John R Ans

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Verified Reviewer
| map-marker North Kingstown, Rhode Island

Many years ago I bought into your service and found myself snagged by my own lack of understanding. At the time I was unable to overcome my misgivings. In the meantime I forgot the code words and numb

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Updated by user Aug 22, 2022

No service and no response. All I want is a continuation of the service I bought in a Long Island hotel over 10 years ago.

I don't have my records They were lost in moving. Name John Rhein address at the time was: 96 Tenth Street Garden City NY 11530. e-Mail was john_rhein1931@***o at the time.

Please look into this matter. Thanks.

Original review Jul 23, 2022
Want to find my sign in code as a long term subscriber. In moving I lost my material (tape, video, workbook etc). Want to continue- was told when I subscribed there would be no subsequent charges. Signed up at Marriott on Long Island- with George Fontinallis and his excelent compatriot. Can you help me?
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Loss:
$10

Preferred solution: Let the company propose a solution

User's recommendation: keep sign in information safe

Jo M Dpz

This review is from a real person who provided valid contact information and hasn't been caught misusing, spamming or abusing our website. Check our FAQ

Verified Reviewer
| map-marker Auckland, Auckland

Scam - extremely high pressure sales. Can't believe I fell for it. Beware of the scam

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I was pressured into buying their system at their free talk in Auckland years ago. They hyped it up, it was supposedly so amazing, so easy etc. Turns out was all just an expensive rubbish pack. An expensive lesson learnt.
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Loss:
$4395

Preferred solution: Full refund

Anonymous

What l learnt from optionetic courses.

Learnt how options works and strategy for the right time. Never trade naked puts when other sellers classes were recommending. they taught many methods and l was able to build a style of trading that suited me. I do 3 months and leaps. Rolling with the trends.be selective when to sell. They taught exits on percentage gains, small wins often are best._ All said optionetics taught me to trade without emotion and keep learning by developing ideas and back test. back test re test!!!!!!!!!! Optionetic education has been re paid over many times. As a long time client l follow them and see Tom has a desk at optionsXpress which is sad for me as OptionXpress has dumped all of its New Zealand clients, and closed their accounts. Was advised that they would not reopen an Australian account as, l am a NZ resident.
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Reason of review:
Good customer service
Thelmer Jcu

Course not provided

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Some years ago I attended 2 day Optionetics seminar in London and purchased advanced training credits for advanced training seminars. Thereafter Optionetics stopped providing advanced trading seminars at locations in my country and refused to refund me for the money that I paid for this training. Lately they said that they no longer provided any advanced training at all and could not refund due to a new policy of not refunding for any training credits in existence for more than 12 months!. In effect I have been cheated out of my money. Please advise if this educational trading company is regulated by any industry body or is there any other way I can get my money back?
View full review
Loss:
$1990
Pros:
  • Initial training
Cons:
  • Paying for advanced training courses not provided
Reason of review:
Problem with delivery

Preferred solution: Full refund

Anonymous

No issue, great course! Very knowledgeable instructors.

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I took their two day student course ($3495.00) and it was a great learning experience. In that course we learned what an option is. How to use different strategies with options. How to maximize profits while limiting risk. Their were about 50 people in the class, so it would be pretty hard to be sexually harassed with that many people watching. Again a great course for me! It's a bummer if you paid for a course and didn't receive the training. I know the course I took had a next day 100% refund if you returned the materials received and a 6 month refund if you didn't make a 300% profit on the course fee, making 36 option trades in that 6 month period. Well worth the money.
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Reason of review:
Good quality
Anonymous
map-marker Santa Clara, California

SCAM, period

High pressure, VERY high priced training and you can get the full equivalent FOR FREE at thinkorswim.com sponsored by TDAMERITRADE. Don't wast your money. Also think for a minute, if these Optionetics folks truly had a reliable method for making profitable trades would they be spending so much time hawking overpriced DVDs and courses? Of course not. Selling training to gullible people is how they make money. They sell a dream and one which they cannot realize themselves. That dream is consistently profitable options trading. NOBODY can do that. It is the trading equivalent of perpetual motion. One thing they are very good at is getting trainees to pony up more money for the next level, the elusive and tempting critical mass that will change your losing trading into profitable trading. Dont fall for the pitch.
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Reason of review:
Bad quality
2 comments
Guest

As someone who was with Optionetics as far back as 1999 but who now uses Thinkorswim by TD Ameritrade, I can attest that those critical comments on Optionetics were just the tip of the iceberg. If you made any money it would be despite Optionetics not because of them. Buyer beware they just want your money.

