Coffee Tree LLC and its Roasters Mark brand -- distributorships

[daytondinger]

I'm the guy that originally started this string about Coffee Tree LLC and the Roasters Mark brand. I haven't visited the Forum recently, but was amazed that there have been this many posts and that there continues to be so much interest. I can tell you that I was VERY disappointed after filing a report with i3 because I have heard nothing back from them. I think they are overwhelmed with scam cases. Anyway, I'm sure you've read my earlier posts and seen that I never received calls back from the "references." I never receiveda call back from Coffee Tree VP Dan Patrick who called my home and asked my wife if he had reached the current phone number of (my name) after he'd been contacted by his building manager. I spoke with her and asked her about Coffee Tree as a building tenant and she told me they set up their office on June 1 in the building. She must havae contacted Dan Patrick after she hung up with me, thus the call from Patrick to me. Anyway, I called him back, left a message, but never heard back. I've never been able to speak to an actual Coffee Tree/Roasters Mark customer. As I said in an earlier posting, the local (Dayton, OH) office of the FBI told me that this is a scam. They told me to file a report with ic3.gov which I did. I really think that the Coffee Tree business model is to get as many people as they can to fork over the initial $5,000, then fold up tent before they are caught. If you really look at their website, notice the typos and grammatical errors. Their business site, doesn't provide any direction to finding a distributor or ordering product. It's all shoddy. Look at the way the photos of the products like sugar, paper plates, etc. are cropped. It isn't real. Can't be.

 

[acesovereggs]

Just wanted to say a quick thank you to the folks on here who have already done their homework. I, too, was interested after seeing an ad in this week's paper. It appears that the evidence strongly favors this being scam. There is nothing much that I hate more than a scammer. Suffice to say that, hopefully, at some point karma will catch up to these jerks and may they rot somewhere that is very hot and populated by a certain entity with horns and a pitchfork, which is what they deserve.

 

[capolino]

Today I tried getting more information out of Michael Ross Hurwitz. He would not provide me with my request, which I thought was very reasonable. I simply asked for additional distributors, a few corporate customer contacts and the names and contact information for the officers of The Coffee Tree. He refused on all counts but to say that Dan Patrick was an officer and owner. I did make contact with the GM for the Holiday Inn in Manchester NH. Manchester NH is an area that I was told had two distinct distributors, one of which I had spoken with. They had never heard of Coffee Tree.

Mr. Hurwitz was quite rude with me today and thought I was being ridiculous with my request. He even went as far to say that my money was guarentee in the contract and if I thought it was a scam, yes he used the word scam, then I could get my money back. At no time did I call it a scam. He used the words, get it out there first so to think that it isn't. I really believe now that this is a classic fraud.

 

[duckie]

i have spend 5000 week ago tue i spend 5000 ,if it a scam i will tel alll

 

[redbadger48]

Had spoken with Hurwitz last week and he gave me names of 2 dist., 1 in FL and in NH. Guy from Fl called back(the one on the site) and just general info but came across not particularly believable. Here's the bottom line: Hurwitz claimed selling Distships since 1999 but where is any info? Absolutely nothing on this outfit in 12 years of operation! Don't think so. Believe they set up shop on june 1 (less than a month). Beware! Use your common sense!

 

[Southern Belle]

Hey Duckie

I too have sent the $5M. My setup was to be next week, and now postponed to 7/11. What do you hear about yours?

 

[duckie]

hear 7/11 also

Hey Duckie

I too have sent the $5M. My setup was to be next week, and now postponed to 7/11. What do you hear about yours?

they said 7/11 also

 

[duckie]

were ru southern Belle. i am in knox TN

 

[sjack]

I have been researching this for a couple of weeks now. If this is a scam, they have went to some very elaborate lengths for $5000 dollars. As of yesterday, there are also several articles on the web about there distributorships. I also spoke to two distributors and they were very believable. I dont think that you could make up off the top of your head some of the questions that I asked. I would like as much info as I can get, if there is anyone else out there that has anything new...Thanks!!

 

[sjack]

I am located in Nashville duckie.

 

[iTrader]

No Kidding

Who would give them money if they don't sound believable? I hardly call their plot 'eloborate'... just a bunch of scammers getting together, setup a simple website (even with grammatical mistakes among other typos), couple of "couple of references/distributors", a few cell phones, a rental desk 'office', now think, $5000 (actually $10,000 when you pay the 2nd installment), if 100 payers get hooked, now that is $1,000,000... is my math correct? And what was the total cost? I know, the economy is bad, lots of people want to do something desparately to survive, that is precisely the pyschology these scammers are working at, can't you guys see that?

 

[watchitguy]

I am located in Nashville duckie.

I hope everyone looking at this company will take the time to research and understand what is very likely an elaborate ruse. Anyone ever scammed or taken advantage of hears a story from the story teller that seems believable. These guys gave me their story (I'm an investigator) as I poised as a potential distributor and have very believable answers to obvious and even not so obvious questions. But since this is not a complicated business model an intelligent scammer could easily think thru and contemplate a wide range of likely questions to be asked by suitors.

If you are considering buying from these guys listen carefully. Any business that claims to have over 100 distributors WILL HAVE an information "foot print" on the internet.....period. There is little information currertly on the internet of any kind about either Roasters Mark...and what is available on Coffee Tree is not related to them. The offices are in are "executive suite" and were just recently occupied. They will not divulge who their "parent" company is until you send them money.

Bottom line. The previosu strings (people) in this forum who have sent them money are now being delayed. Unfortunately this is a classic tactic to extend the time of the betrayal cycle which provides more time to allow collection from the "last pigeons" coming thru the final phase of the close down cycle. I will be asked who I investigate for and I cannot divulge that information...but I hope that you as a reader will allow logic and reason (and not your need for income) to be your final guide.

 

[HelloCoffee]

I saw an add in the Sunday paper for a coffe biz for sale with 20 plus existing accts. $5000 down and $29k total. Supposedly a comapany that has been selling coffee franchises since 1999. Took couple days for them to call me back. Seemed a bit scripted on call and the email with their cheesy website (7 misspells) with no real product info, seemed a little odd for an 11 year old co. Looked all over and couldn't find anything on Coffee Tree LLC (Roasters Mark) except a press release with the fact that they had signed 120 distributors. Found coffeeforums.com and few people that have paid and haven't heard back from company. They all had answered Sunday only classified exactly like mine in their city. Then I see at Ripoff reports that this Royal Gourmet coffee company in 2008 did a similar deal then dissolved a couple months later. A Vincent Cascio is a contact on Coffee Tree and a Vincent Pastone was with Royal Gourmet Coffee. People search found a Cascio but no Pastone. Coincidence ????Based on the limited info, I expect this company also to pick and run. I just wanted to put this out there so something shows up in searches to make people think twice before investing in this company. I did also see where someone found out that their address is only since June 1 in a multiple office building in Corp protected Deleware. If anyone has any new info or if any of you that have paid and is working out good for you ... PLEASE POST

 

[HelloCoffee]

$5000 times the 120 plus people that have paid ( some the 2nd amount and then get put off somehow to allow others to pay before it catches up to them. Brilliant ... You would think with that money a better website without misspells, grammar issues and cut and paste product photos would have been created. A company already in business for so many year.. LMAO

 

[HelloCoffee]

So, is there any way, and to whom, to report these guys before other are taken advantage of???