TVI Express distributor scammed relatives and friends out of thousands

Image via Wikipedia

Here's the original Chinese link and Google Autotranslation

TVI Express entered the news in China again, and NOT in a good way!

忽悠朋友传销挣大钱欠债不还被告上法庭
Betrayed friend, hoping to make big money via MLM
Owed a lot of money, sued by friend

2010-02-09 13:38:30 文章来源： 扬子晚报
09-FEB-2010 13:38:30 Source: YangTze Evening News

轻信朋友做传销可以赚大钱，投资5700元购买股份，没想到血本无归，在向朋友索款无望的情况下，只好拿着朋友出具的借条将其告上了法庭。近日，江阴法院审理了这起因传销引发的债务纠纷案。
Believing a friend that MLM can make lots of money, X invested 5700 Yuan (RMB), but got nothing back, except an I-O-U (a promissory note). As there seems to be no hope of ever seeing the money again, X went to court with the I-O-U hoping to force return of the money. Recently, JiangYin Local Court received such a financial dispute caused by money lost in MLM.

江阴市民祁海发财心切，不但自己加入了传销组织，而且还发展了多名亲戚和朋友加入。
JiangYin Citizen Qi Hai was in a hurry to make money. He not only joined MLM himself, he also recruit many of his relatives and friends.

2009年7月，祁海以“投资英国TVI国际快旅集团能挣大钱”为名，向朋友朱波强烈推介购买该公司股份，并将朱波骗到镇江，要求其加入该传销组织。
In July 2009, QiHai, using the topic of "Investing in TVI Express can make a lot of money", pushed his friend Zhu Po to invest as well, and even enticed Zhu Po to come to Zhengjian, to push him into joining this MLM.



最初，朱波对此将信将疑，始终不肯拿钱出来。祁海为了打消朱波的顾虑，再三向朱波保证能挣大钱，并同意向朱波出具借条。
Initially, Zhu Po was skeptical, and refused to part with his money. QiHai eventually agreed that he will issue a promissory note borrowing money from Zhu Po to invest, and thus he is obligated to return the money.

朱波在祁海不断“忽悠”之下，终于同意购买7份所谓的股份，每份1900元，共计13300元。
ZhuPo finally relented after QiHai's constant pressure, and agreed to pay for 7 memberships, at 1900 RMB each, for total of 13300 RMB.

朱波预先支付了祁海5700元，祁海则向朱波出具了一张13300元的借条。数月后，朱波见当初的投资并未如祁海所保证的那样带来收益，就未再向祁海交付余款，而祁海自此未再露面，打电话也不接，于是朱波去祁海家要求其归还“借款”并承担一定损失。
Zhu Po first gave QiHai 5700, and QiHai gave Zhu Po a promissory note for 13300. Several months later, Zh Po realized that QiHai's promise of big profit is not coming true, and did not pay the remainder to QiHai. And QiHai since then disappeared, refuse to answer any phone calls. Zhu Po then went to QiHai's residence, with the I-O-U to get his money back.

但祁海认为带朱波做传销是出于好意，是给其“挣大钱”的机会，朱波是自愿投资，并非借钱给他，因此拒绝还款。朱波多次向祁海催讨无果，遂向法院提起诉讼。
QiHai claims that he marketed to Zhu Po, was an opportunity of investment, and Zhu Po invested by his own free will, and was not even a personal loan, so he refused to pay. Zhu Po tried several more times, getting no result, and started a civil lawsuit against QiHai in the local court.

法院在审理过程中认为，本案的实质并非民间借贷纠纷，而是祁海欺骗朱波，导致朱波遭受经济损失的侵权纠纷。在向双方当事人阐明相关法律法规后，承办法官建议双方为了相互之间残存的友谊，进行调解，最终，经法院调解祁海同意归还朱波5700元。
The court, during the procedure, found that there is actuall fraud involved. QiHai actually defrauded Zhu Po, causing Zhu Po to suffer financial looses. It is not a mere financial dispute. After explaining to both parties the legal implications, and to salvage any friendship between the two parties, court ordered an arbitration. At the end, QiHai agreed to pay back Zhu Po's $5700 RMB.