Guest

Since Optionetics stopped marketing or selling any products to new customers in 2011 ... you know that these are ridiculous self marketing by TD Ameritrade scammers.

View more comments (1)
Anonymous

False advertising.

Unless you are extremely well versed in any sort of share trading, this company will suck the dollars out of you while making you believe that really it is not that hard. Their catch phrase is "make money while you are laying on the beach, it is that simple." Be very, very cautious. They will advise you to spend more money on future coures to really show you how easy it really is. Question??? If these rip off merchants are really rolling in the money, why are they selling their super secret?? I lost a few $000 attending their courses, their statistics are all based on the American stock market, which is infernetaly larger than the Australian stock market. Be very cautious.
View full review
Loss:
$5000
Anonymous

Options Training of doubtful utility

Options trading is fun and is amazingly complex - a bit like four dimensional chess. I took several training courses in US, costing $$$thousands, and eventually realised that the main objective of an Optionetics course is to make you buy the next course. I learned a little about a large number of option trades, but not enough about any of them to make option trading profitable. You never get a route map for any trade, just lots of random examples and bespoke comments, which may not apply to the next trade. In this way, the customer is kept hungry, feeling that the elusive knoweldge he seeks is just out of reach - "if only I spend another $3000 I will somehow become a profitable trader" - but it is an illusion carefully crafted by the the master salesman George Fontanills. At each training course there is another new product to buy to buy for $1000 or so. The course is designed to create to create a buying frenzy for the new product, and it usually works! It is skilfully done, and as one with no "selling" skills at all, I admire the technique. I eventually learned from other sources that it is essential to specialise in one options trade, eg the butterfly, until one becomes expert and are making profits consistently. Also, you need a trading buddy of comparable experience to converse with. Optionetics offer a "mentoring" service, but it is cripplingly expensive, and of dubious utility. I am a stubborn fellow, and I stuck to it for years, determined to master the subject matter. I eventually realised this was the last thing the company wanted!!!
View full review
Loss:
$20000
1 comment
Guest

The courses are expensive and give you a good general overview of options trading but in my view make it more complicated than it needs to be. In order to be successful you need to focus just on one or 2 strategies, learn then thoroughly and make options trade a very small percentage of you trading dollars.

I no longer use any of their software and products and focus just on a few type of trades.

I did get a great general overview with the $25K I spent in courses but I could have skipped some of their products and narrow my focus. I think some of the teachers are very good and they certainly want you to do well.

I did not meet anyone other than the instructors that made money trading options year over year in all my classes and folks that I got to know other than a few folks that jut sold puts or calls against stock that they held.

There is also a unreal expectation that you can make over 100 percent a year. That is not a realistic number if you want to try and hold onto you money and not give it away to the 1-5 percent that do make a some money.

Lady o
map-marker Tucson, Arizona

Instructors sleep with rapist and ... Ken Kasowitz and harass me in class

http://atoasis.blogspot.com/ Ken Kasowitz is a rapist and the instructors sleep with him My abuser's name is Ken Kasowitz and I don't know how he is related to optionetics. He keeps grabbing at my clothes and my private parts both in public and in private, and has also has put ice down by chest at the dinner table in front of other students and last june, in addition to sexual harassment, he had his fist on my face and forced me to look into his eyes. He also mentioned I shouldn't be there. Every time he finds me somewhere, he asks me why I'm there. Why do I have to answer to intimidation and threat? My body responds to trauma in a very specific manner and this has happened both times ... first time I took expired medication to stop it, this time my trauma symptoms visibly continued for 4 months. I purchased their 2 day class and a lot of the other classes. After having taken their classes and coaching several times, an instructor tells me I still don't know the subject matter ... and every time I attend a class the instructors harass me. Optionetics keeps calling and sending emails to sell me their products, but the instructors do keep harassing me and lie to me when I ask a question or give me incomplete answers. I got sexually assaulted twice (2006 and 2011) at their OASIS and the instructors keep gossiping about my personal issues both in class, in my presence and in my absence outside of class. Recently, an instructor, Nick Gazzolo, discussed me in class with his front row students, he refused to answer my questions and gave me a chest pain in class; and when I went to Oasis (their super summit), sent my abuser to assault me again. He and the others discuss me with my abuser all the time and my body is traumatized. The first time I purchased a coaching class, the instructor wouldn't answer my questions at the end of the session. Some instructors ask softly, what did she ask, all instructors mention Ken in some form or other while looking at me and intimidate me. Due to this assault my body is traumatized."
View full review
Loss:
$100
4 comments
Guest

Honestly? How *** are you?

