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Acai Berry - Scam?

by Scot Standke
91 replies
Hey Warriors,

I watched an interesting piece on Good Morning America this morning
centered around the booming **** Berry fad:

ABC News: Warnings on **** Berry Online Offers Amplify

It seems that the photos on a couple of the highly popular affiliate
programs websites are actually iStock Photos that are PhotoShopped.

Is anyone using this stuff?

Does it work as claimed?

I'm sure there are affiliate here promoting this stuff. What have
been your results?

Lot's of complaints?

There is at least one state Attorney General opening an investigation,
so beware!

Scot
#acai #berry #scam
  • Profile picture of the author DrewG
    Like any type of diet pill, it doesn't really work. **** berry is just very high in antioxidants which is good for you, but won't lose weight.

    The 'scam' part of it is the free trial portion of CPA offers- Where a customer enters their credit card info to receive a free trial of the **** berry supplements. After a certain number of days they are then hit with a rebill (around $80) month after month, and from my understanding, it's hard to cancel.
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  • Profile picture of the author Jill Carpenter
    The bulk of affiliates on this are doing so with PPA (pay per action) - they just get people to click through and sign up for the product.

    The issue is the company does send a free sample, but then bills people automatically on their credit card to refill the orders.

    It is questionable what or if the berries really have any effect. The amount of the effective element also varies greatly.

    This is not the only product doing this right now either - there are a few of them.

    I say go to your health food store and have a chat with them about it if you want to try it.

    I wouldn't bother myself. Better products to promote without the word scam swimming around them.
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    • Profile picture of the author askloz
      this was talked about, about a month or so ago here..., shortly after reading the post here, it was on tv stating how ppl were being charged for other stuff that they never even agreed to pay.

      to note, I get spammed big time with this **** berry stuff.
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  • Profile picture of the author Johnathan
    I think (from what I have read/observed) that there are health benefits to the **** berry, but that it is being greatly overhyped. From what I can see, it will help give you more energy/etc, etc -- but if you still eat greasy hamburgers and french fries every day and expect that a glass of **** berry juice will get rid of that spare tire around your middle, it's proably not going to.

    I think perhaps it is a good supplement to an already existing good diet, but will not necessarily be a 'miracle' cure. I have talked with people that said they have noticed a difference in energy, etc after having taken it (with other things as well).
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  • Profile picture of the author artwebster
    Because of my specific health problems I have taken part in hundreds of clinical trials - many before the age of instant world wide information disemmination.

    I remember when tomatoes, pineapples, bananas, golden russet apples, strawberries and lettuce were the **** berry of their day. Most fruits will do a little anti-oxidising for the human body but I wonder how many people actually understand what that really means. It's just one of the latest catch phrases being bandied around.

    The one thing that all the trials I have taken part in have shown, almost without exception, is that nothing works in isolation. On the other hand, combine your latest juice with a content and calorie controlled diet and you can make claims but not undisputed claims - after all - who knows what part of the new regime worked or the penalties if one part was left out?
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  • Profile picture of the author JayInOrlando
    Being involved in this market I can tell you, there IS a large amount of scams. There are also a few of us who present the products in an honest way and do not slam cards with hidden charges.

    The thing is, it makes it rather hard to compete. Most people seem to believe the hype pitch VS the honest pitch. If there is any sliver lining to this, I guess it's that those company's may be making the big bucks now but sooner or later it will all crash down on them. Leaving the honest guys (me) left to handle things in the correct way.

    Jay
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    • Profile picture of the author edlewis
      Let's be clear here...

      Is the issue whether or not **** berry works...?

      Or is the issue whether or not those companies promoting these products are scamming those who sign up for it under the guise of a "Free Trial"...or "Trial Offer"?

      Seeing that talk is coming from Attorney Generals, I am guessing it's the latter. or else it would be the FDA.


      Here's the real kicker in an "internet marketing" sense.....part of the HUGE push this **** fad has gotten is from affiliates promoting this thing via CPA companies.

      In effect, many of these companies have "outsourced" in a way, their little scam to CPA affiliates who are paid anywhere from $20+ per "free" or "trial" signup.

      What many of these affiliates do NOT know is that some of the companies they are promoting are just flat out scam artists. Some of these companies have pushed the envelope so far when it comes to auto-billing that it really is difficult to call them anything but a scam....even some of the most aggressive marketers would have to admit that.

      When people sign up for something and cannot call and cancel - as is the case with many of these outfits - something is wrong.

      This isn't just making it "difficult" to cancel, but basically impossible. That's not aggressive marketing, that's just fraud.

      Personally, I find it all rather disgusting...

      You have these companies set up selling this product under the belief (to customers) that this is a "TRIAL" offer...only it's not a "trial" it's a auto-billing offer from hell that can't be cancelled. They're often rebilling at outrageous totals ($69.95, 79.95....and more) - which is WHY they can afford to dole out $30 or so to each affiliate thru the CPA company.

      Meanwhile you have affiliates out their promoting products like this who REALLY have no clue of some of the people they are doing business with.

      At the same time, you have people out there who think there is some kind of "magical" berry out there that is just going to MELT the fat of their lazy butts...(sigh)

      [:0]
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      • Profile picture of the author AffiliateMax
        Originally Posted by edlewis View Post

        In effect, many of these companies have "outsourced" in a way, their little scam to CPA affiliates who are paid anywhere from $20+ per "free" or "trial" signup.

        What many of these affiliates do NOT know is that some of the companies they are promoting are just flat out scam artists. Some of these companies have pushed the envelope so far when it comes to auto-billing that it really is difficult to call them anything but a scam....even some of the most aggressive marketers would have to admit that.
        It's called due diligence. If you are going to promote any product as an affiliate it takes 5 minutes to Google the company name for reviews and comments. There are plenty of affiliates who do know about the **** complaints but still promote it. Affiliates have to take some of the responsibility too - ****, Govt Grants, Earn money with Google - these have all been promoted by CPA affiliates in the same dishonest way: fake blogs, fake testimonials, fake photos.
        Take a look at them here: The Fake Diet Girls | wafflesatnoon.com
        Some excellent points made in the comments section there by Richard Wright (March 6th, 2009)

        Also see: ****-Cleanse Scams - Update | wafflesatnoon.com

        It's shady, dishonest and unethical promotion methods like this that gives affiliate marketing a bad name and makes it harder for honest affiliates to promote genuine offers. If someone has been burned once by a hidden continuity offer on an **** free trial they are going to be a lot more sceptical in future about any free trial offer.

        The weight loss industry is a lot like the internet marketing industry in one respect - lots of "desperate buyers" hoping for the one magic button / hidden secret that will help them lose weight/ make money online without any effort on their part. In both cases that "miracle method" does not exist but there will always be plenty of people willing to believe that it does!

        As for **** - when it was featured on Oprah no connection was made between **** and weight loss - it was just mentioned as a superfood rich in antioxidants and it's use in skincare products. Sambazon also makes no mention of any connection to weight loss: Sambazon ****. It's the more dubious marketers of **** who have come up with and promoted the weight loss angle. There is no convincing medical evidence that **** helps weight loss. As for the antioxidants angle - just go out and buy some fresh fruit and vegetables and include a variety of those in your daily diet. Just as good for you (and a whole lot cheaper!) than buying an expensive exotic fruit in dried form. In any case these overpriced ($80!) **** products often contain only a very small amount of dried **** along with some dubious ingredients.

