Blogs Mark Smith had deleted. Back on the net.
The people speaking poorly of Mark Smith have all been burned by him. I assume they are taking it to a personal level, because for them it was personal. He took their money.
At the same time a little bit of research could have saved a lot of heartache. the people sharing their experiences here and on other sites are doing so to protect others from making similar mistakes.
This site does not come across as a personal attack on Mark Smith, but rather as a warning and a chance to research something before you sink your savings into what can only be described as a dodgy enterprise.
interested - 11/6/2005 6:14:54 AM - 165.76.121.187
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Finally. Good job Smithwatch.
Scott Spargo - 11/6/2005 2:04:23 PM - 221.190.191.215
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Well... I'm not anyone other than who I say I am. I guess I just don't have any beef with Mark or the school or whatever. Aloha to Don and Scott though!
Ty Borders - 11/9/2005 8:03:02 AM - 70.95.13.48
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There are numerous disillusioned and disenfranchised people that have paid money in exchange for product to Smith's School of English.
Many bought schools from him. You can see around 50 schools currently cross linked to his main site for Smith's School of English Japan.
All of these people have paid good money, what you don't see are those that were forced to give up or quit as his customers and go home. Many of their stories and experiences (as well as donations to Marks Real Estate portfolio) are gone.
Easily over 100 have passed through the sales doors of Smiths School of English, parting with their money, receiving their VISA and then paying their franchise fee. Many have returned home, tired, angry, burnt out and basically out of time, money and knowledge about legal retribution with the company. Until Larry King finally won in court, and Smiths School of English had to pay him 50,000 USD...
The 50 represented who are currently paying for their VISA support and secretarial service are PURELY as stable as franchisees within this system as the man Mark Smith himself.
For example, if the company was supposedly taking money for "Courses" which it offered as a product, then suppling a VISA (of course after payment, and at no company cost)...This would be very illegal and difficult to prove, would it not?
If this company cannot
a. submit sponsorship for Foreign VISA's
b. operate with numerous bank accounts in various countries, not necessarily linked to the companys' official Japanese bank account. Paying money (as I did) into an ANZ personal australian bank account of Mark John Smith (I have the proof) would be illegal, wouldn't it? I know that Mr Smith went off with the money he got from me to buy a property post-haste.
The dissappointment being that he even had the arrogance to tell others within his system at the time that he had no intent to supply the promised product. JUST GET THE MONEY>>>>>>
Anyway, the health and wealth of Mark John Smith is the only guarantee that the VISA support, and any resale value of these franchise schools will continue into the future.
I know he already has planned to cut and run, with his 3 different company names, numerous international bank accounts and Real Estate portfolio in Australia.... Currently however, he is enjoying his 1.5million yen a month income from his English School Franchise System in Japan. He will never give it up, until he is finally bought to legal justice on a large scale.
Difficult to do however, with his current niche market.
Customers are gaijin, contracts are in English, and gaijin don't know our rights in Japan.
Scott Spargo - 11/11/2005 12:47:17 PM - 221.190.191.215
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Can't speak for all that's written here but different things he has told me regarding his past certainly did not match up.
About how many franchisees have quit or been forced out? Anyone know that?
We have all heard so many horror stories. How many are just stories?
Are Mark and Yuka making any money? Because I am not and others I know aren't either.
Somthing isn't right.
Speak out!
Unhappy - 11/18/2005 10:10:32 AM - 61.205.126.143
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Dear Unhappy,
In answer to your questions.
About how many franchisees have quit or been forced out.
During the 10months that I was there, there was about 8 franchisees that left the system. Some of them left for "mysterious reasons". Three of them (just the ones that I met) were very angry and dissappointed.
They were a lot poorer than when they came to start business. They were going home to recover themselves emotionally and fiscally.
Ben Pittman who used to own Momodani School was very dissappointed about his situation. I believe that you may be aquainted with him.
None of them sold their school at a profit. The information about that is blatently misleading. The website claim about a customer who made a 668% profit on his investment is so quintessential Smith.
Reading it in retrospect makes me angry, but hey, I'm not the only one.
Smith's School of English Website still contains, (as Bearcat described with this site) unprovable and misleading information designed purely to get 15,000USD and 50,000 yen per month per person from Gaijin when they get their VISA through Smith's School of English Japan.
That's what we are trying to do with this Site. Inform openly and honestly about the situation...
I know of a few franchisees that are still within the system and looking for a good, clean way out. (They are good people, who understood what they were in better after a few months)
Please elaborate on your situation (as much as you comfortably can)..
Scotty Spargo - 11/22/2005 1:27:57 PM - 220.98.177.169
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Mark Smith = a yearning from childhood to get rich erasing memories of his father and his failures in life.
Through small and grand lies and manipulation of the foriegn community in Japan in the name of capitalism.
Rich Dad Poor Dad / The Cashflow Quadrant. These are his favorite books. This is his level.
Don't be fooled by the year round suntan and silver Mercedes. The tattoo removal scar on his lower arm and his speech when he lowers his gaurd or gets tired as a meeting or seminar stretch on give away his true background and social class.
Look and listen to him knowing he is after your money. There are reasons for this from his past........
I am another victim.
David.
