Tuesday, May 15, 2012

The Ambit Engergy Scam! All the sordid details!

Ambit Energy was founded in 2006 in Addison, Texas by Jere Thompson Jr. and Chris Chambless. Several weeks later, Jere and Chris set up Ambit's first office in an open, renovated warehouse in the historic West End district of downtown Dallas. They bought several $19 fold-up tables to use as desks and use those same tables today.

The company vision is: "To become the finest and most respected retail energy provider in the country."

The company motto is: "Never sacrifice integrity for growth."


When state legislatures deregulate energy, it allows for open competition in select states. After deregulation, retail pricing for energy in states is based on market forces instead of government mandates. When signing up for electricity or gas with Ambit Energy, consumers have different rate plans in Texas, Pennsylvania, New York, Maryland, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Illinois.

There are currently 23 states in various stages of deregulation. Of those states, half are at or below the national average for utility rates (based on the US Energy Information Administration’s most recent 2008 statistics). There is ample room for opportunity for retail energy providers such as Ambit Energy to offer customers of incumbent providers an option to save on their monthly utility bills.


*Reached more than 700,000 customers in first quarter 2012
*Ambit is ranked #390 in Inc.com's list of the fastest growing
private companies in America
*Ambit is ranked #31 in the Direct Selling Association GLOBAL 100
*Revenue increased from $43 million to $415 million in five years
*Customer growth increased 73% in 2010
*Increased Independent Consultants to more than 100,000
*Are currently servicing 15 deregulated markets across the U.S.
*Scheduled to expand into eighteen new markets in 2012


Ambit Energy obtains customers through a network of more than 130,000 Independent Consultants who work directly with the customers. Ambit uses direct selling and is a member of the Direct Selling Association and follows its Code of Ethics.

Ambit has been criticized for its direct sales model, and for being a multi-level marketing company.

Source: Wikipedia, May 2012.

Criticism:
One of the criticisms of the Ambit business is that it is selling Consultant websites at $24.95 month and that the Energy sales is secondary.

Fact:
With a total population of 110 million in the eight states that Ambit services, it is unlikely that a Consultant would run out of prospects anytime soon. Ambit will expand to 12 more states in 2012, which means that it is unlikely that an Ambit Consultant would run out of prospects for new consultants or new customers anytime soon.

As for the monthly expense, if you went into business tomorrow selling any product, not only would you have the expense of obtaining inventory, you would have to spend money for paper ($10.00), inkjet cartridges ($50.00 a month), postage/shipping/copies of brochures for mailing($10.00 month) and gasoline to drive to all theses places to obtain these materials.

Each Ambit Consultant receives his or her own Ambit website which has the Consultant's business online where potential customers and consultants can view video presentations on how to market the business (Ambit University). A consultant can track his customer sign-ups and Consultant Activity, view his commission statements, and develop and email marketing messages to a list of customers to promote the business without having to do the intensive labor. At $24.95 a month, the site is a bargain, you would have to agree.