I think that a company that needs to PAY to be listened to should not be listened to in the first place.

As simple as that.

Ok…so I heard lots of metaphors here like "paying for a friend" or comparisons like "paying for a pitch is like those who prey on young Hollywood wannabees, charging for auditions and screenplay readings". Frankly, I find this BS, you don`'t pay for a friend since you expect that "friend" to give you back hundred thousands more(you want him to invest, don't you?) and secondly, think of all the Hollywood wannabees,think of how many that have made it are completely useless, not to mention if you have in mind how many more there have been before the selection process.
To make a long story short and cut the useless metaphors and comparisons, I actually tried buying a database (it was the VCgate database http://www.vcgate.com ) and I will do it at anytime for the following reasons:
1. The price was not that high so I would bother complaining
2. They offered me great support and answered all my questions regarding their product (and i asked lots of them, they even told me how many potential investors they had on their list that would match my profile before i bought ir)
3. The database was already organized, i didn't have to trouble doing research at home and waste my time
And the list could go on, but the most important argument for me was that I would never trust to give my fund raising project (that I have worked so hard on) to anybody that can steal it or put their name on it without any further consequences. By paying a sum of money both you and the company submit to some ground rules that mention theft among other things (plus you can always prove the bank transfer so it becomes obvious that you had an arrangement with that company).
These are only some of the benefits of paying for any services,and the list may go on.
Like it was already mentioned, so far I didn't get any funds but I got some relevant reviews over my project and that was worth the trouble.

I think the venue you are pitching your company to should determine what the cost to present. As a prior angel, I have seen too much junk come through the door.
For every good idea that gets funded, there are thousands of other ideas that are unfundable.
We can't even get the banks to manage investor funds properly. How can we expect startup entrepreneurs to do much better?
As an entrepreneur, you have to do your homework. You have to put it all on the line. I puke, when a startup entrepreneur comes to me with nothing to lose, or they say their wife will not sign to put their house on the line. So, I say, bye bye. Why should I work for free, listening to these jokers, when I could be working with entrepreneurs that know what it takes?

Couldn't have said it any better, Brad. Thanks.
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so how do I get a hold of an investor group where are thay at phone numbers are out of state . im in california and still not able to find one here.