        More press coverage:

        Group challenges **** berry weight-loss claims - CNN.com

        Beware 'The Bernie Madoff of the Food Business'

        The New York Times
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        • Profile picture of the author Nonny
          Originally Posted by AffiliateMax View Post

          The weight loss industry is a lot like the internet marketing industry in one respect - lots of "desperate buyers" hoping for the one magic button / hidden secret that will help them lose weight/ make money online without any effort on their part. In both cases that "miracle method" does not exist but there will always be plenty of people willing to believe that it does!
          As someone who has fallen for some of the weight loss hype in the past, this rings very true.

          The FTC is apparently considering cracking down on some of the forms of advertising weight loss (and many other types of IM sites) often use:
          Federal Trade Commission's plan to change rules on ad endorsements, testimonials worries marketers -- chicagotribune.com
          Updated guidelines on ad endorsements and testimonials under final review by the Federal Trade Commission--and widely expected to be adopted--would end marketers' ability to talk up the extreme benefits of products while carrying disclaimers like "results not typical" or "individual results may vary."

          Instead, companies would be allowed to tout extreme results only if they also spelled out typical outcomes.
          The Federal Trade Commission is reviewing new guidelines to product endorsements. They include:

          •Consumer testimonials would have to be substantiated and ads would have to include generally expected results. Endorsers, not just advertisers, could be held liable for deceptive claims. "You'd have to say not only is it extreme, but how extreme is it," the FTC's Richard Cleland said.

          •Celebrities who talk up a product in an interview must disclose if they are getting paid for the promotion. Celebrities who endorse products would have to disclose if they have an ownership interest.

          •Expert endorsers, like doctors, must have experience in the product area they are endorsing. If they don't, the limits of their expertise must be stated. For instance, an ophthalmologist identified only as a doctor could not be portrayed as an expert physician endorsing a hearing aid.

          •Bloggers who get free products and then endorse them on their blogs would have to make it clear they got the products free.
          As a consumer, I think the proposed guidelines are excellent. It will mean that some of the "tried and true" methods of using endorsements for marketing will have to be changed - and people selling **** berry and other products that make dubious and unsubstantiated claims may end up getting into trouble.
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          • Profile picture of the author Hesaidblissfully
            Originally Posted by Nonny View Post

            (article)
            "Updated guidelines on ad endorsements and testimonials under final review by the Federal Trade Commission--and widely expected to be adopted--would end marketers' ability to talk up the extreme benefits of products while carrying disclaimers like "results not typical" or "individual results may vary."

            Instead, companies would be allowed to tout extreme results only if they also spelled out typical outcomes."

            Headline: "Crazy Super-Affiliate Forced Into Hiding After Pissing Off The Gurus By Revealing His Six-Figure-A-Day Autopilot Clickbank Cash Sucker!"

            *Typical Results: About $3.50
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    • Profile picture of the author xmcp
      Originally Posted by JayInOrlando View Post

      Being involved in this market I can tell you, there IS a large amount of scams. There are also a few of us who present the products in an honest way and do not slam cards with hidden charges.

      The thing is, it makes it rather hard to compete. Most people seem to believe the hype pitch VS the honest pitch. If there is any sliver lining to this, I guess it's that those company's may be making the big bucks now but sooner or later it will all crash down on them. Leaving the honest guys (me) left to handle things in the correct way.

      Jay
      By 'involved in this market' surely you must mean 'sold a few'. There's a lot more going on behind the scenes here.
      There were a few big problems with it, and believe it or not the rebilling and the fact that it's not a good product aren't really big ones. The billing model has existed forever, and has been used by a lot of reputable companies.
      As for it being a crappy product, here's some knowledge: all weight loss products are crap. That alone is not enough to set any one product apart from the others. They either have a small metabolic boost, or essentially give you diarrhea(the more effective method). None are anything special.
      That said, the real issue was the volume of the orders, and some problems with the cash backing them. Pretty much they got way too many orders to handle. Keep in mind I never owned an offer, just learned how it worked.
      • The top end affiliate pay(for the bulk of it) was $35-37 per sale. So assume the networks work getting $42 to sale.
      • The companies were only getting $1-5 (which did actually cover the shipping) and would frequently have to pay the networks before the free trials were up.
        So if a company had 10,000 orders at the end of the month(which was doable) that hadn't rebilled yet, they would essentially have to come up with the cash for 10,000 $42 payments to the networks. Or a little under a half million dollars.
      • There was around a 2% chargeback rate(plus fraudulent orders) and a high cancellation rate after the first month. Since the people had to cancel over the phone, it became really difficult to keep enough customer support lines open. People would get frustrated that they couldn't get through, and complain a lot more frequently than normal.
      • The trial period always started when they placed their order. But earlier on, orders arrived faster. As orders stacked up they started shipping later, and people didn't get a really adequate 'trial period'.
      • Affiliates (in order to compete) started selling 2 similar products off the same page, and often got conversions on both. This increased chargebacks for the merchants and cancellation rates by a lot. Especially for the offer with the longer trial (people would cancel both at the same time)
      • To try and get some cashflow to fix all these problems, the merchants started also trying to move a second offer from the same page. Combined with the affiliates doing it, it created a MASSIVE problem later. Also, they raised their rebilling rates.
      I could go on for at least 3-4 more bullet points. Anyways, it essentially comes down to there being no merchants that had enough money to back the offer, and have actual support. The offer itself was shady in the first place and would've ruffled some feathers, but nowhere near the scale it ended up doing that.

      Edit: Just ran some quick numbers. Some of these companies were easily around 3500-4000 orders per day.
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  • Profile picture of the author Michael Mayhew
    The **** Berry itself is not a scam? That's like saying, "Are sweet potatoes a scam? blueberry's?, brocolli? kiwi? kelp? yerba mate'?

    It's a "Superfood" that's extremely high in antioxidants.

    It's the aggressive marketing that's shadey. The free bottles with $80 a month recurring without easy contact numbers to discontinue.

    Could happen with any health product. **** is hot in the health industry right now. There's always going to be someone who exploits a hot health product unfortunately.
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  • Profile picture of the author Nick Weinglass
    hey, oprah said it works, so of course it's not a scam!
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    • Profile picture of the author Scot Standke
      Originally Posted by Nick Weinglass View Post

      hey, oprah said it works, so of course it's not a scam!
      Actually, that's part of the scam, at least if I read the report right.

      Harpo Enterprises claims that Oprah never endorsed the product, that the offers along with faking before and after pics of users, uses her name and company name illegally.

      I heard that she actually approved of the berry as well, but that was through 2nd hand info I guess.

      Scot
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    • Profile picture of the author artwebster
      Originally Posted by Nick Weinglass View Post

      hey, oprah said it works, so of course it's not a scam!
      Oprah? Oh yes. Battery powered mobile phone chargers and chain letters - she said they worked too.