Guest

I was also traumatized sexually by ken. They told me that if I didn't attend (purchase another class) they would ruin my reputation.

Tom said if I didn't please him he wouldn't teach me the real profitable options strategies. He said a lot of their students pay a lot of money for nothing because a lot of what they teach you can find online for free.

He called them (me) suckers!!!! But he said he had the "real deal" strategies that only those willing to "sacrifice" would get to learn!!

Guest

If they're sexually assaulting you, why do you keep going to their classes?

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-781590

Why not call the police and why go back time after time if this is happening to you?

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Mr Gss
map-marker Tucson, Arizona

Optionetics Classes worth only the size of George's PP

All Optionetics all level coaching class DVDs are available online for a couple of 100 dollars!!! Someone just put their ad under mine. For just 800 USD, you can get all their advanced level classes and a few other classes from others on DVD. It is enough to start successfully. The main cost is the softwares and data providers... My past T/Partner had said those are available for free on Think and Swim. Wonder why their instructors don't mention Think or Swim any more!!! I'd trouble communicating with TS, ... customer service sucked, did return calls on time, etc. They wouldn't walk me through their platform. You have to figure it out on your own. Better Trades has cheaper softwares if you are not already dependent on expensive Optionetics software ... Platinum is for strategies, not required for active trading. Some people love Trade station. I looked at it and liked it. It was some time back. Have fun trading!!!
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1 comment
Guest

Their classes and services and overall experience have gotten worse by the year and the education expires worthless just like (you know what)!

Anonymous
map-marker Tucson, Arizona

Optionetics

In class, the instructors just think about and talk about what is in their pants. Peter Axe cannot stop his Viagra jokes on certain students, it could be that the poor guy just has to have viagra all the time. So, he takes his frustration out on his students w/ comments like " are you having a viagra moment here?, etc. George can't stop his PP jokes & there are some who are so inappropriate & some are so unprofessional. It is a students, if we don't like you, "you Don't open your mouth in class". We only teach to people we like. Others, we lie and mislead. I've got vague and misleading answers from even my favorites, and lied to, etc by some. Some of them can't stop at one night stands. They are not even teaching anything useful like some of the other companies do. They cannot even guarantee the success of their elite students, the students really don't get that much out of the courses that they cannot find or learn elsewhere and if a student comes up with a really important question that they are struggling with, they are subdued or lied to or given a vague and incomplete answer, which it is eventually found for free on the internet! There is sexual harassment and verbal abuse on students both in class and outside.
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Anonymous
map-marker Tucson, Arizona

Staff is rude

They are very secretive and rude. I took all the classes, some multiple times. At the advanced levels the instructors could not answer questions. In Coaching, which I took multiple times, The teachers wouldn't reply. Found out that one of the Elite Coaches actually doesn't enjoy teaching. All of them do it because it is their job. It is so obvious. They keep calling multiple times a day to sell products. When you go to the seminars, the teachers tell "don't come to class". Instructors waste a lot of class time talking personal stuff. Instructors gossip and also threaten. One of the instructors says she doesn't know how to teach, but she knows how to trade.
View full review
Loss:
$25000
babarand P
map-marker Honolulu, Hawaii

Optionetics = high pressure, lies & ignore you once they get your money

Updated by user Dec 25, 2011

It has now been over a month since I posted this with pissconsumers and still no response from optionetics. Their info is O.K.

but it is not worth the thousands they charge for it. You can get superior info for a lot less, without having to deal with unethical people at optionetics.

Original review Nov 23, 2011
I took their 2 day course, and the advanced sounded good, so I went for it. Being that I could take a partner, I took a Japanese friend that does not speak English very well. After I told her not to buy any advanced programs they called her many times and talked her into paying them $8,000 for mentoring with a money back guarantee if she did not make back the $8,000 in trading. Being that her English is limited, she did not learn much and her brokerage company would not approve her to trade anything except buying calls and puts. When she asked for a refund they said they never offered a money back guarantee. That is when I found out about it. I called many times and was given the run around. I wrote a couple of emails to George Fontanills. He never replied. I went to another seminar, just to give a letter to the presenter to give to George, still no reply. I sent a couple of letter to the address I had for them in California, no reply. They are pure scammers. My experience - I paid for 3 of their advanced courses, I live in Hawaii and flew to California and took one course, they said I could take the next one online instead of flying to California again. They give you 3 weeks to complete it. I said I would be gone for 2 of the three weeks, they said no problem, I could make it up when they gave it again online. When I got back from vacation and asked them when the next course was, they told me tough luck, I had to take the one they signed me up for and I should have done the other classes while on vacation, they would not let me take it the next time it was given. I find them unethical and would never take another course from them, nor recommed them to anyone I know. And once you take the first course you are allowed to repeat that one as many times as you would like. After I sent my emails to George, I was taken off their list and have not heard from them since, so I do not even know when they give the class I am allowed to retake.
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2 comments
Guest

The stock options industry is very risky and dangerous, and Optionetics tries to introduce the general public to this type of environment. This is not a very responsible thing to do.

