Online Scams – Don’t Do This
Since I posted this Video, I was shocked to receive dozens of emails insulting me, telling me to mind my own business, and comparing it to other forms of advertising.
Folks, I don’t believe lying is never good business.
What do you think?
Harlan
October 21st, 2009 at 10:11 am
Personally I agree with Harlan.
I think this type of blatant rip off is incredibly misleading.
Sure, it’s exposed in the hard to see and even harder to read T&C’s but still…
Why not focus on making something of value?
Or at the very least promoting ethical products?
It’s a quick way to fleece some people and get some cash… not a way to create a proper business or permanent line of income.
October 21st, 2009 at 10:15 am
It’s about time someone with “status” speaks up.
Keep it up.
October 21st, 2009 at 10:16 am
I don’t know what kind of status I have but thanks. Harlan
October 21st, 2009 at 10:16 am
Chris, thanks. This is disgusting in my opinion. Harlan
October 21st, 2009 at 10:16 am
And these people who sent you hate mail have time to do this … because… ???
Methinks those folks doth protest too much!
Harlan, there is so much evil and dark energy in the world that it is troubling. Bless you for shining a light on this kind of trashy marketing.
I think the best Tactic-aside from your own-would be to stay in integrity! Live in truth and do it in love and all will be well for everyone concerned.
Thank you so much for educating people, lest they fall prey to this stuff!
Wishing you well,
Connie Baum
http://foodstampscookingclub.com/blog
October 21st, 2009 at 10:16 am
Harlan,
Keep it up. I and most of Tactic 10 team is with you. There is no place for cons on internet. Truth must be told.
Mukesh.
October 21st, 2009 at 10:18 am
Hey there Harlen, dont you know any better than to look for scams without checking out the results for yourself? Are you a marketer? or do you think you are one?. I think you can make better use of your time elsewhere. – Have a Nice day! – Thomas
October 21st, 2009 at 10:18 am
Harlan,
It’s about time someone publicly exposed these new age snake oil marketeers. As a longtime consumer advocate and frequent poster about unscrupulous “artists”, I applaud your efforts. I’ll have to admit, when I started following your writings, I kept a wary sense until I became convinced that you know internet marketing and, more importantly, want to share your knowledge and others with folks who are serious and in need of credible direction. Though I’ve not yet ordered Tactic 10, I remain very interested in following you. I feel strongly compelled, as you do, to help others learn how to avoid the scams, which continue to become more sophisticated in attempting to extract honest people’s savings.
Best regards,
Danny
October 21st, 2009 at 10:19 am
Hi Harlan – Nice video that reveals the “SCUMS OF INTERNET MARKETING” !! Keep it up. In response to the “hate mails and insults” … forget about them ! As long as your conscience is clear and SCAM is exposed…that’s all matters.
October 21st, 2009 at 10:20 am
Thanks. As you can see from other posts, not everyone agrees.
October 21st, 2009 at 10:20 am
3 ways to fix this…
- Use of a genuine testimonial…
- Full disclosure of forced continuity in a visible position…
- Better product quality – I heard lots of these CPA advertisers manufacture products that are crap and deliver no real value…
October 21st, 2009 at 10:20 am
Thanks Mukesh. I have a surprise for you.
October 21st, 2009 at 10:20 am
Hey Harlan,
Good to hear you make this public!
I have seen a ton of fake blogs like this promoting weight loss CPA offers and I agree with you – these marketers have caused BIG problems for us. The FTC is now going to start making it much more difficult for us to market online thanks to these guys.
Take Care,
~Brett
October 21st, 2009 at 10:21 am
I love it Connie. Harlan
October 21st, 2009 at 10:21 am
Well done Harlan – for standing up and being counted
October 21st, 2009 at 10:23 am
Hello Harlan
I get scams like this everyday at least 9 and now I do not know who to trust. I have replied to many of them and all I get is mail returned.
Who can I trust if I am not allowed to contact them until I have signed up. advise please, then it is impossible to close the account
October 21st, 2009 at 10:23 am
Apparently you hit too close to home for some folks. The truth shall prevail.
Thanks for making us aware of these unfavorable tactics.
October 21st, 2009 at 10:25 am
Just watched the cpa video , Good stuff….someone has to have the guts to expose people who go out of there way to make sites like this that you show in the video . Both you and I know that the way you are making money online is going to change drastically, I think the best thing to do is learn the ethical new way to make an income online and let the frauds get plucked off the internet one by one getting caught with there pants down. People that have no intention to help the people they get as customers, have no business collecting there cash.
October 21st, 2009 at 10:26 am
Great job, Harlan!
If people are sending you hate mail over this then you should stand tall and let your cape blow in the wind, because you are a champion of the people for exposing such scams.
Such people are like cockroaches. They scatter as soon as light is shone on them.
Bravo! Keep up the great work!
October 21st, 2009 at 10:28 am
I recently wrote an article about a conversation I had with one of the marketers running these scams. This video only scratched the surfaced. I was shocked at all the behind the scenes stuff that goes on once a customer places an order. Some of the stuff these guys are doing are felonies in some states.
Kudos to Harlan for exposing this chicanery.
All the best,
Doberman Dan
October 21st, 2009 at 10:30 am
I wish I had came across this earlier. I had a similar experience with the teeth whitening scam. I had to cancel the card just to make sure these scammers did not wipe me out totally. I guess when the economy heads into the direction it has been over the last 2 years, these people come out in droves to prey on those who are looking for some kind of HOPE.
Thanks for the good investigating reporting. It’s a shame that things are not more regulated but then if they were then people would complain about the government having their hands in too much. You D— if you do and D— if you don’t.
October 21st, 2009 at 10:30 am
You are absolutely right, Harlan.
Unfortunately, this is very, very common.
There are many, many ways to make money online but a lot of people will take advantage of others and part them with their hard earned cash. This is a double evil since the people responding to this kind of offers are generally already very low on cash and looking for a way out.
Good job pointing this out.
October 21st, 2009 at 10:31 am
Great job Harlan! This needs to be shouted from the roof tops. Talk about predator tactics. preying upon people who need the help the most. Any one who leaves a negative comment probably has this kind of site on the internet already.
Disgusting to say the least.
Thanks for sharing how sites like this work.
October 21st, 2009 at 10:31 am
So how does one know if a program is not a scam? What does one look for?
October 21st, 2009 at 10:31 am
Beats me how they can legally ‘cheat’ people into these forced continuity programs.
These site owners are the lowest of the low because they prey on people who are probably having a hard time financially.
They are just rip off assholes!
Graham
October 21st, 2009 at 10:32 am
There is no excuse for dishonesty and lack of integrity. None whatsoever. It is absolutely despicable.
I would rather lose thousands of dollars, than earn a single dollar dishonestly.
I’ve seen fake blogs like that too – one promoting both an Acacia product for weight loss and another product. It always shows a woman, with a name, with the name of the city you happen to be surfing from.
I also resent those forced continuity programs based on ‘free’ offers.
I wouldn’t want to be mislead in any way shape or form; nor would I treat others that way.
If you have a good product, then there is no problem promoting it legitimately.
