Mike Rinder's Blog

Something Can Be Done About It

A Scientology Price List

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Aftermath Foundation: Firstly, let me thank so many people for stepping up and supporting the new Aftermath Foundation. The response was almost overwhelming.

 

This promotional piece was forwarded to me recently.

Posting it here for posterity and to highlight once again the money insanity of scientology. They call them “donations” — but don’t try telling them you feel like donating a little less today, or nothing at all. You will quickly discover these are not “donations” they are fees.

This price list is for Class V orgs in the UK. It is provided by New Era Publications because they sell the materials. Thus, they have an interest in selling training. Nobody else cares much about this in scientology these days. They focus on getting money for the IAS and Ideal Orgs where they don’t have to deliver anything.

One pound (£) is about $1.40US. So the “donation” for the Student Hat is about $2400 dollars.

And a regular EMeter is about $6500. Yes, can you imagine if you walked into an Apple store and picked out an iPad (FAR more sophisticated than an Emeter) and they told you the price was $6500? And Apple is a for profit business — making a LOT of profit. One of the most profitable and wealthy companies on earth…

Can you imagine still having to buy CD’s — they cost about 20c to manufacture — for $15 a piece, when they could be just downloaded like everyone else on earth does. And that would cost scientology NOTHING as they already all exist. They could provide these materials FOR FREE for NO EXPENSE to them, to anyone training to become an auditor. It would make it cheaper and easier to become an auditor. Why not do so? Only one reason. They want to make money. The motive for every action in scientology is to make money. Even down to selling lectures and other materials they could MORE EASILY provide for free…

And this doesn’t even include the exorbitant rates for auditing.

Hubbard proclaimed: Scientology — the only game where everyone wins. He should have said the only game where everyone pays. And pays. And pays.

 

Comments

  1. Are the prices too high? IMHO yes. But it is simply stupid to declare that Scientology should give it all away for free. It’s a huge organisation with massive bills. Every Org has building rates, staff costs etc etc. And EVERYONE sells CDs for more than they cost because there are other costs involved. Distribution, artwork, staff etc.
    Oh, and millions still buy CDs. The real world has costs. That’s reality.

    Reply

  2. So, someone wants to become an Auditor. $12,582 before they can ever sit their butt in the auditing chair is a pretty big barrier for most people. That’s not including e-meters. You’re supposed to have two so you have a backup, so make that $25,582 plus whatever I’m missing, stuff like books and lectures.

    Reply

    • Honestly, it isn’t the devil like some of you seem to say.

      I ran into personal trouble many years ago.
      I found this solution … and so far, not to bad !!

      Not perfect ! i understand why they have enemies !! because they don’t miss you ! allways asking for money and that you sign as staff. I agree on that. You get tired. They don’t.
      Then it is not cheap ! that is true. When they put you a price … count the double ! but is it worth ? hell yes. You may get angry at them, because of the cost … but at the end, it is way more worth than anything else. And if money was a problem, it won’t be anymore because you will be making much more. Your whole life will be simply better, more colours and more happiness. And more money if this was the problem. (it often is !!)

      But the solution and what you do and the progress you make and the improvement you have in life are striking. Their is no denial on that. How many ex drug addict that are making good money and taking care of their family ? how many guys who were broken X years ago are alive, powerful and mighty in their life ?

      It is a great concept … it is psychology that includes the existence of a soul !
      The idea is to develop your communication with yourself and the rest of the world so that you understand better and communicate better. It works.

      People who have no idea … instead of reading and listening to critics … better take 100 Pounds, EUR or USD and (or whatever it is worth) and go for a communication class. They will get what a 500 pounds … communication class gives them. Much more. Very effective.

      Don’t cry like the sheeps !! be someone and make your own experience. Don’t let someone decide for you … and if you don’t care … then don’t care. As simply as that. But do not take a strong opinion of someone who does it for you.

      I love my wife, because I love here !! if i hate my enemy, it is because i decided so … not because someone told me something … and told me what to think (in disguise … of course)

      Reply

      • I know this may sound a bit unbelievable (especially with the areligious crowd) but….Thomas, thousands of former addicts and felons have the life you’ve just described. They just found it for *free* with Christianity or Buddhism or more liberal movements of Islam.

        Reply

  3. hmmmm …… love the ( to be added if not purchased yet ) bits in there , are they all extras that you would ” donate ” to ? .
    Seems like a bit of a grey area but then again Scamology is living in the dark ages so if the shoe fits ….

