Here’s a question about our top 10 recommended home businesses list that came in recently that shows the danger marketing techniques that serve to confuse rather than clarify. I got a preview copy of a part of MoneySiphonSystem which did NOT impress me at all and after this question I can even see how MoneySiphonSystem has added to the confusion in the online marketplace rather than helping people actually FIND what they want and need.
Here’s the question and how MoneySiphonSystem plays a role:
Q: Hi there-I love your newsletter and information. I have a concern though. The top 10 businesses you recommend all require a fee of some sort. I thought any legit wah would not request any money. I also did research and most of them and they have been stated to be scams. Would you please clarify what I am missing?
Thanks.
A: That’s a good and simple question with a surprisingly complicated answer. Of course if it wasn’t complicated people wouldn’t be so confused about what’s legitimate and what’s not. One thing I’m going to try to do more of this year is see if I can help people understand how to make those determinations themselves or at least know how they COULD go about doing it, because while the rules that places
like the BBB put out are good, they aren’t good enough and in fact sometimes they’re misleading.
So here’s my answer:
The no-fee usually applies to telecommuting work, not businesses. It’s common sense, really. Most businesses have a start-up free or some sort of licensing fee where as most jobs don’t.
However, there are some legitimate databases for telecommuting work that require a fee, but if you follow the http://www.workathometruth.com/rules.php you’ll do alot to avoid scams sometimes found through the free resources.
The paid telecommuting job databases are getting paid to aggregate the listing and to weed out the scams.
If you go to http://www.telcoa.org/ (which is an important telcommuting with an extensive and impressive board of directors you can see here – http://www.telcoa.org/id20.htm).
http://www.telcoa.org/id105.htm which includes sites like http://www.teleworkrecruiting.com and http://www.tjobs.com which are both paid jobs databases.The owner of teleworkrecruiting.com is where i discovered that HomeJobStop was likely a legitimate telecommuting jobs database and then of course I took access and actually reviewed it.
But I STILL try to post exactly how to get refunds here:
http://www.workathometruth.com/Refund-instructions.php or get to know the owner of a product I’m recommending so that I’m confident they’ll stand behind they’re guarantee (like Michael Brown’s products in the top 10) so that people don’t end up with a mess on their hands like the people I helped recover money from a product I do NOT recommend here:
http://www.workathometruth.com/blog/2008/11/19/google-money-tree-complaints/
As far as things on the top 10 being called a “scam” unfortunately it’s a popular marketing ploy and on the internet there’s often little accountability.
Take a look at this write-up I did here:
http://www.workathometruth.com/blog/2009/01/15/internet-scam-review-com-no-thanks/
You’ll see how I used a lot of tools to dig into what’s really going on with that site.
“Calling things a ‘scam’ or “flawed” to gain attention has unfortunately become an extremely popular marketing trick which was made popular through the following extremely popular courses:
- AdwordsBlackbook
- AffiliateProjectX
- DayJobKiller
- MoneySiphonSystem
If you have the MoneySiphonSystem, you can take a look at chapter 4 to see what I’m talking about.
Now, I should point out that these products – including the Money Siphon System usually will tell you to use the “call it a scam”, “ask if it’s a scam” or “say the products flawed” to gain someone’s attention and then explain how you THOUGHT the product was a scam and found out that it wasn’t or to offer a bonus that helps with the flaw you “discovered”.
I have less of a problem suggesting that a product is “flawed” than I do with suggesting that it “might” be a scam, because usually an experienced marketer CAN find a flaw in a product and CAN actually offer a bonus that helps make it better for the person who buys the product.
But many people just type product names in Google and see a bunch of ads asking if that product is a scam or claiminig that the product is flawed in someway.
I still highly recommend #1 – AdwordsBlackBook, but it’s not available and I marginally recommend 2 & 3 for more experienced marketers because they have OTHER good informaiton.
