Smith's School of English in Japan

[Scotty]

Smith's School of English Japan


The Avatar chosen by Senseiman was obviously for some particular reason. What would that be I wonder?

What say you senseiman?


Regarding Mark Smith. Mark the horrible wounds you've inflicted upon your customers through your sociopathic methods has created this situation.

Have a look at what you're doing from the perspective of those who you've ripped off deliberately (like me).


I found out from Donovan Reimer and James Conway that you had said to them, PRIOR to my coming to Japan in July 2003.

"I'll get his 1,000,000 yen in cash and then invest it straight into Real Estate on the Gold Coast".

You're words Mark. Two witnesses. Any comments?

After you were asked by these people the question, "what will Scotty do when he actually gets here" (to Japan)?

You answered.

"I dunno, I'll work him until his tired, and realises that theres no money in it for him and he'll go home".


Now Mark,

How would you conduct yourself after hearing this from two reliable witnesses?

Would you let a deliberate scam played upon you just, go?

[Scotty]

Smith's School of English Japan

Now Mark, imagine that you're me and you just realize you've been ripped off. (by meeting 3 pissed off, yet decent ex-customers who have the decency to warn you)

THEN, the person with the hide to have ripped you off, sends two Goons to your private residence on Sunday the 15th of February 2004 at 2pm to threaten you to be quiet.


THEN tries to slander your name to anyone with any knowledge of you. Via internet and verbally.


What do you reckon Mark? What would you do? Just go quietly and let others get ripped off like you did to me?

[Scotty]

Smith's School of English Japan


I'm still waiting Mark John Smith. 2.6 million yen and waiting 2 and a half years.


Good news being, we've helped quite a few potential victims get real information about Smith's School of English.

[Scotty]

Smith's School of English Japan

Dear Ex and current customers of Smiths School of English Japan and Real Estate Investments in Japan


We've had some more questions about VISA's and legalities and the system that Smiths School of English currently has.


Those who's Visa application is performed through Smiths School of English Japan, are the receivers of a
"Specialist in Humanities Visa"

This entitles you to work as an 'employee' of the same company Smiths School of English for a salary with normal salary entitlements commensurate with an english teacher in Japan.

It says nowhere about the "Specialist in Humanities Visa" being for a customer who instead of receiving a salary, pays 50,000 yen a month as a customer.

The Visa you receive is the same as a NOVA, ECC or any of the big school Visas.

It's for employees of big companies. For people who pay tax, and fill out a tax return.

Mark Smith will not tell you this of course. He wants your 50,000 yen a month.

Problem being, when it comes time to renew, Immigration does not recognise that you've been a 'franchise' or anything of the sort.

There is a real 'Business Investor Visa', but that's a whole different kettle of fish. You need to have a Kabushiki Gaisha, 2 full time Japanese Staff and that's just the minimum.

Mark is selling you (as he did me) the Visa which is officially recongnised by Japan as being for employees.

He's pretty good at it too. Check out how many people are paying 50,000 yen a month for it.

[Scotty]

Smith's School of English Japan

4,000 hits on this thread. Thanks for the support to all those out there and keep the emails coming.

Mark Smith is learning about the 'business ethics' that he has displayed are having ramifications.

Good luck to all.

Scotty

[Scotty]

Smith's School of English Japan

The Real Story of Smiths School of English Japan (according to owner Mark Smith)

The Beginning: Level I

First ever Smith's School of English English School was in Mito (owned most recently by a good guy called Tom Payne, who still owns another school).

Mark started it after the Import-Export company firing (as per the "Who is Mark John Smith" page:

http://smithwatch.nanobit.net/index....tid=1&pa ge=1

It was kids and adults, though mainly kids. It was in a house in the country, quite a walk from the station.

Mito Smith's School of English was the first, and original school.

Second "Smith's school of English" English school was Tsuruhashi in Osaka.

