The Unsorted BBS Collection/thegreatunsorted.tar/thegreatunsorted/misc/magfaq.txt

Text File | 1995-05-08 | 30KB | 502 lines

Frequently Asked Questions about the MagNet Communications Network program:

Q: How long does it take to get switched over?

A: It varies depending on your area of the country, and how automated your
LEC (Local Exchange Carrier) is. Our order from you is processed
electronically through our billing company, generally within three days of
receipt. If the information that we receive is correct, it takes from 10
to 30 days from the date we receive your order for conversion to occur.
Most of this time is dependent on the LEC.

Q. What are some of the problems that can be avoided to speed up processing
of my service conversion request?

A. Some of the more common problems are asking to convert only a secondary
line which is not your main billing number (BTN), requesting conversion in
a name that is different from the name your LEC sends your local phone bill
to, or having conflicting PIC requests (recently having put in more than
one conversion request with another carrier).

Q: How can I find out if my service has been changed?

A: Dial 1-700-555-4141. This is a free call. If it says Wiltel or UNI-NET,
you're all set up. If you need to determine if your Local Exchange Carrier
(LEC) can provide equal access to our carrier, dial 10555-1-700-555-4141.
If you hear the WilTel recording, you are in an Equal Access Area for
WilTel.

Q. How do I order calling cards, make a change, correct a billing
discrepancy, or any other problem or question relating to my long distance
service account?

A. Call Customer Service at 1-800-364-4545, 24 hours a day, seven days a
week. Note: this number is for CUSTOMER SERVICE questions for LONG
DISTANCE CUSTOMERS ONLY!  The Customer Service staff cannot answer
questions about your IMR status or the marketing plan, or who you have
sponsored, etc.!  If you have a question about MagNet Communications, our
marketing plan, getting sales aids, ordering a Field Manager Pack or ANY
OTHER ITEM that does not deal directly with your status as a long distance
CUSTOMER, PLEASE CALL THE SALES OFFICE: (305) 436 - 2463.

Q. I don't like to give out my Social Security Number over the phone when
registering. Is this required?

A: When you initially call our Registration Hotline (407) 672 - 6587,  you
MUST supply a valid Social Security Number - or, if your service is in a
business name, your business Federal Tax ID number. This information is
REQUIRED both for Independent Marketing Representative status (so that we
can legally pay you commissions) and for occasional credit scoring and
identification purposes with your Local Exchange Carrier. Your recorded
information is left on a secure line, and  we do not give out our
customers' private information to any third parties under any circumstances.
Once you have properly registered, you may create your own unique SPONSOR
ID NUMBER by using the FIRST TWO LETTERS OF YOUR LAST NAME (or Company
name, if a company) followed by the LAST SEVEN DIGITS of your Social
Security Number). For example, John Smith , SSN 123456789 becomes
"SM3456789". It DOES NOT become "JS3456789"! "Heavenly Ham Co.", FID#
592866543 becomes HE2866543. You may provide this number to all your
prospects to identify you as their SPONSOR. (The system will also
recognize you by name or phone number).  If you are not willing to
disclose your SSN during the registration call, you can provide it when you
return the Customer Authorization - but you will not be able to use our
Automatic Sponsoring System until then.

Q: When can I expect to receive my first commission check?

A: It generally takes 90 days (sometimes longer) to receive your first
check. If your first  net check (or any subsequent check) is under $5.00,
we accumulate and carry forward unpaid amounts to the first month in which
commissions payable are $5.00 or more.  This is because of the time it
takes to process, go through a full months billing cycle, then the
customer pays their first bill, and then commissions are processed and
mailed. After that, you will receive regular monthly commission checks
which are normally processed and mailed about the middle of each month.
When promoting the MagNet Comm program, it is important to explain to
people that commissions in this program are paid SOLELY from the
legitimate PAID usage of the product - long distance telephone service!
People who call our voicemail line to register and who do not return the
forms to convert their service or request permanent IMR status, and who do
not refer others who become CUSTOMERS, are not going to make you any
money!  FOLLOW UP with those you sponsor is the single most effective
technique we see used by those who are building serious monthly incomes!

Q: How can I get a "down line" report?

