Ex-‘Students’: Trump ‘University’ Was A Scam

Posted by | August 25, 2015 16:00 | Filed under: News Behaving Badly Politics

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Trump founded his online “university” in 2005, but had to change its name to the Trump Entrepreneur Initiative in 2010 when the New York State attorney general declared the word “university” misleading.

By 2011 the New York State Attorney General was investigating Trump U and in 2013 that officefiled a $40 million lawsuit claiming that over 5,000 people didn’t get the Trump-branded education in real estate sales that they had paid for. People attended Trump U seminars with the hope of learning how to flip houses. Instead, some say that they were simply pressured into buying education packages for tens of thousands of dollars.

After the New York AG’s office filed its civil suit, Trump promptly filed an ethics complaint—and says Attorney General Eric Schneiderman was just shaking his family down for campaign contributions. Trump and his executives claim that Trump University was completely legit. “At no time did we ever represent that it was a certified institution,” Alan Garten, executive vice president of the Trump Organization told the National Review last month. “It’s not like we were operating in the dark. We were open and notorious. We advertised it quite extensively. People knew exactly what we were doing, including the [state] department of education, and they were fine with it.”

I filed a freedom of information request with the Federal Trade Commission to see what kind of formal complaints have been filed with Trump University over the years. The complaints range from the relatively minor (one woman says she never received a free iPad she’d won at a seminar) to the major (other people claim they gave Trump U over $35,000 with little or nothing to show for it).

Some of the comments:

  • In November 2008, both through the mail and via the Internet, I was invited to attend a 3-day seminar under the auspices of Trump University, the price of which was $1,495.00. At its conclusion on November 9, much to chagrin of everyone there, we learned that “in order to succeed” we would need to enroll in ”individual coaching” which was billed between $15,000 and $25,000. In fact, attendees were encouraged on 11/8 to call their credit card companies and request an increased credit line to pay for “a substantial purchase.”
  • I paid 1,495.00 to attend a three day seminar, where I would be taught how to invest in real estate. I made a point of telling them from the beginning that I would need someone to walk me through a deal, since, I have multiple sclerosis and had a stroke. I was assured that this would happen. At the second seminar, I learned a bit more, then was asked about my credit cards and savings. At this point, I really believed I could do it. I then, foolishly, “invested” in more classes.
  • I paid for the Trump University “Gold Elite” package. The program completely failed to live up to its promises, and therefore I requested a refund, but have received no refund to date. At the end of their 3-day training (for which we paid an additional sum) we signed up and paid for the “Gold Elite” package for an additional $34,995 based on the promises it would successfully launch our real estate investment business through the specific promised deliverables primarily of the mentorship.

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Copyright 2015 Liberaland
By: Alan

Alan Colmes is the publisher of Liberaland.

16 responses to Ex-‘Students’: Trump ‘University’ Was A Scam

  1. tracey marie August 25th, 2015 at 16:17

    Stupid people were duped, the same types who are now genuflecting to their god of racism and ignorance to be president.

  2. Mike August 25th, 2015 at 18:18

    It’s kinda hard to have sympathy for anyone who would enroll in “Trump U”…most of us would know what to expect from the name alone…

    • whatthe46 August 25th, 2015 at 18:29

      you’re funny. it’s not hard for me at all. i just know Original is going to say something about my response. LOL!

  3. FatRat August 25th, 2015 at 18:50

    The should’ve read the fine print.
    (anagram of Trump University is My Turnip Virtues.)
    My Turnip Virtues. Turnip not guaranteed.

    • Tommie August 25th, 2015 at 22:34

      And in the small print, all money go to my pocket suckers!

  4. DetroitSam August 25th, 2015 at 19:06

    $35,000 is the yearly income form many people and these future Trump entrepreneur treated it like chump change. Someone should have explained to them those things called books found free at the local library.

  5. Chris August 25th, 2015 at 19:24

    Reince Priebus had better start working on his oppo research and getting the word out about his poll-leading candidate because we Democrats sure won’t do his dirty work.

    I relish Koch money going to defeating Trump rather than Democrats.

  6. Warman1138 August 25th, 2015 at 19:27

    What is there about Trump that isn’t a scam……..nothing.

  7. amersham46 August 25th, 2015 at 22:44

    Trump University ,,,,,that oxymoron should have told you something

    • spacegod August 25th, 2015 at 23:07

      Well, the moron sure has.

    • allison1050 August 26th, 2015 at 10:24

      Back then when complaints began coming in some had even been told that they would have their picture taken with him and instead they had them stand next to a life size cardboard cutout of him!! I mean really, people actually believed that he was going to go their and mix with the common heard?! ;o/

  8. fahvel August 26th, 2015 at 03:22

    it’s sad, but stupid people pay a high price to professional con men and, other than his vile personality, trump is a high class con artist with no respect for any of his victims.

  9. William August 26th, 2015 at 06:42

    P.T. Barnum was right.

  10. Merlin August 26th, 2015 at 13:00

    People knew exactly what we were doing, including the [state] department of education, and they were fine with it.”
    Yeah, see, ..It was Huge, and the DA’s are ALWAYS fine with all my rip off’s because De know I’m Da Trump!

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