      Actually, the mobile phone chargers did work but they were massively over hyped and over priced.
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      • Profile picture of the author Floyd Fisher
        Originally Posted by artwebster View Post

        Oprah? Oh yes. Battery powered mobile phone chargers and chain letters - she said they worked too.

        Actually, the mobile phone chargers did work but they were massively over hyped and over priced.
        Yes, the mobile phone chargers do work...the ones made by Radio Shack and Energizer....the aatcm ones were total junk that couldn't power a flea, much less most mobile cell phones.

        Here's something to think about: How many cell phones use a single 'AA' or 'AAA' sized battery? Answer: None. That should tell you everything you need to know.

        Oh, and Oprah never ever endorsed chain letters...that was made up. Even she isn't that stupid.
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  • Profile picture of the author LilBlackDress
    Hi all,
    I have an **** Berry Diet Site, so I would like to share my thoughts here. And if anyone would like a link to the site, since I am not sure I can post it here, please PM me.

    I wrote a number of articles on **** Berry for content sites which are very highly ranked in Google. Because of the great response, and because I was ready to dabble in online marketing, I decided to start an **** Diet Site and signed up as an affiliate for an affiliate company. I called the affiliate company talked to the rep about the product and learned that payout was in the range of $30 or so and this was if someone signed up for a free trial. The rep said the payout was high because of the competition. Everything sounded really good and the rep sounded great.

    However, I did more careful investigation on the product, before I started selling it, and found many consumers complaining of fraud credit card charges etc. I called the number listed in the ad and it was constantly busy. And of course during my research I discovered many other facts..

    Here is a nutshell view

    ~ Rachel Ray and Oprah do not endorse any particular **** Product (as the ads would have you believe)
    ~ Dr. Perricone supports pure Sambazon **** but does not name a product name.
    ~ Many **** products do not contain **** and may contain pesticides.
    ~ Scam **** dealers offer 15 day free trials that start from the day you order the product so you dont have time to return it
    ~ If you try to return the product consumers find the number is delisted, constantly busy or they get disconnected.
    ~ False, inflated claims are made for the product

    etc

    So I found another **** product. This **** product supports the rainforest and its people and charges for the full product instead of giving a free trial. It is reasonably priced and offers a 60 day guarantee. The payout is not so good but I dont care. I can sleep at night.

    The first affliate company sent me an email that they were dropping me because I had not had sales. I wrote them a long note and told them their product was ripping off consumers and I was not going to sell it. So they are aware of the problem but still carry it as a product for affiliates to sell. It is interesting to note that when I was considering their **** products the offer name kept changing. I asked the affiliate rep why that was the case and he said they sold so much of the product they couldnt keep up with sales . I didnt think to much about what he said but now I realize that they were probably being shut down by credit card fraud companies or something like that.

    Another reason the **** scams bother me (aside from the consumer rip offs), is that the **** Berry is a powerpacked berry and a superfood. It is so good for you. And the scammers are giving it a bad name.

    Can **** Berry help you lose weight. Yes I believe it can. However as I say in my articles it helps by supporting the body with good nutrition. It is not a miracle pill. I have a body builder friend who claims it suppresses the appetite also. But that is not proven. What is proven is that it is packed with antioxidents and other goodies to provide nutritional support.
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    • Profile picture of the author NikkiM
      I have tried both the **** Berry and the Total Cleanse, and they do work. The **** Berry helps you lose the weight because it gives you more energy and decreases your appetite. Whenever, you increase your energy while you aren't able to eat as much, you will have no choice but to drop the weight.

      It's not really an issue with **** Berry as a weight loss supplement, but an avenue to change your eating habits, while giving you more energy.
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      • Profile picture of the author shane_k
        Originally Posted by NikkiM View Post

        I have tried both the **** Berry and the Total Cleanse, and they do work. The **** Berry helps you lose the weight because it gives you more energy and decreases your appetite. Whenever, you increase your energy while you aren't able to eat as much, you will have no choice but to drop the weight.

        It's not really an issue with **** Berry as a weight loss supplement, but an avenue to change your eating habits, while giving you more energy.

        Here are the mistakes I see poeple make when they say the **** berry works. They always talk about "weight" and not "fat loss" those two are very different things. Your "weight' includes muscle weight, fat weight, bone weight, bodily fluid weight, etc. The **** Berry has a very high diuretic effect meaning that it causes you to lose a lot of water weight.

        So when you take it, you lose more water weight and lean mass then you do body fat. So if you want to lose weight then you suceeded. But if you want to lose bodyfat then you are fooling yourself.

        Yes it can supress your appetite because it has a low gi rating and takes a long time to digest. But so do a lot of other foods, like apples, beans, brocolli, and whole wheat bread.

        You also say "Whenever, you increase your energy while you aren't able to eat as much, you will have no choice but to drop the weight."

        Again if you are talking in general about "weight" which includes bone, muscle, tissue, etc, then yeah you might drop weight, but if you are talking about "Fat Weight" then this is not always true.

        The **** Berry by itself can not make you lose weight. It is only one food. You need a healthy diet, (not starvation diets, or fad diets) proper exercise, and proper aerobics/cardio workouts all in combination to lose body fat.

        One little so called "superfood" by itself can not make you lose fat. It is not biologically possible.

        Shane_K
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    • Profile picture of the author JimmyD
      Originally Posted by LilBlackDress View Post

      Hi all,
      .................

      So I found another **** product. This **** product supports the rainforest and its people and charges for the full product instead of giving a free trial. It is reasonably priced and offers a 60 day guarantee. The payout is not so good but I dont care. I can sleep at night.

      ....................................
      Hey LilBlackdress
      I also have an **** Site and am unhappy about the complaints...what is the new **** product you have found to promote I'd been keen to do that one too.
      Cheers
      JimmyD
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  • Profile picture of the author LilBlackDress
    Scot,

    What happened there was Oprah had Dr. Perricone on her show. Dr. Perricone says that **** Berry is one of the most powerful superfoods in the world. He endorse Sambazon **** but does not name a particular brand.

    The scammers ran with this and stretched the truth to where Oprah and Rachel Ray are now endorsing **** Berry, though they are not. Many consumers love and trust Oprah, so fall for the pitch.

    JayinOrlando,

    You said....

    "The thing is, it makes it rather hard to compete. Most people seem to believe the hype pitch VS the honest pitch. If there is any sliver lining to this, I guess it's that those company's may be making the big bucks now but sooner or later it will all crash down on them. Leaving the honest guys (me) left to handle things in the correct way"

    I agree with you. I have an honest **** site and hopefully down the road people will be ordering from my site more than going for the free offers.
    Want to possibly exchange links? I am all for supporting another honest **** site.
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    • Profile picture of the author Heliskier
      THanks Lilblackdress. Can you PM me the name of the honest **** Berry offer you promoting?

      Also, does anyone know if the '**** Burn' offer is one of the 'scams'?
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  • Profile picture of the author Brad Gosse
    **** berry
    Probiotics
    trans fats
    antioxidants

    All are just flavors of the months. Good marketers see these trends and create products. Most buyers are suckers for the next "superfood" or "Brazilian wonder berry" and will buy whatever is touted to cure everything.

    It's all snake oil.

    Having said that I make a killing off some of these offers lol.