A: Payline reports are mailed monthly, the first week of the month. There
is a $5.00 charge, which must be paid by check in advance to MagNet
Communications at the Longwood Processing Center. The report contains the
name, address and phone of everyone in your Payline, whether they are
qualified as a Group Manager, and who sponsored them. It also shows their
status in the system - whether they've sent in a conversion order, and
whether they have commissionable long distance usage for the most recent
billing month. If there are no registered IMR's on your Payline, you have a
$5.00 credit which may be used for a report anytime. The report we send
you in early May, for example, will contain all IMRÆs who have registered
up to the previous week, the date their Customer Authorization was logged
into the system, and all customer usage for February that was paid in
March.

Q. I know that I have had over 100 people call the Registration Line to
register as an IMR and receive a booklet. But, when I got my first
Payline Report, there were only 55 people on it. What gives?

A. In the MagNet Communications Network program, commissions are paid
solely from the usage of the product, long distance telephone service. You
do not receive compensation from the singular act of "sponsoring someone"
as an IMR! If the person who called in does not return the paperwork to
convert their long distance service and / or  does not sponsor a CUSTOMER
within 60 days of "signing up", they are dropped from the system.  Explain
carefully to your people how our program works, and you will have a
Payline Report full of real people who are CUSTOMERS and who are actively
promoting the program to earn a profit!  We don't require any investment to
join, and we don't  pay "recruiting fees"!

Q. Next month my area code will change from (XXX) to (YYY). Does this
affect my participation in any way?

A. No. But you may wish to check with Customer Service on 1-800-364-4545 to
make sure they are aware of the change.

Q. I am moving and will have a new address and phone number. What should I
do? Will I keep my existing Payline of customers and reps?

A. Send in a new Customer Authorization to MagNet Communications showing
your new address and phone number(s) and we will process it for you.
Nothing in your Payline will change.

Q. I don't have a phone in my name (or don't want to convert my phone
service). Can I still participate in your program?

A. Our IMR Agreement states that IMR's without a registered phone (a
converted phone line -- which can also be a roommateÆs or relative's, if
they are a customer only) must maintain FIVE active personally sponsored
customers to qualify to receive commissions and bonuses. If you do not
have FIVE active personally sponsored customers on your Payline and you
are not a customer whose account is in good standing, then in that month
you do not qualify to receive commissions on the paid usage on your
Payline. We will notify you if this occurs and give you an opportunity to
cure the default in order to get your check. As with any other product or
service,  it is very difficult for someone to successfully promote a
service that they themselves do not choose to use.

Q. Does late payment of my long distance bill disqualify me from earning
commission income?

A. MagNet / UNI-NET gives all  customer / IMR's a reasonable grace period
to pay their bills. If your account is seriously delinquent or has to be
disconnected for non- payment, you forfeit all rights to future commission
payments until you cure the default.

Q. I read on Email on one of the on-line computer services that you have to
buy the Field Manager Pack to be able to sign up customers for commercial
or 800 service.  Is this true?

A. We recommend that you make the small investment in the Field Manager
Pack in order to have all the forms, rate sheets and instructions to sell
commercial and 800 accounts and to obtain the valuable training materials
and camera - ready approved flyers and brochures therein. The long
distance industry is complex, and many of the new IMR's who join our
program are not schooled in these intricacies. The Field Manager Pack will
get you "up to speed" quickly and efficiently, and eliminate the need for
long and potentially expensive phone calls to the Sales Office!  However,
the forms and instructions to sign up basic commercial accounts and 800
service are freely available to all IMR's on our FAX ON DEMAND line, and
there is no explicit requirement to purchase the Field Manager Pack.

Q: For information or questions about the program, what is the proper
procedure?

A: First, always CALL YOUR SPONSOR. If your sponsor can't answer your
question, or is inactive or unavailable, call the recorded MagNet
OPPORTUNITY SERVICE at (512) 404 - 2385. This line carries a complete
description of the program as well as monthly updates for IMR's. Finally,
if your question remains unanswered, you may call the Marketing Office at
(305) 436 - 2463 between the hours of 11 AM to 4 PM weekdays. Please DO NOT
direct any questions to the REGISTRATION LINE at [phone]. This line
is for initial program registrations only!  Finally, you should consider
participating in at least one of our National Conference Calls.  Any
Tuesday, at 9 PM or 9:30 PM Eastern, dial [phone]. At the tone,
dial 1126, then at the second tone, dial 410.