    Reply

    • Love it! Just like the off-center logo on the Sea Org cardstock mailer that comes to my house once every few weeks now. You know the one with all the personal questions about taking drugs, having debts, and having children. I finally couldn’t take it anymore. I wrote N/A on all the questions and circled the off-center logo with a snide comment. Sheesh…quality control?

      Reply

  5. ………….and yet….there was a time not long ago…..

    I used to look at these lists and see nothing wrong at all, except for questions as to how I was going to pay for it.

    For decades, I saw these lists, and wanted everything on it. “knew” it was worth ten times the price.

    ….

    that’s insane.

    ………
    kisses ground in thankfulness to be out.

    Reply

  6. Scientologists, on the front porch to infinity… and beyond!
    Why should anyone care what amount of money is required to get on this fast track?

    Miscavige says it so, so it is so! Sure he is wrong about everything else in his existence, but oh well.

    Reply

    • To: WhatAreYourCrimes
      From: David Miscavige COB RTC
      Re: me being wrong.

      Get this through your head right now! The current stable datum in Scientology is:
      I AM NEVER WRONG ON ANYTHING!
      I AM ALWAYS 100% RIGHT!
      SINCE I AM POSTULATING THIS, IT IS SO!

      Now go word clear every word in that statement so you won’t forget it!

      ML
      Dave

      Reply

  7. Lets see: The $625 that I paid for the 0-IV package at the old LA org in 1967 translates into about $4200 counting inflation. The pricing inflation is not as bad as I figured. Hell, Scientology has not kept up with them there collegiates and universityiates in ripping off folks for nothing in return (some of them).

    Reply

  8. Even if it was free, I can’t imagine many signing up because the material is just so dreary. Sure, there’s occasional moments of excitement involving aliens, past lives, and weird ghost things. But it’s mostly boring and lifeless, with a heavy layer of intricate rules.

    They might as well charge an arm + leg. They’re not going to get many people at the high prices and they’re not going to get many if it was free.

    Reply

    • I did the Purif when I was 5. My dad needed a twin. Didn’t even know what a drug was at that point. I was terrible at taking any pills (what kid isn’t? Remember the size of some of them??) I started tossing them behind a speaker in the sauna and got caught!! Dammit!!! Then they would watch me to make sure I took them, and also make sure I finished my calmag. Gah!! That’s borderline child abuse if you ask me).
      Back to my point. I would have to sit in that sauna for hours listening to LRH tapes that my dad played. OMG. It was so Goddamn boring!! I can’t even believe I was subjected to that. I hadn’t learned to read yet, so I literally just sat there bored out of my skull.
      Can’t tell you how happy I am that my kids will never have to go through what I did. Just typing this out now is making me realize how nutty this all is. Damn

      Reply

  9. This type of list must be depressing for current Scientologists. I can’t imagine a church telling me that I have to fork over this type of money. Heck, I live in an affluent area, and the catholic church wouldn’t try to squeeze this out of the parishioners. In fact, even on a relatively pricey Sunday school price list, they make a clear statement that low-income families will be given a reduced rate (even might receive services for free).

    Reply

  10. Wow….I just had a wognition! I would like to write up my suck sess story if that is okay with everyone…

    Scientology scams the unsuspecting members with pricing.

    I realized they are called donations because you don’t obtain anything from doing Scientology. Any “wins” came from you trying to pound reason into the confusion tech.

    I also realized that they call them donations because Hubbard and Miscavige have been using sleazy cock roach attorneys for 60 years.

    The cock roaches have designed a bullet proof contract where Scientology gets to keep the money always.

    Scientology actually has you sign contracts where you agree NOT TO SUE IF SCIENTOLOGY MAKES YOU WORSE… and it will make you worse without you realizing you are worse until you get out and take the time to really look at all the bad decisions you made after being lied to.

    Ahhh yes…. Scientology….very precise science indeed…

    Reply

  11. Wow Mike – what great humanitarian work you are doing. We will definitely be contributing to the motion of offering some real honest help to the Aftermath Foundation.

    A very well done to you and the hard working people that actually care about people, unlike the cult we all got trapped in with the deceptive and manipulating tech Hubbard used in Scientology.

    Reply

    • On eBay for $19.00 USD:

      Dear Alice Lectures. BRAND NEW, SEALED!
      Lower 48 States ONLY! Please…

      SYNOPSIS
      Here is Ron’s unveiling of TRs—an announcement that instantly catapulted Scientology ability to a new realm. These are the breakthroughs that give true communication skill and the know-how to handle any situation with communication alone. Moreover, this is where Ron first demonstrates TRs and explains the reason for each part of every drill, including details and insights available nowhere else.