It is very difficult to consistently make money using the strategies and tools that Optionetics recommends. What they don't tell you about is that 90% of options traders lose money. If you just want to learn how options work, go with Optionetics. If you are trying to consistently make money using stock options, stay as far away from Optionetics as possible.

If you don't believe me, you can sign up for an account on optionsxpress.com, a brokerage company that Optionetics works with for their customers to actually place the trades, and use their Virtual Trade system, which allows you to practice option trading by using virtual money instead of real money. Use that for a while, and you will see that you will most likely lose money overall.

Guest

very simple. those who can, do. those who can't, teach.

If they were actually very successful in trading options, there would be no need to make money off teaching anyone. Same goes for any other trading education companies out there.

Think about it. If you knew how to make good money trading the market, would you go around teaching everyone? or would you keep making money on the market?

View more comments (1)
RANJANA P Pfe
map-marker Tucson, Arizona

Optionetics ... Sexual Assault, Bullying, Intimidating, Threatening, Rude, Liars

I purchased their 2 day class and a lot of the other classes. After having taken their classes and coaching several times, an instructor tells me I still don't know the subject matter ... and every time I attend a class the instructors harass me. Optionetics keeps calling and sending emails to sell me their products, but the instructors do keep harassing me and lie to me when I ask a question or give me incomplete answers. I got sexually assaulted twice (2006 and 2011) at their OASIS and the instructors keep gossiping about my personal issues both in class, in my presence and in my absence outside of class. Recently, an instructor, Nick Gazzolo, discussed me in class with his front row students, he refused to answer my questions and gave me a chest pain in class; and when I went to Oasis (their super summit), sent my abuser to assault me again. He and the others discuss me with my abuser all the time and my body is traumatized. The first time I purchased a coaching class, the instructor wouldn't answer my questions at the end of the session. Some instructors ask softly, what did she ask, all instructors mention Ken in some form or other while looking at me and intimidate me. Due to this assault my body is traumatized. My abuser's name is Ken Kasowitz and I don't know how he is related to optionetics. He keeps grabbing at my clothes and my private parts both in public and in private, and has also has put ice down by chest at the dinner table in front of other students and last june, in addition to sexual harassment, he had his fist on my face and forced me to look into his eyes. He also mentioned I shouldn't be there. Every time he finds me somewhere, he asks me why I'm there. Why do I have to answer to intimidation and threat? My body responds to trauma in a very specific manner and this has happened both times ... first time I took expired medication to stop it, this time my trauma symptoms still continue as of this writing.
View full review
3 comments
Guest

they have ink pens that are recorders and video of what is happening and nobody can tell end up in actually right I don't know why you don't have one to record this and pressed charges and filed suit against them

Guest

For an options course-

It is like learning to drive-you learn all the skills from a qualified instructor.

On the road, it is a diff. story-blizzard, hurricane, etc. You decide if you are driving.

Analogy to options-sometimes, the financial highway is bad. But for some

smart tax strategies, option positions are good-for freeing up monies for cash,

stock replacement, leveraging, there is a time & place.

Just like any other subject, some people do simple positions, calls, puts. Some want to try the advanced stuff and understand the underlying stock, the mathematics, the business of the company, whether it is cyclical, a startup, biotech.

Otherwise, you are gambling.

Focus on adding the skill to your arsenal of tools, you don't have to use it but

if you do, your portfolio may be better.

(engineers are usually good w/ this) etc.

Guest

I wrote for George many years ago and sat in one of the first Optionetics courses while it was evolving. If you have a problem w/ Ken, why aren't you going to the police, or to management to file a complaint? We brought a buddy w/ us & in

those large hotel rooms, seating capacity several hundred, I don't think we had issues. Tom Gentile, Jon Nadjarian taught our class plus George. As a gov't worker, we dress modestly, conservatively, not flamboyant etc. You can also say some

comments that will "shut up" another person or put them in an awkward position-

don't play victim. If it is a problem, report to police or use cell phone-they have a list.

