Look out Cleveland, it seems Rodney Bowling is back with a brand new scam.
When last we saw the charming con artist (“Reality Bites,” December 21, 2005) Bowling was promising to make television stars out of local actors and businesses. Now he’s got a new scam, charming businesses into buying false sales leads.
In April, Josh Domo, the sales manager for IGM copy products, received a call from Bowling, who claimed to be looking to buy some office equipment. Before the conversation ended, Bowling, being quite the salesman himself, decided to pitch Domo on his own company.
Bowling said he was running a business in local malls, asking consumers to fill out surveys for the chance to win $100,000. For $750, businesses could pay to get their own questions in the survey. Domo thought this was a good way of generating names of potential customers who might be in the market for office equipment. He paid Bowling $750 to ask shoppers whether they were in need of office supplies.
Two months later, Domo had no customers’ names and Bowling was nowhere to be found. He contacted the Better Business Bureau, who put a notation in Bowlings’ file.
But that wasn’t enough for Domo. He decided to google Rod Bowling and see what came up. The first reference was Scene’s article on Bowling’s scams. Domo slapped his head.
“Holy shit this is the guy,” he thought. “And I read that story, too.”
Just like Bowling’s other victims, Domo doesn’t think he’ll be seeing his $750 back any time soon. — Rebecca Meiser
This article appears in Oct 25-31, 2006.
Rod Bowling is STILL SCAMMING!!!!
I see that this artical was written in October 2006. I want to update you on my experience with Rod Bowling this year in 2007.
I have a homes base business with a Telecom and Energy company. My business partners and I went to Rod to get leads. In Decemeber 2006, we paid $500 to get 250 leads. As of today we have only received 41. Everytime we try contact him he is now where to be found. We are in process of taking him to small claims court.
We don’t know where he gets his leads, due to everyone we have called states that they have never completed a survey form.
PLEASE, warn all of your family and friends about this guy. DO NOT TRUST HIM!!!!
Well, its 2008 and Rod is still well into putting his sneaky ideas off on people with the business leads and surveys. just and fyi…steer clear!
Rodney is still peddling his same old scams around the city of cleveland…he has lowered his prices but he is still stealing, lying and cheating and scamming…beware bar owners and anybody looking to model…he is still pushing his “tv commercials” and still promising lots of money and customers to bar owners…how do i know this? i was just working for him in the month of january!!! he bounced my FIRST PAYCHECK on january 31 and has yet to make good on it!!! please don’t be fooled! on top of everything else, he lies about his personal life and flirted with me on the job! he is a basically sociopathic because he really believes his own lies! long story short, BEWARE OF RODNEY BOWLING!
We have been contacted by Rod Bowling to do business. Anybody with any further information please contact me at fairchildcommons@aol.com. Is there any positive comments out there? I have already given him a check and now I am really concerned. Did he do any work for anybody?
We recently wrote a check to Rod Bowling and afterwards we looked him up and got very nervous after we saw all the negative press. He actually delivered on everything he promised! I then asked him what was all the negative press about and he explained that at the beginning he had problems trying to get his new business off the ground. I can understand that being a business owner. It seems as though he has perfected his craft because he did everything he promised and we’ve made a huge profit. I would HIGHLY recommend his services.
Also, I would consider telling anyone that it is not easy starting and running a business. You let lots of people down, not deliver on certain promises, not as a scam but because of different circumstances.
The Hummer promotion as explained to me was very simple. its an insurance policy that major companies purchase all the time. Basketball teams, if you make a half court shot, scratch off tickets for car dealerships etc. But if you don’t understand it it may seem like a scam.
I am very pleased with his work and I am recommending him to friends. Whatever flaws he had in the past he has corrected.
I applaud him for not giving up and crawling under a rock!
We have been doing business with Rod Bowling for about 45 days and he has done a great job!! He was in my office one day and one of my employees recognized him and told me to google him.
I was surprised at the comments. Whatever problem he had in the past he must have corrected because his program is making our company alot of money!!