However, I’m not impressed with the preview information I was given of the MoneySiphonSystem at all as it seems to be just a bunch of rehashed SEO and marketing information that has been in several other products.
Who gets to call something a scam?
If you read my “not recommended” sections or comments about products that I don’t recommend you’ll notice that I almost NEVER call something a scam, because fraud is a legal determination that has to be made, although there are others – such as Lynn Edginton from http://www.eagleresearchassociates.org
who aren’t attorneys who’s judgement I would tend to trust on that.
My specialty in that area is mostly uncovering things that the average person might not notice or know which tools to use to uncover them.
If you can point me to a specific write-up of a product mentioned on the top 10 business list that calls one
of the products a scam I’d be happy to take a look at it and give you my feedback.
Scam-related question: Why do smart people buy dumb “make money” products?
There’s another issue I spend a lot of time trying to figure out which I discuss here:
http://hubpages.com/hub/Home-Based-Business-Opportunities-Online
Paul
I’m not sure how technical you are as these tools are fairly “geeky” but just a few tools I use on a regular basis:
http://www.domaintools.com (gold edition)
http://www.robtex.com (for exploring server networks)
http://www.tineye.com (becoming more useful recently)
http//www.copyscape.com -
(for identifying template-style affiliate sites used to promote quesitonable products)
http://www.webconfs.com/similar-page-checker.php
(similar use as copyscape, with some additional uses)
http://www.backlinkwatch.com
(to determine if a site is being linked to from any important sites)…for example
http://savvyconsumer.wordpress.com/2009/01/13/bitter-fruit-for-consumers-from-the-google-money-tree/ links to the workathometruth site (via the keyword “blog”) – of course I could just decide to start scamming people someday so that’s not necessarily a 100% guaranteed indicator that a site is legit, but it’s good to use in conjunction with other factors).
Sometimes it has to be run through the initial results, too.
I agree with the woman above. If you guy’s are supposed to be helping peolpe like myself who have been schemed and scamed so many times, losing thousand of dollars NO matter HOW GOOD the sales pitch sounds, Why are you charging a fee just to direct us to the so called huindreds of companies willing to pay for our oppinions or what ever! We are still here stuck with ABSOLUTELY NO RESULTS… NONE! It makes us feel like your taking advantage of us by charging us again. We’ve bee charged enough don’t you think. let us make some MONEY first then after we’ve made $2or $3K, have us send you back $19.95 or something! The fee’s you all charge still DO NOT GUARANTEE we’ll make ONE CHIPPED DIME! why do we have to pay you just to know what comp’s are legit? I don’t see the sincerity!
Kevin,
I’ve put over $50,000 into my businesses. You’re living in a dream-world if you think running a business is free.
I’m not even sure what planet you’re living on if you think that’s the truth about how home businesses work.
And if you look at what I recommend here I recommend the LOWEST cost types of businesses. I could be out selling $2000 worthless internet marketing products, but none of the products I recommend to date are even close to $100.
Did you even LOOK at the type of analysis I do on the businesses I do NOT recommend? There’s a lot of experience that goes into making these calls.
You need to get a job. You aren’t cut out for running a business.
Here are links to resources that provide a lot of free information for teleworking freelance work and/or telecommuting jobs, although I think someone like you, Kevin, just needs to find a regular job. But here they are:
Hi,
Thanks for writing. The first thing I would say is make
sure you follow the rules I’ve posted here:
http://www.workathometruth.com/Rules.php
Probably the biggest thing to pay attention to – and
this goes for the WorkAtHomeTruth site, too – is we
don’t always have control over what advertising shows
up on our site, so don’t assume that something that’s
in an advertisement is legitimate.
Now on to the other information that might help you:
Legit data entry work is nearly impossible to get, but I do
have a list of legitimate companies up here:
http://www.workathometruth.com/data-entry-work-from-home.php
Along with an explanation about why it’s so tough.
