I was invited to a "party" last night. The "party" turned out to be a group of women telling me and other guests how great these products are. Additionally, we watched two videos. I thought "Wow, these people are coo-coo for coco puffs."

Then, the real reason for the evening became evident. For only $39.99 you can join the company. You will even get your own website. The company sends you a debit card and that's how you get paid. The best part is if you get others to join, you receive a commission. And each time the new person sells products or recruits a new person, you receive money on your Visa Debit Card. The continues for each person recruited under your initial recruit. Imagine the possibilities!!!

This is nothing more than a pyramid scheme, and if you can't see that...I have a bridge for sell.

But at least I got 2 free "crystals" i.e. holograms.

And yet it works!

[quote user="Doc"]

PART 2 - The CieAura Patents

The first information I can find posted about CieAura Transparent Holographic Chips is August 1, 2009. ( If anyone has a link to anything sooner, please post it here! )

The Domain "CieAura" was registered on February 19, 2009. That is over one year ago.

Registered through: Global Domain Support
   Domain Name: CIEAURA.COM
      Created on: 19-Feb-09
      Expires on: 19-Feb-19
      Last Updated on: 04-Nov-09

The registration is by proxy, so the contact info for the company and registrant is not attached.

The registration on the CieAuraForum domain is:

Domain Name: CIEAURAFORUM.COM
      Created on: 03-May-09
      Expires on: 03-May-10
      Last Updated on: 03-May-09

   Administrative Contact:
      Rasner, Larry  lrasner@cox.net
      304 e beatryce st
      tempe, Arizona 85281
      United States
      4809466610      Fax --

PART 2 - The CieAura Patents

The first information I can find posted about CieAura Transparent Holographic Chips is August 1, 2009. ( If anyone has a link to anything sooner, please post it here! )

The company was in "pre-lauch" and marketing their product online. There is a post on the CiaAura Forum on August 15th, 2009, author "CieAura" that says:

CieAura Transparent Holographic Chips™ are a revolutionary new technology using tried and effective homeopathic treatments devised over the past 3000 years. The Transparent Holographic Chips™ effectively are computer programmed holograms which when applied to a person or animal, reacts with the person or animals’ natural bio-magnetic field surrounding the body, causing minute positive disruptions of the bio-field and causing the body to balance its own energies. When the CieAura Holographic Chip is applied to specific acupuncture areas, specific results such as the increase in energy, increase in stamina, deeper, more restful sleep, and other assorted reactions occur, depending on the program formula of the Holographic Chip and the related placement.
 
CieAura Transparent Holographic Chips™ are designed to interact with the bio-magnetic sheath around the physical body in a combination of ways that have been demonstrated for thousands of years to work effectively to heal and improve life. CieAura Holographic Chips have the look of simple decals on the body or clothing and are totally non-invasive and without any chemical component.

It would seem completely logical that the "Provisional Patent" would have been filed before the product manufacturing was begun with the 'new formula' that Lori Allen mentioned. ( BTW Lori, I thought the chip used holograms. The lifewave Rest Quiet chip was the one with a formula of organic components ), so one would reasonably assume that any provisional patent was filed prior to August 1st, 2009. That leaves just a few months for a non-provisional ( PUBLIC ) patent application to be filed.

Although CieAura and HarmonicFM are completely stonewalling on providing any info on the Provisional Patent, or when and if a true Patent Application is going to be filed, or even the date the provisional patent was filed  I was able to find related info on archive sites.

There has actually already been one patent application filed for the "Rest Quiet" chip when they were being produced by HarmonicFM for Lifewave.

The patent was apparently rejected. All of the marketing material that can be found archived online for the CieAura Rest Quiet chip is vitually identical to the marketing material for the Rest Quest chip when it was being sold by LifeWave, or directly by HarmonicFM.

Same product name. Same manufacturer. Same exact claims on it's benefits. According to Lori Allen at HarmonicFM, it's now a different formula.  So did the science change?

There just seems to be too many red flags associated with these product claims, too many excuses for not providing any solid science.  

GSP -

Well written rebuttal.

I personally don't believe that the CieAura chips do anything other than provide a placebo effect. I'm pretty well versed in the sciences myself, and did some digging myself. I too wanted to read the patent.

Unfortunately, there is no patent application.