Keep your head up Rod
I’m the guy(Josh Domo) that Rebecca Mesier mentions in this article. I was bored and decided to google my name and I came across this article. I atually had forgotten all about the notorious Rodney Scamartist Bowling. I feel like I need to put my two cents in because after reading the last two positive comments about Bowling I’m very concerned. It seriously wouldn’t surprise me if Bowling himself posted the positive comments or maybe had friends(if he has any) post them for him. BEWARE RODNEY BOWLING IS A SMOOTH TALKING SCAM ARTSIST AND HE WILL RIP YOU OFF. I’m not be slandreous by any means. I speak from personal experiences with this criminal. He is in fact a criminal. I suggest anybody considering doing business with this criminal to walk away.
PLEASE DONT LET ROD FOOL YOU!!! i worked for him in January along with another young lady and he BOUNCED our paychecks!!! he owes me over $1100.00 and has yet to make good on it! i threatened him with the police and he ended up giving me $200.00! I have been told by a few Cleveland area bar owners that they too got great results….at first….and then Rodney disappeared, never to be heard from again!!! HE IS A SCAM ARTIST!!! When i was “employed” by him, he got kicked out of Corporate College’s COSE business space for his illicit business practices!!! DO NOT TRUST HIM!!! He is not a business man, he is a con artist.
John…he has not perfected his craft! No one is accusing him of scamming because we dont understand what he does…he is a con man because of what he DOESNT do…and that is compensate those who actually do the work for him!!! I worked long hours for him and was never compensated! Myself, along with another young lady worked our butts off and he wrote us bogus checks after collecting many checks from business owners! He then has a tendency to disappear! So if you want to ruin friendships with people you know, then keep on recommending his “services”!
I would like to say that when I was prepared to do business with Rod bowling he actually told me to google him to find out what was being said about him and then decide for myself whether to do business with him or not. I understand the negative comments he has received from these people. i to when starting my business had individuals agry with me. Thank goodness they did not have this service back then. I own a tanning salon and a few of my customers got burned, some of my beds did not come in on time and as a result I had issues paying vendors and employees. Its hard to understand all the struggles a business owner goes through until you’ve owned a small business yourself. When you work for a large corporation you get paid on time with no issues. Smaller businesses spend most time robbing peter to pay paul and trying to stay open.
My best friend had a hair salon and recently closed it because a few hairstylist left and she could not afford it anymore. She left without paying her lease, paying employees and vendors. Does that make her a scam artist because she did not pay.
Of course not. At least she tried. Now everyones talking about her. What about the millions of people who have bounced checks and filed for bankruptcy without paying people.
They must be scam artist to.
I will say my experience has been great with Rod and I would advise anyone looking to do business with him to listen to him and then make your own decision.
If he owes some people money, so does half of America who filed for bankruptcy.
Tracy, when somebody promises something but NEVER has the intent to deliver that’s what we call a scam artist. There are countless scams this individual(Rodney Bowling) has engaged in…do a few more Google searches. The fact that you try to justify Rod’s wrongdoings with the “Robbing Peter To Pay Paul” argument instantly took away your credibility. Furthermore, using an analogy pertaining to Americans filing bankruptcy and Rod owing money to people makes no sense. Most of the time when you file bankruptcy you still owe your creditors the money. Not to mention you’re penalized by black marks on your credit report. Unfortunately, Rod Bowling, isnt being penalized nor is he delivering what he promised. Geee I can go on and on with the ludacris post you wrote. He actually asked you to Google him? What business owner says, Hey Google me?” That’s a telltale sign of a dishonest person. It’s similar to when people make it a point to say, “I’m an honest person.” A WORD OF ADVICE FOR ALL THOSE CONSIDERING TO DO BUSINESS WITH RODNEY BOWLING…YOU’RE BETTER OFF WALKING AWAY…FAST!
I’ve known Mr Bowling personally for many, many, many years so trust me he is a scam artist. The positive comments above were more than likely planted by Mr Bowling to make him appear less ethical and more incompetent. Do business with him at your own risk.
