I don’t know about you, but I love a good rant. People who rant are showing passion about a subject. When other people rant about a subject I’m passionate about, I feel empathy with them.
One of the subjects I’m passionate about is Internet marketing… especially the scams and borderline unethical marketing that goes on… hence I started the ScamFreeZone waaaay back in 1997.
Dr Andy Williams, the well-respected Internet marketer, just wrote a wonderful rant in his newsletter on this subject. Let me show you it…
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From Dr Andy’s Easy Search Engine Optimisation Blog
Firstly, I bought a product that looked really promising. I haven’t actually gotten around to reading it yet so I cannot comment on whether it is any good yet. However, after paying my money, I wanted my download URL. However, I had to go through 2 or 3 “One time Offers” (OTO) first, before I was taken to my download URL. The links to say “No Thanks” to these OTO was difficult to find on all of these pages, and I got progressively more annoyed at the hoops I was forced to jump through before I could have my product. That in itself was almost enough for me to tell the guy to shove it and ask for a refund.
What really annoyed me though was what happened later in the week. I got a phone call from someone saying that I had signed up for a course by (name withheld) on “Starting my Internet Business”, and the guy on the other end of the phone was my advisor, assigned to me to help me get started.
I told him that I had not signed up for any such course, but they said that didn’t matter as they would help me start my business. Well, after politely telling the guy I wasn’t interested, I went to look up the “guru” who was running this opportunity, to see if I could find out how he had got my phone number. It turns out, the guy who was running this was the same guy who made me jump through hoops to get my download URL.
Incidentally, the product I bought was nothing to do with starting an Internet bus1ness.
Totally unethical IMO.
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I don’t know why Andy doesn’t “name and shame” the guy. After all, his newsletter subscribers would really want to know who NOT to buy from.
So,what do you think about “multiple one time offers after you purchase something” and the “follow-up unwanted phone call”?
In his other rant (check the blog for the full story), Dr Andy also mentions a marketer who adds you to multiple lists, so you have to unsubscribe multiple times, even though you only signed up once.
Isn’t the main problem that “gurus” like these give all Internet marketer’s a bad name?
Neil,
I click “no thanks” to the first OTO and the next page is: “GeeWiz, Herb, you obviously don’t understand the overwhelming value involved here!
“So, here’s what we’re gonna do for you right now ….”
By the third and final OTO, I’m close to not purchasing the original product.
Two months ago, I unsubscribed from the newsletters of both a referrer and a product author. Haven’t missed any of their internet “insights”.
Herb
Hi Herb,
You’re right. But there are two issues here…
1: the poor image such “badgering” gives Internet marketing as a whole and, unfortunately,
2: it must work, because otherwise the marketers wouldn’t do it (like popups, which no-one seems to like, but they’re very effective).
Neil.
Some of these badgering techniques may work, but as you know, that doesn’t make them good business practices. I don’t think all of them work well. Sometimes you get IM’ers who use tricks that are outdated. I think that marketers need to know that, in the long run, best practices win; and they tend to make loyal raving customers.
Pop ups, one time offers, page folds (the corner of the page neatly folds to reveal more ‘info’), audio blasted at you the moment you arrive … “HI AND WELCOME TO MY LATEST OFFER BLAH, BLAH, BLAH”.
It makes me jump and reaching for the volume control.
Video where the guru tries to promote his own product when he should have left that part to an expert because Mr. Guru makes endless mistakes in his presentation including grammar, ums and aahs, pauses, coughs, sniffs and spends most of his time apologising for his flu symptons than he does telling about his product.
The ‘follow ups’ via email promoting everything he’s ever been affiliated to over the last two years.
The value he puts on his bonuses ($8000.67) for his ‘extra’ ebooks and DVD and, of course, the chance to telephone him for a one on one business teaching that nobody ever takes up, no matter what value he’s put on it.
The offer that is definitely going to end tomorrow but, when you go back a month later, it’s still there.
The price rise that never happens, yes, it’s staying at $17 forever, really.
The offer of the best product the guru has ever seen even though he’s never even tried it.
His latest eBook which is just his last eBook rewritten and given a new title.
The FREE software but you have to pay a monthly fee to get online results from it.
The recurring monthly fee when you thought it was going to be a one time only payment.
Trying to cancel a payment for subscription to the membership site that doesn’t change from one month to the next … same old content.
I could go on, but, yes, I’ve seen ‘em all and still come back for more (smile).
Thanks for a great site, Neil. Following on Twitter
Martyn Brown (sceneabout)