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Buyer Responsibility...How Much Is Down To YOU?

by Chri5123
15 replies
Hello Fellow Warriors,

I was thinking as I saw a post earlier about serial refunders and the reasons that they refund.

Some are obviously wanting to have a look at the product for free.

Others are buying and posting to Black hat sites etc...

But there are also some that refund and say "Already knew everything in the product - Nothing New!"

Now with this final reason - why have they never found anything that has worked for them then?

What I am getting at is that I believe 70% of all newbies (and yes I am talking about "make money online" products here more than anything else) have ALL the knowledge that they need to make money online.

But they still buy products that tell them how to make money online.

Now I know this will be down to marketing.

The best way to have a look at how marketing works is pop down to McDonald's and pick a burger.

Any burger you like.

Then compare it with the picture of that burger in McDonald's - doesn't look anything like it right?

A thin piece of burger, soggy lettuce, and slimy tomatoes.

However BECAUSE of marketing and how EASY it is to buy and get hold of you will no doubt buy another burger at some point.

Have you been conned?

Do you know it is bad for you?

What about that guy that sued McDonald's cause he was fat?

Anyway my point is that YOU have responsibility as a buyer.

If something looks too good to be true then it 99% of the time IS.

If you are a newbie how much do YOU think is down to you?

Cheers guys,

Chris Jones
#buyer #responsibilityhow
  • Profile picture of the author sbucciarel
    Banned
    Well, I rarely fall for marketing "hype". I buy solid products from solid people based on the needs of my business, so it's not often I get taken.

    As for your McDonald's analogy, maybe some people keep doing the same things over and over, but I stopped eating McDonald's burgers soon after I started eating them.

    Item Not As Described.

    Yes, it is the buyer's responsibility to do due diligence before buying. Are we going to take Newbies by the hand and go into town and tell them which hamburger to buy?

    No. They have to learn for themselves. The simple fact is that many newbies will always look for magic bullets no matter how many times they get scammed. They don't really want a business. They want to get rich quick in their pajamas.

    Nothing you can do about that type of mindset.
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  • Profile picture of the author TheArticlePros
    The way I look at it is that it is your responsibility to ethically promote your business. Don't make claims that your product(s) cannot possibly achieve. Also post a very strict returns policy.

    If you don't want for people to return things just because there was "nothing new" in it, state that! When I write articles for my customers, I make them agree up front (before any work is done) that I will be delivering a virtual product tailored specifically for them, therefore I cannot offer refunds. It sounds as if you are offering the same sort of thing, but in a course and not articles.

    I'm also with Suzanne in that I never buy because of the hype. I said this before in another post a month or two ago, but I never buy something until I've read at least 10 positive reviews AND 10 negative reviews. (Unless it's dirt cheap, like $5, and then I buy it knowing I'm throwing away $5 most likely.)

    In the end, your goal is to a)make money and b)keep that money. Protect yourself with clearly-stated policies and provide a product that is top notch, and you will have very few worries.

    -- j
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  • Profile picture of the author Anna7
    One disadvantage for buyers with internet marketing is that they cant inspect the goods that they purchase themselves. Ethically (and legally I think), sellers should provide their customers a warranty that what they are selling is everything that it purports to be and that it is in good condition. Although there is the principle or Caveat Emptor or "Buyer Beware", wherein the customers are also responsible for diligently checking the products they purchased. That's why you should always state in the product description exactly what the product is and isn't. That way, you can protect yourself and your income from those who try to scam their ways into a refund.
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  • Profile picture of the author Chri5123
    Cheers for your replies guys,

    So this of course leads the question:

    "Why do people still use hype?"

    I am not on JUST about IM - have a look at a fitness ad where there is a beautiful set of people working out with a big smile and not a drop of sweat.

    Or those adverts with quick pay day loans - someone is in so much need of cash that they need to pay 117% APR and yet they have a smile on their face and their HUGE house is spotless.

    Or - well anything....

    Anything you buy both online and off will be hyped.

    Name me five successful products that DON'T have any hype or sales pitch?

    I think it all comes down to your mindset and if you are only willing to put in 20% effort then you will only get 20% out - that is as long as the product is solid.

