Quality Content Writers Group
The things you find out by reading small print
by Arthur Webster Just plain honesty
Arthur Webster 
Just plain honesty
While I have been bumbling about in a state of couldn't give a twopenny toss-ness, I have been looking at some of the strange things that people do on the web to rip you off or get your sign up.
The very worst example I have seen was a simple free offer of over 200 M.R.R. products - usual value $97 - to you, my boy, FREE! Here's a coupon code to get rid of that $97 price tag and get these for nothing.
OK, thinks I, let's see what this is all about.
One or two of the products would definitely be of value to me so let's copy the coupon code and see what happens.
Sure enough, the total requested was reduced from $97 to $0.00 - "great", thought I, "I'll have those" and nearly clicked the 'Pay now' button.
I say nearly becaue the computer screen was in front of my good, left eye and it registered a little statement that I very nearly over looked. This statement read "A charge of $0.00 now and then a charge of $97.00 every month thereafter".
Nowhere in the 28 foot long sales letter was there any reference to this being a subscription that would be on-going nor was there any indicatioon at all about what the $97 a month was actually buying. Obviously I have written to the promotor and asked what is going on but I honestly do not expect a reply.
Another example that simply collected my details was another free offer. This time for keyword tools that, again, would have been very useful. The tools looked exactly the sort of things that i will need if I ever join the ranks of internet marketers.
I filled in my email and name to get the download information and duly received an email with two urls. The urls took me to pages in a blog and, sure enough, there were the 'download here' buttons - so I clicked on them.
Once again I was asked for my name and email before I would be able to download the products.
That's when the little trap exposed itself! Because I had already given my name and email address, I was refused a download because I was already signed up - a duplication, in other words. My name is now (temporarily) on the promotors list and the bribe has been with held.
Crafty or what? Promise goods. Get sign ups. Make it impossible to download free goods. Once again, I have written to the promotor but do not expect a reply.
Which leads me to my third and most distressing/annoying discovery.
Very few of these promotors ever reply to the emails you send them. A noticeable exception is Gary Nugent who not only responded very quickly, but continued to respond until all my questions were answered. Maybe the roogoos should hint that, just maybe, if someone sends you an email - you'd really be doing yourself a favour by answering it. It is called customer service.
Feb 6th 2008 06:43
Just plain honestyWhile I have been bumbling about in a state of couldn't give a twopenny toss-ness, I have been looking at some of the strange things that people do on the web to rip you off or get your sign up.
The very worst example I have seen was a simple free offer of over 200 M.R.R. products - usual value $97 - to you, my boy, FREE! Here's a coupon code to get rid of that $97 price tag and get these for nothing.
OK, thinks I, let's see what this is all about.
One or two of the products would definitely be of value to me so let's copy the coupon code and see what happens.
Sure enough, the total requested was reduced from $97 to $0.00 - "great", thought I, "I'll have those" and nearly clicked the 'Pay now' button.
I say nearly becaue the computer screen was in front of my good, left eye and it registered a little statement that I very nearly over looked. This statement read "A charge of $0.00 now and then a charge of $97.00 every month thereafter".
Nowhere in the 28 foot long sales letter was there any reference to this being a subscription that would be on-going nor was there any indicatioon at all about what the $97 a month was actually buying. Obviously I have written to the promotor and asked what is going on but I honestly do not expect a reply.
Another example that simply collected my details was another free offer. This time for keyword tools that, again, would have been very useful. The tools looked exactly the sort of things that i will need if I ever join the ranks of internet marketers.
I filled in my email and name to get the download information and duly received an email with two urls. The urls took me to pages in a blog and, sure enough, there were the 'download here' buttons - so I clicked on them.
Once again I was asked for my name and email before I would be able to download the products.
That's when the little trap exposed itself! Because I had already given my name and email address, I was refused a download because I was already signed up - a duplication, in other words. My name is now (temporarily) on the promotors list and the bribe has been with held.
Crafty or what? Promise goods. Get sign ups. Make it impossible to download free goods. Once again, I have written to the promotor but do not expect a reply.
Which leads me to my third and most distressing/annoying discovery.
Very few of these promotors ever reply to the emails you send them. A noticeable exception is Gary Nugent who not only responded very quickly, but continued to respond until all my questions were answered. Maybe the roogoos should hint that, just maybe, if someone sends you an email - you'd really be doing yourself a favour by answering it. It is called customer service.
Feb 6th 2008 06:43
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Comments
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Jean DAndrea
RetiredThat's a very timely reminder to all off us to ALWAYS read the small print Arthur. It also proves that there are some very unscrupulous people out there in Internetland. Feb 6th 2008 14:51 |
Arthur,
I understand where you are coming from with this one. I am having my own problems with one of these companies selling "marketing systems". They did not sucker me in with a deceptive ads but got my name off of a list. They have called me six times attempting to recruit me to their down lines.
The first time I said "I will take a look" which was enough to give my a very rapid education on what a pyramid is. Since then I have told them do not call five times and the calls have continued. When I looked for their contact information there was no way to contact them with a complaint. It took quite a bit of digging and I finally found contact information for the Director of Marketing. He got a fax from me Monday night.
I told him the next time one of his people call it will be my lawyer he talks to since my number is registered on the do not call registry.
Feb 6th 2008 07:24