Telecommuting work (home jobs) is
tougher now just as regular jobs
are, but we do have a page that includes
lists of OTHER sites that provide
reliable job leads or lists of companies
that hire on a regular basis here:
http://www.workathometruth.com/work-from-home-companies.php
& a list of companies that hire workers for home phone jobs
on a regular basis here:
http://www.workathometruth.com/work-at-home-phone-jobs.php
Unfortunately I know that several people who got jobs with some
of the companies from those lists were laid off recently. But they
are legitimate lists.
I’d also recommend you check http://www.ratracerebellion.com
and http://www.katieshugs.com
Also, if you’re not a member of the http://www.wahm.com
forums, I’d highly recommend that as well. They have
a telecommuting section there where people are incredibly
supportive and share leads with each other and help
each other avoid scams.
You should be able to read the PDF with the
Adobe reader available for free here:
http://www.adobe.com/downloads/
Look to the right for the button that says:
“Get Adobe Reader”.
Paul
Now, if anyone else is still living in the REAL world, I’m going to make two suggestions:
1) Find a book through your library or library loan called “Failing Forward: Turning Mistakes into Stepping Stones for Success” by John C. Maxwell. Here’s a bit from the Amazon editorial review:
“star performers are often those who aggressively push forward after encountering adversity, Maxwell shows how a variety of well-known and not-so-well-known people have forged ahead despite obstacles that could have derailed them. They include: Mary Kay Ash, who founded her cosmetics firm against enormous odds when the direct-sales company she toiled in for 25 years resisted her continued corporate climb; Truett Cathy, who lost two brothers (and business partners) in an airplane crash and experienced his own serious medical problems before establishing the Chick-fil-A fast-food chain; Greg Horn, who reopened his Kentucky grocery store just 21 days after it suffered $1 million in flood damage; and Beck Weathers, who lost his nose, half of one arm, and the fingers on his other in the infamous 1996 Into Thin Air Mt. Everest tragedy, but now takes a positive message of survival and conquest to audiences around the world”
2) I’m going to post a SHORT list of online business courses and internet marketing courses that I’ve studied over the years with PRICES I PAID with NO GUARANTEE. I think you’ll be stunned.
Here’s the short list of online business courses and internet marketing courses that I’ve studied over the years. I’ll be updating them. I should say that many of them did or DO offer a money-back guarantee but being a realistic person I realize that no single course or system is going to work for everyone. Here they are. I’ll be filling in the details like price and additional courses over time:
* Title: AdwordMentor Monthly Membership Site
Medium: Membership Site
Author: Jens Rhoades and Chris Carpenter
Price: $29.95/Month
* Adwords Confessions
Medium: eBook
Author: Steven Lee Jones
Price: $47.00
Note: No longer available.
* Adwords Miracle
Medium: eBook
Author: Chris McNeeley
Price: $77.00
* Camera Dollars
Medium: eBooks/Membership
Author: Brian Moore
Price: $39.97
* Campaign Blasts Membership
Medium: eBook
Author: Chris McNeeley
Price: $27.00/Month
* Duvet Dollars
Medium: eBook
Author: “Victoria”
Price: $77.00
Note: Refunded
* Perry Marshall’s $2,000 “LapTop” Seminar
Medium: Live seminar
Author: Perry Marshall and other speakers
Price: $2,000.00
* Title: 30 Day Adwords BootCamp
Medium: CDROMs & WorkBook
Author: DataResource Consulting, Inc.
Price: $97.00
* Title: Adwords 180
Medium: eBook
Author: Ian Rollinson
Price: $47.00
* Title: Adwords Blackbelt Course
Medium: eBook
Author: Perry Marshall and Don Crowther
Price: $77.00
* Title: Adwords BlackBook DVDs
Medium: DVDS & Manuals
Author: John Barker (.X.)
Price: $997.00 (I think i got a 50% discount)
* Title: Adwords BlackBook eBook
Medium: eBook
Author: John Barker (.X.)