Harlan, you are absolutely right to expose these and I’d like a list of those who were offended so I know who has no integrity and whom to avoid doing business with.
Esti
Netanya, Israel
October 21st, 2009 at 10:34 am
Only a con-man would have the guts to do this in an offline business…
Can you imagine making up a story about what a product does because you think that’s what it’ll probably do? And after you sold it, based on your lie, charging an extra $100 a month because they didn’t read the little sign on the other side of the cash register?
You’d be in jail and you’d deserve it.
The only reason to complain here is because they’re doing it too and they know it’s wrong.
October 21st, 2009 at 10:36 am
Give us the url’s so we can rack up their ppc costs!!
October 21st, 2009 at 10:37 am
Hello Harlan. Self integrity is the first thing that comes to mind. It takes a lot of self integrity to tell the truth and
to be true to yourself. I have been observing your MO (how you operate) for the month that you have come to my attention. I must thank-you for giving many of us faith that you are not also a scam back-ender.
The continuous load of crap of not selling ‘the’ package that is needed to succeed. Your free content is worth much more than the $47, $97 offers that predominate the guru market.
Many of the gurus are losing sales because they are following the over extended one page sales letter model started by Internet Marketing based in Washington State. As you know, the last of the original founder of such
a viable program left the market.
Some of the sales letters are brilliant. For example the clean look of your blog. Clean, simple, concise and to the point. Their are a plethora of How to do successful ‘launches’ (courses) out of the market. Stated in different ways. Many of the gurus have lost their way. The one guru, there are a few more, like you that I admire is Eben Pagan. He constantly puts himself out front, without hype. So rare.
Stompernet advises that you start ’somewhere’. Buying course after course won’t get you started on the road to success. My hat is off to StomperNet for that action.
Scam artists beware, for their are a few internet marketers who provide real content and modeling for people like me who want to succeed.
Content, real value, viral videos and self integrity.
Peace and success Harlan
October 21st, 2009 at 10:37 am
Harlan,
Thank you for taking time to find this information (though, that probably wasn’t too time intensive a task, unfortunately), clearly explaining and showing the pitfalls with these kinds of ads, and getting the message out to as many people as possible. You have shown people what to look for to protect themselves.
I’m dumbfounded that anyone could find fault with you for broadcasting this information. Well, anyone other than the people who put out this kind of deceptive trash. God bless you for it!
I don’t think that it’s only people who are looking for an easy buck that fall victim to these scams. So many people are desperate to earn money now. Honest, but desperate people who have lost jobs, careers, their homes, and lost hope that grasp at any opportunity because so many other attempts at supporting themselves and their families have failed.
The bastards that devise and promote these kinds of elaborate scams are the scourge of society. If they put one tenth of that energy and intelligence into developing a program from which people would truly benefit, themselves included, we can only imagine what a wonderful world we would live in.
October 21st, 2009 at 10:38 am
Harlan:
You are absolutely correct to call conduct this improper. In fact, it is clearly a violation of most states’ Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices statutes. It could constitute fraud and be criminal under both state and federal statutes.
Daniel Perry, Attorney and Former Judge
Twitter: DanielPerry
October 21st, 2009 at 10:43 am
Harlan, the fact that you have recieved so many negative comments is only an indication of how rampant
this type of scam apparently is. No “normal” consummer or honest marrketer would have any reason to object to exposing such an obvious theft of peoples money.
Perhaps the impending new FCC rules do not go far enough. A disclaimer section that is obviously written by a sleaze bag lawyer may protect the criminal from the letter of the law, but should not protect them from the intent. Whenever the disclaimer is longer than the sales copy, or would be if displayed in the same font size, it should be fair warning.
Let’s face it, if this type of marketing was employed in the real world, the perps would be, or certainly should be, put under the jail. IMHO, scumbags who participate in scams such as this do not deserve
to have the freedom to be among normal human beings. This is not some unsusual marketing varient, it is outright theft.
Keep up the vigil Harlen, if more people were concerned about what is happing, and took action, perhaps we could save at least some people the grief of being victimized by the pond scum who would profit by such scams as this.
Donn
October 21st, 2009 at 10:47 am
Thanks for speaking out Harlan.
It would be good if the other Internet Marketing Leaders did the same. I’d also like to see some of the websites (like People.com in the video example) ban these advertisers.
And for anyone on the fence about joining Tactic 10 (recently updated form Tactic7), this is how Harlan is…tells it straight.
October 21st, 2009 at 10:49 am
Harlan,
I’m old enough to know that you cannot please all of the people all of the time and no matter what you market someone, some day, will accuse you of being a scam man but… I whole heartedly agree with what you are saying AND what you stand for.
I have bought well over $50,000 worth of so called courses, many of which have turned out to be total junk.
I’m also “stuck” in a continuity program which I don’t seem to able to get out of as my bank won’t accept my withdrawl because I signed up to a direct debit. this in effect means only the “company” I signed with can cancel it.
Of course I’ll eventually track them down but untl them I’m paying $97 per month for I don’t know what.
In my own business I actually highlite all of the downsides on the site, in my emails and in telephone conversations as I only want to have happy customers with a view to a long term business relationship.
In fact I have my house up for sale right now and the first thing I do to prospective buyers is tell them all the faults!
MUG? I don’t think so.
I may not have millions in the bank but I can sleep easy and firmly believe that honesty is still and always will be the best policy.
October 21st, 2009 at 10:50 am
Harlan,
Thank you for exposing this junk!
I wanted to join up with your last launch but had already spent all the money I had on other JUNK.
I am trying to save up and want to work with you.
Thanks,
Dan
October 21st, 2009 at 10:54 am
Hey Harlan,
The internet is full of this stuff. I recently clicked on a Twitter post and was re-directed to a website. The copy said put away your wallet, this is 90 minute of free audio. I could not find any free audio. What I got when I clicked on the link, was the suggestion that I pay X amount of dollars and if I wasn’t satisfied, then I would get my money back.
I love that you expose scam artists and wish more people would do it.
Regards,
James
October 21st, 2009 at 10:55 am
Hi Harlan,
Obviously i agree with you.
A scam is a scam however wich way you dress it up. So are you saying all CPA offers are a scam?
Not fully understanding the point of this video – Are you going to tell us what to do different or is this just a bitch and moan at the guys promoting CPA offers.
I personally would never promote this type of site – infact my affiliate manager has specifially told me that type of landing pages i am building are really the way the market is going and that Flogs and fake Newspaper articels are realy becoming a thing of the past.
Back To Basics – ABC.
Simon
October 21st, 2009 at 10:58 am
Harlan,
I applaud you – well spotted and well exposed!
Not only do we, as internet marketers, have to fight to get a slice of the pie, we also have to fight against these type of scams and the negative perceptions that they create.
Keep going and keep exposing – love it.
Leon
October 21st, 2009 at 10:59 am
Those of us who are experienced in this segment–Internet Entrepreneurship
OWE it to all those who are less experienced to expose things
that will not bring sure financial gain.
In these economic times, every dollar misspent–that goes out without returning
a profit–is not only money, but time, frustration, and disappointment.