Let me completely clarify this statement because I'm sure people are going to object, because all of the CieAura literature says "Patent Pending".

There are two kinds of patent applications. One is a provisional patent. You send in whatever info you like, it is not published, and it is like a 'placeholder' while you prepare your actual patent application. The provisional patent expires in one year.

Here is my email exchange with HarmonicFM, the manufacturer of the "Rest Quiet" chip for CieAura. They also produced the "Rest Quiet" Chip for Lifewave:

To: 'Lori Allen'
Subject: RE: product information

April 19, 2010

Hi,

Who would I contact for more information on the pending patent. The information should be public record, but I am unable to find it in the patent database.

This would seem to be basic info that your company would provide upon request.

To: Doc

From: Lori Allen [lori at harmonicfm.com]
Subject: RE: product information

April 19, 2010

Currently we have a Provisional Patent on file. With a provisional patent, there is no patent number. Other than that, we are releasing no further information on patents at this time.

To: 'Lori Allen'
Subject: RE: product information\

April 19, 2010

I guess I’m a bit confused by the secrecy.

The provisional patent is still public record, correct? Could you provide me with the name of the patent so I can read up on the patent pending technology that is referenced in the company marketing materials? 

I don’t understand the unwillingness to make public information available to customers and potential customers.

To: Doc

From: Lori Allen [lori at harmonicfm.com]
Subject: RE: product information

April 19, 2010

No, provisional patent information is not public record.

To: 'Lori Allen'
Subject: RE: product information

Hi Lori,

Thanks for your response. So that I am 100% clear – there is a provisional patent application at this time, but a full patent application has not yet been filed?

Could you clarify a couple of things for me for the sake of due diligence? 

How long has the provisional patent been in place, and when does HarmonicFM plan on filing the full patent?

Is the Rest Quiet chip you manufacture the same “Rest Quiet” product that was manufactured for LifeWave?

Has there been any double blind studies on the products, and are the results published?

Can HarmonicFM scan or otherwise check a chip to detect if it is ‘used’ or still viable?

To: Doc

From: Lori Allen [lori at harmonicfm.com]
Subject: RE: product information

April 20, 2010

Patent information is the province of our board because proprietary information is involved. When any of these items becomes public, then we will discuss it.

Marvin Barre, the CEO of HarmonicFM was an investor with Lifewave. The  RestQuiet name was owned by Mr. Barre. The formula is similar, but manufacturing processes are different.

Testing is in progress, none have been published to date.

Yes we can check a chip to see if it is charged. How is proprietary.

______________________________________________________________________

So HarmonicFM states clearly that an actual non-provision patent application has not yet been filed.  When and if it is filed, it will be a matter of public record.

FIling of a provisional patent does give a company the right to use the term "Patent Pending". For 12 months.

SEE PART 2 FOR MORE ABOUT THE REST QUIET PATENT

I've just read through all of the posts under CieAura Scam and I understand you and many others are skeptics and that is definitely your right and I also respect your right to express your opinions.   And THAT is exactly what they are...opinions.  Like you say, nothing has been proven as yet, but that also means you CAN'T yet prove they DON'T really work as suggested.

My son, who is studying to be a physicist and is therefore, quite a skeptic of anything he can't prove through science, has test marketed the allergy chips with amazing results and because of that, has become a believer.  He is anxiously waiting for the patents to be approved so he can gain access to the required documented filings which should show how the vibrational aspects of the chips actually work, since his specific field of study deals directly with vibrations.

I don't claim to understand any of it, but I do understand why people would be hesitant to believe something that looks like no more than a clear sticker could do anything, much less relieve pain, assist with sleep or increase energy and now, potentially help with allergies.  What I DO know from my own personal experience, my husband's personal experience and that of my children and grandchildren is that we have ALL received incredible benefits from the chips.

Their allergies are much improved and they are anxiously awaiting the company to being marketing the allergy chip; I no longer require Advil PM to get a decent night's rest, so I've eliminated a harmful drug from my nightly routine, my husband's 3 ruptured discs no longer keep him from significant physical activity when he's wearing pain chips and I no longer get that mid-afternoon energy slump.