Q: I called the Registration Line, got my booklet, and returned the forms.
Three weeks have gone by and my service isn't converted. Should I call the
Registration Line again?

A: Call the Sales Office at [phone] to find out if your order status
is active or if there is a problem. You should NEVER call the Registration
Line more than once unless at least ten days have gone by and you DID NOT
receive anything from us in the mail. Even if the information you left was
incorrect and you went on and sponsored others - once we get your
corrected information into our IMR database all those you sponsored will be
correctly payable to you. Also, if you registered by mailing in a
Marketing Representative Agreement or Customer Authorization that you got
from your sponsor, you are already IN THE SYSTEM and there is NO NEED to
call the Registration Line, unless you want to listen to the instructions
to familiarize yourself with how the AUTOMATIC SPONSORING SYSTEM works.

Q. I want to design my own flyer or marketing materials. Is this permitted?

A. MagNet Communications Network is happy to assist you in designing
marketing literature or ads provided they are: 1)  in good taste  2) Do
not make exaggerated claims  3) are in compliance with current FCC
regulations and the guidelines of our carrier(s) and 4) are pre -
submitted and approved by MagNet prior to their use. We wish to remind you
that this is an FCC - regulated business, and violations of the above
provisions can result in penalties as well as termination of Independent
Marketing Representative status. You may NOT - under any circumstance -
distribute printed or media promotion that has not been approved in
advance by the company.  You MAY NOT advertise any carriers' names in
print or audio media. Our booklet has an approved flyer, and the Field
Manager Pack has a number of duplicable forms, sales aids and flyers that
are pre-approved for immediate use.

Q. I am not sure I fully understand the marketing and compensation plan.
Can you explain it in simple terms that I can use when talking with
prospective members?

A. You will earn 30% of the monthly commission income produced by your
first two sponsored customer / representatives. These two are
"transferred"  to your Group Manager (usually the person who sponsored you).
Now you are a Group Manager, and you earn 4% of the long distance usage of
everyone you sponsor, beginning with your third customer (remember -
everyone's first two are transferred to their Sponsoring Group Manager).
These 4% people are called your "Payline". When each of your first two
customer / IMR's (your 'transferees") become a Group Manager by getting
their first two customer / IMR's each, then your commission rate on
everyone in your Payline goes from 4% to 5%. Everyone on your Payline will
transfer their first two sponsored customer / IMR's to you on your Payline,
and you earn the full commission on them. And, since each of these
"transferees" reports directly to you and you earn the full commission on
their usage, they too will each "transfer" their first two customer IMR's
to you on your Payline. So, your Payline begins a never - ending doubling
process: 2-4-8-16-32-64-128-256-512-1024, etc. As long as you help each new
Payline member to get their first two people, your Payline can continue to
keep doubling with NO LIMITATIONS ON "WIDTH" OR "DEPTH"!  Finally, when
your Payline has reached 50 customers, you receive an additional override
consisting of 20% of the commission income of everyone on your Payline.
MagNet Communications places all net travel program revenues, plus 1/2 of
1% of company gross paid billings into our Profit Sharing Pool, from which
quarterly cash distributions are made to qualifying IMRs. You qualify for
a distribution by having at least 100 Profit Pool Points in your Payline
for the quarter. A "point" is $200 in paid long distance usage. So if your
Payline produced $20,000 in gross paid billings for the quarter (about 167
customers), you would qualify for your pro-rata share of the Profit Pool
cash distribution for the quarter just past.

Q. My first two people never did anything.  Is there a way to replace them
with "builders" so I can make sure to get to the five percent commission
level and receive all the overrides and bonuses?

Our program is designed to enable you to achieve maximum earning potential
without restriction. Simply request in writing to the Processing Center
along with the Customer Authorization and IMR Agreement of your chosen new
IMR, to have this person replace the person in the number 1 or number 2
spot, and to have the offending IMR placed onto  your Payline.