This is Nick Daddario, one of the previous employees of Rod Bowling and Big Planet Media. Rod Bowling has a great business plan that over and over fails to launch. Working with him had its up and downs but I did fill a lot of clients needs as did he. Some of the clients did get ripped off, unintentinally. I saw his vision as did many merchants and other employees. Making that vision come to life proved to be very difficult with Rods bad leadership and work ethics. I dont believe that Rod is a bad person, just a poor business owner and he will admit that. This email was sent to me from Rod Bowling 7-9-09… Any comments?
Its amazing how many people think I am a bad person all because of my business. Of course I wish things had worked out. If we had booked even 25 parties a week we would not be in this situation.
Over 400,000 people filed bankruptcy last year and did not pay their creditors. Over 150,000 businesses filed bankruptcy last year and did not pay anyone and I have commited to paying people back and they still want to call me a bad person.
My attorney advised me that as soon as I decided to close Big Planet Media to file bankruptcy and none of this would be going on. He still advises me to do so. There is nothing criminal about what I have done and he told me not to worry about threats. Even if they take me to court he will be able to defend any acts. I have paid back many people even ones you don’t know about. That is not someone scamming people, when I had the opportunity to pay him less than I have paid out to file bankruptcy. I paid your Cleansville guy and several others that you don’t know about. I have a long list of people I have repaid over the last six months because our program did not work. That doesn’t sound like someone trying to scam. It sounds like a person that is trying to repay people (Maybe its slow) but repay people and not take advantage of my rights to file bankruptcy and not pay anyone. I have a long list of people that have been repaid. I am sure there are still lots of people that I owe but in total its probably less than $5,000 total. I have repaid over $10,000. Does that sound like someone trying to scam.
I am a good person that business just did not work out. YOU SAW ME PAY ALOT OF PEOPLE AND YOU KNOW WE WERE NOT MAKING ANY MONEY! Bottomline I just ran out of money. The people we hired to do our fulfillment did not work. Booking parties did not work. Does that make me a bad person Hell No!
I have a comment Nick. How do you suggest I get my money back? I have no way to get ahold of Rod since he ignores all my emails, and the phone number he gave me is out of service. I have been emailing with mediagiant3@gmail.com for several months now trying to get a refund. This person keeps telling me its getting mailed out but I have yet to see anything and its been a long time. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
I owned my own small business for several years and struggled at times, I also know 4 other people that have owned small businesses that have struggled (4-of the 5 businesses I’m talking about have since closed), but NONE of these ripped off clients or employees. They might have had trouble repaying some vendors, but did not rip people off on a grand scale. I’m sorry, this guy has ripped off WAY too many people (employees, vendors, clients) to be a guy “trying to make an honest living that had a rough time getting his business going”. It doesn’t take a genius to calculate whether or not you have the money or business to meet your obligations. “Robbing Peter, Paul, and all his friends to stay afloat” does not make it OK!!! Stealing money from people is wrong, no mater what the intent is or how it is done. END OF STORY!!
LISTEN UP AMERICA AND THE GREATER METROPOLITAN CLEVELAND AREA!
RODNEY BOWLING IS AN UNINTENTIONAL SCAM ARTIST! AT LEAST IN HIS OWN MIND THAT IS! He believes what he is doing is fair and righteous that it’s just been one bad business decision after another and we should all just understand the fact that most businesses fail and we should just take our lumps as they fall. I have taken mine to the tune of $15,000.00 that Mr. Bowling owes me!
But after all that has happened over the past 5 years he is without a doubt a Sociopathic CRIMINAL and should be arrested and jailed! He has ruined many lives and stolen money from many business people and the unsuspecting public.
I first met the ever charming, charismatic Mr. Rodney Bowling through another business I was involved in where he showed up to sell his leads. That was May of 2005. He convinced me to come on board with him and be his Regional Sales Manager! We met at the Shoreby Club for a corporate kick off Party! (that was before he lost everything, his stated past prior to 2003 is true!) I arrived and told the gate-man who I was there to see he let me in and directed me to the pool where I met Rodney swimming in the pool and sipping margaritas!
The company was called Tiger Media Group doing everything and more that has been stated above in other people warnings. We first ran a Bowling contest. A karaoke contest, Modeling competitions all over the North East Coast from Cleveland, Pittsburgh to Toledo and back! Although some things came to reality 80% of anyone involved did not get anything at all except loss of time and effort and basically everyone was ripped off and money!