      Reply

    • Pure confusion probably. Some old tapes pieced together and sold as a lecture maybe. I don’t really remember.

      Reply

    • The “Dear Alice ” lectures are a series of lectures by LRH and are so called because the processes he discusses use the book ‘Alice in Wonderland ‘ as its basis. You and another person drill each other using such phrases as ” Do fish swim?’ or ‘Do birds fly?’ which are found in the original Lewis Carroll edition. Why ‘Alice in Wonderland ‘? I have no idea.

      Reply

      • Why Alice and Wonderland? To confuse you (covertly). He knew you could/would not question and the way to control others was to confuse them. I sure was confused for a whole 40+ years. I know exactly how he did it. He explains it in his ‘tech’ except he states others do it. He even states that a criminal will be doing what he accuses others of. Hint hint.
        What a farce he was.

        Reply

    • Dave,

      ABSTRACT:
      “The “Dear Alice’ lecture was a hidden (some say closeted) lecture that someone using Hubbard’s body gave on February 31, 1953 in an undisclosed institution. In this lecture Hubbard describes the breakthrough he just made while on the pink and grey train to Wonderland (WL). Here he met Lewis Carroll and they mapped out the WL universe and how you could do just about anything you could dream of, if you just had the right caek and potions drink. Hubbard then rambled on a bit in the tape about fuzzy logics and furry dreams, and how best to gain fame, fortune, admiration, and how to avoid the authorities. Hubbard came back to his cell, er…., body and cognited that A. Crowley and L. Carroll could be packaged up and provide an interesting, if not profitable, diversion for the inquiring minds that could be snared into paying for the trip.”

      • As you can imagine this tape was hidden while Hubbard grew the Scientology franchise. It took someone with the intent and evil purpose to take the tech down to finally expose to the world at large, this tape. And thus this tape gets special recognition as a stand-alone lecture. I will now self-destruct in 10 seconds. The sarcasm runs deep in this one.

      Reply

    • A plagiarized work based on ‘Alice in Wonderland’.

      It should be referred to as Dave in Dildoland or some similar tripe.

      Reply

      • To: Newcomer
        From: David Miscavige COB RTC
        Re: likening me to a dildo

        How dare you post such negative comments! And the ‘Dear Alice’ lectures are not a plagiarizing of Alice in Wonderland! You, on the other hand, are a plagiarization of yourself!
        Wait. That didn’t make sense.
        But you get the idea! Stop annoying me!

        ML
        Dave

        Reply

  13. They can’t send out a price sheet with no typos! The * at the bottom of page 1 : if THEY PUBLIC does not…

    And just because you call it a “donation” does make it so! Uncle Norman called his Blackberry Brandy his cough medicine, we found bottles EVERYWHERE and that man NEVER coughed so it MUST have worked but Ive tried it numerous times when ive had a cough and nothing! ?

    Reply

    • I have an elephant ban device in my house and I have never had one elephant enter my home! It was such a bargain. I mean can you imagine the destruction just one elephant would cause?

      Reply

      • “I have an elephant ban device in my house and I have never had one elephant enter my home! It was such a bargain. I mean can you imagine the destruction just one elephant would cause?”

        LOL! Now that is scientific reasoning.

        Reply

      • Would you be interested in purchasing a lions, tigers and bears upgrade for a nominal ‘donation’?

        We also have unicorn traps and I must say they are quite the bargain considering the going prices for live unicorns these days, you could be rich!

        Reply

  14. My “invalid security token” is running my life now, then my system crashed. Need a new computer anyway. Bye for now.

    Reply

    • They can’t call it that either. A business usually provides something of value in exchange for payment.The cult wants your time, your money and your family and friends for free. Well not quite free ….. you actually get to pay and still give all of the above.

      I think it is called a for profit screwing!

      Reply

      • To: Newcomer
        From: David Miscavige COB RTC
        Re: profit screwing

        I am getting sick and tired of this! My loyal followers love to pony up cash to support my idle, I mean, ideal orgs and, no, they are not empty! They love to support my beautiful IAS so I can buy myself a new Lamborghini, I mean, to help……to……
        See what you made me do? You damn SP!

        ML
        Dave

        Reply

      • To: Old Surfer Dude
        From: David Miscavige COB RTC
        Re: Scientology masquerading as a church.

        SCIENTOLOGY IS NOT MASQUERADING AS A CHURCH! Scientology is a legitimate religion. Why? Because I say it is! If you call it a business one more time, I will consign you to the hole where you will sing hymns to Xenu and listen to lectures about the great Xenu war of 3.5 million years ago!
        And, yes, it really did happen! Why? Because I say it did!

