Q & A with Antares director of presentations

Post and Courier Watchdog contacted Culver City, Ca.-based Planet Antares to discuss a "Wealth Builders" seminar it will hold this weekend (Friday-Sunday) in Charleston to discuss its vending-machine business opportunities. The company has drawn complaints in the past from consumers who claim Antares misrepresents the earning potential of its ventures. Lisa Printz, the company's director of presentations, provided the following answers to the newspaper's questions.

Q: How many people do you anticipate at the Charleston presentation?

A: Our presentations are attended on average by between 75 perspective purchasers and their families.

Q: Who will be there from your organization?

A: Presentation staff. This presentation is an invitation only event solely for persons who are prospective customers of Wealth Builders.

Q: How much is the average cost of a vending machine and what is average annual return on that investment?

A: Wealth Builders is a seller assisted marketing program. Vending machines are not sold separately from the overall program.

Q: What is the average gross profit on products?

A: Since we are not a franchise we cannot require our distributors to inform us of their individual earnings. We make no earnings claims with respect to either revenues or profits. An individual's earnings is based largely on their long or short term goals and the amount of time they have to invest into the business.

Q: How many times have representatives from Planet Antares or one its affiliates visited Charleston, and how many people from our area have started businesses with your assistance/products?

A: Presentations of our program have been made periodically over the course of the last two decades. We do not have specific information about presentations in Charleston readily available.

Q: Please provide me with phone numbers of local folks who might be willing to speak about their experiences with your company.

A: Our company provides the names and telephone numbers of distributors from around the country, who have volunteered to discuss the day to day operations of their business with individuals interested in potentially becoming involved in the vending industry. Over 2,000 of our distributors have provided their names and phone numbers to prospective purchasers. In years past, we have provided the names of local families who own and operate our business to the guests attending our presentations, which appeared to result in some unfortunate incidences. In that our vending distributors are operating a 100% cash business, in most cases out of their homes, several of our families who volunteered their names and phones numbers to serve as a local reference to our program had issues ranging from burglary, theft and unwanted visitations to their residences. Consequently as a protection for our families privacy and safety, we no longer provide their names or contact information at a local presentation.

Q: Some people who received invitations to the Charleston presentation are concerned about:

a. the D rating your company has received from the Better Business Bureau

b. the 1996 settlement with the FTC

c. consumer complaints from people dissatisfied with the vending machines

How would you respond to these concerns and what can you say about complaints about your company's "alleged misrepresentation in selling practices" and the return on their investment?

A: a. Please note that our current rating is not a "D" (BBB had a technical error). The BBB states that we have a "Satisfactory" rating and that there is "no reason not to do business with this company".

b. Planet Antares entered into a settlement with the FTC in which there was no admission of liability by the company. Planet Antares has continued to operate successfully and without any further complaints from the FTC for the past dozen years. The settlement is also fully disclosed and discussed at each business opportunity presentation.

c. Less than 1% of the distributors whom Planet Antares has ever put into business ever write to the company or to outside agencies requesting a refund of their money for any reason. It is impossible for us to further respond concerning alleged "misrepresentations" without knowing who is making those allegations and the circumstances of their claims.

Please be advised that there have been erroneous media reports about Planet Antares and its affiliates. Our company has registered complaints with these media outlets that published these reports and, in at least one instance, a television station has formally apologized to Planet Antares for its erroneous broadcast. Please also be advised that various individuals have erroneously claimed to have purchased our opportunity or operated our program and/or claim they were dissatisfied with any aspect of our company's offering. They have further erroneously asserted that misrepresentations were made to them. To the extent that you may be in contact with any individuals who claim to be dissatisfied with any aspect of the performance of these programs, we request the opportunity to discuss those individual's circumstances with you prior to the publication of any story.