Thanks for sharing this. We must all be helpful to one another.
The more we ally and assist one another, the less impact these types of sites
will have on our Industry.
October 21st, 2009 at 10:59 am
Way to Go, Harlan!! Expose these vermin for what they are. The public needs to be aware of their nefarious schemes. The word ‘Free’ has been so overused as to have little meaning left any more.
I’m also totally disgusted with emails promising to tell me some huge secret, then having the website talk all about the secret but ultimately offer to sell it to me. I feel that’s very misleading, too. After about 2 such emails, I unsubscribe from the list of whomever sent it to me. Don’t tell me you’re going to give it to me ‘free’ and then ask for money!
These scumbags are exploiting people’s very real fears in this troubled economy and doing nothing to help. I agree with you that they should be caught, arrested, tried and found guilty – then forced to repay what they’ve stolen.
What troubles even more is the very real possibility that formerly reputable marketers may adopt these tactics…many of them do have a kind of herd mentality…
October 21st, 2009 at 11:08 am
Harlan,
This type of garbage is part of the reason for the new FTC rules. unfortunately, this type of advertising is also propagated through email,
I can not count the emails I receive with this type of subject line. They are wasting their time with me, as I never read them. They are sent to the garbage bin, which is where they belong.
Thankfully many of the CPA offers are legit, but you still need to do due diligence.
Ken Seal
October 21st, 2009 at 11:10 am
Gloria asks two great questions: “… how does one know if a program is not a scam? What does one look for?”
Here is a quick way to identify programs which are likely scams:
First, is their personal contact information available on the website? Most legitimate businesses will depict their staff or corporate officers in both photograph and text (often with email/Facebook/Twitter/LinkedIn addresses – be sure to check those out).
Second, using WhoIs , check out their domain name. Is their domain name contact information readily available? Legitimate businesses might protect their WhoIs domain information but many understand that consumers will use that information to corroborate the legitimacy of their business.
Third, does the WhoIs information correspond with the info presented on their website? If there is a discrepancy it should set off alarms in your mind. It should at least warrant a phone call or further investigation.
Fourth, is their phone answered by a human being who is willing to disclose both their name, location, and supervisor? Ask them how long they have been in business. Do they sell other products? Do they have other corporations operating out of their office?
Fifth, contact the Office of the Attorney General for the state that either you reside in or in which the company is “doing business.” Has the AG’s office received complaints regarding either the company or persons whose names you have obtained?
Sixth, does the company offer a full money-back guarantee? Is the money-back guarantee conditioned on anything. Are those conditions clearly spelled out?
Finally, use your credit card for payment since you have various remedies available to you if the product turns out to be unsatisfactory or a scam.
In my experience, very few of the “hot” Internet marketing programs can survive this close scrutiny. But I have learned to trust the products of the big name marketers since they have much to lose by selling scam products.
Daniel Perry, Attorney and Former Judge
Twitter: DanielPerry
October 21st, 2009 at 11:11 am
Thanks Harlan, keep up the good work. We need more folks like you out there.
October 21st, 2009 at 11:14 am
Harlan – Keep on shining the light where the dark things grow. A scam is a scam and it’s no wonder many marketers will not allow affiliates who use CPA. The next step is to get the FTA to clamp down. In the meantime I feel for those people who are caught up in continuity programs and can’t get in touch with the perps who hold the chain around their bank account.
October 21st, 2009 at 11:17 am
Hey Harlan – great expose’. I always appreciate your work and your messages. Since you are usually rigorous in your use of language I thought you wouldn’t mind if I pointed out something that is most likely a typo.
You said, “Folks, I don’t believe lying is never good business”, which is actually a double negative and makes the meaning the opposite of what I know you meant. I’m sure you meant to write, “Folks, I don’t believe lying is EVER good business”. Otherwise, it should have been, “I believe lying is never good business.”
I hope you don’t think this is too picayune and that you take it in the spirit of support in which it is meant.
Thanks for all you do,
Paul
October 21st, 2009 at 11:20 am
Hey Harlan,I got sucked into this earlier this year.They also enrolled me in a goverment grant program/25.00 a month,also life lock credit protection/35.00 a month.It took hours on the phone and talking to my bank to get all but 1.97 back.beware there are others out there.Thanks Herb
October 21st, 2009 at 11:20 am
Harlan, you wrote: Folks, I don’t believe lying is never good business.
First this statement is a double negative. It indicates that you do believe lying is good business; which I do not believe you meant. It should have read; folks, I don’t believe lying is ever good business!
Now that I have gotten that off my chest, I believe as you do, it is not good business and should be exposed.
Maybe you should or may have already, presented a list of what not to do on the internet or what to look for in general, to expose these types of sites.
Good work and thank you for your concern.
JD Files, AGS, BSM, MBA (CGPW)
October 21st, 2009 at 11:24 am
Hi there Harlan,
Totally agree with you – I find this underhand tactic totally abhorrent. Especially in the aftermath of the FTC new regulations making life harder for hardworking marketers. Its about time they looked at ACTUAL charlatans and not us bonafide marketers.
I bow to you for bringing this to everyones attention. You obviously hit a raw nerve judging by your comments on the hate mail etc!! Being a decent guy as you are, I am sure that it is like water off a ducks back and the fact that you have alerted the masses is a job well done. After all, revenge is a dessert best served cold!
Well done
Regards
Jonathan Lake
October 21st, 2009 at 11:27 am
I can’t believe I fell for this!!! But I did and somewhere inh the signup process, realized it was a scam. So I called in the SAME HOUR to cancel the subscription and any further charges. I did get through to a processing center right away and was told everything was cancelled. Fine. Whew.
The next day, I saw a charge for $4.97 on my credit card statement. I called the number listed (TQG*onlinebizkit 800-4974988 UT) and was told that even though my subscription and any further obligation was cancelled the day before, this charge was a PROCESSING FEE and couldn’t be reversed. After insisting I speak with a supervisor and reminding her that the law guarantees a 3-day money back guarantee (I’m not sure of this but It sounded reasonable) I was assured that the $4.97 would be refunded and all ties, obligations, connections, subscriptions were cancelled. We’ll see….at the very least, I’m still in their mailing list
This is a scam and thank you Harlan for taking the time to make this video for your readers.
Christie
October 21st, 2009 at 11:28 am
Harlan,
“Folks, I don’t believe lying is never good business.”
Does that mean that you believe that lying is sometimes good business?
Oh well. These types of scams are what give Internet marketers a BAD name.
(and I don’t mean BAD like GOOD … y’know?)
October 21st, 2009 at 11:29 am
Great job Harlan.
Ironically about three weeks ago a COO for a local company (a client) sent me the link and asked if it was legit or scam. I gave the “sales page” (which obviously it was) a quick read. I did not read the fine print which a dead give away as Harlan points out. I sent him a note and said it might be legal from a FTC perspective, but it looked like someone has come up with a new way to game AdSense mostly likely with SideWiki, and it would not last. I also said that the ‘comments’ did not look legit. My recommendation was to stay away.