In response to your specific question regarding how long the rest quiet chip lasts when I use it....I have used the same chip for up to 5 days with the same results, taking it off each morning and then using medical tape to keep it in the appropriate place the following nights.  I have kept the energy chip on for more than 3 days and only noticed a decrease in my energy level when the chip actually fell off because of the adhesive losing it's effectiveness.  So my experience has been that they are effective longer than 3 days, but require some help with the adhesiveness after that.  As to how long they can last, I haven't actually done any sort of testing and normally change them out when I tire of using tape to hold them on versus the 3 day effectiveness expectation.

Also, it took me about 5 days before I actually noticed a change in my sleeping habit with the chip.  For some it seems to happen in one night, but what I noticed after 5 nights of 'giving them a try' was that I began to stay in REM much more, where I dreamed alot more, but woke up feeling more rested.  I have also 'heard' of many people who stopped snoring when using them, but if that's been a side effect, my husband and I are sleeping too well for either of us to notice.

Regarding dogs and babies and their inability to lie OR potentially tell you they feel differently...when a dog who can't walk suddenly begins running or a child who had never slept through the night suddenly begins sleeping through the night, allowing the parents to finally also get some rest after confirming their child was still breathing, people become believers.

So you all can continue to slam those of us who have become believers and call us all the names you want, i.e. that we're ignorant, stupid, dumb or just plain crazy.  I've been called worse and am not offended by it, nor will it affect my use of what I have come to believe is an amazing product.

If you go to www.drugfreehealth.cieaura you can buy a sample pack - I think it is $12 and has samples of all three chips.

I usually only use them for 4 nights, but some people say they work for more. I have heard people say the pain ones last up to 6 days. I always lose them before that! But I do know that my right shoulder was killing me this morning, and I put one on, and it has not hurt all day even though I have been painting the woodwork!

How long does the Rest Quiet chip last when you use it? Do you get more than one nights rest with each one?

Have you tried using the same patch for longer than the recommended period before it's "used up"?

That's a great testimonial, since it involves another person observing a difference, but I'm still a skeptic. It's one of those things where I think I'd have to try a Rest Quiet patch myself to see if I noticed any difference.

What's the price per patch/holographic chip?

I was very very skeptical. I thought the guy who gave them to me had lost his freakin mind. All I can say is this; I used to snore and hold my breath when I slept. After a week of using the sleep chip my wife says I have stopped snoring and holding my breath. She thought I was dead, and checked to see if I was still breathing. I don't know how I could stop snoring if the product was fake? I've given them to three other people and they have stopped snoring.  What am I supposed to believe? Ya'll are saying it's a scam, but my wife says my sleeping patterens have completely changed. Can anyone explain, how could I make myself stop snoring, while sleeping? My cousin put one on her husband in the middle of the night because she couldn't sleep with his snoring. She said within 20 minutes he stopped snoring, and he had no idea the chip was even on. Oh well, I must  be loosing my mind I guess.

I can see that the lack of testing really does influence you. I can appreciate that. I know that I cannot tell a used one from a live one. I can only tell if I do not feel any difference. That would be my only test.

I look at it like this. It is either real or it is not. If it is, then no problem. If it is not, and it works, then it is the placebo. But if it is placebo, and I sleep better, and have less pain, it is still worth it to me. If it ever stops working, then I stop buying.

Meanwhile I continue to share it, and enjoy the relief I am bringing to my friends.

Drugfreehealth -

If CieAura publishes the placebo tests, I will be the first to sit up and take notice.

With acupuncture, you can see the needle entering the skin, understand how it 'may' interact with nerves. With the holographic patch - they can't even show me that they can tell an active patch from a 'used' patch. I'm a skeptic. There's nothing I can see that makes me feel any differently. If there was some observerable test that would show a process taking place, I'd feel differently.

Do you feel you could personally tell the difference between a 'used' patch and a new one?

I just started seeing ads for this the other day. Ads touting "Mike Potillo Billionair Marketer" and I've never heard of this guy. Been around the industry a while. Never heard a peep about this billionaire.

Some research turned up several questionable deals the last few years that he's been pitching - Guru Cruise, Vitamark, Crave Energy Drink -- wondering where he made the 'billions'.

I signed up under the link for the free 'prelaunch' :  - at http://www.lockyourspot.com/jtheron but can not find a single thing about what the company is launching.  I also could not find a way to log back in, since it never asked me for a password, so I can not log back in. And it never sent a confirmation email -

The lockyourspot.com login fills in the password for you, but you can't see it. Once in, all you see are blacked out vague bios with no names - except for Mike Potillo - who as far as I can tell is just some shill for whatever deal is going on at the moment.