    Chris
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    • Profile picture of the author TheArticlePros
      Originally Posted by Chri5123 View Post

      So this of course leads the question:

      "Why do people still use hype?"
      In all my years as a salesman, I never used hype. I was actually in bricks and mortar stores where I had real products (think Radio Shack or Verizon or T-Mobile stores), so I could show off what the people were going to by.

      Instead of relying on the hype, I always addressed the needs of my customers. Most of the time, I would spend 5-10 minutes just talking to them and figuring out what it was they were really in need of, and then take them to a product that solved that need. I didn't care about the price tag of the product so much as I did about meeting their need.

      The cool thing? The majority of people bought from me, and those people almost always came back to me.

      People who cannot build a relationship with other people rely on things like "hype" and "hard sells" (not sales, sells) to push people into buying something they may or may not want. If you truly take the time to build a relationship with a person, you will gain a customer for life. Otherwise, you go back to the problem of too many refunds.

      -- j

      PS: I've now given you my two cents twice. To get it again, you'll have to pay me 5 bajillion dollars.
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      • Profile picture of the author Chri5123
        Originally Posted by JaRyCu View Post

        In all my years as a salesman, I never used hype. I was actually in bricks and mortar stores where I had real products (think Radio Shack or Verizon or T-Mobile stores), so I could show off what the people were going to by.

        Instead of relying on the hype, I always addressed the needs of my customers. Most of the time, I would spend 5-10 minutes just talking to them and figuring out what it was they were really in need of, and then take them to a product that solved that need. I didn't care about the price tag of the product so much as I did about meeting their need.

        The cool thing? The majority of people bought from me, and those people almost always came back to me.

        People who cannot build a relationship with other people rely on things like "hype" and "hard sells" (not sales, sells) to push people into buying something they may or may not want. If you truly take the time to build a relationship with a person, you will gain a customer for life. Otherwise, you go back to the problem of too many refunds.

        -- j

        PS: I've now given you my two cents twice. To get it again, you'll have to pay me 5 bajillion dollars.
        Kudos to you - I can see how this would work.

        BUT it still doesn't explain WHY nearly every advert on the TV is hype?

        Not everyone can be refunding right?

        Chris
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        • Profile picture of the author TheArticlePros
          Originally Posted by Chri5123 View Post

          Kudos to you - I can see how this would work.

          BUT it still doesn't explain WHY nearly every advert on the TV is hype?

          Not everyone can be refunding right?

          Chris
          You actually watch the commercials on TV? I tend to flip channels during the breaks to see what I'm missing, or I have the TV sound turned down really low so it's nothing but background noise. I couldn't tell you the last commercial I actually paid attention to.

          -- j
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          • Profile picture of the author Chri5123
            Originally Posted by JaRyCu View Post

            You actually watch the commercials on TV? I tend to flip channels during the breaks to see what I'm missing, or I have the TV sound turned down really low so it's nothing but background noise. I couldn't tell you the last commercial I actually paid attention to.

            -- j
            No I don't!

            I don't flip the channel - I shall not be moved! - I just turn the sound off.

            Same as you, from a sales background myself.

            But I do know that these companies spend more than a few dollars a year - hyping products in their adverts.

            Worst still if you can bring yourself too (and you probably won't want to if adverts sicken you) flip over to a home shopping channel and tell me if there is no hype?

            People like to be sold the END result, the benefit but I am just saying that the buyer does have a responsibility to look through it all.

            If we purchased everything that we saw through advertising that said it was going to help us in some way then we would quickly run out of money.

            Chris
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            • Profile picture of the author fluffythewondercat
              BUT it still doesn't explain WHY nearly every advert on the TV is hype?

              If you don't understand what marketing is -- which I'm beginning to think, given your continual use of the word "hype" -- it would take far too much time to explain it.

              But I'll give you one example.

              Steve Jobs raised eyebrows when he referred to the iPad as a "truly magical and revolutionary product." Let's look at what that means.

              magical: Having or appearing to have supernatural powers
              revolutionary: Of, relating to or constituting a revolution

              Does an iPad have supernatural powers? Of course not. Is it capable of doing things that to some people may seem truly wondrous? Yes. I'm betting if I set up most adults over 70 with Facetime on the iPad they would freak. And iPad plus apps does some pretty flippin' amazing things.

              Is an iPad revolutionary? Yes. It's a revolution in the way content is consumed.

