I Paid Over $7,000 for a Marketing System I Trusted. Here’s What Happened

Why I filed an official fraud report against DropServe & AmpiFire (Chris Munch) …and what I wish I’d known sooner

I never thought I’d have to write a post like this.

But after months of trying to stay silent… trying to “be reasonable” …and hoping that things would work themselves out… 

I finally realized something:

This wasn’t just a bad business decision.

It was a masterclass in how carefully-worded promises can cost people thousands.

And it happened to me.

The Trust That Made It Possible

This isn’t coming from someone who blindly buys into hype.

I’ve been building websites since the 1990s.

I’ve worked with businesses, helped them grow their online presence, and I’ve earned a reputation for doing things with integrity.

And… I had known Chris Munch for over 20 years.

I respected his work, and I genuinely trusted him… enough to invest in his latest offering without second-guessing.

So, when he launched DropServe, I didn’t approach it with skepticism.

I believed in the offer.

More importantly… I believed in him.

That longstanding trust is what allowed me to invest over $7,000 CAD (and months of effort) without questioning the cracks that slowly started to show.

That’s what stings most.

What DropServe Promised

The program was marketed as a business-in-a-box.

A fully managed service that would deliver:

• Hands-free marketing campaigns
• Ownership of lead data
• Long-term visibility through content syndication
• Lifetime access to step-by-step training

It was positioned as a one-time investment that could generate recurring income with very little manual work.

What I received instead was something very different.

When the Red Flags Started Waving

The AMP campaign I was encouraged to use never performed the way it was promoted.

Worse, I discovered that I didn’t actually own the lead data.

Despite it being a major selling point, Stripe confirmed I never had access to customer names or emails… despite DropServe’s claim that we owned the leads.

Kristen from AmpiFire later admitted this as well.

That completely undermined one of the core reasons I bought in and directly contradicted what we’d been told.

That alone should’ve been enough to walk away, but I did not know this until a week before cancelling the monthly cost of the DropServe ‘store’.

Several weeks into the DropServe training, they announced a newer platform: AmpCast.

It was being promoted as better than the system currently used to fulfill the DropServe campaigns that we were sold just months earlier.

To be clear: this wasn’t an upgrade. It was an entirely new service… positioned as the improved version of the one we had paid for.

We were encouraged to buy and start using AmpCast… leaving those of us in DropServe feeling abandoned with an outdated platform.

And worst of all, when I finally cancelled, Kristen informed me that my access to the training would be revoked… which should have never happened, as the training alone was valued at over $4,000 CAD, and I had paid for it outright.

Why I Filed a Fraud Report

After months of trying to resolve things privately, I had even posted a review on TrustPilot.

Chris responded there, but ignored my follow-up email sent directly to him… despite my receiving confirmation it had been received

None.

That’s when I knew this wasn’t a simple misunderstanding; it was a pattern.

So, I filed an official fraud report with the UK’s Action Fraud Office (ref: NFRC250707518424) and reported this fraud to the US Federal Traded Commission (report number: 190698158).

I had taken every reasonable step before reporting… tried to resolve things directly, shared my concerns publicly, and had reached out in good faith.

Another DropServe student (or client), also filed a fraud report after losing over $4,200 USD (ref: NFRC250807528742).

Our goal is NOT revenge.

It’s to protect others from falling into the same trap.

What You Can Learn from My Experience

If you’re considering any done-for-you marketing system… especially DropServe or AmpiFire… please take this to heart:

• Don’t confuse slick marketing with truth. Just because it sounds credible doesn’t mean it is.
• If they promise lead ownership, ask for specifics. Where is the data stored? Who controls it?
• Keep everything: emails, screen prints, videos, and especially your receipts. If you feel like something’s off, document it.

Most importantly?

Don’t assume silence will fix things.

I stayed quiet far too long.

Final Thought

I’m not posting this because I enjoy airing grievances.

I’m posting this because I trusted someone, I had known for over two decades… and I still got burned.

If this story helps even one person avoid a similar loss… or gives someone else the courage to speak up… then sharing it was worth it.

And if you’ve gone through something similar?

You’re not alone.

If you’re navigating the world of digital marketing and want real help from someone who’s been on both sides… you know where to find me.