Couple Ordered to Shut Down Health Ebook Site

Thanks Audrey, it's always nice to read good news like this.

All the best,
Michael

Well it just confirms what I have always suspected. The whole business of selling information online would attract the attention of regulators eventually. All these miracle cures that have popped up in ebooks on the internet, which incidentally have managed to trump the big drug companies R&D department were bound to raise red flags sooner or later.

I think the Frank Kern fiasco might rear it's ugly head again.

Would be interesting to know just what these people were selling. Their 'quack medicine' could really be just that - but it could also be some sort of advice that the 'authorities' don't approve of.

Does my mistrust of people who wield power show through a little much? LOL

I don't disagree with you on that, to a degree.

OTOH, there is quite a bit of useful information, and not a few products, that have been suppressed by authorities simply because some people have used the info or products irresponsibly or stupidly. So, we need protecting. Mama knows best. And those of us who could benefit from responsible intelligent use of said info or product are left out in the cold.

To use your example, it has, and they have. Have you looked on the shelves of the cosmetics aisles lately? Obviously, there's not a universal solution to acne. And who's to say that someone who found some combination of treatments that worked spectacularly shouldn't package and sell what they've learned?

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Of course, this is all speculation - I have no idea what these people were selling. Obviously, there were some dissatisfied customers or the nannies probably wouldn't have caught wind of it in the first place.

Just sayin' there's a little too much nannying going on - IMHO, of course

I don't know how many "just sell em' something" marketers have argued this point with me.

At some point, someone, somewhere actually has to know what in the hell they're talking about. I see so much crap touted as "quick and easy product creation". Hell you don't have to know $hit from shinola! Just make some schlocky crap and sell it to as many people as you can get to buy it.

I'm glad this is coming to an end.

Quote "testimonials on the sites were from the same people". So they have various sites selling ebooks on various medical conditions, and all the people giving the testimonials have had all the conditions and successfully tried all of their cures?

Quote "Expert evidence provided to the ACCC showed the treatment would not have any therapeutic benefits or medical efficacy in the treatment of the conditions."

I don't have a problem with different names for each ebook, I use pen names myself for different niches, but I think I would have used different photos.

There's no difference at all between this example and yours of the person who is lying about his income, theimdude. People are being dishonest, but there are dishonest people in all walks of life.

I think there are still many people out there who think that online information products are scams. I hate to see people perpetuating that opinion, and making it harder for others who are selling legitimate products that do solve people's problems.

Unfortunately, I don't think there's any way to regulate this.

A browse through Google turned up this press release from the Attorney General's office:

Washington Attorney General claims Aussie pair became rich using sexy stories to sell bogus cures

As to what the couple were selling, here is an example from the PR:

'Washington's complaint alleges that the defendants created numerous Web sites, many showcasing a fictitious testimonial from someone supposedly living in Seattle. Many of the sites used sexual innuendos to grab attention, with headlines such as: "Sex Crazed 60 Year Old Reveals a Simple Home Treatment that Eliminates Fibromyalgia in Days." Others took a more maternal approach: "39 Year Old Mom Stumbles Upon a Simple 5 Step Plan That Eliminates Multiple Sclerosis in Weeks."'

As to what was in the books:

'Henderson said the "cures" were actually e-Books containing a few facts about the relevant disease and instructions to consume either something called "Miracle Mineral Solution" or a concoction of apple cider vinegar and baking soda as part of an extreme diet.'

Nice people, eh?

- Nightowl

Big government to the rescue. Let's ban ephedra because a few people misused the product, didn't follow the instructions, and died...

But it's okay to sell Tylenol which kills over 30,000 people every year for the same reason.

Makes sense if you own stock in the big pharmaceutical company. But not if you were the poor bloke who was losing weight with the proper use of ephedra.

Oh well.

scary thing is i've been to some sites like what they talk about in the article and have always wondered if they are ligit, especially when you see the same company name on a whole range of different topics or illnesses...

