TVI Express STILL claim to use SolidTrustPay?

At least this Hungarian Site seem to think so...

TVI Express continues to lie about Solid Trust Pay connection

TVI Express still claims to accept Solid Trust Pay on their FAQ (retrieved 17-APR-2011)

However, Solid Trust Pay themselves have stated on this very blog that they cut all ties with TVI Express a WHOLE YEAR ago.

http://kschang.blogspot.com/2011/02/actual-support-ticket-of-question-i.html

Clearly, TVI Express cannot be trusted to give accurate information on their website.

Confirmed: Solid Trust Pay cut off TVI Express in April 2010

Actual support ticket of the question I posed to Solid Trust Pay, and their reply.

For those of you who'd rather read the text, here goes

Previously I questioned the link between STP and a scam called "TVI Express" on my blog. Someone allegedly from STP posted a comment on my blog claiming that STP had cut relations with TVI Express back in April 2010.

Please confirm that an STP employee actually did post the comment on my blog, and is the information given true, that STP did stop working with TVI Expres in April 2010?

I look forward to your reply.

My blog entry:

http://kschang.blogspot.com/2011/01/interesting-solid-trust-pay-is-script.html

And their reply:

[01 Feb 2011 08:06:01] - Thank you for contacting SolidTrust Pay Support.

I am happy to assist you:

Yes it is confirmed that the post you reference was made by STP, and the information provided therein is correct.

More about Indonesia TVI Express Hilarity

Image via WikipediaPreviously we covered "MyDreamTVI" Wordpress Blog out of Indonesia. There are plenty more humor that can be mined there.

One of the biggest problems with TVI Express main website is they have no 'product' section, because they even stated very clearly "you do not have to sell any products" in their own FAQ. So what do the Indonesian website do? They added a section called products/ services.

But what does it say? It says TVI Express sells travel!

Company engaged in the field of TRAVEL AGENT, TVI Express provides a product that is associated with SERVICE FOR TRAVEL

If TVI Express sells travel, why is TVI Express Indonesia claims they do NOT sell travel? Their registered business is "computer hardware, parts, and consultancy".

Then it gets really bizarre, because one sentence don't follow the next. 

TVI Express provides discount to its members, if you want to use the services of TVI EXPRESS.  

Okay, so I sell travel, and if I want some of the discounts, I can buy at a discount myself. Great... However, why does TVI Express FAQ #3 says "You do not need to sell any products"?

Besides, TVI Express also provides business opportunities for its members to improve Traf life, to increase revenue, in order to live well with a better quality of life.

So what exactly is the business opportunity? How much travel do I have to sell to improve life?  

Income earned by the members is the result of hard work has been done, with a share and sell products TVI Express International.

This is where the translator fails me. I couldn't quite tell what exactly is the meaning of this sentence. Is TVI Express the product? Or is there some OTHER product you're supposed to sell for TVI Express?

Since the official tviexpress.com states "you do not have to sell any products", the only conclusion one can logically reach is TVI Express itself is the product. Or more concisely, YOU the members are the product. It's a pyramid scheme / money game where members are recruited so older members get more $$$ out.

But wait, there's more! He then posts a screenshot of an e-mail, claiming this is "proof" that you can make a reservation in TVI Express.  So let's take a closer look:

Did you notice something? The email is from himself to himself.  Does that prove anything? Of course not!

Furthermore Solid Trust Pay stopped doing business with TVI Express in April 2010.

Even more interesting item... TVI Express was charging $150 USD for 'taxes' in April 2010, LONG BEFORE they announced they are charging $150 for "taxes and processing fees" in June 2010!

So this guy was actually stupid enough to pay $150 for a "free" trip!

And what exactly does this prove? Nothing. He hadn't actually GONE on the trip. There's no proof of THAT. I can type this up in email easily. Since he hadn't paid that $150, it wasn't even confirmed yet, or have a booking number, or such. 

But wait, there is more!