We first started out small out of a 2 room office 2 weeks later we moved into a beautiful 15,000 square foot office and Immediately he hired a full corporate staff support team, IT Department , HR Director, Office Manager etc. To go from nothing to a payroll of 15 full time employees with a payroll exceeding $32,000.00 @ month is absolutely insane and I told him that we did not need this overhead expense while just starting out! He told me he was waiting to settle his divorce with his wife and that his assets would be freed up and he had a million dollars he was about to transfer into the business account! He had us all pumped up that we were going to become an overnight success!
In reality at that time it looked like we would be an over night success! The business was rolling in! Myself and another business associate was out selling and bringing in the money! Things looked good! We all worked for a month or two before payroll was set up with Pay Chex Systems. Then came the first official real Payday the checks were issued and then they all bounced! I was running late that day and as I arrived in the parking lot the entire staff was walking out complaining we all had been taken by a con man! I called Rod concerned that it had to be a mistake and we needed to save our staff! So I told him what was going on and he told me that’s why he didn’t come in that morning because the money he was counting on did not come in and the hell with them we did not need them like I had said and he asked me to stay and believe in him the money was coming and he would make my check good, which he did so like a fool I stayed on a few more months believing in his Ideas.
He then conned the sales manager at Tim Lally Chevrolet into a Backing Karaoke contest and that by allowing us to set up Tiger Media ‘s offices in his showroom because as the finalist came in with theirs families to get their pictures taken and buy their tickets it would give Lally Chevrolet an opportunity to sell a car to any of these people sounds good doesn’t it! This would happen from giving away a car which Tiger Media would buy at an extreme discount and that money would come from the ticket sales from the families and friends of the karaoke contestant that wanted to come watch them compete! That contest did finally pan out and the winner did finally get the car although they did have to wait 6-8 weeks to get it before he came up with the money to pay for it!
I could go on and and on but I am done and over this a CON MAN in every sense of the word! He has great Ideas but no financial backing other than what money you give him he is absolutely broke, but not broken! Do Not Be Fooled Rodney Bowling he is a CON MAN and should be arrested! Enough is Enough! When each venture fails he blames it on his staff and the sales people that they did not do their job properly and did not sell enough to make his ideas work! Which is all bullshit!
RODNEY BOWLING IS NO DIFFERENT THEN RUPERT MURDOCK! HE”S JUST NOT AS GOOD! STAY AWAY ! CITY PROSECUTORS WHY HAVE YOU NOT INDITED THIS MAN YOU HAVE HAD ENOUGH COMPLAINTS!
IF YOU GET SCAMMED BY MR. RODNEY BOWLING NOW! IT IS YOUR FAULT!
Roderick (Rod) Bowling… NOT RODNEY… One of his BIGGEST problems is that come payday for his employee’s, he was very difficult to get ahold of… Of course that is miniscule compared to the “carnage” that he has left in his wake regarding businesses that he has screwed over while operating Big Planet Media.
Let’s hand it to Rod, and I am being fair, his concept regarding the “after work parties” made sense. Unfortunately, Rod could not get past his “ghetto mentality”… For example, he wanted to stage a “fashion show” in a bar in West Park and feature a “best dressed contest”. He was set up to turn this IRISH bar, at Kamms Corners, into a “hip-hop” extravaganza… WHAT?
In closing, Rod now has a new “venture” and it is called “Rock Finance” (not to be confused with ROCK FINANCIAL which is owned by Dan Gilbert…) and he is again posting on Craigslist for sales reps. You can always tell when Rod posts on C-List because of the “interesting” grammar used in his posts. And, if you want to call Rod and “say hi”… you can call him at (216) 429-3010 and/or if you want to “say hi” in person, go to his new office which is located in the old J&L Steel building at:
3100 East 45th St. suite #318
Cleveland, Ohio 44127
He is in an office titled: TOp Marketing
His office assistant is: Wanda
Tell him “Kharma” said hello…
Regarding Roderick (not Rodney) “Rod” Bowling…
If anybody wants to call Rod Bowling and say hi… he can be reached at his new venture “Rock Finance” @ 216-429-3010…
If you want to stop by his new office and say hello, here is the address:
3100 East 45th St. suite# 318 (TOp Marketing)
Cleveland, Ohio 44127
Tell Rod that “Kharma” said hello…
Is this the same man?