View more comments (2)
JoeFW
map-marker Dallas, Texas

Optionetics Rip-Off

You can do ALL the things you need to do with their Profit Source and Platinum with Thinkorswim.com. They have a free download that you can do all the back test of platinum and all the charting that Profit Source does for FREE! All I got was screwed by Optionetics. They said to not trade for 90 days after I bought Profit Source "just so I could get used to the program." What they didn't say is that after 90 days you can't return the software. Nothing they taught will make you anymore money than what everyone else tells you for free. The last seminar I went to they were talking about doing credit spreads on Google. Risk thousands for a few pennies return. The Platinum cost 900.00 per year to maintain and Profit Source cost 500.00. Thinkorswim is FREE.
View full review
Loss:
$12
3 comments
Guest

very simple. those who can, do.

those who can't, teach.

If they were actually very successful in trading options, there would be no need to make money off teaching anyone. Same goes for any other trading education companies out there.

Guest

Cut Joe some slack. The real message is "you have to check out ANYONE, COMPANY, THING you dont know about it nowadays." "Sad but true...Metallica." :eek

Guest

Too bad Joe you didn't check them out first before you put your hard earned money down.

Optionetics (principals and staff) has a "solid" reputation among options traders as being a den of *** artists in the industry!

View more comments (2)
Anonymous
map-marker Tampa, Florida

Optionetics is a RIP OFF

My husband and I bought a package together and paid over $12,000.00 initially. The first class we went to we learned options basics but the advanced class was nothing but an expensive lunch. They mostly had some student speak about covered calls which they had spoke against in the first course. At one point George put a trade of his up on the screen and just said to everyone look at this trade and I said to my husband that taught me a lot. We then took the computer training class because we had paid for it in our package and we had the software and basically knew how to look up the trades already and that was all the class was on was searches for trades. At the end of the course they offered an Advanced GET course that at that point I told my husband you take it (we owned the software). The course was paid for in advance and they were trying to get enough people to have the course in Orlando so my husband wrote on the enrollment Orlando area only. When they finally set a date in Orlando for the course my husband had jury duty and could not attend I asked for the money back (since we had spent so much already) and they refused. I did not even think to dispute it on my credit card and they until this day have my $2495.00 and will not return it. I received a letter from Sean Stoney stating they would keep it for me to use when another Advanced GET class came to Orlando and it has been over 4 years and there has never been another course offered and they no longer offer Advanced GET. I recently spoke to Sean Stoney and he said since we do not offer the course you should have no problems when Maria who is the manager of customer service speaks to me they no longer offer a product and cannot provide the service she was like him on these matters and I should receive my money and he said that is why he is no longer in that department because of customers with disputes like mine. When Maria called me she gave me a point blank no on the return of my money. If a company no longer offers a product and therefore cannot provide a service they if they were a reputable company they would refund my money. Sean Stoney only made me think that I was getting my money back so he would not have to deal with the situation and that is spineless and despicable.
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9 comments
Guest

Scammers.. galore

Guest

I was able to download their video course at ZERO Cost. Why didn't you do this?

Guest

You can try to recoup your 2500.00 in small claims court. If you have a money back guarantee in writing from Optionetics or on a contract that should be all you need to prove your case.

Guest

Optionetics is a SCAM. Their products do not work and are reckless. Their products are a danger to society.

Guest

Was thinking about attending free seminar, but not after reading reviews and looking up Optionetics / Options Epress Inc via BBB.

BBB Rating for Options Xpress Inc.

Based on BBB files, Options Xpress Inc. has a BBB Rating of C.

Reasons for this rating include:

* 7 complaints filed against business

* BBB does not have sufficient information to determine how long this business has been operating.

* BBB does not have sufficient background information on this business.

This is just enough info to tell me it's not worth the hassle. Thx to you who are speaking out. God's Blessings.

Guest

Thanks, I am thinking attending a free seminar in Seattle area. Now, I am going to forget it.

Thank you

Guest

There are consumer protection laws that provide protection against the practice that you described. In many instances you can get up to three times your monetary losses including punitive damages and pain and suffering.

Contact an attorney in your area who is a consumer laws specialist. Optionetics does not appear to be a reputable company and should not be allowed to deceive consumers.

Guest

Who ever wrote this needs to take a few english writing courses.

Guest

Optionetics is an over priced education on options trading. They make money educating NOT TRADING. Thankfully I was not taken by their scam.

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