    My next trend prediction is "Chocolate Skin Cream" mark my words
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  • Profile picture of the author GlynisG
    **** gets a bad name because of marketers who think of sneaky ways to take advantage of people.
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    • Profile picture of the author CmdrStidd
      I am a health food nut myself and I can tell you that there is no miracle diet pill that will have you losing 10 lbs in 24 hours. However, the **** berry does help with weight loss. Like all other herbal remedies in this area, the effects are slow, however, which is where the fraud comes in with the ads. They say the weight loss is quick when it is not. The same goes for certain teas that are currently being marketed as weight loss teas. In their case, they are using a tea that has been around and sold for ages, Oolong tea. They just rename it and sell it as a miracle tea and people blindly follow. It makes me sick, really when I think about how gullible the modern public are to such shams and scams.
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  • Profile picture of the author Scot Standke
    Originally Posted by jbrockbetting View Post

    I saw the same BS. These berries are very good for you. Don't believe what you hear on the news.
    The news did not outright say that the berry was not good for you.

    What it pointed out was that the companies involved in giving the "Free Trial" are auto-billing your cards before you even get your samples for refills plus, they don't give you any way to get a refund or even cancel the refills. Not to mention the Photoshopping of stock images to make it look like there are actual people losing weight on it, that right there is fraud.

    What saddens me is that it's obvious by a post or two here, that some folks will promote these things even knowing the deception going on.

    Scot
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    • Profile picture of the author Cynthia A.
      I saw a similar story today on my local news. It showed people in my area who took the free trial & immediately started getting bottles of the stuff sent to them. The news reporter called the company & was told that the TRIAL started when you placed the order! The customer could not cancel & ended up having to cancel her credit card. The same complaint is going on all over the Net. They even showed the photo from iStock photo & some of those "confession" blogs that use it.

      Originally Posted by Scot Standke View Post

      What saddens me is that it's obvious by a post or two here, that some folks will promote these things even knowing the deception going on.

      Scot
      I couldn't agree more.

      Cynthia
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  • Profile picture of the author edlewis
    More info on **** - ABC News: 'Superfood' **** May Not Be Worth Price

    Found with a link thru Wikipedia, not some affiliate site.

    Again....I don't really have an issue with **** or even some of the claims made about it. It's a fruit rich in antioxidents....so it's going to have some health benefits.

    But the outright scams that follow it....autobilling that can't be cancelled, photoshopped weight loss "results", and faux testimonials from stock photo images....???

    Come on....
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  • Profile picture of the author Peter Soos
    "My next trend prediction is "Chocolate Skin Cream" mark my words "

    Sorry Brad...came out with that in the 70's...LOL,

    Peter Soos
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  • Profile picture of the author LilBlackDress
    There are good sources for ****. The company I work with even developed an **** Berry Consumer Bill of Rights to let customers know there are reputable sources.
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  • Profile picture of the author mogili
    Yes, I've read conflicting reports about **** berry. But, I'm not sure whether **** berry therapy is really effective. May be the ones who have used might be in a better position to comment.
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    • Profile picture of the author jasonl70
      Originally Posted by Scot Standke View Post

      Not to mention the Photoshopping of stock images to make it look like there are actual people losing weight on it, that right there is fraud.
      this is not the vendiors doing this - it is the affiliates.
      I think most of us are just assuming that those photo's are photo-chopped. Heck, they could be legit photo's of people who simply lost weight over 6 months (from some other program)- who knows.

      Heck - give me a placebo, and if I cut sugar/junk/processed foods from my diet, started walking more, etc, I could lose several pounds a week. Throw some real excercising into the mix, and I would be down over 20 pounds in 5 weeks easily - been there, done that.

      I could take legit before/after shots, and say how great the placebo pill was, combined with whatever else I took (maybe my morning tea).

      A lot of people 'think' that their magic pill is helping them lose weight, when the truth is they have become more health aware and made a lot of other changes to their lifestyle during that same time.
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      • Profile picture of the author Corwinnx
        Originally Posted by jasonl70 View Post

        this is not the vendiors doing this - it is the affiliates.
        I think most of us are just assuming that those photo's are photo-chopped. Heck, they could be legit photo's of people who simply lost weight over 6 months (from some other program)- who knows.

        Heck - give me a placebo, and if I cut sugar/junk/processed foods from my diet, started walking more, etc, I could lose several pounds a week. Throw some real excercising into the mix, and I would be down over 20 pounds in 5 weeks easily - been there, done that.

        I could take legit before/after shots, and say how great the placebo pill was, combined with whatever else I took (maybe my morning tea).

        A lot of people 'think' that their magic pill is helping them lose weight, when the truth is they have become more health aware and made a lot of other changes to their lifestyle during that same time.

        AMEN! Often at work in these 'miracles' is the age old "Power Of Suggestion." Ancient Astrology was in large part a foundation for the Power of Suggestion, which is one of the reasons that for thousands of years, people still consult their horoscopes and 'sign' guides to search out the answers to their path in life.

        I've had personal experience with **** berry products, namely, Mona Vie. I personally couldn't stand the taste of the stuff (tasted like grape and strawberries and I don't like strawberries), but a diabetic friend of mine drinks his 2oz every day and swears it improved his circulation and his blood sugar.

        I'm in with a lot of CPA networks and there are A LOT of different **** berry offers. I have nothing against promoting the trial offers, but I read the T.O.S. on every one of them before I start promoting,though most people don't bother to read them at all.

        I've read the TOS on these offers, and the offers I promote clearly define the cancellation policy and procedures. As far as whether or not the companies actually HONOR the cancellations I couldn't tell you. But I know that they provide phone numbers, or I don't promote them.

        And I'm fairly certain that none of the offers I promote feature or mention Oprah Winfrey or Rachel Ray.
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      • Profile picture of the author shane_k
        Originally Posted by jasonl70 View Post


        A lot of people 'think' that their magic pill is helping them lose weight, when the truth is they have become more health aware and made a lot of other changes to their lifestyle during that same time.

        This seems like such a sales pitch on my part. But I am creating some health videos right now, and one of the things that we talk about is how using one tool, that people can buy for $20 from any health store, will be able to show them what a scam a lot of these products are.

        That tool is a fat calliper. See most fad diets and cleansing diets say you can lose "weight"

        And they can make the "weight" claim because it is true. Weight in a legal and biological definition includes Fat, Bone, Tissue, Muscle, and Bodily Fluids. All these things make up your "weight"

        But if you want to talk about "Fat" that just includes fat weight.

        A common mistake that most people make is they use a weigh scale by itself. Well a weigh scale by itself can not tell you if that 10lbs you lost or 8lbs you lost was fat weight, or muscle weight, or water weight.

        But if people used Fat Callipers in conjunction with their weigh scales then would be able to get a better picture of what is actually happening. They would see that hey this "miracle pill" is only causing me to lose water weight, or muscle weight and NOT fat. Which is what poeple want to lose in the first place.

        It is such a simple thing. If people just bought this $20 product, they wouldn't fall for stupid, ridiculous claims like this.