I am not a lawyer nor do I play one, but I have to wonder if this is not gross misrepresentation under any FTC rules.
It is practices like this that give Internet marketing a bad name.
John
October 21st, 2009 at 11:32 am
Hi Harlan:
I’m as outraged about this as you are, in fact I was thinking of sending it to Dr.Phil mainly to make people aware of this on a larger scale. I also fell for this for about 15 minutes and was able to call the phone numbers and cancel all of those programs. I requested a confirmation e-mail to be certain and have a record of the cancellations. The thing that really surprises me is how they can use googles name and google not try and stop it. Although google isn’t affiliated with the ad the name is in the ad at least some of them. The one That I fell for said that Google was hiring so many thousands of people to fill positions filling out forms (which was adwords) meaning that you first had to get an adwords account and then advertise using adwords selling products. most don’t know that even after they have been had it really makes Google look like their conspiring even though they have no association. i don’t know if Google is trying to combat these people from using their (TM) but if their not they should! I read a disclaimer that said that Google wasn’t affiliated with them also. Keep Up the good work Harlan and Cudos to Ya.
Salamei
October 21st, 2009 at 11:35 am
Thank you Harlan,
I have been caught by 3 scams, and lost a lot of money that I didn’t have. I wish I had this kind of info for them.
Keep up the good job.
October 21st, 2009 at 11:35 am
Thanks Harlan for shining a light on these despicable practices. Unfortunately we have let those in charge of supposedly regulating or not regulating the industry allow such things to go on like they are “business as usual. I understand why you’re getting the negative feedback from a few. It’s because they want to keep on scamming! Thanks again for having the guts to expose this. Eric
October 21st, 2009 at 11:37 am
Amen Harlan!!!
October 21st, 2009 at 11:37 am
Hi Harlan, well I take your word as truth and hence do not honestly understand why people would hate you for that but it seems that some people get offended getting caught doing the bad but in any ways keep on the good work whether you sell something or not. Chris
October 21st, 2009 at 11:37 am
Hey Harlan,
That’s a GREAT Investigative Reporting.
What you just uncovered is one of the prime
reasons people are skeptical about doing
business on the internet and makes it very
difficult for honest internet marketers, sepecially
Newbies. They don’t know who to trust and what
testimonials to believe.
Keep up the good work. You will be vindicated. I
firmly believe in the saying “Honesty is the Best Policy”
October 21st, 2009 at 11:39 am
Hello everyone who read this,
When l see someone who systematically eliminates by logic the good things and end with all the
wrong things and has the decency to call this a blatant SCAM l will take my hat off to.
Now l would not have a clue how to start something like that.
My name is Dave Hookham and l live in the UK. Have been on line since 2005 and have never
ever made a penny and that is for the want of not trying.
Invested 1000+ in 3000adaytheeasyway.com ( Brian Hunt ) it was allful bad.
Then wealthtekk, wealthtekkjnr, e4l.com the list goes on and on what have l done wrong ?
Investments with so called Firm Richmond International $30000.
All these have had an American addresses or yanky people speaking to me.
How or where do you find the addresses phone emails off the people l can tell my problem to.
l have been had!! do not keep it to yourself it HURTS
Anyone out there can help
Dave
October 21st, 2009 at 11:43 am
Yes, this is a very “clever” way of scamming unsuspecting people. Unfortunately, it seems about half the CPA offers out there are actually scams!
And there are e-books out there, sold thru ClickBank, that teach you how to sign up for those shady CPA networks with their shady CPA offers, plus how to fool the public with fake reviews and so on!!
I was almost drawn into this shady business myself, being kind of naive.
Speaking of ClickBank, it seems products like “run your car on water” or “how to harness perpetual free energy” (ie. a “perpetum mobile”; a machine that produces useful energy without any energy input) — crap like that is selling like hot cakes! Is it because Americans are so dumb or what?
October 21st, 2009 at 11:45 am
Daylight is the disinfectant of choice. Shine the light and watch the cockroaches scurry.
The sniff test, it failed. So I was not surprised by your video.
If you are catching Hell you are going the right way. Keep going!
Love your stuff.
Tim
October 21st, 2009 at 11:47 am
Hey Harlan,
And this is the exact type crap that has the FTC reacting so aggressively.
Too bad the FTC went overboard again…they should concentrate on this type of thing…let other testimonials alone.
October 21st, 2009 at 11:52 am
Harlan, great work. Those who’ve railed against you for this are likely the very perpetrators of hoaxes like this, or want to be. They must be stupid too, to so readily identify themselves.
One thing that would be interesting to know is if Clickbank or other such companies allow these kinds of frauds to flow through their portals? I think if any of us find these out, we should notify those otherwise legit operations of them.
The bottom line in all of this is buyer be ware. What you uncovered, though not easy to find, were the admissions on the sales page of the very deceptions we should all look for. Also, clicking around on the other tabs would have been clues too.
There is no “Good Housekeeping” of the Internet but now we may have the “Good Harlankeeping” seal of disapproval.
Take care,
Tom Justin
http://www.YourInnerWizard.com
October 21st, 2009 at 11:54 am
solid video, Harlan. It’s what we expect of you and we thank you. Quick question if you don’t mind…which sidewiki blocker are you using? I don’t blame you at all for using it. Google has lost their minds implementing this tool. Hoping they regain their senses soon and remove it or modify it.
Rick
October 21st, 2009 at 11:54 am
It’s difficult to believe that some people are probably becoming multi-millionaires doing this garbage with no legal repercussions.
I commend you for your courage.
October 21st, 2009 at 12:01 pm
People like Dr. Oz, Oprah, Dr. Phil and others are aware now their names and images are being used to falsely endorse acai, resveratrol, colon cleanse and other “CPA offers” especially. With the advent of flogging, especially with flog’s which use a javascript to read the visitors user agent details and customize the content to appear the flogger resides in your home city, it’s good to see the FTC has finally stepped up where it should step up, (as opposed to “net neutrality” and the “fairness doctrine”).
Marketers who use this kind of deception to sell a product should be held accountable and I hope it puts the fear of God into them and some of the CPA networks who allow it. Perhaps if the FTC came after the networks who turn a blind eye to this and other scams, then we would finally see and end to flogging.
I don’t know the statistics but I would guess that the vast majority of web surfers are unsophisticated users who believe whatever they read. Just because you’re not tech-savvy does not mean you should be fair game. If you have the documentation to back a claim, then great, use it. If you don’t and you decide to fabricate it, you should be held accountable and subject to penalty. Start taking away the network’s commissions and impose fines and you’ll see an end to flogging, flarketing and fladvertising. Sure, a lot of networks will be flissed off, but so what? They can kiss my flutt.
October 21st, 2009 at 12:01 pm
I ran across this ad before I got involved in internet marketing. Ironically, it is what got me started looking into online income. The ad I had run across specifically named the person in my town of residence and was advertising different programs (later, I found other copies of the same ad that changed the name of the town based on where I was. Hmmm). Thankfully, I did not fall for it because I am naturally skeptical and looked for the catch/fine print. I also searched the internet for others using the same program. I found that a lot of people were taken by this, but had little recourse, since they plugged in their credit card number and accepted the terms.