This school is currently still operating, and is owned by a good guy and real teacher. (Michael Crawford)

Next stage after Mark had both schools (Mito and Tsuruhashi) was for him to start hiring gaijin teachers at 1,562yen per hour. Everyone is part-time as a teacher.

Thanks to the KFM magazine (Kansai Flea Market), Mark grabbed the most crucial assets so far.

Peter Stanford and Donavon Reimer were both friends with independent and successful schools in Takarazuka and Itami respectively.

Mark had a brilliant idea! He could incorporate their two schools into the "Smiths" system.

Thereafter, Yuka was the full time secretary for all four (Mito, Tsuruhashi, Itami and Takarazuka) schools.

Also Donovon and Peter started working as 'Directors and employees' of Smiths. They gave up their own schools for a 'longer vision, investment money and a contract '(since broken by Mark)

After a lot of investment money was poured into the money from Peter Stanford, and a Japanese Investor and ex-student of Tsuruhashi, Mark got even more excited.

Mark now had four schools, a full-time and free secretary (Yuka). His drinking and smoking was his Achilles heel at the time. Effective working time each day was about 3 hours, but he could sell in that time.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Level II for Smiths.

Now he had Smiths Mito School, Smiths Itami School, Smiths Takarazuka school, and Smiths Tsuruhashi school(at the time the head office and still the company bank account's branch).

Next stage was Peter, Donovon and Yuka now as Directors had to work hard to cut the massive monthly costs that they had at the time.

Unfortunately, Peters Investment money went into Marks nice, new, shiny four wheel drive. Little less than a few days after he got the 'investment capital'.

Then along came the HPS (High probability sales). Miles Zonkin was a successful and crucial part of the process to build the company.

The salesman brought the company to it's next level.

It now stood at 4 medium sized schools with massive monthly operating costs.

Mark met and consequently employed Miles Zonkin. Miles sold (for Mark's Smiths School of English) 10 franchise schools.

He was to be paid 50,000 yen commission per school sold as the agreement.

Mark instead got the 10 new franchisees money and promised them 'geographical exclusivity' for their respective locations.

Now he had about 11 schools!! (I say about, because some of the first 'franchisees' saw the company for what it was. They bought a Visa, and got on with something else.

Mark now had a problem. He had to pay Miles his commissions for sales. 500,000 yen. Instead of that, he smeared Miles's name publicly and refused to pay his promised money...
Mark now had a problem. He had to pay Miles his commissions for sales. 500,000 yen. Instead of that, he smeared Miles's name publicly and refused to pay his promised money...

But on the other hand, he now had school franchisee revenue. (What Mark himself calls the POWER of the company)

11or so schools paying their franchisee fee meant he could start putting that power to use. He didn't need Miles anymore, so he didn't pay him. That simple.

The most important thing he got from Miles besides generated income was how to use HPS (High Probability Selling).

So it was bye bye to Miles,(who still hasn't got his money) and on to stage III of the company.. Now about 11 schools, a free Secretary (now busy as hell) and Donovon, Peter and Mark as Directors.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
STAGE III

Now Mark was looking and feeling like "Smith's School of English" was a company. He was getting even more excited.

It was time to use the money that investors had given him now.. But what to do with it? He had his nice, shiny new 4wd, a free (albeit busy) secretary wife and two guys working for him (not as employees, but as directors)...

Kyobashi Head Office School was to be the next stage. This was to make the company look GREAT.

People who would see this 'Head Office' were to think differently then when they saw the underground Tsuruhashi Smith School head Office.

Time and opportunity were well placed for Mark here......

The current building that 'Smith's School of English Japan' exists within was once a totally different location, albeit superficially.

It currently is a 7 story building, with the owners recently having built an apartment house on top of the seventh floor.

At the time, it was a dead and practically empty shell, with a dance studio on the sixth floor, and some other small company on the third floor.

It was in a street with 'Pink' shops and fast cars. It needed occupancy and badly! Along came the right man at the right time with the right plan.