Could this be an elaborate scam to harvest valid email addresses? Who knows, just seems really really lame to me.

Fortune Hi-Tech Marketing has been ordered to pay almost a million dollars in fines for operating an alleged pyramid scheme and misleading consumers.  The attorney general apparently believed too many consumers were being harmed by the FHTM scam and the judge agreed.

Helena- Kentucky-based Fortune Hi-Tech Marketing (FHTM) agreed today to pay nearly $1 million to settle an allegation by Montana Commissioner of Securities and Insurance Monica Lindeen that the company was operating a pyramid promotional scheme in Montana.       On March 4, 2010, Lindeen ordered the company to stop operations in the state and filed an action against the company, arising from consumer complaints that her office received and investigated. “This agreement sends a clear message to businesses operating illegally in Montana that I am committed to protecting consumers,” Lindeen responded. “Montanans work hard to support their families and I will not tolerate the sale of false promises to them.”     

The Order and Proposed Action alleged that FHTM representatives were marketing the company as income potential to participants who agreed to recruit new participants. Those individuals were asked to pay $299 to join the program. FHTM representatives also lured new participants by claiming it offered huge income opportunities through partnerships with large companies such as Travelocity, General Electric, and The Home Depot, when such partnerships did not exist.             

Details of the Consent Agreement and Order with Fortune Hi-Tech Marketing (FHTM):    

• FHTM agrees to refund up to $840,000 to more than 3,400 Montana participants.          

• FHTM and the company’s founders, Thomas Mills and Paul Orberson, will pay a fine of $100,000 to the Montana’s general fund. Dianne Graber, a Montana FHTM representative, will pay a $5,000 fine to the general fund.             

• FHTM will contribute $50,000 to the Investor Protection Trust, a non-profit organization that provides investor education in Montana.             

• In addition, FHTM will be required to change its business practices in Montana:     

-New participants in FHTM will only be required to pay $75.00 to become a representative,            

-FHTM will conduct training seminars along with representatives of the Commissioner’s Office, in Billings, Bozeman, Great Falls, Helena, Kalispell and Missoula, and will conduct web-based training that is mandatory for all current or prospective representatives,            

-FHTM will provide a disclosure brochure to each current and prospective representative outlining FHTM’s program, including the average amount of income achieved and the average amount of time in the program required to reach each level,             

-FHTM will reinforce with representatives that product sales are not primarily for self-consumption but for sale to non-participants, and             

-FHTM will require its representatives to maintain records of non-participant customers and submit those records on a monthly basis.                             

Approximately two weeks from the settlement, Montana FHTM representatives entitled to refunds will be receiving letters from Commissioner Lindeen outlining the requirements to get their money. The refund amount is equal to the participants’ cost less any earnings they received from FHTM.      

The settlement agreement can be found at www.csi.mt.gov. For more information about FHTM, call the Montana Commissioner of Securities and Insurance at 1-800-444-2040

[quote user="Jim Heron"]

With Kevin's history, will it really be that long before some agent of the FTC or SEC ( who actually is 'top secret' ) pays the fees and infiltrates the company to see what exactly it is being offered? I would have to imagine that any Kevin Trudeau Scam would be high on their list for investigations. He seems to already have provided them with quite a stream of income in terms of fines paid over the years.

I hope some of the people the FTC claims were scammed got restitution.

It will not matter. The company is located in St. Kitts, a haven for offshore banking. The money will be untouchable.

Kevin Trudeau has already had multipe six figure fines from federal agencies. Maybe he's decided to keep the money elsewhere this time around.

This new Global Information Network Scam is like the perfect storm of new scams for Kevin Trudeau.

Internet Marketers know that there are emotional trigger words that make people buy. The word "FREE", the word "NEW", the word "IMPORTANT", and the word "SECRET".

Everyone wants in on a secret. And the pitch for Global Information Network is pure genius - "we're going to share not just secrets of success, but the secrets of the worlds most secret societies! So secret that we can never ever tell you who the members are of these super secret secret societies, but trust us, they are real societies and shhhh oh so super secret."

Que the mood music.