        Shane_K
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  • Profile picture of the author MichaelHiles
    Can't be any worse than all the hype surrounding Noni Juice a few years back.
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  • Profile picture of the author Mo Goulet
    This only goes to show that FREE on the internet is not always free. I'd much rather buy something that offers a return policy and a direct customer service line (which you should call first & see if they answer).
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  • Profile picture of the author Scot Standke
    jasonl70,

    The bit on Good Morning America this morning showed the very istockphoto image that some of these sites are using, some German model, along with the photoshopped transformations that model supposedly made

    Scot
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    • Profile picture of the author jasonl70
      Originally Posted by Scot Standke View Post

      jasonl70,

      The bit on Good Morning America this morning showed the very istockphoto image that some of these sites are using, some German model, along with the photoshopped transformations that model supposedly made

      Scot
      lol.. wow.
      I guess it's no different then posting fake cb shots
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  • Profile picture of the author Josh Anderson
    Some people are paying as much as $200 a month for this stuff and getting less benefits than they would with a diet rich in: Grape, blueberry, and pomegranate juice.

    I eat lots of raw fruits and vegetables and consume pomegranate, blueberry, and grape juice. I get the same amount or more nutrients than I would with processed **** juices and pills which are cocktails anyway (combination usually containing other juices and ingredients) and best of all I do not have to break the bank for a sip instead I have refreshing and filling meals made of these healthy foods.

    In a recent study **** was ranked below Pomegranate, Blueberry, and concord grape juices for certain antioxidant content. Juices, even oganic whole juices, made from these other fruits can be aquired at a fraction of the cost of the imported **** juice cocktails.

    People are just deceaving themselves about it.
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    • Profile picture of the author Corwinnx
      Originally Posted by Josh Anderson View Post

      Some people are paying as much as $200 a month for this stuff and getting less benefits than they would with a diet rich in: Grape, blueberry, and pomegranate juice.

      I eat lots of raw fruits and vegetables and consume pomegranate, blueberry, and grape juice. I get the same amount or more nutrients than I would with processed **** juices and pills which are cocktails anyway (combination usually containing other juices and ingredients) and best of all I do not have to break the bank for a sip instead I have refreshing and filling meals made of these healthy foods.

      In a recent study **** was ranked below Pomegranate, Blueberry, and concord grape juices for certain antioxidant content. Juices, even oganic whole juices, made from these other fruits can be aquired at a fraction of the cost of the imported **** juice cocktails.

      People are just deceaving themselves about it.
      Josh,
      Careful on the blueberry intake, too much of them has been known to cause kidney problems.

      -Marcus
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  • Profile picture of the author Steve Sanchez
    Maybe I should write a book about this whole debacle and try and get on Oprah's book club. Man I could be rich! Who else can get someone a bestseller overnight? Got to get to typing! Hasta.
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  • Profile picture of the author shakti2u
    **** Berry is very good for more energy & antioxidents but need to be used with a sensible diet. Almost all of the hyped products, when you receive them, tell you that their product will work in conjunction with a 1200 calories diet. I could loose weight if I could eat a 1200 calories diet and be satisfied - LOL. It's interesting how they leave out the important information till they've gotten your information.

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  • Profile picture of the author valerieSONORA
    **** is good.

    Scams are bad.

    I read reviews on the **** berry plan where customers kept getting billed over and over and couldn't cancel. I guess the only way is to call your credit card company for a new card with a different number.

    If ppl are automatically billing ppl without their permission and not letting them cancel, they need to be charged by the AG.
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  • Profile picture of the author Gavin Stephenson
    Loads of companys claim they can heal various things but its all hype to get in to the autoship. I always say what you fail to control will control you. I was watching a tv show on credit cards the other day actually.

    Apperently they really dont have any benfits to the consumer apart from buy now pay later.

    I guess thats how coporations work... Work on the companys profit margins by manipulating hard working people.

    Arhh well I guess thats how it goes.

    I going to tweet this
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    • Profile picture of the author davemiz
      first, 3-4k units a day is what some of the decent size sites do... i think the biggest does about 40k orders a month.

      You need to float cash till you make your money back so that becomes a potential issue.

      listen, the only way you make money selling supplements like that online is by continuity. 99.999% of the sites do this, nothing new here.

      NO Affiliates are going to mail for your stuff if they're not getting paid fast. And by affiliates I'm not talking about 10 orders a month... I'm talking about PLAYERS.

      As a merchant, you're paying on a TRIAL, whether the order gets rebilled after 14 days or not.

      So if you get a lot of chargebacks and declines and no rebills you're actually LOOSING money, sometimes LOADS of it.

      The cpa affiliate gets paid on the trial basis, so does the network.

      Point is you'd better have your stuff tested and converting if you're going to play in these markets.

      The problem is most people don't read what they're getting, which is their fault and SOME companies aren't issuing refunds, which is just plain stupid.

      Most customers who complain say they never knew they were going to be billed, although it says on 99% of the sites the trial offer (and again on the order pages).

      Also 99% of the sites have a refund/continuity link at the bottom explaining the offer.
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      • Profile picture of the author J smith
        Wouldn't people be able to call their credit card and dispute the charges? At the very least that should stop future charges. Granted it's a pain, but better then getting billed for something you don't need.

        I was recently reading a tos of one of the **** berry sites and it actually said that the pictures shown are of professional models and don't have anything to do with the **** berry or anythign else promoted on the site. Was quite amusing.
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  • Profile picture of the author ArthurRose
    Banned
    [DELETED]
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    • Profile picture of the author Chris Lockwood
      Originally Posted by ArthurRose View Post

      All homeopathic cures for example are pretty much scam, because they mostly work through placebo effect.
      That's just not true- where do you get your info?
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    • Profile picture of the author mikebeta2
      Originally Posted by ArthurRose View Post

      I'm not really surprised that **** is scam. Most of those health related CPA's and products are.

      All homeopathic cures for example are pretty much scam, because they mostly work through placebo effect.
      ..This is so rich with true
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  • Profile picture of the author Scot Standke
    Here's yet another negative story I found on CNN this evening:

    Group challenges **** berry weight-loss claims - CNN.com

    Scot
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    • Profile picture of the author marciraxy
      yes i do believe that of cus anybody can do anything to make money
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  • Profile picture of the author Always-A-Warrior
    Personally, I've been taking ****, Noni and Mangosteen for the past 2 months now and I feel better than ever. My skin disease is gone and I love the taste. Oh and its not any cpa or mlm offer. I get it direct from a great company with great support. I have the real stuff they don't.

    You can google "Brazil Botanicals"
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  • Profile picture of the author Michael Oksa
    Even within this discussion the assumption is that antioxidants are somehow beneficial. Are they? What if they actually increased mortality?

    The whole **** thing is funny to me. Yes, I'm a skeptic of many things, but here's why I think it has such appeal.

    People think...

    1. Antioxidants are good for you, or so "they" say. It's conventional wisdom. Therefore...

    2. A product that contains it is good for you, and...

    3. The more antioxidants, the better your health

    4. Exoctic foods are somehow superior.

    5. So, **** is obviously the best choice.

    Blech!



    Michael Oksa
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    • Profile picture of the author edlewis
      Originally Posted by Michael Oksa View Post

      Even within this discussion the assumption is that antioxidants are somehow beneficial. Are they? What if they actually increased mortality?

