InfoscamsWritten by Scott Shaper
In this article I am going to talk about those infomercials that are obvious scams. Which ones are they? They are ones promising you, that by following their system you will make thousands part- time and tens of thousands full-time. Or, they invite you to come to a free seminar where they can tell you about their secret money making system. Let's first look at ones that offer a money making system, they go something like this.
For only 39.99 you will get following materials:
- Our get started now booklet
- Our making money with our system workbook
- Our where to find money making deals guide
- Our two CDs or video tapes showing you step by step how to make big money using our system
And as a free bonus you get - Our top ten secrets to making really big money using our system
- All forms needed to start making money now.
This is a $150.00 dollar value yours for only 39.99 if you order now blah blah blah. These commercials are so full of baloney. Yet thousands of people fall victim to them everyday. In exposing their obvious scam lets first look at math.
They offer all this nicely printed material, plus pay to run a thirty minute professionally produced commercial on television. And yet, they can afford to sell you a product for $39.99 and make a profit. Well, what a lot of people don't know is that they don't make a profit, or much of one. That is to say they don't make a profit on $39.99 sale. This is known as a front end sale. Just something to bait you in, back end sale is where they will cash in.
You see, when you order this material it is designed not to give you any real information. Basically, what you have purchased is cleverly written sales material. It will either be worthless, just more hype, or it will be too confusing to understand. Magically, in a couple of days one of companies' salespeople will start calling you, offering all sorts of upgrades. They will disguise this sale cleverly by innocently inquiring how you are doing with product. Since what you purchased is garbage to begin with, of course you will not be doing well with it. This is point where salesperson cons you into subscribing to their one on one service, or purchase their upgraded material. They will go on to tell you that people who have made really big money, invested into these upgrade programs. Notice that I used word invested, and not purchased. That is because it is term they will use on you. It's not a purchase you are making but an investment, wouldn't make sense to invest a few hundred dollars to make thousands. Of course it would, and that is why most people sucker into this sale. This is known as back end sale, and this is where these companies make big money. These upgrades and one on one training courses cost hundreds if not thousands of dollars, and people pay it. What do they get for their money? Well according to what I have read from these people, absolutely nothing. It's a very costly mistake.
What about idea itself, won't it make money? Well answer is no, and here is why. If you had come up with some sort of marketing idea that ended up making you very wealthy, would you honestly share it with anyone? Not only share it, but create a thirty minute television production, and advertise it many times a day on various networks. Do you have any idea how much that costs and time it takes? Why bother doing all that work, and spending all that money, to tell someone else about a system that makes you thousands part-time. The answer is you wouldn't, unless of course only system you have is one where you produce infomercials that scam people out of there money. Another consideration is this, if what they had was a legitimate money making system, and everybody started doing it. The market would eventually become flooded and system would no longer be any good. In fact one of these infomercial superstars did make money with his system, until everyone else got into game. Now he makes money scamming others out of theirs.
| | 'Free' and 'Low Cost' PC Offers – The CatchWritten by Richard A. Chapo
You've probably seen ads for "low cost" PC's - "PC's for $199" - or even "free" computers. If you're in market for a personal computer, you should know "free" doesn't always mean free. Very often, certain conditions and restrictions found in fine print of advertisements for "free" or "low cost" PC's can turn a so-called deal into an expensive purchase. Bundled Services "Free" or "low-cost" PC offers often require "bundled" Internet service contracts, which may last up to three years. In return for signing up for Internet service, you can get as much as a $400 rebate on computer purchase. While some of these offers can be good deals, many are not as affordable as they may seem. Frequently, important details about rebate and Internet service offer are difficult to ferret out because they're left out of advertising or buried in fine print. Up-Front Costs To get a "low cost" PC, you may have to pay full cost of computer up front - that is, total price without any rebates. If PC is advertised for $199 after rebates, you may have to pay $599, plus any sales tax and shipping charges, and then send for $400 rebate. Usually, you have to apply for rebate in writing, mail in documentation of sale and then wait - sometimes months - until you receive your rebate check. Sometimes "instant" rebates are offered and you can get your deduction immediately. But some offers allow you to spend rebate only on other merchandise from manufacturer or retailer, meaning you still have to pay full price for computer. Internet Access When you buy a "free" or "low cost" computer, you often have to sign up for three years of Internet service at $20-$30 a month - a total cost of up to $1,000 for three years. Technology is changing at a dizzying pace. It's possible that three-year Internet service you lock in today could be out of date in six months or a year. And if you'd like to cancel your service, you'll likely have to pay a substantial penalty.
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