LMCT Plus burst onto the scene in 2018 with an ambitious vision to disrupt the automotive and rewards industry. Their explosive growth and lavish giveaways have attracted attention – and skepticism.
In this honest review, we investigate every angle of this controversial company to answer one question: is LMCT Plus legit or a scam?
You’ll discover:
- How LMCT Plus really makes money
- Breakdowns of key complaints and controversies
- Investigations and legal issues uncovered
- What members and industry experts are saying
- Whether the rewards and discounts live up to the hype
- And much more…
By the end, you’ll have all the information you need to decide if LMCT Plus is right for you. Let’s get started!
How Does LMCT Plus Work?
Founded in 2018 by Adrian Portelli and Troy Williams, LMCT Plus operates via two primary avenues:
Rewards Club
At its core, LMCT Plus is a subscription-based rewards club. For a monthly fee ($19.99 – $99.99), members gain access to discounts and partner offers across over 850 Australian businesses.
Categories span automotive, homewares, merchandise, and services – though it skews heavily towards the car scene.
Car & House Giveaways
In addition to discounts, LMCT Plus runs promotional giveaways of luxury cars, bikes, cash prizes, and even houses. They advertise these widely on social media.
Unlike standard contests, members are automatically entered into every draw. The company has given away over $25 million in prizes so far.
This combination of discounts and prizes has attracted over 300,000 Australian members. But how exactly is the company structured behind the scenes?
The Founders
Co-founder Adrian Portelli has become the public face of LMCT Plus. With his flamboyant displays of wealth on social media, he’s earned nicknames like “Mr. Lambo” and the “Modern Day Robin Hood.”
According to Portelli, he migrated from Malta in 2013 and got his start in the auto industry. He previously claimed to have launched successful apps in the US.
As LMCT Plus grew, Portelli began garnering attention for stunts like craning his McLaren Senna GTR into his luxury $39 million apartment.
He leverages this notoriety to promote LMCT Plus, of which he now claims to be CEO.
Co-founder Troy Williams built his Eye Candy Motorsports brand modifying high-end performance vehicles. Williams sources LMCT Plus’s prized giveaway cars through his connections.
Combined with Portelli’s marketing and promotional prowess, LMCT Plus was born.
Business Model Controversies
But questions loom about LMCT Plus’s business model. From income streams to questionable tactics, we break down the controversies.
MLM Similarities
Despite claiming over 300 employees, LMCT Plus does not appear to be a registered business entity in Australia.
This has drawn comparisons to multi-level marketing (MLM) schemes. Income relies on continual recruitment from members rather than sales of an underlying product or service.
And the structure incentivizes bringing in partners. Their “Business Partners” page goes so far as to compare joining to “AS SEEN ON TV!”
Without a tangible good or service, income hinges on hype and momentum. This carries risk of collapsing if growth plateaus.
“Loophole” Tactics
Portelli himself has alluded to utilizing “loopholes” in gambling legislation to operate giveaways.
By classifying the business as a “rewards club,” LMCT Plus exploits legal grey areas surrounding contests and trade promotions not requiring permits.
Similarly, mandatory monthly purchases skirt laws capping lottery ticket costs at $1 each. And house raffle conditions buried in fine print have sparked uproar.
While technically legal, reliance on such loopholes plants doubt.
Investigations & Legal Issues
With controversy swirling, it was only a matter of time before authorities stepped in. Both fraud and gambling regulators are taking action in multiple states.
Gambling Regulators
In October 2022, reports emerged that gambling bodies in Victoria and South Australia opened investigations into LMCT Plus’s practices.
While initially dismissing the allegations, founder Adrian Portelli admitted weeks later that LMCT Plus was indeed “under review.”
Concerns center around the size and frequency of giveaways – potentially violating trade promotion conditions. Penalties could include blocking operations or forcing withdrawal of current contests.
Lawsuits
Alongside gambling commission probes, LMCT Plus faces multiple lawsuits from members and partners.