      The whole **** thing is funny to me. Yes, I'm a skeptic of many things, but here's why I think it has such appeal.

      People think...

      1. Antioxidants are good for you, or so "they" say. It's conventional wisdom. Therefore...

      2. A product that contains it is good for you, and...

      3. The more antioxidants, the better your health

      4. Exoctic foods are somehow superior.

      5. So, **** is obviously the best choice.

      Blech!



      Michael Oksa
      Totally agree.

      Not one of the people in this thread talking about how great **** is provided one shred of real proof. Probably having trouble finding any since the internet is filled only with a bombardment of marketing messages for ****.

      My question is - Is the "small red bean" or "pinto bean" fad next?

      Foods highest in antioxidants

      Shocking....you mean fruits and vegetables really are good for us?!?!?

      Shocking we've come THAT far in this country....
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  • Profile picture of the author Pat Spence
    I have taken **** and agree that it does give me more energy and I felt terrific. That's why I started to promote a free trial offer. Then I started to really think about why the commission was so high upfront, as opposed to repeat sales, and I dropped it fast. I won't be a party to ripping anyone off.
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  • Profile picture of the author Noel2010
    Anytime the regular guy starts to make money from something, the government steps in, with the help of the worthless media, to say it's a scam.

    When rich folks invest... wall street, futures, etc, it's a business and the government never intervenenes and of course, the media is clueless. Even when the crooks are found out, they still get help. Notice how they are fighting for all the dumb Madoff "investors"?
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  • Profile picture of the author LilBlackDress
    Hi all,
    As I mentioned earlier, I have an **** site. There is no free trial. You pay for your **** Berry and have 60 days to return it. It is disappointing that **** is being given a bad rap because of the scammers selling it.

    As I share at my website, there is no miracle pill to lose weight. You have to eat right and exercise. **** Berry is a great supplement to take that offers nutritional support, so it may make it easier.

    Since there is discussion here as to if **** is nutritious or not, here is more info. on what is in **** Berry. This information was provided by the company I am affiliated with. Could they be lying? Or course they could. I am not a scientist and I cannot clinically prove if **** Berry works or not.

    I can only share my experiences and what others have shared with me at my site.

    Incredible Antioxidant and Anthocyanins Levels
    Simply put, **** is one of the highest antioxidant fruits in the world. **** has 10 times the antioxidant level of grapes and twice that of blueberries. **** has 10 to 30 times the Anthocyanins of red wine The score for 100 grams of freeze dried Sambazon **** Powder is over 50,000. An almost unbelievable number when you consider most of the population consumes less than 1,000 units a day.
    Healthy Fats
    The **** berry is very rich in healthy Omega fats. Nearly 50% of the **** berry is fat - with 74% of the fat coming from healthy unsaturated fats such as Omega 3, Omega 6 and Omega 9.
    Rich in Amino Acids and Protein
    7.59% of the weight of the **** pulp is from amino acids. 19 different amino acids have been identified in ****. Since amino acids are the building blocks of protein, it is no surprise that you have over 8 grams of protein in a 100 gram serving of ****.
    Excellent source of Plant Sterols
    Three plant sterols (or photosterols) have been identified in **** - B-sitosterol, campesterol and sigmasterol. Photosterols have been shown to have numerous health benefits for maintaining healthy heart and digestive function.
    Good source of Vitamins and Minerals
    Vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, C and E are all present in ****. In fact, **** contain as much Vitamin C as blueberries and has over 1000 IU of Vitamin A for every 100 grams of ****. In addition, potassium, calcium, magnesium, copper and zinc are all found in ****.
    Good Source of Fiber
    For a fruit, **** has a strong fiber profile. There are about 14 grams of fiber in every 100 grams of freeze dried **** powder.
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  • Profile picture of the author koolwarrior
    Banned
    Here's what I believe in.

    If the product has to be promoted via network marketing or MLM, it's because it sucks so bad, that they the only way they can get people to buy it, is to introduce a compensation plan to entice people to get it JUST so they can make money.

    Do you really think **** Berry would be so successful if there was no compensation plan for it? Hell no!

    If the company was so confident in their product, why not put it on shelves in actually retail outlets, instead of forcing people to buy it just so they can make money?

    Marketing a product via network marketing is only going to lead to more and more people being misled by sheisty marketers who will tell you everything you want to hear, and would probably even lie to their own mother to sell.

    My idea...stay away from network marketing products. That's how I feel.


    Good example...GDI. Why did GDI need to set up a network marketing campaign to sell domains? Because they knew no one would buy them at their ridiculous prices under normal circumstances. C'mon...$10/month for a domain name? And I can't even use it right away?

    I could go to Godaddy and register a new one for $10 a YEAR...and get access to it right away.

    GDI knows their product is crap, that's why they had to sell it alongside with a compensation plan to get people EXCITED about a product that is definitely not worth its weight in gold.

    The same thing goes for **** Berry, my friends.
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    • Profile picture of the author Kenneth L
      Originally Posted by koolwarrior View Post

      Here's what I believe in.

      If the product has to be promoted via network marketing or MLM, it's because it sucks so bad, that they the only way they can get people to buy it, is to introduce a compensation plan to entice people to get it JUST so they can make money.

      Do you really think **** Berry would be so successful if there was no compensation plan for it? Hell no!

      If the company was so confident in their product, why not put it on shelves in actually retail outlets, instead of forcing people to buy it just so they can make money?

      Marketing a product via network marketing is only going to lead to more and more people being misled by sheisty marketers who will tell you everything you want to hear, and would probably even lie to their own mother to sell.

      My idea...stay away from network marketing products. That's how I feel.


      Good example...GDI. Why did GDI need to set up a network marketing campaign to sell domains? Because they knew no one would buy them at their ridiculous prices under normal circumstances. C'mon...$10/month for a domain name? And I can't even use it right away?

      I could go to Godaddy and register a new one for $10 a YEAR...and get access to it right away.

      GDI knows their product is crap, that's why they had to sell it alongside with a compensation plan to get people EXCITED about a product that is definitely not worth its weight in gold.

      The same thing goes for **** Berry, my friends.
      So true. MLM sucks.

      I remember reading Gary Halbert's letter about MLM and say pretty much what you just said about the matter.

      I mean if a product was great why not just sell it yourself via the Internet or Direct Mail?

      Why sell someone else on selling it who'll then try and sell someone else on selling it?

      Network Marketing just doesn't make sense. I've heard some people proudly proclaim they're involved in it. I would be too ashamed to let out a peep.

      Kenneth
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  • Profile picture of the author LilBlackDress
    I sell **** Berry as a regular company affiliate (no scam free trials) along with other very reputable products I believe in such as Clarins, GoodTimes products, Clarisonic Brush etc. The **** company I am with is a regular vitamin type company and not MLM.

    And yes I feel **** Berry will and would sell based on its own merits, without all the hype though not nearly anywhere near as much. I believe its a great product.
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  • Profile picture of the author koolwarrior
    Banned
    I've heard some people proudly proclaim they're involved in it. I would be too ashamed to let out a peep.
    Me too. Thats why when I did GDI for a short term (2 months), I was actually ashamed to tell people about it, because I knew deep in my heart that they could get a simple domain name WAY cheaper than GDI.