Anyone who takes a stance on something is opening themselves up to criticism. Thanks, Harlan, for sticking it out for the gullible ones out there. These guys are going to have more than you to worry about in the near future, as the FTC and AG shuts these scams down. But in the mean time, READ THE FINE PRINT!
October 21st, 2009 at 12:05 pm
I applaud Harlan for spilling the internet slight-of-hand beans here. I’ll bet if enough people went out and searched– just in their spare time — for sites like this and then posted a similar action, THAT in a very short time this topic would really take off. How cool is that… we can all be trend setters.
Also this is a great way to get attention and collect names. This has shock value. A good tactic for allwhowanttobemakingmoneyontheinternetbutneedalist. I bet you stopped and figured that one out.
CPA is what it is. A scam. They say buyer beware for a reason. When they look like this and sound like this how bright do you have to be to just say “DUH this looks like a wasp nest… I think I will poke it” and expect a good result.
If you can’t be upfront in your business then go stand in the corner until someone tells you to come out.
And then again there are those folks who just walk out into traffic while talking on the phone…
well you know the rest.
It takes all kinds to make a world but the dumb keep getting dumber.
I would say good luck but that too is an untruth. There ain’t no luck…
October 21st, 2009 at 12:10 pm
Hi Agree with you Harlan and most of the people here. You should expose these cons even more.
October 21st, 2009 at 12:11 pm
Dear Harlan,
Thanks for exposing the lowest form of human behavior. I’m a physician selling information on how to take the right supplements. I do a blood test to find out what you and only you need to be biochemically balanced. Unless you are deficient in some nutrient you shouldn’t spend the money on guesswork.
I was recntly introduced to a group of very young men seling all kinds of supplements and making a fortune. The person who introduced told them I would be very useful to them since I write newsletters and provide very accurate information. Well, that is not what they wanted to hear. They stayed far and told their friends they did not want to spoil their business witrh accurate information.
This dishonesty is everywhere on the web and I’d like to advise people to be very careful about what they put in their systems. Most people don’t need half the things they buy. Sometimes they could even interfere with what they are already taking. Remember that nutrients have to be top quality, and should not be exposed to light and heat.
Also people “the web is not your doctor”. Your doctor knows you best
I’d love to join you and tell people the truth about nutrient supplementation. DrAlfano@alfabalance .com
Thank You Harlan. Now that I know you are a man of integrity I promise never to delete your emails.
October 21st, 2009 at 12:12 pm
I agree, these sites spam people from email lists, including sites like X and push what I will term unethical onto people who need a lifeline. The odds of someone making a go with these types of product is pretty low, 2% the last time I checked. Ultimately the whole community is watching, imagine the amount of people that feel duped, rhe testimonies just devalued the real business kudos from happy clients.
I think that you have taken on the seamy side of internet marketing and I applaud you for making that effort, not many have the courage. Another aspect of this is that the hits on these phony pages makes the search engines raise them in status.
Keep going, where this buck stops should be interesting. Harlan, keep on keepin on
October 21st, 2009 at 12:13 pm
Hi Harland,
Thanks for this amazing video. Its about time someone had the guts
to speak up. This is the reason the FTC is acting all hot and bothered
with their new rules. Its cause of the Flogs. There are many of them
out there. I recently saw this same practice being taught by an Internet
marketer. I was totally shocked when in the middle of the course he
endorsed using this tactic. Yup. He actually called it a technique. I call
It deception and robbery.
The people that make these Flogs should be put behind bars.
There are many out there. Some selling Acai Berry fat Burner
products and many more., The ones with Making Yellow teeth whiter,
and many more.
The company you showed in the video is a scam. I got burned by them
last yr using a different capture page and selling the same Google Product.
This time they used a professional looking capture page and I paid 1:97
for shipping for a product that to this day never came but they billed me
for the product and they had none of the info you showed below in your vid
on their website. i tracked down the company using my CC billing info and
Google and got them to cancel. Unfortunately it took 3 times of it happening
for me to get it completely rectified. I made sure and got back every cent
Harland. Every red cent.
That info on the bottom of the site was recently added because of the HEAT
from the FTC. Here we have the Scammers acting like they are compliant with
the law. Hah! What a joke.
I love what you did here. Expose those lying, deceiving individuals.
You started a fervor in me. Thanks.
October 21st, 2009 at 12:17 pm
Harlan,
Thank you so much for bringing this to everyone’s attention and taking the time to explain the signs to figure out if it’s a scam or not.
As a Newbie, I’ve been taken in by a number of high ticket items that appear to be legit, but don’t deliver. Fortunately, I’ve been able to get my money back from all of them, but it took a lot of time banging my head against a wall to get them to even acknowledge my emails. When they did I was informed I wasn’t a member, but my credit card was being charged for my non-membership. After I threatened to take legal actions for fraud, my membership magically appeared and they refunded my money.
One company denied that I was contacting the company that charged me! When I informed them that I got the number off my credit card statement, they still insisted they were not the ones charging me. (Guess they didn’t want to admit they worked for a scammer.) When they charged my PayPal account for something I only had to pay shipping for NOT a subscription of any type, they had no record of these payments. I informed them that I would be reporting them to PayPal & my credit card company for these fraudulent charges and they were immediately reversed. NOT by PayPal or my credit card company, but from the company that told me I was dealing with the wrong company. (Hmm, I wonder if they got a paycheque and looked to see who paid them and discovered that I was right.) LOL
It was getting to the point that I was beginning to think all internet marketer’s were scamming and I was about to quit. But then I hit some great ones, like you and I know in time my internet business is going to be a success.
Keep up the great work, its difficult enough to make money in this economy without supporting a scammer’s lifestyle as well as your own.
Kary
October 21st, 2009 at 12:18 pm
I agree 100%. This scam should be stopped, NOW! I came across this webpage a month ago thru an email. I almost fell for it, until I read the T.O.S. That’s where it said after 7 days, I would be billed at
approx $80/mo plus two other programs totalling over $100/mo. That should have been in the main
website advising people, as many don’t read the T.O.S. I sure do now. I now ignore anything that remotely the same, ie, a buck or two down. The only reason for the $1 Charge is to get your credit card. then they are free to do whaat they want. And the banks don’t help us at all. They refuse to cooperate. Banking legislation should also be changed to allow us control over our checking accounts and credit cards. Banks no longer care about their customers. The only way to stop some of these charges is to either change banks or credit cards. Keep up the good work.
October 21st, 2009 at 12:21 pm
Harlan,
Most of us agree that this garbage should stop… There are some great questions raised above
like what type of offers are legit? How can you help us figure this all out Harlan?
Brian
October 21st, 2009 at 12:22 pm
Harlan,
Thanks for exposing this scam. I love it when the guilty parties kick and scream because they know they’ve been caught.
October 21st, 2009 at 12:34 pm
I’m an experienced Internet user, and these phony “news” sites are nothing new. Others have written articles about them in the past, so I’d be surprised if you got more than a couple of hate emails through You Tube. How many did you get, anyway?
