Donald Trump's Deal-Making Secrets Are a Rip-Off, Say Disgruntled Customers

A Florida pool cleaner and a Connecticut realtor say they were victims of a scam perpetrated by Donald Trump's seminar-based education program Trump Institute of Boca Raton. Namely, that Trump's deal-making secrets they were promised were not delivered. The Trump Institute of Boca Raton, which at one point was called...

By Chris Joseph

September 19, 2013

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A Florida pool cleaner and a Connecticut realtor say they were victims of a scam perpetrated by Donald Trump's seminar-based education program Trump Institute of Boca Raton.

Namely, that Trump's deal-making secrets they were promised were not delivered.

The Trump Institute of Boca Raton, which at one point was called Trump University, is no longer in operation. But it did make some money hosting seminars around the country and promising people that they too could become as successful as Trump for a low, low fee of about $7,000.

WHAT A BARGAIN!

Kenneth Lafrate, a pool cleaner from Leesburg, tells the Palm Beach Post that he was flat-out scammed by The Donald's seminar company and is demanding a refund.

And, apparently, Lafrate isn't the only one feeling scammed.

According to consumer complaints filed in Florida, students paid $1,200 to $1,400 for classes, including books, DVDs, and CDs emblazoned with Trump's face. One-on-one coaching costs extra, and some pupils paid $20,000 or more.

In 2009, unhappy customers from California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Michigan, New York, Oregon, and Washington lodged complaints about the Boca-based Trump Institute with the Florida Attorney General's Office. Bill McCollum was attorney general at the time. He was succeeded in 2010 by Pam Bondi, who said she's taking another look at the consumer complaints from 2009.

In August, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman filed a fraud suit against Combover McGee and demanded that Trump and his U repay $40 million in fees collected from about 5,000 students.

The suit claimed that Trump used his celebrity status in commercials to sell the seminars, while making false promises for lessons students who forked over thousands never received.

Because Trump is Trump, his only response to the suit was calling Schneiderman a "hack."

Basically, a lot of the complaints amount to seminars fishing in customers with promises of Trump's secrets being revealed by asking for more money.

Other complaints say that the principals, once applied, don't work.

People need to realize that there is no need to pay any money for Trump's secrets to success. All they have to do is follow him on Twitter for free!

Everyone should calm down. @BenAffleck is going to do a great job as Batman.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 18, 2013

The Navy Yard shooting is a horrible disaster. If we don't clean up OUR COUNTRY of the garbage soon, we are just going to do a death spiral!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 17, 2013

I said that Eliot Spitzer was going to lose when he was way up in the polls. I fought him when others retreated out of fear. NEVER GIVE UP!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 11, 2013

Want to take a quiz with me? Download the @millonseconds app and watch @RyanSeacrest on Monday at 8/7c on @NBC
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 10, 2013

Those are priceless!

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