Mark Smith. He made an agreement with the building owner that would bring the man Tenants and money. It would bring Mark, the 'Image' he needed to build the growing company he had...

Mark (with his usual sales flair) agreed with the Dance School Company (and building owner 6th floor) that he would move his company into the 1st and 7th floors of this 'dead' building.

This would give the building money and occupancy at the same time. Also increasing chances of greater tenancy due to a 'livelier' atmosphere.....

The agreement went ahead. Mark opened "Kyobashi Smith's School of English Japan" which became the new head office. This was opened on the 7th floor of the building.

It has to this day a beautiful view from the lobby, polished wood floors and a really professional image appeal.

At the same time, on the 1st floor of the building "Smith's Bar" was opened at approximately the same time. (currently 'BarGetsome' and owned by a decent guy called Tony. Tony also bought and lost 2 Smiths English Franchise schools from Mark at the same time that he bought the Bar)

Now the Tsuruhashi Smiths Head Office and School was sold to a decent Canadian guy (current owner) at the same time.

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Stage IV

(History of Smith's School of English according to Mark's version)

He'd done it!

Mark had gone in a short time from being fired (declared personally bankrupt to avoid payments) to being the owner and main director of a 12ish school chain.

(In a matter of about 3-4years)

The "Smith's School of English Franchise" system was truly born....

The money, skills and time investment of Peter Stanford, Donovon Reimer, Miles Zonkin and a Japanese investor (Momodani Smiths School's Building owner's brother) had created Smith's School of English.

Necessary, indeed essential to the success was the Secretarial, Accounting and Visa/Immigration work performed by Mark's third wife, Yuka.

Now, the company had Donovon Reimer working as 'CEO' from 200-2003. This was until I (Scott Spargo) came along for my 'Business mentorship'.

In that time, Smiths School of English went up to about 45 Schools. Do the math about how that works yourself, but it's great money for Mark.

Mark John Smith at the time:
"We went franchising because everything else was a failure"

(Mark copied Peter Stanford’s idea of a one man school, and sold a Visa with it). It's called franchising.

Another Mark John Smith quote:
"I've made the illegal, legal and profitable and my business. I'm selling Visa's and 'Air'."

Pete already had the Itami and Mikuni schools with a secretary in place, before he became an investor in 1998.

He had an about 1,000,000 yen a month business already running, which was given to Mark Smith in return for a 450,000yen a month salary.

Peter quit Smiths in early 2000. Thereafter Donovan Reimer became CEO.

Don had Takarazuka school, making about 700,000yen a month, and gave it to Mark in return for a 300,000 yen a month salary.

About a year after Kyobashi was opened, the old head office of Tsuruhasi was sold to Michael Crawford.

Now his empire was 45 'Franchisees' paying for their Visas and secretarial services. One full-time CEO, Donovon Reimer and many ex-franchisees in Kansai.
This was when he was bombarding KFM and other Kansai orientated media publications. He was aiming for people living in Kansai (especially ex-JET program and gay people and those with VISA problems)

Ex-Jet teachers coming up to the end of the 3 year Visa were perfect candidates for his Visa sponsorship. He loved this, and the fact that non-degree qualified people also got their Visas through him.

This is what he saw as his market until recently. The internet website power to attract overseas candidates proved irresistible to him.

Overseas candidates were better because:

A. They hadn't heard about Mark Smith like people living in Kansai
B. They NEEDED a VISA, and didn't know how to get one
C. He could ask a higher price, because all these people could see was his website.
D. He could use his power from 45 people paying him monthly franchisee fee to use
a lawyer and…
E. (If needed) Private Investigators and threatening goons to keep 'Anti-Smith' threads and websites out of his GOOGLE search engine positioning eyes.

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Stage V: Greed, the Final Frontier

He now basically controlled the whole game. His chessboard, his Kings, Queens, of course the valuable Pawns: Franchisees.

Imagine if you will:

You have about 15,000USD salary per month. How do you stay satisfied with only 15,000USD a month? It's not possible.

