who's Who? I received an "exclusive membership invitation" from them a few weeks ago, so I went to their website and applied for membership. I'd forgotten all about it until a selection representative called me today. We went through an interview process over the phone, and everything seemed legit - the lady said they have over 200,000 members (many who could use my services!) and had 24 million hits to their site (which looked very professional and impressive) last year. I was thrilled when the lady told me I seemed like an upstanding professional, and that she was going to accept me into their exclusive membership, which includes publication in their hardbound directory, access to online networking forums, a profile including a hyperlink to my site, and a press release submitted to all the major sites. Then she got into the price - over $1,000 for a lifetime membership or $900 for 5 years. Yikes! When I said that I would have to consult my husband and my budget, she started offering me deals, first for a 3-year package, then finally for a 1-year trial package "at cost" (which was still $200). She said that if I didn't make a decision right then, at the time of the offer, that the offer would expire. What??!! She wasn't trying to pressure me, she was trying to "get me a good deal", and that the reason they send out the letter and then wait a few weeks before contacting applicants is to give them time to think about the offer. Um...okay. The letter and website say absolutely nothing about a paid membership. I responded that she was pressuring me by trying to get a split-second decision requiring a large sum of money, and that the whole thing was making me uncomfortable. Meanwhile, while she was telling me all about her bargain deals, I was googling the company and finding several references of "scam" associated with the company's name. That, along with the bad feeling in my gut, was enough to convince me that it was a raw deal. So I politely but adamantly told her that I wasn't interested and ended the call.
And there goes twenty minutes of my life down the drain...lol. I just wanted to share this with you all so that you're aware in case they try to contact you. If anyone else has had experiences with this company, good or bad, please share!
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