Price: $197.00
* Title: Adwords Killer
Medium: eBook
Author: Will Halliburton
Price: $97.50 (I believe I paid 50% of that)
* Title: Affiliate Money Tree
Medium: eBook
Author: Mike Delrue
Price: $34.95
* Title: Affiliate Project X
Medium: eBook
Author: Chris McNeeley
Price: $77.00
* Title: Agency Adwords Secrets
Medium: eBook
Author: Carey Parish
Price: ?
* Title: Build A Niche Store (BANS)
Medium: Software, Training, Forum
Price: $97.00
* Title: Day Job Killer
Medium: eBook
Author: Chris McNeeley
Price: $77.00
* Title: Definitive Guide to Google Adwords
Medium: eBook
Author: Perry Marshall
Price: $49.00
* Title: Emergency Cash Generators
Medium: eBook
Author: James Jones
Price: $39.99
* Title: Get Google Ads Free
Medium: eBook
Author: Dr. Jon Cohen
Price: $67.00
Note: Refunded.
* Title: Google Adwords Secrets: Insider Google Adwords Strategies
Medium: CDs & Online Access to Videos
Author: John Gorecki
Price: $127.00
* Title: Google Cash Detective
Medium: eBook
Author: Chris Carpenter
Price: $?
Note: Had to file chargeback dispute to get refund
* Title: Google Cash
Medium: eBook
Author: Chris Carpenter
Price: $67.00
* Title: Google Profit
A.K.A. The Search Engine Institute
Medium: Online Course, eBook, & Tools
Author: Corey Harris
Price: $?
Note: Product no longer available
* Title: Google Profits
Medium: eBook
Author: Wade Winger
Price: $49.95 (May have gone down)
* Title: Google Wealth (Defunct)
Price: $?
* Title: John Reese Live Workshop
Medium: Live Workshop
Author: John Reese
Price: $4,500.00 + Air, Hotel, Meals
* Title: MegaClassifiedMillions
Medium: eBook
Author: Michael Brown
Price: $29.97
* Title: MicroNicheFinder
Medium: Software and digital training
Author: James Jones
Price: $97.00
* Title: M.O.L.B. Wealth Formula
Medium: eBook/Downloadable Videos
Author: Alex Edavane
Price: $77.00
* Title: Niche Blitzkrieg
Medium: Online Videos, Text Lessons, Tests, & Forum
Author: Michael Brown
Price: $47.00 (Special pricing for WorkAtHomeTruth)
* Title: Page Zero’s Mastering Panama
Medium: Physical book (spiral bound)
Author: Mona Elesseily
Price: $59.93
* Title: Page Zero’s Yahoo Handbook
Medium: eBook
Author: Mona Elesseily
Price: $49.92
* Title: Page Zero Adwords Handbook: 21 Ways to Maximize Results
Author: Andrew Goodman
Medium: eBook
Price: $59.00
* Title: Pay Per Click Money Machine
Author: Don Crowther
Medium: eBook or Physical book
Price: $197.00 (Physical)
* Title: Perry Marshall’s Basic Coaching Club
Medium: Group Teleconferences
Author: Perry Marshall
Price: $99/Month (I don’t remember what I paid)
* Title: PPC Prophecy
Medium: eBook
Author: Dane Bergen
Price: $?
* Title: Project Quick Cash
Medium: eBook
Author: Alok Jain
Price: $77.00
* Title: StomperNet Membership
Medium: Video, PDFs, teleconferences, Live seminars
Author: Dan Thies, Jerry West, Don Crowther
Price: $797.00/Month for 10 months = $7,970.00
* Title: Two Minute Profits
Medium: eBook
Author: Alok Jain
Price: $7.00
* Title: Wealthy Affiliate University
Medium: Membership site
Author: Kyle & Carson
Price: $29.95/Month (when I was a member).
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