 

So what did this prove? This proves that Ms. Goernawan (head TVI person in Indonesia) allegedly booked a hotel room to Australia. Is there any proof to link this with TVI Express? None.

Furthermore, even if this is linked to TVI Express, all this proves is the booking system TVI Express used works. It doesn't prove that the BUSINESS MODEL TVI Express uses works at all.

One last item... The guy then pulls out the infamous "travel logos" and claim all these famous companies do business with TVI Express. Clearly this guy did not read the news out of Spain... That Marriott, Lufthansa, and one other entity sued TVI Express to stop them from using their logos or claim them as partners.

Thus, you can see that the Indonesian members of TVI Express had performed NO due diligence at all, and their uplines are telling them lies, more lies, and damn lies. 

Unconfirmed Report: Solid Trust Pay killed off TVI Express back in April 2010

Recently I posted a blog entry about how Solid Trust Pay may not be quite as trustworthy as people think it is. Someone commented back claiming to be Solid Trust Pay (impossible to verify, but no particular reason to doubt this)

SolidTrust Pay would like to comment on your post. Firstly, we stopped providing any processing services to TVI as of April, 2009. The reasons for this included extensive credit card fraud and lack of cooperation from them in providing corporation and identity documents for the company owners. SolidTrust has in no way any connection to TVI at this time and will not at any time in the future.

As Solid Trust Pay wasn't added to TVI Express payment methods until December 2009, (and is still there today under its FAQ) clearly the poster meant April 2010, not April 2009.

Food for thought, isn't it?

UPDATE: They wrote back, and confirmed it is indeed April 2010, and they are sorry about the typo. 

Interesting: Solid Trust Pay is a Script-Kiddie Site? (UPDATED: not quite, no longer associated with TVI Express)

Image via WikipediaAccording to a post on Web of Trust (WOT), Solid Trust Pay, one of the processors used by TVI Express, is actually a packaged script offered by PlxWebDev / PayArk

I compared the "user agreement" and they are virtually identical. Here are the comparisons

From the "demo" site on plxwebdev

Buyer Beware - ePAY Online assumes absolutely no responsibility for any purchases made through the ePAY Online system. At any time you join any Income Opportunity or MLM program, or Matrix Website or purchase a product or service you are doing so at your own risk and that by signing up and joining ePAY Online you do hearby agree in FULL that you release ePAY Online and all its affiliates and officers, employees, members and owners from ANY loss you may incur either by using this service...

And from the SolidTrustPay.com website...

Buyer Beware - SolidTrust Pay assumes absolutely no responsibility for any purchases made or received through the system. At any time you join, or offer, any Income Opportunity or MLM program, or Matrix Website, purchase or offer a product or service, you are doing so at your own risk and that by signing up and joining you do hearby agree in FULL that you release SolidTrust Pay and all its affiliates and officers, employees, members and owners from ANY loss you may incur either by using this service ...

Even the misspelled "hearby" is there, still misspelled.  (It should be "hereby")

Conclusion: SolidTrust Pay is not any more trustworthy than your average PHP website. It has no reputation, nor even a real support team behind it. In fact, does it even have a banking license to hold people's money? Guess that's why STP is based in CANADA instead of the US. However, is that even legal? A "real" payment processor such as VersaPay is partnered with Chase Bank and is certified with Visa/Mastercard. STP displays Visa/Mastercard logo, but it's not linked, and apparently has no actual relationship with any real bank or VISA and Mastercard.

Before you ask, Yes, Paypal *does* have a Banking License in Europe, and is licensed for banking in 28 of the 50 states in the US, and the other states either don't need one or is satisfied with out-of-state banking license.

Even TVI Express' payment processor is shady...

UPDATE 15-JAN-2011 -- unconfirmed comment stated that "Solid Trust Pay" has disassociated with TVI Express since April 2009, and the script was indeed "founded" on plxWebDev scripts. You can see the actual comments below.

UPDATE 01-FEB-2011 -- authenticity of comment was confirmed by STP Support.  See 01-FEB-2011 blog entry.