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FIB - Scams 101
I agree, with a twist...
Posted By: MaaMaw In Response To: If the opportunity is so good, why not just operate it yourself? (Bill, the Roadie)
Date: Sunday, March 16, 2008, at 8:30 a.m.(pst)
>> That's the essence of my skepticism with all opportunities in this
>> mold. If it's so good, why share it? Why not just silently do it?I've been saying the same thing for the past ten years. All the money-making "opportunities" on the net drive me completely insane, and it makes absolutely no good sense to me that people would want to "share" an opportunity where more competition can only make it harder to be so wildly successful with it.
Google Adwords comes to mind.
>> I have to conclude that most con artists see that the real money is to
>> be made in fleecing hopeful newbies, not running the opportunity itself.Me too.
But the key phrase is "most con artists."
Not everyone is a con artist, and Alex didn't strike me as one. After I read his website, he seemed even less like a con artist. (I could be 100% wrong; the jury is still out.)
My main concerns were:
--> what was being left out (i.e., that most of his money might be coming from subaffiliate sales, and I'm not quite convinced that it isn't),
--> and the fact that I don't believe anyone is going to share such information just because they want to help and it makes them happy.
However, Alex explained the second point to my satisfaction. I think it's perfectly reasonable for someone to want to "become a publisher" -- and giving away a course to get feedback and refine the final product is certainly a good way to go about it.
I see the usual warning signs, but they don't look like red flags... yet.
Yes, it's a ridiculous amount of money to be making with brand new websites (it's taken me 10 years to reach a living wage!!) -- but Alex didn't say he just started Affiliate marketing (or did he?).
Sorry, my memory is less than perfect, but I thought he said the website offering the free course was new -- not that he just started affiliate marketing a couple of weeks ago.
The course is free while Alex collects his information and fine tunes his "For Sale" course -- and even if the *most* successful trainee only makes a whopping $100 a week, they're still better off than when they started.
Granted, they'll also be very disappointed because they aren't making the kind of money Alex makes, but that goes back to common sense and experience. I found the site to be low on hype, and I did not walk away with the belief that I would duplicate his success.
There are a million-and-one scams on the internet that start out similar to this (but generally much more hyped). The danger, of course, is that "They'll getcha in the end" (or "bite you in the hiney," depends what you're reading:-) ...
but I had the sense that in this one case, the guy is genuine.
I could be SO wrong, in which case I'm setting myself up to look line a ninny, but I figured there was no harm in giving it a shot before bashing him.
Time is short and I don't want to distract myself from what's workin', so it's likely I won't actually put his methods to the test (which isn't 100% fair to him) -- but at least I'll get a feel for the course and see if he lied or tries to bleed me dry.
I get accused of being a scammer on a daily basis. Why? Because I talk the "anti-scam" talk, then I turn around and sell "Make Money" products.
I sell other people's products -- good ones!!
I wish I had some of my own products and an army of affiliates peddling them for me.
They (the "other people") are (and I could be) making money teaching other people how to do what they/I did.
That's exactly what Alex claims to be doing -- and because everyone isn't a crook and he comes across to me as being pretty genuine, it just seemed fair to give him a chance.
That's my story and I'm stickin' to it (at least until I find out otherwise).
Luv,
MaaMaw
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