Well, frankly you are nuts if you pay upfront.
I'm not here to go "there, there" for people who lost money.
There is nothing I or anyone (except the asset strippers) can do about it, except to make the point that hopefully someone might read and think twice about paying upfront in the future.
If you want my professional services, then you can pay for them, if you want my opinion, you can have that for free.
Ya fud.