I wouldn't trust info from someone who uses fraudulent methods to sell anything.
However - the "authorities are often quick to call anything "quack" that isn't a pharm dealt drug. But look at what THEY use - benzyol peroxide is on both the US and UK
MSDS sheets - as a harmful and dangerous chemical. The US MSDS is a bit soft on it - the UK MSDS says it promotes cancer. Yet nobody is being sued for sticking it into products that cause reactions in a high percentage of cases. It's a pharmaceutical, of course. I know 2 natural ingredients that can clear up acne problems real fast for almost anyone I've shown it to and nobody has ever screamed for money back. But to put them in my book I have to have a disclaimer that the information in the book is only for informational purposes and not meant to perscribe treatment, yadda yadda yadda.........Just because I'm not a pharmaceutical dealer. I don't think it's going to be long before any information - factual or not that is not given straight from the pharmaceutical/med complex is going to be illegal.

Theimdude - not everyone uses phony testimonies. It's just because some do that the real ones don't mean anything.

I believe when we do business online, we have to be honest. That way, your business will last for a long time.

It is bad to give promises that are not true. Personally for health products, I am cautious and I do take quite a fair bit of supplements. I normally consult doctors and pharmacies before I go and buy health products.

I don't know the product in question and I think many of these ebooks, **** etc., are just selling a dream.

BUT..!

It's naive to thing that big pharma would just release a 1 time cure of any disease. I know this sounds like a conspiracy theory, but there's much more money in 'treating' rather than 'curing'. This makes me sceptical of many drugs from the pharmacy industry.

There's a lot of great supplements out there, for example Beta-Glucan which is a huge booster for the immune system and cheap, yet it receives no attention because it isn't patented.

So, basically I see no difference between this and selling crap medicine. In fact I consider pharmacy such as the 'swine-flu' vaccine to be much more dangerous potentially.

First and foremost thanks for this thread; This is a really serious issue that goes way beyond just selling health info products online; What we are witnessing ( and have been witnessing over the last decade or so) is a systematic erosion of YOUR health freedom.

Ok Maybe a health info product work wonders for someone but does nothing for someone else but at least YOU had the choice to buy the product and investigate the info provided. If the regulatory authorities have the power to shut down anyone offering such info regardless of its usefulness then we are all in BIG TROUBLE. Where can you draw the line if the value of a product is determined subjectively?

If we get to the stage where the only place we can get health and nutritional information is the regulatory authorities we will have lost the right to make our own informed health decisions. - Because they will control the information.

To illustrate my point you need to look at the flip side of these regulatory authorities; On the surface they may look like they are there to protect us from fraudulent and bogus products and people. but. in reality (i believe )they are only here to protect the interests of the big Pharmaceutical company's that have a vested interest in making sure that YOU are NOT cured of your condition; IN THEIR EYES: A PATIENT CURED IS A CUSTOMER LOST.

If we all realised that A: We are not suffering from a deficiency of any one drug
B: Drugs are TOXIC in nature and have no place in the human body.
C: nature provides all we need in abundance

then we would realize that we have no need for these Authorities and companies on THIS PLANET.

There has always been frauds, Quacks, con men etc... ever since the day we were all enslaved into chasing Money for the best part of our lives, and there always will be. Its an inherent side effect of the system.

Youve got to use your god given ability to think logicaly and anaylyse things when considering purchasing anything because there are people out to con you in EVERY industry. This doesnt mean we want or need regulatry bodies in EVERY industry.

I don't want big brother deciding whats best for me. I would much rather be conned into buying a bogus info product than being conned into a lifetime of prescription drugs.

Just my 2cents

I was going to start to write my first e-book this weekend which was going to explore the relationship between diet and disease (something i am very passionate about if you hadn't noticed!) but after reading this thread i am not to sure now. I could be asking for a world of trouble from these Authorities.

The info it was going to contain was NOT quackery, (all tried and tested myself) but i realise; It may be great info but its NOT the sort of info the Big Pharma's and the Authorities would look favorably on. (for reasons stated above)

Good health to all.