02072454429

I went on the course. Interview, Joined an office in Europe and then left sharpish. Here is why.

I went to the presentation for devere and I have to say Nigel Green was mega enthusiastic about devere. He did lay it on the line about it being commission only and hard work, but he also said that I would be guaranteed two appointments a day, a coordinator when I arrived at my office and 50K in the bank within 10 weeks. I almost believed him, which was naïve and ***.

Next I had an interview was with a guy who said he was the former coordinator for Nigel Green. He was a real *** and I was a bit miffed as I had travelled a long way to Birmingham for what was in essence a 10 minute chat and a *** aptitude test for 10 yr olds, he was really only interested in whether I had the money to fund myself while abroad and that I was breathing.

Next I went on the course. It was mainly based on learning a sales pitch. I was stunned at the lack of financial training given. It was just a comedy sales course about learning a sales pitch to lead a customer into saying ‘yes’ .

It would be almost impossible to fail the course. My trainer gave everyone the answers to the final day tests. The trainer on my last day sat down and he called the manager of my office and confirmed I had passed the course and that I would have a coordinator on arrival.

I started as an IFA not a coordinator. I arrived at my office a couple of weeks later. There were terrible morale issues from the start. Staff were coming and going all over the show, arguing and shouting. There was unbelievable racial abuse towards one black and one asian coordinator by the managers. I was told on the training course I would get help with finding accommodation but when I arrived I was simply chucked a couple of rental website links and told to get on with it. Contrary to what I was told at the presentation, interview and by the trainers, I was told by my office manager I would only get a coordinator after a couple of months and in the meantime, I was handed a list of 100 or so people to cold call and get some appointments for myself. After I had spent the 100 names I was to then find my own clients and was offered no help from anyone apart from some sympathy from some of the other guys in the same boat.

I was told by my manager that I would have to contribute towards office costs which I had no idea about before I arrived. I was told that the training course was free but my manager told me that I had to pay an additional 5% of my commission away on my first few deals to pay for the cost of the course and hotel. Most of the guys in the office said you would only get support once you started earning. It wasn’t a good atmosphere. Most just felt they had been sold up the river and everyone was backstabbing everyone else. Some of us newbies would go to the pub after work and laugh about how we were tricked, honestly, you couldn’t make it up.

I left devere within a short period because of all the deceit. Ok, all companies make things look a little brighter to get you on board but devere are n a different league and I had a problem working for a company that was happily willing to deceived me from the very beginning starting with the MD in that presentation. This might be the problem; the deceit comes from the top down. This isn’t a company you can trust.

The final straw was watching as the manager and a so-called IFA laughed came back from an appointment having taken some guy for 10K in commission for a plan he didn’t need and (as they pointed out with more laughs) was underperforming anyway. I didn’t think there were really people like that but devere had plenty of them.

Now don’t get me wrong, there were one or two guys in that office earning good money but in all honestly, even they agreed with me that within devere there was a culture of lies and deception and you had to put your conscience away in a locked room because you were taking clients for a commission rollercoaster ride. Most people were struggling big time and some had some frightening financial problems spending lots but not earning. Remember devere give you nothing, you pay for everything and some people didn’t want to let go because they kept thinking the next deal was just around the corner. I met one guy who had spent near 15K chasing his illusive next sale! During my short spell 7 IFAs left and 6 coordinators walked all broke.

I spent about 3K on my trip and didn’t make a bean. I had already decided it was gambling money, set my limit and I was prepared to lose it if it went wrong.. I blame myself more than anything for not questioning some of the info I was given which always sounded a bit iffy;. The trouble is you are blinded by the thought of earning all that money and it distorts your reasoning, but as one of the guys said to me “If you don’t believe anything you are told, then you wont be disappointed’?.

My advice for what it is worth is that for a chosen few it will be a risk worth taking but proceed with extreme caution and only do this if you have money you are willing and prepared to lose if it doesn’t work out,. Whether you make it or not, this isn’t your average IFA business in fact it’s not an IFA business it’s just a sales outfit in IFA clothes;. If you think you are walking into a professional IFA company, think again, it’s just a direct sales company selling financial products that are poor performing and high paying in commission/. Remember the products they sell abroad are banned in the UK/. Ask yourself why,.

So if you do go for it you have a 10% chance of making money and 90% chance of going broke but if you do want to make it, be sure you leave your morale’s at home because you won’t need them at devere

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Looked at all the negged comments here: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-20372 ... p.html#comments

Someone's been busy.

I was approached by a representative of the company who tried to persuade me to move all the equities belonging to my company to them.