One thing that can be done is to report scam sites like people.com to Google. That will get them deindexed and their PPC account banned until they come back under a new account. At least this would hurt them by hitting them in the wallet.
Also, report them to the FTC. If the FTC gets enough complaints they will investigate, though I don’t know how long it takes them to get around to it.
October 21st, 2009 at 12:52 pm
Hi Harlan
Thanks for bringing this to my attention. One day while on the CNN website and surfing the net, I stumbled on this site. Now because I had recently been on the CNN page, I though I had clicked something and landed here.
The logos from the big media outlets definitely gave it an air of credibility. I didn’t click on the link or else I would have known it was a FLOG. This is disgusting and if anyone is using this method stop. You’re more intelligent than this.
Thanks for sharing Harlan
Your Fitness is Serious Business
Fitness Daddy
October 21st, 2009 at 12:53 pm
Hi Harlan,
Great Job, really good. I think that by exposing those facts, you contribute to stop those scams. Congratulation !
October 21st, 2009 at 12:55 pm
This is why we love you Harlan!
Thank you
Gail B.
October 21st, 2009 at 1:05 pm
Thank you Harlan for shining a beam of light in a dark area of IM. Please continue to follow the path you are despite what others may say. How many people, who have few resources to undo the mess this creates, have been duped by these “offers”?
Bravo!
October 21st, 2009 at 1:11 pm
I completely agree with you on this front Harlan. I do have to wonder about the slip up in what you wrote above… I chose that you chose to not notice what you wrote in this line
” I don’t believe lying is never good business. ”
Do you?
Just kidding
Bob Yeager
October 21st, 2009 at 1:12 pm
Dear Harlan,
I don’t quite understand why people would be throwing insults at you for exposing a scam, unless these were the scammers themselves!
It’s the fine print which I believe, most of us tend to skip over (that includes me!). This is an important lesson to all of us, and I thank you for highlighting this.
Best regards.
October 21st, 2009 at 1:38 pm
Thank you Harlan for standing up for what is ethical and right. I appreciate the visual. The walk through of the site and specifically what we need to look out for is awesome.
I almost became a continuity victim but my gut instincts to kicked in and prodded me to cancel in the same hour on the same day the order was placed. I lost $1.97 (what a relief).
Thank you for walking your talk.
Aloha
Thelma Gima
October 21st, 2009 at 1:41 pm
Harlan,
thanks for the video exposing this particluar scam.
As marketers trying to be seen and heard in today’s
overcrowded marketplace, we constantly have to
come up with new and innovative ways to get people to
click on our links, but this has crossed the line from
“stealth” to out and out deception in my notion.
I can see where some people might not think using
a web page designed to look like a newspaper to
push ads might not think it’s deceptive – although
personally I wouldn’t do it, and feel cheated when I
land on one of them when I’m searching for info.
Also forced continuity in and of itself isn’t a bad thing
as long as it’s fully disclosed in the main sales copy
in an easily readable form.
At least the consumer knows up front and has the
choice to opt in or not; based on their need or desire
for the product.
The way this particular setup is designed though, to
me, reeks of dishonesty and deception which I feel
should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law!
Thanks for putting yourself on the firing line to bring
this sort of thing to light, and make everyone more
aware of this type of fraudulent advertising.
Keep up the good work, and continue to fight the good
fight. You’ve got a lot of supporters out here!
Michael
October 21st, 2009 at 2:05 pm
Oh boy!! There is someone out there that will tell the truth and expose the B.S. that
is going rapant on the internet. The hate mail is most likely from the same individuals that use
these types of rip off tactics. I have been a victim of these bucketheads in the past so I say
BRAVO!! BRAVO!! Harlan for giving out the information of truth. People make statements about
things all day…if you guys do not like what you are reading …..don’t read it then.
Be Blessed
John Thomas
October 21st, 2009 at 2:27 pm
Harlan, thank you for reminding an old fart of the treachery that exists. I’m broke and struggling and don’t need any help going down the tubes. I am slowly learning some of internet marketing. I got stung on a Yellow Pages United promo via snail mail and am trying to get rid of that. Same general style of “marketing”
Keep on
Jerry
October 21st, 2009 at 2:30 pm
If the product is good and works so well, why lie about it?
Why the need to make up testimonials and make up blog comments, and trick readers with your links? And WHY the need to hide the truth about the billing process??
As I told you in my email to you yesterday, I came across this same flog, left it open with intentions to blog about it – and then lost it when my computer decided to reboot on me. I was THRILLED when your email came thru and I saw your video!
I embedded your video in a recent blog post and we’ve been talking about it like crazy -
http://www.potpiegirl.com/2009/10/who-is-the-ftc-after/
Thanks for exposing this, Harlan. Whether the FTC changes effect these type sites or not… whether people think its right or wrong – doesn’t really matter…it all comes down to awareness. The more consumers are aware, the less effective these types of marketing campaigns will be. If it’s not this flog, it will be another and then another, ya know?
Thanks, Harlan!
Jennifer
~PotPieGirl
October 21st, 2009 at 2:43 pm
These scams are disguisting. I feel so bad for all the people whose hard earned money is taken from them. How do these marketers live with themselves?????
October 21st, 2009 at 3:17 pm
Great Harlan. What you hit upon is one of my pet peeves. Isn’t there such a thing as truth in advertising.
I get really peaved when say ;you see an offer that get this for free and you go in to apply only to find out (yes you can sign up for this for a free 7 day trial, like you mentioned in the vid. If you were to look up the term free ( my own take) means no incumbernces , no obligation. I plan on expousing; exposing the same type of thievery. Who can determine if something is any good in 7 days? 90 days is a good time to test something out. Also that little diddy about call and cancel or email. these people need to go before a tribunal and be fined for not giving the correct info to opt out of something. mabe we can get together and start a truth in advertising group or campaigne.Keep up the good work.
October 21st, 2009 at 3:21 pm
Good job. Whenever I see those media logos on a website I leave right away. Unfortunately even some of the so-called gurus have been known to teach this trick. I came across it (the logos trick) in one affiliate marketing product. I never put it into practice because it is deceptive and fraudulent. Somebody will land in prison one of these days for copy right and trade mark infringement.
October 21st, 2009 at 3:27 pm
Nate, under your proposal, no one would ever make a dime or get paid. What about a person’s obligation to try? Harlan
October 21st, 2009 at 3:36 pm
wished i had seen this a few weeks ago. i paid the $1.95 shipping & have yet to see any cd or anything of the sort in my mail or e-mail. i think you may have stepped on the snakes tail here. the name of the snake if i’m permitted to say that here is PWW Internet Biz Kit. their customer support number is 800-497-4988. i found a charge on my credit card statement for $79.90. when i called to cancel they were helpful, looked up my account info and issued me a cancellation # . they then asked if i would like to cancel my other subscription,(which i didn’t even know i had another one), and of course said yes and they issued me another cancellation # for that one too. so i would wholeheartedly encourage anyone who has signed up for anything from a page that resembles the page in your video to make sure they got what they paid the shipping for and cancel immediately before you get charged to death. readers be warned and avoid this one like the plague. thanks for your hard line, no nonsense stand on people that promote this kind of garbage. a lot of us newbie folks aren’t looking to be instant millionaires, we just need a to make a paycheck or some kind of income to pay the bills. thanks again and keep doing what you’re doing. Kirk
October 21st, 2009 at 3:36 pm
It is all about the fine print because most people really and truly don’t read the fine print. I wonder what we would see if we truly looked at the fine print of everything that we agreed too. We would be shocked like this example showed us. My friend fell for this scam and as soon as she told me, I told to cancel her credit card. She was slow in canceling her card and they hit her for 2 charges before she was able to get a handle on it. She was lucky because the fourth or fifth she called the bank she able to connect with a representative that cancelled her card and issued her a credit right away. She was persistence, what about the people who only call once for the refund?