Q. I've received offers to join (XYZ) long distance program. How does yours
compare and why should I choose MCN?

A. Only you can decide which marketing program is right for you.   Here are
some of the major questions you should ask BEFORE you decide to join any
long distance program - and differences between the MCN program and
competing programs, along with their potential benefits to you as a member,
to aid you in the decision process:

1. COST.  Does the program have a cost to become a marketer and earn full
commissions? Are commissions paid legitimately from the usage of the
product - long distance service - or is there some kind of questionable
"recruiting" scheme involved?  Many competing long distance programs that
are network marketed require you to purchase a "marketer kit", or pay a
"fee" - sometimes up to $200 and more - to gain the marketer status to earn
the full published commission rates.  Some programs use a portion of these
fees to pay "cash bonuses" for recruiting new members.  MCN charges no
fees of ANY KIND to become either a marketer or a customer.  The program is
100%, absolutely FREE to join for anyone, and there are no ARTIFICIAL
RESTRICTIONS to earn the full commissions and bonus rates. In fact, you
can actually earn commissions in the MCN program by sponsoring just ONE
CUSTOMER / IMR. Since the program is FREE, that should be easy for almost
anyone to do.  If the program you are considering has an entry fee of any
kind to participate, or requires you to achieve a certain "level" of
distributors to get paid commissions, you may want to ask yourself how
willing others that you ask to join may be to take that same gamble and pay
a fee.

2. SUPPLIES:  Does the company require you to purchase their brochures and
forms?

Some long distance marketing companies require their representatives to
purchase all their promotional materials direct from the company, often at
relatively high prices. This can be a real dis-incentive for people who are
trying to start their business on a low budget, and it can make mail -
order marketing prohibitively expensive.  MCN provides a duplicable copy
of our marketing flyer free of charge to each IMR. These flyers, which
contain the approved Customer Authorization to convert your phone service,
can be duplicated at the local copy shop for as little as 3 cents each in
quantity.  There are no required purchases of any kind in our program.  In
fact, the only purchase you can make in the MCN program is the Field
Manager Pack. This provides you with all the forms and instructions to sell
800 Voice Mail, 800 services, commercial and other offerings and includes
all product updates mailed to you free for a full year. All of the forms in
the Pack may be duplicated at your local copy shop for pennies. The Field
Manager Pack is COMPLETELY OPTIONAL.  We also offer multimedia tools - a
Sponsoring / Training Cassette at $2.50, and our Windows 3.1 Multimedia
Presentation diskette at $6.95. Both come with unlimited duplication
rights, and can be ordered through our Longwood, FL Processing Center.

3. EASE OF SPONSORING: How easy is it to sign up a new customer /
representative and have them be ready to sponsor others? Are you required
to mail them a form which they complete, then wait until it is received by
the company, then wait again until they receive their "kit" in the mail
back from the company? How long does this process take?  What is the cost
to you of waiting for this process to unfold?  At MCN, we have taken the
process of building a down line to the ultimate level of ease and speed!
You can sign up a new IMR by simply having them call our 24 hour response
line, and leave their information along with your name and phone or ID
number as their Sponsor. MCN mails out the 24 page booklet in YOUR NAME
with everything they need to get started. WE PAY FOR 100% OF THIS SERVICE!
IT DOESN'T COST YOU A DIME. In addition, when your new IMR has finished
leaving their registration message on our system, they can begin
sponsoring others the same way THE MINUTE THEY FINISH THE CALL!  Many of
our IMR's are building down lines the VERY FIRST WEEK they join. There's
no waiting, no cost, and NO RISK!  We also offer a FREE "self extracting"
file which can be personalized and uploaded to thousands of computer
bulletin boards and services nationwide. The MCNPRO.EXE file is available
on Compuserve at 71062,743, or America On-line at "MAGNETCOMM". Ask for a
UUENCODED ascii version via INTERNET Email at [e-mail].