I refused and then they targeted our company´s bank balance

As a precaution we have advised our company´s bank and stock broker´s of their attempt

Having worked in time share in the mid eighties I recognized the various closes (attempted)

When the salesman left I wrote and told them I was not interested and started to investigate the company
The representative had worked in Viva Estates in Marbella which was known to have been run by a time share manager and used hard sale on normal property along the time share way of doing things. This was not mentioned by the representative. I found this on Linkedin so did some investigation on Nigel Green

Found that he did not seem to have done anything prior to 2002 - Something to hide?

http://ukinspain.fco.gov.uk/en/help-for-briti ... /property-fraud

http://www.ftadviser.com/2011/12/08/ifa-indus ... /article-2.html
http://company-director-check.co.uk/director/915038180
"1998 - to date deVere Group Ltd GmbH, chief executive
1995 – 1998 Britex International, offshore financial consultant
1992 – 1995 Lansdowne Financial Services, managing director and owner
1990 – 1992 Summit Marketing, director
1988 – 1990 Royal Life Assurance, senior branch
1977 – 1988 Liberty Life Assurance, financial consultant, manager "
http://www.international-adviser.com/profiles ... pat-exodus-wave
"he had already worked as an offshore financial adviser for a number of years, looking after clients in various markets for Britex International, an expat-focused advisory business, from a base in Malta"

IAW:
http://company-director-check.co.uk/director/904555026
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYw3LAQOcik
http://belegal.com/blog-by-antonio-flores/tag ... surance-agents/
http://www.mas.gov.sg/en/News-and-Publication ... re-Pte-Ltd.aspx

Britex:
http://www.offshorealert.com/WorkArea/threade ... g=posts&t=38363
http://www.sfo.gov.uk/our-work/our-cases/case ... nsolidated.aspx

More on Britex

Subject of an investor alert and public warning by the Panamian securities commission for operating without a licence:
http://www.supervalores.gob.pa/informacion-de ... ersionista.html
Google Translate:
"Investor Alert
Companies engaged in a securities without a license. ...
Thus, set forth below, various entities that to date have been detected outside the regulation of Decree Law 1 of 1999 and its agreements therefore high risk for the investor...
•BRITEX INTERNATIONAL LIMITED..."

Bulletin 23-2001
http://www.supervalores.gob.pa/reglamentacion ... s-ano-2001.html
Google Translate:
"Public Warning.
The Commission National Securities warns the public called general society BRITEX INTERNATIONAL LIMITED, with offices in World Trade Tower Center, the Regus location Instan Offices Worldwide, not licensed issued by this authority to the exercise of activities of the market that takes place in and / or from the Republic of Panama. Thus the things, any offer own services of brokerage, brokers, advisers or investment managers is made in clear violation of the rules contained in Decree Law No. 1 of 1999."

So you were getting advice from the best, eh Juan? That's a new one: "Used Vehicle Operations Manager" LOL

Nigel James Green, of Watford/Malta, listed as director of Irish company:

Number 498436
Name: DEVERE FOREIGN EXCHANGE LIMITED
Address: PEMBROKE HOUSE
28-32 UPPER PEMBROKE STREET
DUBLIN 2
Registered 06/05/2011
http://www.cro.ie/search/CompanySearch.aspx

UK company of same name was registered in February 2011 (No 07543911), dissolved 7 months later:
http://opencorporates.com/companies/gb/07543911

Dont do it , trust me I worked for them , you will suffer and come back a broke peniless woman, there are better comapnies out there

Britex 'evolved' into Devere about the time that John Marks The Britex Chairman was bought out by Green. John Marks, another Malta resident now operates Barclay Carrigan International, based in Turkey.This company is littered with ex Britex chums and operates along the same lines as Britex / Devere.

anyone ever come across Gary Potter ? A dodgey geezer ..heard he does the recruitment rounds in Devere style hyping it up , and delivering nothing. Think he works in Spain , but deffo from Essex.

This guy?
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/192451/Tycoon-held-in-race-row.html
http://www.ecopartnerslimited.com/v2/client-comments/
http://www.ip-adress.com/whois/expatinvestmentclub.com

Thanks for that ! That is an old photo, Christ he looks like a 70's porn star ! If he's now banned from Air Malta , that'll cause him problems commuting between Knowle and Malta from Brum Airport ! I wonder if he still has his 'whipping boy' Dave ( can't remeber his name ) a little brummy with a very low IQ who was Marks ' no 1 ass licker ... used to be the recruiter for Britex ... moved over to Malta too !

"EXPATS ACROSS SOUTHEAST ASIA ARE GETTING TOGETHER TO LEARN FOR THEMSELVES HOW TO BE FINANCIALLY MORE ASTUTE – AND IT ALL STARTED HERE, IN KL! ...

Brought together, in 2009, by John Marks, an English expat himself, with 30 years personal investment experience, the invited group met on an informal basis and soon realised that they knew alarmingly little about investments, including ones they already held. As the saying goes, “Knowledge is Power” – so they decided to form the Expat Investment Club on the basis of educating themselves to obtain a full understanding of their existing portfolios and to better manage their investments in the future....