October 21st, 2009 at 3:48 pm
Good job Kirk. Way to go.
October 21st, 2009 at 4:12 pm
Thanks Harlan. There are a lot of crooks online and offline. Before I make a purchase from anyone I always scroll down and read the agreement. I have been ripped off several times even by my upline. I have been in network marketing for three years and I am just amazed of the people lying in wait to rip you off and their is no shame in there game.
October 21st, 2009 at 4:24 pm
Keep up the good work
I get about 100 email a week trying to scam me. I try to check out some of the ones that look close to being real. I have seen this one with people supposidly living in my area
I wish more people would do what you are doingl
thanks again
October 21st, 2009 at 4:24 pm
I’m orignally from New York and I’ve never heard of a New York newspaper by this name. Right away it struck me as phoney. I don’t know why people would curse you out for trying to protect them from being ripped off. Keep up the good work!
October 21st, 2009 at 4:30 pm
Like most people I would have not known it was a scam. In the past I have purchased so much crap and lost a lot of money. It’s nice to see someone show everyone what they are doing to scam people. The only things I will buy now are what I need in tactic 7 and John Carlton’s Home-Study Course which I purchased last week. No more crap.
October 21st, 2009 at 4:32 pm
Thanks Harlan, you are absolutely right and these people must be stopped. I’m embarrassed to say that I did fall for one of these schemes. It was advertised in my local paper with a supposedly local person making money from this google kit. Yes I paid the shipping & handling, there was no fine print until after you placed the order. I read it and I was furious that I’d been signed up like you said to continuity programs. Within 5 minutes of my purchase I was on the phone, I called the company and cancelled the so called purchase and programs. I also called my credit card company and explained about the false advertising, they removed the charge from my credit card and blocked them from ever billing me again, Lesson learned. The people bashing you about this could very well be the ones promoting this garbage, thanks for the video.
October 21st, 2009 at 5:08 pm
Thanks for showing the scam, Harlan. Unfortunately there are lots of them – on the radio as well. Where is the FTC when needed.
October 21st, 2009 at 5:26 pm
It is about time that LEGITIMATE marketers bring to light the unethical “goings on” that gives the rest of us a bad name.
I say way to go Harlan..
And.. buyer beware, READ THE PAGE AND THE FINE PRINT.
October 21st, 2009 at 5:26 pm
Thanks Harlan for sharing.. Here’s another such site.. same design looks like the same crowd promoting whiter teeth..
http://pristine health.org . I found this as a link from a banner on a site.. The sub-text at the footer is very much the same. It’s good to raise awareness for greater consciousness of some of the stuff found out there.
The FTC have jumped on this a few months ago with the effect of many sites being pulled down and subsequent penalties arising. But the FTC originally cracking down has now created these types of sites now that have this footer disclosure to get around the new and recent FTC changes. But like you say these sites are still are still crafted to be very misleading especially to the unaware.
October 21st, 2009 at 5:35 pm
Way to go Harlan,
what you are doing is legendary exposing these fools for what they truly are, “which is simply criminals, albeit operating on the fringes of the law”. Hopefully the FTC will come down hard on fools like these and make an example of them, to deter others from starting this type of con.
I know a “Flog” is a a fake blog, but hopefully the FTC will bring a new meaning to “Flog” as in a “fools blog” because anyone starting 1 of these surely is a fool.
Thanks Paul.
P.S It’s great to see that you or your team actually reply to the comments left on the blog, only the other day i was reading a blog by a former CEO of a huge internet marketing blog “AJ”, he’s trying to quit smokin, and was in need of support, so I told him that he should keep busy, and he could do so by starting to answer his blog comments. There’s not many out there that do.
October 21st, 2009 at 5:45 pm
I THOUGHT ABOUT A INTERNET BUSINESS BUT SINCE THERE ARE SO MANY SCAMS OUT THERE, I DECIDED TO SAVE MY MONEY. I’M SURE THAT SOME PEOPLE ARE MAKING MONEY ON THE INTERNET BUT WITH ALL THE SCAMS, IT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE TO CHOOSE A GOOD OPPORTUNITY.
THANKS FOR THE HEADS UP AND KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK
October 21st, 2009 at 5:59 pm
THANKS HARLAN, I’M JUST STARTING OUT AND I’M ALREADY DISGUSTED WITH ALL THE CRAP I SEE. IF ANYONE DESERVES A PAT ON THE BACK IT’S YOU!! HATS OFF TO YOU AND KEEP ON WITH THE GOOD WORK. ANT
October 21st, 2009 at 6:21 pm
Thanks Harlan for being forthright.
You know it’s kind of funny that my wife showed this same site to me about a month ago. She and her friends at work had thought it was the perfect business for me to try since I have started doing internet marketing. It gets me how these people can thrive on those that are grasping for a life line in this economy and rape them for every last penny of hope they may have.
It seems to me that just by putting a disclaimer up even though in small print. That using the script to geo target the town or state that the consumer lives in is false advertising in itself.
I applaud you for standing up and saying look at this crap.
Keep it up Harlan, as I know you will.
October 21st, 2009 at 6:49 pm
Great work, Harlan. The wicked alwasy hate to have the light of truth focused upon them. Keep on shining.
October 21st, 2009 at 7:05 pm
good for you!
October 21st, 2009 at 7:45 pm
Yep you right too many “get rich in 24 hours guranteed” products out there and none of them helpin i wasted money on “six-fuguares-yearly ” and “data money on line” and nothing worked all those copy this and copy that right now im focusing on something else spirtualy and succesfully puting myself back on track as top salesman face to face…but after christmas ill invest in your tactic7 man couse i can see you are for real…by the way what about those forex robot programs are they for realy? i never tried those even not the best one as they claim that promise to double your profit every month so from athousand dollar you can gain amillion in aYEAR !!!! someone who tried please respond
October 21st, 2009 at 8:22 pm
Great Video!!
October 21st, 2009 at 9:05 pm
Harlan,
I actually received this very same template, along with another one, when purchasing “Zero Friction Marketing”, from a well-known marketer named Saj P. As an ex soldier whose instinct has saved his ass countless times, there was something about this CPA template that just set off alarms in my head. I couldn’t quite put my finger on why, but it did… and I know to trust instincts. I promptly arranged for a refund on that part of the programme.