    And what would be my reason to them for why they need a $120/year domain name? Because it can make them money from selling the same service to someone else.


    I dunno how network marketers, let alone network marketing companies can sleep at night.

    And just to comment on what LilBlackDress said:

    And yes I feel **** Berry will and would sell based on its own merits, without all the hype though not nearly anywhere near as much. I believe its a great product.
    Key phrase here...WITHOUT ALL THE HYPE and NOT NEARLY ANYWHERE NEAR AS MUCH. The hype is generated from the compensation plan, not from the benefits of the product. If the benefits of the product were ALL THAT, then why is it that everytime one of my friends or online buddies first talk to me about ****, they always ask if I 'want to make more money'...instead of 'do I want to live a healthier lifestyle?'

    Never EVER in my life have I ever been told about the PRODUCT first...it's always the money & comp. plan first...THEN the product that's gonna get me the money. Should be the other way around, am I right or wrong?

    Yes, you might find people who actually are looking for a drink like **** Berry. That's fine. But think about the thousands of people who bought it just for the comp. plan. Do you really think they all NEEDED this wonderful powerful health drink? No. They just wanted the loot that comes with selling it.

    Otherwise, they wouldn't give a damn about the product, and they sure as hell wouldn't be so pushy about getting you to watch a video presentation or two, and getting you to sit in on dozens of informational calls...just to sell you a damn drink.

    Last time I checked, I didn't need to watch videos and jump on the phone a few times a week just to buy a fruity drink. I'd just hit up the bodega around the corner for a quarter juice if I wanted a fruity drink. And the walk to the store would have health benefits. HA

    How do you know when a network marketer is lying? They're lips are moving or their fingers are typing away.
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  • Profile picture of the author JNada
    ****** is the real deal.
    i've played brazilian jiu jitsu since 2002
    and that's where i was first introduced
    to it, the Sambazon powder blended with ice and topped with
    bananas and granola. great at BJJ
    tournaments. it really is a super
    food that lives up to the hype.

    the marketing i can't comment on,
    but the product walks the walk.
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  • Profile picture of the author LilBlackDress
    When I say it will sell on its own without all the hype. I meant without the false claims of miracle weight loss. I believe **** can help with weight loss by supporting the body and providing great nutrition. But pounds will not melt off when you snack on goodies, watch TV and take ****.

    There are people hyping the product and making outrageous claims, so they can earn big with free trial offers. It's gross and disgusting. I am not familiar with the MLM marketing side of **** so I don't know the claims there, but I can guess.

    But there are still honest **** Berry companies out there. The one I am affiliated with for example offers a great product and backs it up. I personally believe that **** Berry offers great health benefits and down the road when the hucksters go off to the next big thing, I think **** will still sell as an excellent supplement should.
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    • Profile picture of the author xmcp
      Originally Posted by LilBlackDress View Post

      When I say it will sell on its own without all the hype. I meant without the false claims of miracle weight loss. I believe **** can help with weight loss by supporting the body and providing great nutrition. But pounds will not melt off when you snack on goodies, watch TV and take ****.

      There are people hyping the product and making outrageous claims, so they can earn big with free trial offers. It's gross and disgusting. I am not familiar with the MLM marketing side of **** so I don't know the claims there, but I can guess.

      But there are still honest **** Berry companies out there. The one I am affiliated with for example offers a great product and backs it up. I personally believe that **** Berry offers great health benefits and down the road when the hucksters go off to the next big thing, I think **** will still sell as an excellent supplement should.
      MLM=Monavie
      Affiliate=Everything else=complaints.
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  • Profile picture of the author LilBlackDress
    I checked out the company I am an affiliate of when I joined. It is a very small supplement/vitamin company. And I could not find any complaints against them. They also offer 60 day money back etc. And they DO NOT hype it as a weight loss miracle. It's a good company. BTW if I make a sale I get a small percent of the sale like I would if I was selling vitamins through a vitamin company with CJ. This company does not pay big bucks like the MLM or trial offer companies do, because they are not ripping people off. I just got into it because I believe in the product.
    There truly are some honest people out there dealing in **** Berry.
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  • Profile picture of the author Tony Vercetti
    Well, thankfully, I dont have any weight issues myself, so I cant try it out to see if **** works or not.
    I do get a few sales each day running some PPC and Media buys for it, so its still definitely selling well.

    I think it is no more of a "scam" than most of the overhyped IM products we see everywhere, mostly on Clickbank.

    While they may help you make money, you still need to do your part and take action, research, investment, etc.

    Same thing for ****, it has some properties that might HELP you lose some weight, but you still need to do some proper exercise and healthy eating. I doubt it will work if you eat like a hog all day in front of the TV, and you consider flipping the channels "exercise".

    While I do admit that the methods on the **** sites could be sneaky (free trial, then billing the user $80 or $90 a month), they are not alone, grants sites, some IM products like the "Google Cash!" stuff, other health products do that as well.
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  • Profile picture of the author billbarrett
    The **** Berry marketing strategy looks as a real scam to me. I would not respect a marketer who tries to cheat me in such way. And I would not promote such products, though.
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  • Profile picture of the author iplusgold
    The **** berry might be the best thing since slived bread...but alot of the MLM and affiliate programs that revolve around it are scams. I jumped ont he band wagon early last year with Mona-vie and MLM type for the **** berry and got burned pretty badly...not really a scam just a very expensive product and difficult to market, especailly when you consider that you can get the same ORAC values from good grape juice.

    So **** is really the flavour of the week at the moment for shady people to advance their fortunes...this reflects badly upon the juice and unfortunately harms its reputation because I have spoken to people who have experienced great health benefits from it.

    my 2 cents
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    • Profile picture of the author USHwy129
      There will undoubtedly be a study in the near future stating the detrimental side effects of **** berry

      Seems a bit snake-oilish to me...definitely the flavor-of-the-week. Give it a few months it will be something else.

      Exercise and moderation in all things has worked quite well for me so far
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      • Profile picture of the author USHwy129
        And side note -

        New to the forum, hey everyone!

        My brain is melting from the info overload but it's an amazing place!
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        • Profile picture of the author dumbledoor
          It's all about business ethics.

          If one has the heart to scam hard-working individuals and boast about 5 figure days, two will follow.

          It's gonna get worst.

          But ultimately, it's what you stand for at the end of the day. Will you be proud to tell your son/daughter/mom/dad/friends/relatives this is what you're doing?
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  • Profile picture of the author pbrbart
    There's logical reason to think that **** berries are good for you, they are in the same class as grapes and blueberries, which are also known as good antioxidants. But the leap from that to "diet pill" is only for the truly deluded. Imagine if I were to sell you something you've heard of, say concord grapes in a gel pill form. I did this by taking the grape jelly in my fridge, and putting it capsules.

    Now, you'd still get the benefits that grapes have, but you wouldn't lose weight. But so what, grapes are good for you.

    The scam, as mentioned by others, are the automatic credit card charges. Buy them through Amazon, or over the counter, but not through some shady website. That goes for **** berries, flat screen tvs, and speaker system.s
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  • Profile picture of the author Firedog
    ****, in and of itself, is not a scam. Its a food that has some very good health benefits. I used a certain concentrated juice product that contained **** as well as numerous other fruits and can honestly say that I noticed a difference in my energy levels and my blood sugar levels. It really made me feel great.