              So while Steve's statement may have seemed like hyperbole, it has basis in fact. Even so, individual experiences may vary. My husband likes his company-supplied Blackberry, I tried it and you couldn't pay me to use it. So I am less likely than he to feel a Blackberry marketing slogan is valid.

              Perhaps you are naturally skeptical or over-skeptical, or concerned about being burned.

              fLufF
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              • Profile picture of the author Chri5123
                Originally Posted by fluffythewondercat View Post

                BUT it still doesn't explain WHY nearly every advert on the TV is hype?

                If you don't understand what marketing is -- which I'm beginning to think, given your continual use of the word "hype" -- it would take far too much time to explain it.

                But I'll give you one example.

                Steve Jobs raised eyebrows when he referred to the iPad as a "truly magical and revolutionary product." Let's look at what that means.

                magical: Having or appearing to have supernatural powers
                revolutionary: Of, relating to or constituting a revolution

                Does an iPad have supernatural powers? Of course not. Is it capable of doing things that to some people may seem truly wondrous? Yes. I'm betting if I set up most adults over 70 with Facetime on the iPad they would freak. And iPad plus apps does some pretty flippin' amazing things.

                Is an iPad revolutionary? Yes. It's a revolution in the way content is consumed.

                So while Steve's statement may have seemed like hyperbole, it has basis in fact. Even so, individual experiences may vary. My husband likes his company-supplied Blackberry, I tried it and you couldn't pay me to use it. So I am less likely than he to feel a Blackberry marketing slogan is valid.

                Perhaps you are naturally skeptical or over-skeptical, or concerned about being burned.

                fLufF
                --
                Fluff,

                Don't get me wrong - I was merely interested.

                I used to make my living in marketing offline before marketing online.

                Has it made me skeptical - well it has toughened me up a little I admit.

                But scared of being burnt?

                I have been working online since 2003-3 and can honestly say I have NEVER been burnt.

                I have had services and products that I have paid for a bit under par I admit.

                But I would say I have a very good knowledge of marketing, was just a question and not putting myself case in point.

                All the best,

                Chris Jones
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  • Profile picture of the author Kenwerd
    I definitely think a large part of the responsibility falls to the buyer. I think a lot of those people that say I already knew everything know a lot about internet marketing and are simply too lazy to ever put any of that knowledge to action.

    So they roam around in IM purgatory looking for something that doesn't exist, a real way to make money with no work.
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  • Profile picture of the author TheArticlePros
    It makes me really sad inside, but the majority of Americans are conditioned to buy from whoever is screaming the loudest. That's why the hype still works. It even works here in the good ol' WF. Put on some muddin' boots and go into the WSO forum...put on your sunglasses too. The amount of over-hyped drivel in there drives me bonkers, so I rarely ever go in.

    Please don't get people to stop buying, though. My plan is this: When I get old (like 60 or 70), I plan on reviving the currently-popular American Pickers show and going around to people's houses and getting Super NES's, XB360's, old boxed copies of WoW: Mists of Pandaria, etc, for dirt cheap. I'm hoping that I'll run across old laptops with hard drives that are full of WSOs from 2000-2015, and then I can laugh with my television audience about how people thought that all that stuff would make them rich back in the Twenty Oh Oughts.

    That's my long term plan. Don't tell anyone else.

    -- j
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  • Profile picture of the author Anna7
    "Why do people use hype?"

    Well, I guess it's to attract potential customers to pay attention to the ad and maybe convince them to buy their product. To be able to differentiate their product from other similar products. Unfortunately, there a lot of people out there who take some things in literally, or expect everything to be laid out in the advertisement or on the product (example: the guy who sued McDonalds because his coffee was too hot).
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  • Profile picture of the author alexgold87
    IM's will sell everything what is in demand. A year ago I spent so lots of money buying magic buttons "Get rich quick" until I understood another side of IM. There are sellers and buyers. Nobody in the middle. If you sell something - somebody will buy it.

    And I fully agree with JaRyCu. People still buy any quality products from big screamers only without checking how valuable product is.
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  • Profile picture of the author DianaHeuser
    Everything boils down to you as an individual. You are totally responsible for every decision you make. Once you accept that, you will find yourself making smarter decisions, or at the very least an educated guess. I still get it wrong at times

    I have bought several information products that have turned out to be totally flawed in their premise and implementation but I don't refund those. I still learnt something from that - how not to do business.

    Di
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