On another note, allow me to point out to some other contributors that CPA is not a bad industry, and proponents of CPA are not evil bastards. There are some incredibly ethical players in this industry, who have been running legitimate businesses built around various facets of CPA for numerous years. One need only think of Gauher Chaudhry, to name but one. Unfortunately, as with every good opportunity, there will be a surge of “opportunity seekers” (as opposed to business builders) who will milk the systems in such unethical ways, as to give the honest folk a bad name. We’ve seen it happen with MLM, AdSense, Blogging, and now CPA, to cite a few.
Fortunately, some of us make our money by ethically providing a value to potential clients. One way to do this is to look at a landing page, or sales page, with the perspective of a discerning buyer; if you’re sold as a buyer, then there is certainly a value in the offer. Only then, should you promote an offer. Over the last few years, it has become increasingly difficult to make an honest buck online. But as with any business, the ones that ethically carry on with integrity will remain up and running, even if they get their asses kicked in the interim by hard-hitting scammers.
I’ve been marketing online since 2005, and I’ve promoted very little to my lists (because so few programmes are worth it). Too much hype, too much re-hash, too little content, and btw… who the hell establishes the extortionate pricing on these programmes?? It’s not always been easy for me, and many who started alongside me, but went the “scam” and “blackhat” ways are now in their million$. I’m getting there legitimately. And my greatest pleasure is that I can say to you this much: before I go to bed at night, I can look my wife in the eye, and kiss my son on his forehead without having the slightest twinge of guilt, knowing that I haven’t hurt anyone today, when I EARNED my money.
I commend you for being a man of integrity, and for exposing these scum sucking pigs.
Best,
Josh Harris
October 21st, 2009 at 9:28 pm
Kudos to you for exposing the RATs I would ignore those who are not happy you cannot please everyone the inexperienced need more advocates, some one who will warn them about the pitfalls I wish I had you before starting on the internet it would have saved me$$ . Good for you, Continued Blessings
October 21st, 2009 at 9:34 pm
Thanks Harlan!
You are an honest salesman who offers a service. You always explain your terms and conditions and I have known you for several years – you work with friends of mine – you are the real thing. These sharks need exposing time after time.
Well done mate!
Fergus
fergus@vocaltrademark.com
October 22nd, 2009 at 12:21 am
I’m embarrassed to say, I got snookered by the tooth whitening one. Dinky little sample that didn’t work, and I got signed up for a “membership” that billed me $80! And a SECOND thing that cost me another $6! Yeah, I got it back by writing a letter, but that CANNOT be legal!!!
October 22nd, 2009 at 12:22 am
By the way, the above scam I refer to is called “Janice’s teeth.” DON’T GO THERE.
October 22nd, 2009 at 12:45 am
Harlan,
I appreciate you letting us know about these scams. It’s unbelievable that these people are allowed to keep selling on the PPC networks. I am so glad you are exposing them.
keep up the good work!
October 22nd, 2009 at 1:35 am
Well done for exposing this rubbish.
You have backbone.
It never ceases to amaze, frustrate and anger me of those willing to do anything to milk others for their hard earned money while pretending they do something great and ethical.
They are like jellyfish.
Spineless.
October 22nd, 2009 at 8:36 am
Harlan – I’ll bet your Bright light is hurting their eyes!! Hopefully giving them a HUGE headache. I received one of the “Advertorials” (made it past my filters). A quick search reveals them for what they are – SCAM. Do some homework people! Before you hit the “BUY” button – perform a search for the program or offer – IT’S FREE. At the very least, check the FTC site. If memory serves, I recall reading these are the same people: http://www.ftc.gov/os/caselist/0923060/index.shtm
(United States District Court District of Nevada)
Civil Action No. 09-CV-01112
FTC File No. 092 3060
October 22nd, 2009 at 9:34 am
Harlan,
Thank you for exposing the underbelly of Internet Marketing. There have always been cons in business and there always will be, but at least you are trying to expose them to the light.
Keep it up!
October 22nd, 2009 at 10:44 am
Harlan, thank you for taking the time and the risk for researching and exposing this hoax. There are so many of them out there, and many folks on hard times will be gullible enough to “enroll”. Of course, you are going to be attacked…and loudly and frequently. Another sign of the times we are in, and it doesn’t promise to get any better. Keep up the good work!
October 22nd, 2009 at 1:43 pm
It’s great that you have the guts and the courage to expose this outrages behaviour. I feel so strongly about this that I have posted the video on my site.
All the very best,
David
October 22nd, 2009 at 2:02 pm
good Harlan – for standing up and being counted
i am agreed with you
October 23rd, 2009 at 7:59 am
Hi Harlan,
Thank you! I’ve seen this girl twice before, but can’t remember where! I remember really thinking about how good it sounded…
Thank god there are still people with integrity on the internet!
October 23rd, 2009 at 9:24 pm
Social comments and analytics for this post…
This post was mentioned on Twitter by WeightLossMind: Beware of weight loss scams like the following http://budurl.com/udn2…
October 24th, 2009 at 4:09 am
[...] ‘I released an email yesterday that’s gotten people furious. I’ve been getting hate mail, insults, and being called all sorts of names for exposing an online scam. So many people have reacted with hostility to my exposing this con I’m shocked. I’m seriously curious to know what YOU think. Please check out the video and leave me your comment. http://tactic7insidersecrets.com/blog/?p=103 Peace, Harlan PS. Some of these people need their mother to wash their mouth out with soap. There’s nothing for sale here and it may shock you. http://tactic7insidersecrets.com/blog/?p=103 [...]
October 24th, 2009 at 7:45 am
Harlan,
Great job exposing the scams out there for your readers. The lesson here? Be responsible for yourself. Read the details of what you are investing in. Google the name of the product and look for other people’s reviews and complaints – before you take out your credit card!
Online marketing can be a lucrative endeavor, but only when done in an ethical manner. Forced continuity, while often recommended by gurus as the way to build residual income, can turn your customers off and will eliminate the possibility of repeat business.
Rather than building a list of happy customers waiting for your next product you create a one-time income swell that can only be repeated by finding another batch of people to rip off.
Does it work? Are these scammers making money? Yep. But so are drug dealers, and you didn’t choose to become one of them, right?
In the end you will find that treating your readers and visitors like you would like to be treated will be the best thing you can do for your bottom line.
Thanks Harlan!
Peace,
Bob
October 25th, 2009 at 12:05 pm
I always say it takes money to make money so for those of us who don’t have any we can’t seem to make any .. I been trying since the late 90’s but as you say it’s a scam because the way I look at it …is if it wasnt then why do the ones who is supposely making tons need to charge us for the ’secrets’ ..I think they make money off of us not what they claim they make it from …
October 26th, 2009 at 11:39 am
Start worrying Harlan when you are not getting hate mail from these scumbags!!
Thank you for speaking the simple straight truth.
Alex
October 26th, 2009 at 11:38 pm
These are the Black Nobility Robber Baron types crawling out from under their rocks! A piano wire around the scrotum is too good for them!
Thanks for exposing this, Harlan.
Roger.