4. RATES - How competitive are they really?

Some network marketing companies don't even disclose their rates in their
literature! Or, they use gimmicks such as "discounts" when you call
someone else who is also a customer of that company.  Our flat rates of
$0.149 day / $0.126 eve with 1/10th minute billing are among the most
competitive in the industry. Over $100 /month, just $0.135 day, $0.115 eve.
There are no monthly minimums or fees, no restrictions, and no gimmicks.
Our intrastate rates are similarly competitive in most states.  All
service  orders are transmitted to the carrier electronically, and most
customers are converted in 10 to 14 days.  We offer user - friendly bills
with extensive reporting information at no charge.  Calling cards are NO
SURCHARGE, $0.22 / min. with 1/10th minute billing increments, and are also
free of charge. And, we have contracts with more than one carrier.  Our
calling card is  FREE with your service conversion.  800 service is $0.149
Peak, $0.126 Off - Peak with a  5.00 monthly line charge. There is no set-
up fee or minimum.  If you have T-1 (24 line dedicated) service, or know
any businesses who currently have dedicated high volume service and would
consider switching, our T-1 rates, which can go well below 8 cents per
minute, are extremely difficult for the competition to beat.

5. TRAINING AND BACKUP: Does the company offer training? How much does it
cost? Does the home office offer assistance in "closing a sale"?  How easy
is it to get questions answered?

Most of the competitors we've seen have a fee for any kind of training - or
they hide the fee in some other purchase requirement.  MCN offers free
training and promotional conference calls every Tuesday evening at 9:00 PM
and again at 9:30 PM. You can get your questions answered and you can
participate any time. And, this is a great way to have prospective IMR's
call in and hear the story about the company, real - time testimonials from
existing marketers, and have their questions answered. Computer users can
leave Email for MCN staff on Compuserve at 71062,743 or on America On-line
at MAGNETCOMM, or on the INTERNET at [e-mail] - any time of
day or night  - and be assured of a prompt response. And, our Sales Office
is open every business day to take your call, answer your questions, or
help you close a sale. None of these services cost you a dime! The Field
Manager Pack contains a complete training manual - it even tells you what
to say to people!  We are here to help you succeed in your new business.
When you are successful, so is the company.

6. THE COMPENSATION PLAN: Can you really make a lot of money or is it,
perhaps, not as 'easy as it seems"?

MCN's unique marketing plan has none of the limitations on "width" or
"depth" imposed by some compensation plans. Our average commission rate is
also significantly higher than most, because the commission dollar is not
"split up" and paid out over multiple levels of marketing representatives.
Further, our plan DOES NOT require you to sponsor large numbers of people
in order to achieve the maximum growth of your Payline and achieve maximum
potential income. If you and your sponsored representatives each only
refer TWO PEOPLE, working with them you can achieve the maximum
mathematical growth possible under our plan - growth that is truly
UNLIMITED!   Of course, this doesn't make our plan a "get rich quick"
scenario. It is a business, and like any business, it still takes WORK.
However, we can confidently state that if you compare our program to the
various competitors in the marketplace for low cost, ease of sponsoring,
fast customer conversions, the power of the marketing plan, competitive
pricing, and company support, MagNet Communications will be the clear
winner every time!

Q. What is your Field Manager Pack?

A. The Field Manager Pack is about 100 pages of forms, long distance
industry background, camera - ready flyers and brochures, and a complete
30 page TRAINING MANUAL (our Income Accelerator Kit) on how to build a
successful long distance service marketing business. It also includes
complete information on our International Callback and Prepaid Calling
Card programs. The Pack comes with an UNCONDITIONAL money back guarantee,
costs $21.95, and this includes priority 2 day shipping. You also receive
Pack updates on all services for a full year at no additional cost.
Currently nearly 30 percent of the people who join MagNet Communications as
customers opt for the Field Manager Pack, and we have virtually no refund
requests. The Field Manager Pack is COMPLETELY OPTIONAL. It's purchase
does not "buy your way" into some higher commission scheme or the like.
People choose it because it offers real value for the money.

Q. What are the phone numbers of MagNet Communications different services?

A.  Our 24 hour automated information line is (512) 404 - 2385. The first
choice is an 8 minute "infomercial" that explains the program in detail
and encourages your caller to register.  The second menu choice is a sample
of what to say to sponsor people. The third menu choice is for company
updates, and the date of the update is always heard first. Here we get
important information to you on a regular basis.