        ML
        Dave

        Reply

  16. The ‘donation’ list is actually a test.

    Candidate is shown the list, and asked “Do you see any problems with this list?”

    If the response is: “The prices are outrageous! Only a fool would pay that.” Then obviously the person is unsuitable for $cn indoctrination.

    If the response is: “No. I don’t see any problems.” Then the person is a prime candidate for progra…(cough)… being started on the bridge.

    If the respone is: “The prices seem low…” Then they have found LRH returned from Target Two.

    Reply

      • That is one of the reasons I love scientology. The absurdity feeds my imagination in the most delightful way.

        Reply

        • To: Old Surfer Dude and Kyle
          From: David Miscavige COB RTC
          Re: what’s funny and what isn’t.

          No one laughs at my price lists! They don’t dare! They know the consequences of not following the current Scientology practice of forking over the cash and getting nothing in return!
          So I demand that you two knock it off this minute or I will haul both your sorry asses to Int Base where you will be forced to watch ‘ Beverly Hillbillies ‘ reruns for the next five years!
          Enturbulating, isn’t it?

          ML
          Dave.

          Reply

            • To: Kyle
              From: David Miscavige COB RTC
              Re: watching the Hillbillies

              Damn it! You’ve ruined my plan! Just stop making a mockery of my price lists or you will spend the next ten years scrubbing the floors at my glorious SMP
              studios!

              ML
              Dave

              Reply

  17. The first list of “donations” totals about $29,000. The second list totals over $81,000.

    Where do I go to sign up?

    p.s. I only want to know so I can help people stay far, far away.

    Reply

    • To: Ammo Alamo
      From: David Miscavige COB RTC
      Re: telling people to stay away.

      If I ever catch you pulling any shit like that, I will send my Sea Org minions to hunt you down and bring you back to Int Base where you will be locked up in the hole, routed onto the RPF, and thus unable to talk people out of paying my massive donation rates!
      Then my stats WILL be straight up and vertical!

      ML
      Dave

      Reply

    • And this is only the training and economical route and 50% of the ‘gains’ or brainwashing as we know it. The other route is into the millions and includes much of these materials plus all the donos and amends not in print.

      Reply

  18. “donation
    [doh-ney-shuhn]

    noun

    1. an act or instance of presenting something as a gift, grant, or contribution.
    2. a gift, as to a fund; contribution.”

    I’m not sure COS is using this work correctly.

    Reply

  19. Under the radar Scientologists know the pricing structure in Scientology is SUPPRESSIVE.
    Most delusional bitter-enders have walled off themselves from their own conscience on the subject. “Clearing the planet” is a 3rd dynamic delusion that is reinforced by others passing it on as something reasonable, something feasible. It is not. The pricing schedule of all Scientology services stands as exhibit A and the charge is that Scientology is in actuality a for-profit activity. Compare the price for going Clear from the street curb to the examiner, $125,000? $150,000? Working families in southern California are spending up to half their take home income on rent. The irresponsible and fallacious nature of this “clearing the planet” campaign reveals (to me) the contempt Scientology management has always had for the truth.
    Hubbard presented the idea that “intention is cause”. Well, there you go. Hubbard was in it for the money and David Miscavige cares about no one but his portfolio.

    Reply

    • Scientology is a lot like a colonoscopy. You pay to drink the kool aide and in the end there is nothing left.

      Reply

      • “Scientology is a lot like a colonoscopy. You pay to drink the kool aide and in the end there is nothing left.”

        🙂 The difference is that colonoscopies can help save lives through early alerts to people with diseases, whereas Scientology makes it more likely that you will die of a disease due to denying yourself medical care.

        Reply

  20. I wonder if any of the folks in the UK who have had success challenging Scientology’s advertising claims with the authority that oversees such things there (and is much less forgiving about false advertising than, say, in the US), could force them to change “donation” (which they sometimes, slightly more honestly, refer to as “fixed donation”) to “fee,” since that’s what it really is.

    Reply

  21. Excellent article! Would I be correct in assuming that either CO$ members don’t know they could get all their stuff free on the internet OR they are told everything online is fake?

    Reply

    • Member are told that stuff on the Internet is ‘entheta’ which is shorthand for ‘enturbulated theta ‘, simply a Scientology way of saying that the information is disturbing and could cause upset. It would be really theta if members found out that they could get an entire Legacy package (all the books and lectures) for $500 to $1000 on ebay as opposed to buying the whole thing from Bridge Publications for $18,000.
      Not so theta for Bridge Publications but theta for everyone else!