David - 11/30/2005 2:41:04 AM - 210.196.186.10
Once most people get in they are trapped financially. Their visa is with the company and this is intimidating. Their school / house or both are registered with the company. They have signed a contract. They are scared then to make any kind of move. Mark has them trapped and begins to put pressure on non-performers.
Taking a company to court in Japan is entirely different to most English speaking countries. The courts side with the company in most cases so it is difficult to get a case off the ground. Also the costs involved are bigger.
Most of the school owners get so busy, they can't tell right from wrong. They are stuck almost as soon as they get it. Sad isn't it?
Does a franchise still make money though? you ask...... Do the math and come back with your answers "curious". Base it on 20 / 40 / 60 / 80 students and see what 4 answers you come up with. Let's discuss this!
David - 11/30/2005 7:43:29 AM - 221.250.87.50
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Caution To All
curious in japan IS MARK SMITH
As sure as the day is long. You have given yourself away. We are unanimous within our camp of discontented franchise owners.
For anyone unconvinced, take time to read through his sites. You can see the same person at work as in 'curious in Japan' above, which was reasonably well camouflaged with errors and mixed comments but not well enough (again).
Smiths School of English Teaching Franchises School Brokers - Education Franchise Sales Careers Real Estate Investments in Japan
You have hurt too many people in Japan Mark. You have lied and tricked and continued to do so over and over again until in so many cases, bleeding people dry. This is our chance to communicate together in public without you controlling us.
If we come and talk to you openly your pattern of reponse is self serving and familiar by now: 1) Others are doing fine / I don't hear others complaining like you 2) yes, some people have it rough at the start 3) Why can't you be successful within this successful company? 4) You're a loser 5) Do more flyers 6) Don't listen to cynics / Don't spread anything negative 7) Get out of our head school until you have some positive things to say 8) Do more flyers 9) sacrifice 10) Don't mess with me! 11) Do more flyers 12) Hey, maybe you are not a loser after all?
It's like listening to a first year psychology student. You are good but not good enough to operate a company without constantly tricking everyone to do work while you play on the Internet setting up websites designed to get more people to give you more money.
You can't escape your past. It follows you for life. From Australia to all over Europe to America and here in Japan. We know a lot more about you than you realize for sure.
Either all of us are wrong and you are a good, honest businessman. Or there is at least a slither of truth in what all of us are saying. Some people have been speaking ill of you for years.
It's way too much work to even contribute like this if it's not true and what would be sufficient motivation if it were not? There are too many of us .
The overall message from inside and outside the company is clear: Mark Smith is dishonest and an opportunist, operating above the law. We want to help others. We mean well. Our message is positive. Stay clear of Mark Smith or get out and stay clear of Mark Smith.
discontented - 12/1/2005 4:42:00 AM - 60.47.112.186
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I concurr with the assumption that Curious in Japan is Mark Smith or at the very least one of his "Friends of Smith" group.
Mark in his personna as the poster traviss on gaijinpot.com years ago pulled the same modus operendi. The google/alexa bs gives him away and it is an ad hominem arguement: Google Rank has nothing to do with the credibility of the organization.
With Smith using not 3 websites but 4 websites to corral people to his main site, his constant spamming of advertisements with links to anyone of the above mentioned 5 total sites on websites from debt consolidation, geneology sites, and even blogs about karate with multiple spams per day.... you get the picture.
Curious in Japan skips the fact that he has had to deal with lawyers and pay a settlement to Larry King. And Smith is duly aware that there are few laws on the books to protect people in the type of activities that he engages in. He plays on the ignorance of foreigners in Japan or that come to Japan and assume the ability to sue or seek justice from the authorities is the same as their home countries. The lawyer listed on the contacts page of the blog can detail more of ex members actions against Smith.
As far as its business cult activities, its pretty easy to see from just the pages up on the blog for now but I'll put up the line by line BITE Model comparrison that goes out to the people who've sent emails for details on a new page in the next week or so along with information about Smith's advertising practices.
Smithwatch - 12/1/2005 6:39:37 AM - 216.204.20.170
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How many people have taken him to court?
How does he operate with impunity?
How does the company continue if it`s such a scam in Japan? surely the authorities would have it shut down for some reason.....
Ladies and Gentlemen of the thread.
I have asked these questions openly and fairly...Can none of you `experts` answer?
Once most people get in they are trapped financially. Their visa is with the company and this is intimidating. Their school / house or both are registered with the company. They have signed a contract. They are scared then to make any kind of move. Mark has them trapped and begins to put pressure on non-performers.
This is crazy...how can a company `intimidate` so many people at one time?
Do you actually know of anyone willing to put their name to such outlandish claims?
I bet no-one will say anything..
Surely they are grown up enough to know what they are getting into when they buy a franchise...
Also you should be careful what you write on this site...It should be shut-down for your unsubstantiated and personal claims against this business...
I`m sure it`s just a matter of time, before this site follows the others before it to the `erased` pile
Sounds like bored people with nothing better to do than wave their `qualifications` around in the air at decent, hardworking businesspeople.. like that Paul H character from Gaijin Pot....
bit of a touch of jealousy thrown in there too, I shouldn:t wonder....
No proof, no story, go back to your lives.....
curious in japan - 12/2/2005 3:07:32 AM - 125.173.47.22
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