Description

Business Name: Action Academy Owner / Operator: Brian (Leubben) Type of Business: Business Buying Coaching / Education Program Platform: Online — Community operated via private Facebook Group (600+ members) Amount Paid: $9,750 (non-refundable as stated at enrollment) SECTION 1 — NATURE OF COMPLAINT I am filing this complaint against Action Academy and its owner, Brian, for deceptive business practices, false advertising, failure to deliver promised products and services, and misappropriation of member funds. I paid $9,750 to enroll in this program based on specific representations that were materially false. This complaint is being submitted simultaneously to the BBB, the Florida Attorney General's Office, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). SECTION 2 — SPECIFIC FALSE REPRESENTATIONS MADE AT ENROLLMENT Before enrolling, Action Academy and its representatives made the following specific claims that induced my $9,750 payment: Members would be taught how to buy a business with NO personal capital required. The program would connect members with capital partners within the community who would co-invest in business acquisitions alongside members. Members would gain access to experienced mentors and coaches with proven track records of successfully buying businesses. Enrolled members would receive specific educational products and program materials as part of their membership. The $9,750 fee covered full participation in the program as described. Each of these representations proved to be false, misleading, or grossly exaggerated, as detailed in Section 3 below. SECTION 3 — DOCUMENTED FACTS AND EVIDENCE OF DECEPTION 3A — No Capital Partners Exist Despite explicit promises that capital partners would be available within the community to fund business acquisitions, no such partners were provided. This was a central selling point used to justify the premise that members needed 'no money' to buy a business. Upon joining, it became clear that no legitimate capital partner network exists within the program. 3B — Instructors Lack Claimed Expertise The program's founding members and coaches — including Brian and his 5 to 6 co-founders — were represented as experienced business buyers. In reality, multiple founding members have little to no verifiable track record of successful business acquisitions. Some founding members operate businesses that are themselves financially struggling. This directly contradicts the expertise represented during the sales process. 3C — Promised Products and Services Were Not Delivered Action Academy made specific promises regarding educational materials, resources, and program deliverables that were not provided after payment was received. Members, including myself, paid in full for a program whose promised components were never delivered. 3D — Continuous Upsell Pressure After paying the initial $9,750 enrollment fee, members were subjected to continuous sales pressure to purchase additional events, products, and services. Members who declined these upsells were treated differently within the community — marginalized, excluded, and in some cases actively targeted for social retaliation within the private group. 3E — Retaliation and Bullying in Private Facebook Group The private Facebook group — which serves as the primary community platform for 600+ paying members — has been used as a tool for social coercion and retaliation. Members who raised concerns, declined upsells, or questioned the program were publicly humiliated, ostracized, or attacked within the group. This behavior was permitted and in some cases facilitated by program leadership, creating a hostile and manipulative environment. 3F — Misappropriation of Member Fees Evidence available on public social media platforms, including Instagram and TikTok, strongly suggests that the owner (Brian) and his associates are using member enrollment fees to fund personal travel, personal lifestyle expenses, and their own private business acquisitions — rather than delivering the program services members paid for. Public posts by Brian and associates document extensive international travel, luxury spending, and personal business activities funded during the period in which member-promised deliverables remained unmet. SECTION 4 — FINANCIAL HARM Total Amount Paid: $9,750 Refund Received: $0 Nature of Loss: Non-refundable enrollment fee paid based on materially false representations The $9,750 I paid represents a significant personal financial loss based entirely on misrepresentations made during the sales and enrollment process. The non-refundable policy was presented as standard practice — however, when a contract is entered into based on false representations, the non-refundable designation does not shield the business from legal and regulatory accountability. SECTION 5 — PATTERN OF CONDUCT Based on conversations with other current and former members, the conduct described in this complaint does not appear to be isolated to my experience. A pattern of the following has been observed across the membership: Non-delivery of promised program components affecting multiple members Systematic upsell pressure applied to all members after enrollment Social retaliation via the private Facebook group against members who challenge leadership Discrepancy between the lifestyle publicly displayed by leadership and the program resources delivered to members No accountability mechanism or legitimate grievance process for members This pattern is consistent with an organized scheme designed to extract maximum fees from members while delivering minimum value — a business model sustained by high-pressure community dynamics, social manipulation, and suppression of dissent. SECTION 6 — RESOLUTION REQUESTED I am requesting the following outcomes from this complaint: A full refund of my $9,750 enrollment fee from Action Academy. A formal BBB investigation into Action Academy's business practices, marketing claims, and member treatment. A BBB rating review and public notation of this complaint on Action Academy's business profile. Referral of this matter to the Florida Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division if the pattern of conduct described warrants further investigation. Notification to other consumer protection agencies as appropriate, including the FTC, given the interstate nature of the online program. SECTION 7 — SUPPORTING EVIDENCE AVAILABLE The following documentation is available to support this complaint and can be provided upon request: Proof of payment ($9,750 transaction records) Screenshots of enrollment sales materials, webinars, and specific representations made Screenshots of private Facebook group posts documenting bullying and retaliation Screenshots of public social media content (Instagram/TikTok) showing owner lifestyle spending Records of promised deliverables that were not received Communications with Action Academy staff or representatives Statements from other members willing to corroborate this account COMPLAINANT DECLARATION I declare that the information provided in this complaint is true and accurate to the best of my knowledge and belief. I do not file this complaint lightly. I file it because what was done to me — and to hundreds of other paying members — is wrong, and it should be documented, investigated, and stopped. I am fully prepared to cooperate with any investigation by the BBB, Texas Attorney General, FTC, or any other regulatory body, and to provide all supporting documentation upon request.