      Reply

    • Internet??? Internet!!! If members are caught looking at the internet their goose is cooked!

      Reply

      • I completely believe you. I have never been in Scientology so I have to learn from those with more experience with this cult. I guess my confusion is with how many scientologists are using social media. Facebook and twitter. If they can log on to FB then surely the next step, like Ron Miscavige said on The Aftermath, would be to sneak a peek? Human nature is to reach for the forbidden fruit. Tell me not to look and sure as heck I’m going to look. Some people, like John Wood and his wife Gemma need to be banned from the internet permanately.

        Reply

  22. So much proof; so little governmental response. The government – or what passes for that – knows full well that scio could/would spend a billion dollars fighting any kind of action to remove them from their phony role as a church. Thus they are very unlikely to take any action at all. A shame, but there it is.

    Reply

  25. And to think when I did HSDC in 1971, there were no prereqs … the first few pages of the course checksheet had the Study Tapes and references, the TRs and metering and then into dianetics. Almost like someone wanted to make a lot of auditors or something. But don’t blame Miscavige, it was Ron himself who screwed the pooch and made the runway longer and raised the prices. Hmmm … maybe he wanted to reduce his reach, you know … restrain himself from taking over the world, and we know why people restrain themselves …

    Reply

    • Joe, I remember something of those days.

      It’s pretty clear to me, that the way things worked back then left people with some room to improvise and innovate – and that led to things both good and bad. It’s not like Hubbard could tell people to adhere to the same rigorous standards of research, testing and professional conduct that he had engaged in while producing Dianetics – hah!

      Some of the missions, for instance, were cool places where great people were getting together to try to help each other, and even developed some useful new approaches that Hubbard then adopted or co-opted. But others went off the rails, with mission holders implementing quirkier ideas and turning their franchises into dysfunctional little cults of their own and even, yes, cooking the books and holding back on sending payments “uplines” – though that was partly an understandable response to Hubbard’s increasingly greedy and even unrealistic demands for money.

      Hubbard’s response in turn was to rein in the somewhat wild West environment by increasing control and standardization, and Miscavige has continued that. It’s hardly a surprising outcome, and it’s perhaps a major reason that Scientology has survived at all, while other groups of its ilk and era have splintered and disappeared.

      Reply

    • “…it was Ron who screwed the pooch.” Well, for whatever reasons and contradicting his own policy, Ron sure began what would be a steady exodus of trained auditors. But let’s give credit where credit is due: against all odds, Miscavige has long been doing his valiant best to get rid of them, and quite effectively too.

      Reply

  26. Well, and there seems to be some additions to this list. Did you notice under Professional TR Damnation, oh sorry, Donation, it states:

    “To be added if not purchased yet, Dear Alice Lectures IAS Disc” – No choice baby, you buy it or you buy it.

    The only good thing re this obsession to make money is that many, many, many millions of people will be unable to do Scientology now under the realm of Sociopath Miscavige; that will keep the majority safe.

    Reply

    • You’re right. The one aspect of Scientology that tends to work is that they get you up the tone scale with the Org before they milk you for money. That’s why they start out on the $100 courses, to get you into agreement about self-improvement before they hit you up for the $1000+ courses.

      The problem is this is not some special mind trick that man never hitherto discovered before LRH. I knew about it long before I knew anything about Scientology, Its called ‘good time friends’. As long as the money keeps coming, they’re your friend.

      Reply

  27. Well … If you happen to be someone who does NOT want Scientology to expand and are against training people in it, you should be pretty happy about this outrageous price list which fairly ENSURES that very few people will become auditors in the coming decade to “clear the planet” …

    Another example of how the long time veteran sheeple have agreed to become stupid, non thinking and completely compliant. Any truly intelligent group would have people speaking out against these prices and as Mike points out, the idiocy of the CDs.

    Me? I kind of dig the price list. I hope the raise the prices. Walt Kelly could have been speaking about scientologists when he said “we have met the enemy and he is us” … (Yes, I know Kelly’s daughter was a long time scientologist, may still be in).

    Reply

    • Well, Joe it was good enough for Hubtard, these prices are similar if not lower when factoring inflation to when he was running the show.

      I think maybe he was trying to keep people out of the scam at that point and didn’t want people wasting their time on stuff that didn’t deliver the goods.

      Reply

    • I doubt she’s still in. I knew her quite well at the NY org. Very sweet and funny lady. Carolyn, I believe her name was.

      Reply

      • Yes, Carolyn Kelly, met her once when she was dating a friend of mine. Seemed like a very nice person.

        Reply

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