http://www.istockanalyst.com/article/viewiStockNews/articleid/3771746
Is this the same Roderick???
http://www.istockanalyst.com/article/viewiStockNews/articleid/3771746
Rod is now in Atlanta! Glad I googled him. I was going to setup a meeting with him but might now be worth it.
Rod is now in Atlanta! Glad I googled him. I was going to setup a meeting with him but might not be worth it.
No the florida Rodric is not the same Rod Bowlin/Bowling everyone else is talking about! But don’t we all wish someone like him would get 25 yrs
I have been following the articles and the BBB reviews/complaints regarding this young man “Rodney Bowling” his pattern is the same, his ventures are the same. He recruit people to get money for him and pray on innocent people that really are looking for a legitimate job. He uses craigslist list A LOT to find his victims. He is in Atlanta still and running a company entitled “Mastermind Media” and yes he still is recruiting models for a reality show and trying to do a talent show. Please advise all to STAY AWAY he is a CON ARTIST not a small business owner down on his luck. I am a business owner and when I started out without financial backing from a banking institution, it was through sponsorship and my savings that I made sure I PAID the people I employed, even it it meant I took nothing home, my people were paid as I promised they would be, there were times I had to push the date back but I stayed in constant contact. They didn’t have to chase me for the job they shouldn’t have to chase me to get paid. PLEASE BEWARE! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED and out of all these post 2 positive ones let me know that Mr. Bowling had those posted or posted them himself. Be blessed~
He is in Atlanta. Ga. running a Atlanta’s Top Model Contest and after that it will be a beauty pageant. Here is the address he is currently at 1455 Lincoln Pkwy E, Dunwoody, Ga. 30346. Sometimes on the 4th floor and sometimes on the 3rd floor. His numbers are (404) 602-0000 and (216) 849-6032. He has a new team using a woman called Cupid and a man called Casey. HIs scam time frame is 4 weeks. He claims to have connections with “CBS” and says they will be airing his show called “Atlanta’s Next Top Model”. He will be doing a boot camp for the models charging a fee of $99.00. He will be charging registration fee’s of $25.00 for the Model’s. He claims to have at least 3 time slots with “CBS”. His ad is on Craigslist looking for a “Casting Agent”. I personally wasn’t around him long enough to be scammed or lose money. Just wanted those looking for him to know where he is. He will be at this location tomorrow 02/08/2014 auditioning for the models at 9am. Not sure of the ending time. Good luck to all those who lost money with this man. I can’t figure out why he hasn’t been put in jail….
Rodney Bowling he is using “MasterMind Media” and “Rock Finance” in Atlanta, Ga. Both are incorporated with the State of Georgia Secretary in 2011
atlanta’s next top model. he got my $25. luckily the local consumer investigator at the cbs news station emailed all the “models” before he could go further with the $100 boot camp. he even went as far as buying us all $5 margarita’s at a restaurant where we were supposed to have a mixer.
are cupid and casey KNOWINGLY part of this scam?
knowing how the entertainment and nightlife is here in atlanta, along with the upcoming modeling scene, he is NOT done. he’s waiting for this to cool off before starting again. $25 may be little, but i wasted gas, time, money on a new outfit (where we were to meet producers and agents) for this crap. i thought it cld be my big break and instead of using it on my one year old i threw it away on this man.
so this is definitely personal. he messed with the wrong one.
Well once again Rodney Bowling has struck again, just got a phone call literally five minutes ago who just seen the News down here in Atlanta, and apparently he has managed to run a wedding boutique scam, still waiting on additional info, I also know that he is also supposely the cousin of the well known “Dr. Curves” here in Atlanta, I just seen a posting where he managed to scam one of his patients out of $2500 for “Aftercare” services. SMH piece of crap!!