How are you earning that 15,000USD a month? You are selling Visa's and Air!

It's a salesman’s dream!

Not only that, if there are problems with your customers you can be rude, deceitful and threatening to them.
It's Japan, and what are they going to do anyway?

They are generally too afraid to leave after giving so much money and time, when they didn't have it to give in the first place.

[Scotty]

Smith's School of English Japan

Mark John Smith.

This is addressed to you.


Last night I left my apartment at 8pm walking to my friends house. I live (as you know) in a small, quiet place in Kobe.

As I left my apartment and turned immediate left, there was a car that started and followed me at walking pace.

Not unusual, I thought. The streets are amazingly narrow where I live and normally only small cars exist around there.

This same car was behind me for 3 totally haphazard corners that I took after I noticed it was following. It was a black, recent model Mercedes Benz sedan with Osaka plates. (Osaka xx xx) as I recall. The windows were heavily tinted.

After the 3rd corner I decided to put between myself and this car as much physical distance as possible. I did, and thought that would be the last of it as I egressed through the streets that cars can't use.

10 minutes later, and about 500metres away on a fairly busy main road, I came across the same Black, tinted Benz with Osaka plates (same rego) stopped at a Traffic Signal I had to cross.

I crossed in front of the car and off into the next streets. There was no-one that I could see through the tinting.

The car raced off at the lights thereafter, turning immediate right and to the south in the same direction I had just egressed.

Again more distance making which worked better this time for me.

That was the end of the night. I informed my friends who already know of this situation and today went to the authorities.


This is now the second time this 'kind' of incident has happened Mark. The first was when you sent 2 goons to my Morinomiya Apartment at 2pm on Feb 15th 2004.

What are you trying to do? Must you continue to threaten and scare your 'ex-customer/s' such that they never tell the truth about your activities?

The strangest thing about a black, new, tinted Osaka Plate Mercedes Benz being on a tiny, narrow Kobe street is why, and who would send it to such a place.

[Scotty]

Mark Smith,

Again, thanks to you and your 'business principles' I have spent the week not staying at my home and watching my back very carefully.

Is this how you treat someone you owe 2,600,000 yen?

You send (again) goons around to threaten me to an enforced 'Silence' such that Idon't tell others not to get done over by you.

Thats why the others on this thread are smart enough to not put their real names to it.

If I owed you 2,600,000 yen instead, then perhaps the sending of 'goons' would be justified.

The fact is that it's me that is owed, by contract from you.

AND not just me. You owe many, many people for your snake-oil flim flammery. Most run out of money, time and patience and are sent back to their respective countries. never to be heard from again. Right?

You are a socio-path Mark Smith. Please check with the dictionary what that means.

[hotdamn]

Scott, what was your specific set of duties within the home office? Can you give us a brief list? How or was this different to what he proposed to you in the initial job interview? AND What was the job being offered? Mentor?

Scott is almost the only one vocal on this thread and now he's getting threats from Mark. Why don't the other people who have complaints about Mark Smith contribute to this forum giving no name. There are plenty of others who have been tricked into buying a so called franchise or visa or whatever and woke up to what was going on only once inside. We should hear from more people. Afterall he can only threaten you if he knows who you are.

i have no real big sob story to tell yet, but i have heard about and read many. The nannobit site looks great but is full of links going nowhere and generally a nightmare to navigate. My favorite site was closed down some time ago.


Come on everyone!

[cool ice]

Well, am back! Did all you miserable sods miss me? I couldn't pass up the chance to hop onto one of the longest if not the longest thread here at AAcircle!

One of my favourite saying is that it takes 2 to tango!

Scotty, bearcat and the others that have a gripe against Smithy boy, why don't you all just give him a call and tell him to pay or else. And that "else" can be whatever you want it to me. The amount of time all you's are putting into this thread and all for what? Have you got 1 single penny out of it all? NO. N-O spells no. So howabout cut your losses and move on.

Give a man a drink!