In one recent case, a $250,000 Jeep giveaway winner sued upon discovering she must pay $9000 in registration and insurance costs. She expected to receive the vehicle outright.
Numerous contractors and advisors also claim outstanding payments from the company after working on promotions.
These legal issues threaten to disrupt cash flow. And it risks unraveling TMCT Plus’s incentives model keeping members engaged.
While Portelli maintains confidence that they will prevail, the investigations and lawsuits open a path for potential civil or criminal liability.
Reviews & Complaints
Consumer reception around the web reveals more LMCT Plus pitfalls. From account management to false advertising, certain grievances persist.
Difficulty Cancelling
A common theme across reviews involves struggling to cancel auto-renewing memberships. Complaints range from ignored emails to poor account controls.
Negative publicity led LMCT Plus to update its systems for managing subscriptions. However, problems seem to persist based on recent cancellations taking effect late.
This makes budgeting hard for members not carefully noting renewal dates. And frustration from unexpected charges or feeling “trapped” breeds resentment.
Misleading Practices
Multiple members accuse LMCT Plus of bait-and-switch style promotions on the rewards club and giveaway contests.
Examples include lowered probabilities after purchase or obstructed access to discounts advertised during sign-up.
Others report contesting surprise conditions only revealed after winning prizes. This includes assuming taxes, registration, and commitments for publicity were included rather than incurring additional costs.
While legal disclaimers and terms likely cover these scenarios, the way they are marketed appears less than forthright to some members.
Fake Reviews?
Scrutinizing LMCT Plus’s glowing testimonials and perfect ratings reveals something suspicious. Much of the positivity hails from accounts with the numbers “388” strangely embedded into their usernames.
What’s more, nearly every comment follows an identical template showering praise.
Sloppy astroturfing seems the likely culprit. And without authenticity around their product benefits, it’s unclear if regular Australian members share the same sunny perspective.
The Rewards Club
Controversies aside, the discounts and deals remain the only tangible offering backing up LMCT Plus’s pitch. But does the core product measure up?
Discounts & Savings
The rewards club grants access to 850+ business partners representing over 1000 offline and online stores.
Spanning automotive, retail, home services, and more, the breadth seems impressive at a quick glance. However, vetting specific vendors and validity of offers proves challenging.
LMCT Plus does not disclose actual discount rates or sale terms anywhere public-facing pre-signup. And while they promote partners like Ultratune, searches come back empty under the company name.
This opacity makes verifying real-world savings impossible without first handing over payment details.
The entire shtick banks on flooding social platforms with hype about luxury car and house giveaways. Meanwhile, obfuscation surrounds the unglamorous nuts and bolts like cashback rates.
Worth the Money?
Pricing sits around $240 per year for basic access and entries into promotional contests.
Without transparency on deals or confirmation others realize notable savings from the program, confidence in break-even ROI wavers.
And alternatives like the free OzBargain provide crowdsourced discounts minus any monthly overhead.
Potential value hinges on giveaways making up the difference. But banking on lucky draws grows increasingly precarious amidst deepening legal turbulence.
The Bottom Line
In many ways, LMCT Plus mirrors “too good to be true” schemes destined for collapse.
Lack of business registration documents or audited financials ring alarm bells around sustainably funding giveaways. And growing gambling commission and lawsuit turmoil threaten stability.
Yes, LMCT Plus does award extravagant prizes as advertised. Though questions around cancelations, misleading promotions, and reviews expose member dissatisfaction beneath the glitz.
Ultimately savvy consumers should approach with extreme caution. Dazzling hype drowns out questionable practices and legal gray areas which cannot last forever.
If deciding to proceed, vigilantly document payment and cancellation terms with credit card protections in place. But entering with eyes wide open offers the only prudent path.
Recommended Articles:
- Australian Retirement Trust Scam or Legit? Negative Reviews
- Is Ubuy Australia legit or Scam: Ubuy reviews
- Is Georgeson Economical Scam or Legit? Uncovering the Truth