Our FAX ON DEMAND line is (512) 404 - 1283. This has two choices with up to
seven pages of forms, rate sheets and printed literature. You, as an IMR,
can walk into a business owner's office with nothing more than a pen, and
by calling our FAX ON DEMAND, you have everything you need to get his
account!

Our REGISTRATION LINE is (407) 672 - 6587. Here is where you get FREE
Independent Marketing Representative status. You'll need to leave your
full name and address, area code and phone number, Social Security Number
(confidential) and the full name and ID (or phone or SSN) of your Sponsor.
All callers receive our FREE 24 page information booklet in the mail
(about 7 to 10 days) which contains all forms and instructions to convert
your service, get 800 Voicemail and sponsor others. However - if you left
complete information on the Registration Line - you do not have to WAIT
for anything - you are already registered and may begin sponsoring others
to the same phone number the minute you get off the call! Remember - this
is a business where you NEVER HAVE TO ASK ANYONE FOR MONEY! THERE IS NO
COST TO START.

Q. How do I know that the people I sponsor on the Registration Line will
correctly identify me as their Sponsor?

A. Currently we are enjoying 97 percent accuracy in tracking the correct
Sponsor of each caller, primarily because people are careful to leave
complete information. The 3 percent or so that cannot be tracked go into
the Profit Pool - and you can participate in this income distribution
anyway, so you effectively lose nothing. Encourage your people to CALL YOU
after they have joined - or, even better, use three - way - calling to put
them on the registration line with you so you can make sure they leave
complete information. Now you KNOW they're registered! Of course, the Free
Registration service line is optional - many IMR's prefer to use the mail.
Inside our 24 pp. booklet is a tear - out 2 sided flyer that can be easily
duplicated for pennies. It contains the complete form necessary for
conversion and IMR status.

Q. How does your International Callback service work?

International Callback service allows customers in any country who have an
account to call  a special access number, let it ring twice and then hang
up.  Our system calls you back at your pre-programmed number, which can be
anywhere in the world, with a US dial tone.  You then dial your
international call just as a US customer would, saving from 40 to 90
percent.  There is no set-up fee, and there is a minimum monthly usage of
$25.00.  Accounts can be paid with a major credit card.  IMR's earn a 4%
commission on all accounts under our "no-limits" compensation plan, and all
bonuses and overrides apply.  MagNet IMR's now have the ability to sponsor
customers and IMR' s anywhere in the world!

Q. When I send in my Customer Authorization to have my service switched,
should I call my local phone company business office to tell them to
cancel my current carrier?

A. NO! Do NOT tell your local phone company to cancel your current carrier.
This will be done automatically when they receive the PIC request from us.
This way, there will be no interruption in service.

Q. How can I bypass my local phone company on ôintra-LATAö (local long
distance) calls?

A. First, check to see if MagNetÆs intrastate rates will give you a better
rate on these calls (check our intrastate rate table in the 24 page
booklet you received). If so, you can preface these calls with our WilTel
PIC code, 10555. Then just dial the number the way you normally do. The
call will then be ôforcedö over our network.

Q.  Is MagNet Communications listed on the Stock Exchange? How can I get an
annual report?

A. MagNet Communications Network, Inc. Is a privately - held Florida
Corporation.  As such, we do not produce nor are we required to distribute
an annual report.  The officers and Directors of MagNet Communications are
Mike Feinberg, Thomas Atkin, and Peter Bromberg.  We maintain our Sales
Office at 5722 S. Flamingo Rd, Ste. 304,  Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33330, as
well as a separate Processing Center in Longwood FL.  MagNetÆs primary
carrier is Universal Network Services, which is a licensed long distance
telephone company in the 48 Continental states. MagNet has provided full
disclosure to the Attorney General or State Consumer Protection Agency in
all 50 states. Our Optional Field Manager Pack contains more disclosure,
personnel and company history information.

Q. What alternatives do I have to get answers to additional questions?

A. First, call your Sponsor. If they cannot help, you can call the Sales
Office at [phone]. Also, you can Email MagNet Communications on
CompuServe at 71062,743 or America On-line at MAGNETCOMM, or the INTERNET
at [e-mail].  We check Email daily and one of our full -
time staff members will respond to your query - usually the same day.  We
welcome suggestions or additional questions and will endeavor to update
this FAA file on a regular basis.