...the KL Club model has caught on across the region with Clubs already either active or being formed in Bahrain, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Jakarta, Singapore, Kiev and Tokyo...."
http://www.expatgomalaysia.com/article/425/expat-experts

Website (http://www.expatinvestmentclub.com/v2/) registered to J. Marks, Malta (http://www.networksolutions.com/whois-search/expatinvestmentclub.com)
PA is Mark W. from Birmingham: http://www.linkedin.com/company/expat-investment-club

Same product providers as Devere, also into "pension releasing" and QROPs:
"InJuly, the Expat Investment Club will be holding 2 hours course in Phuket, Bangkok and Pattaya for concerned investors holding Royal Skandia, Hansard, Friends Provident, Generali along with other offshore providers.  This course is purely educational and will show you how to reduce charges, increase security and returns."
http://www.linkedin.com/company/expat-investm ... trk=biz_product

"Education on Investments : QROPS LAST CHANCE TO RELEASE YOUR U.K PENSION
I believe this year is the last opportunity to move your U.K private pension to a tax free environment within the security offered by  U.K. International centres . Guernsey is the latest to shut its doors to qrops applications and the Isle of Man is under pressure to stop this hugely beneficial practice. Advantages include  .Taking  benefits earlier , a bigger tax free lump sum, and tax free income for life (dependant on residence when retired) If you have 250K GBP or more in a U.K private pension you should make enquiries now before its too late . Contact John Marks (Head of Pension Transfers) on  john@ecopartnerslimited.com  for full details. "
http://www.linkedin.com/company/expat-investm ... trk=biz_product

Slideshow for Expat Professional Investment Club (EPIC): www.slideshare.net/expatinvestmentclub

Slide 2: "invitation-only club that is free to join and makes no income or profit from its members"
Slide 6: "10% from a fixed term financial instrument guaranteed by a blue chip bank" (presumably not this: http://www.sec.gov/divisions/enforce/primebank.shtml)
Slide 7: "Learn to have your portfolio managed so that you can see its component and total values, 24/7, online" (compare with Devere's fund platform with "24/7 Access" and "automated portfolio monitoring" https://www.devere-group.com/invest-online/invest-online.aspx)
Slide 9: "Members also have an important role to play in introducing new Members to the club. This is because a growing Membership, and with new Clubs being formed in new locations, the expanding 'EPIC family' will command even greater 'buying power' in the market" (presumably not this: http://www.sec.gov/answers/ponzi.htm#PonziWhatIs)

Interesting, thanks for the info ... I am sure , and I hope by posting that info, you will save some expats in Asia from getting taken to the cleaners. I wonder if by advising them on their failing Skandia/Generali etc portfolios ( many sold by Britex / Devere in the first place ) he informs them that he was The Chairman and founder of Britex ? Probably not .......

What amazes me about Marks, is that he is a man of considerable wealth, but he still feels the need to start up various companies to make money from ill advised ex pats. He just doesn't know when to stop ...

yes! A little brummy guy called Dave who 'worked' from a  monthly paid office in Birmingham with another Irish bloke ! Yep, that Dave was pretty stupid, but he pulled the wool over my eyes and i went to work for Devere in The Far East and it was a complete and utter nightmare.

Spoke to the Manager before setting off .said he would meet me at the airport .......after 1 hr waiting, and no response on his mobile ,I made my way to the hotel. £110 per night which Devere had arranged at a 'special' price .......Went to the bar and met a future Devere colleague who owed £2,500 to the Hotel, who was planning to do a runner in the next few days.

The Office was badly equipped, everyone was working illegally without visas, and could have been arrested and deported at a moments notice.Moral was bad, everyone was suspicious of each other, not friendly, and a couple of guys just disapeared over the week end ...........they had enough, and just flew home ! No words ,no Goodbye drink up, they just went !

The monday Moring 'sales' team meeting was awful ........ No sales, no prospects made you feel like a complete tosser after only 2  weeks in the place. I am sure that some of the other 'colleagues' were stooges, claiming to have done 20k of business in the lprevious week ......

All in all, it stank .......and i am glad to be away from a dreadful, unregulated, criminalised offshore indusrty !

these people are a bunch of unemployable shysters - do not touch

"Green scheme that's often a red herring

Nigel Green, the chief executive of the deVere Group, a financial services firm based in the United Kingdom, has joined a chorus of experts warning investors about the potential risks involved in carbon credits.

Mr Green says carbon-credit cold-callers, many of them using high-pressure tactics to sell the complex commodity, are now targeting expats in the UAE - and not all of them are genuine."
http://www.thenational.ae/thenationalconversa ... n-a-red-herring

"Cold-call cowboys ride in"
http://www.thenational.ae/thenationalconversa ... cowboys-ride-in

received an email from a (head-hunt) at deVer in Malta, she said she was amused by my CV, after a 10 minutes chat interview last Wednesday she asks me to attend the presentation at Hilton- Heathrow  on Friday 5th October at 1pm.
damn I have been having fantastic dreams for the past 2 days till I manage to search ( DeVer) this morning and got shocked about the reviews i ed in different websites, hell NO I wont attend and be a blood sucker, Hell NO I wont go and built my happiness over some old hard working people who just wont to live the rest of their lives in peace.
I guess I still be unemployed and find a real job, job with dignity.