    Unfortunately, the stuff I was drinking that had such great results was also someone pricey.
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  • Profile picture of the author Michael Motley
    **** berry in itself isnt a scam. it works...but like everything else in the diet industry, its not a silver bullet and its hyped way above its abilities.

    I see lots of people down here with cars that are full on **** graphiced from front to back. My better half was almost recruited by a guy at her work to sell the **** juice. It came in wine-like bottle and i believe was something like 80 bucks a bottle.

    I'm sorry but unless drinking whatever is in that bottle is going to make me look like brad pitt and spend like donald trump, or make me a sexual tyranosaurus, its just 80 dollar fruit juice.
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  • Profile picture of the author RebeccaL
    Originally Posted by ProductCreator View Post

    Check out this simple **** Berry affiliate site doing $5000/month and selling at Sitepoint:

    **** Berry Affiliate Website - $4600+/month - Organic

    Very interesting...
    That's pennies. there are/were people doing high 6 and 7 figures per month promoting **** offers.

    If I had the capability, I would have done it too (requires big PPC spending).

    It's no more of a scam than many other products are (real world and online), and forced contiuinity programs that we often see in the IM niche...
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  • Profile picture of the author Phil Murray
    I bought a bottle of ****/green tea pills at Wal-Mart the other day to add to my already in place fitness routine. I had already been losing weight and so I want to see if these add any extra help.
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  • Profile picture of the author Andy LaPointe
    I also saw the GMA story. What the story was about was not the **** berry and if the supplement works, but how the product was marketed.

    The complaints from the customers was not for the effectiveness of the product, but how the companies charged a the monthly subscription without clearly explaining it to the customers.

    This story exposed the fact that some **** marketers where using unethical methods to sell their product online. This is not good for any who sells products online. This is the first national story exposing unethical marketing practices using the Internet.

    As IM's we need to make sure we are following ethical business practices so the public doesn't become jaded about buying items online.

    Thanks,

    Andy
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    • Profile picture of the author AffiliateMax
      Originally Posted by Andy LaPointe View Post

      This is the first national story exposing unethical marketing practices using the Internet.
      Not the first - there was a national story about the Govt Grants thing a few weeks ago which was marketed in the same way (hidden continuity, false information, difficult/impossible to cancel etc)

      ftc gov grants scam - Google News
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  • Profile picture of the author MommyEnterprises
    I get so many spam emails about this stuff that I have never really took it seriously.
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  • Profile picture of the author nataliespeers86
    Had a friend who tried this...does not work!! Its always better to stick to a regular balanced diet anyway!!
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  • Profile picture of the author activetrader
    I was looking into promoting **** a while ago seeing how popular it was. I signed up with an affiliate network and saw that they had several **** companies and the payouts were in the $30-range for a free trial. It seemed like a huge money maker on free trials, so it didn't add up and I did some research which immediately showed people complaining about **** scams on multiple forum boards. Needless to say I never promoted it once I saw it was a complete scam. When it sounds too good to be true, do your research first.
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  • Profile picture of the author Tina M. Rideout
    Okay I have to put my two cents in here.

    **** Berry, Chinese Tea, Green Tea, SlimQuick, Alli,etc. All of them are successful because of marketing techniques. This also includes Diet programs like NutriSytem,

    If you notice they all hype the product -- then include the claim - with regular diet and exercise.

    You see its all a psych hype.

    People change their eating habits -- stop eating what they normally did. Start working out and exercising -- the weight comes off --- they feel better --

    They think is was the product when in reality -- they started eating better and getting off the couch. --- or stopped eating.

    Case in point SlimFast - does it work sure - you drink two meals and eat one. You go from consuming 2000 calories a day to less than 1200

    Tina
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    • Profile picture of the author Michael Motley
      Originally Posted by Tina M. Rideout View Post

      Okay I have to put my two cents in here.

      **** Berry, Chinese Tea, Green Tea, SlimQuick, Alli,etc. All of them are successful because of marketing techniques. This also includes Diet programs like NutriSytem,

      If you notice they all hype the product -- then include the claim - with regular diet and exercise.

      You see its all a psych hype.

      People change their eating habits -- stop eating what they normally did. Start working out and exercising -- the weight comes off --- they feel better --

      They think is was the product when in reality -- they started eating better and getting off the couch. --- or stopped eating.

      Case in point SlimFast - does it work sure - you drink two meals and eat one. You go from consuming 2000 calories a day to less than 1200

      Tina
      This is true. There was a quick fad that went on in the late 90's over a 'system' from gnc called cybergenics. It was like 150 or something like that and came with about 6 bottles of vitamins and minerals most of which could be found in any multivitamin and the couple that were not in a standard vitamin weren't all that expensive.

      It also came with the 'exercise plan' in book form. If you follwed this plan you litteraly would be working out 5-6 hours a day.

      You can probably eat a diet of peanutbutter and jelly sandwiches and still get in shape if you're exercising 5-6 hours a day. But people were saying 'wow, this thing really works!!!' No, you just started moving around and working out like an insane person
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  • Profile picture of the author Elliott
    Credit card companies are not necessarily cooperative about changing your card # or not rebilling you if you can't justify your claim that you're being taken to the cleaners and have not been able to cancel your order, subscription, or whatever.

    It is possible that eventually a person can be driven to transferring their balances, if they can, and closing their cc account.

    Never forget that your cc company is making money every time it processes a charge, and they will act to protect their income, a lot of which they get from the folks who have merchant accounts and move a lot of money through them..... That means protecting the merchant, more than protecting you.....

    Elliott
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  • Profile picture of the author jimbobo2779
    I think the fad (read scam) of **** berry should have been blatantly obvious to pretty much anyone since the beginning. We all know that eating a certain thing will not lose you weight, only a balanced (low fat / calorie) diet coupled with a bit of exercise will lose you weight.

    Still lots of money to be made in this sector though for those that don't mind preying on the thick or ill-informed.

    Jim
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  • Profile picture of the author Brad Gosse
    I have read many posts here discussing the ethics of marketers who promote such offers. Some say they won't admit to selling **** berry online.

    I WILL ADMIT IT.

    I sold **** berry products and made a killing in the process. If people are dumb enough to buy magic weight loss beans I say why not sell them.

    Weight loss products are like drugs. If you don't sell them someone else will.

    I make a great living and I sleep well at night.
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    • Profile picture of the author Michael Oksa
      Originally Posted by Brad Gosse View Post

      I have read many posts here discussing the ethics of marketers who promote such offers. Some say they won't admit to selling **** berry online.

      I WILL ADMIT IT.

      I sold **** berry products and made a killing in the process. If people are dumb enough to buy magic weight loss beans I say why not sell them.

      Weight loss products are like drugs. If you don't sell them someone else will.

      I make a great living and I sleep well at night.
      Duly noted.

      Question: Then why not be a drug dealer?

      Sorry, but just because you can justify doesn't make it right.

      All the best,
      Michael
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  • Profile picture of the author Romell Weekly
    The problem is **** berries is that they have a VERY short shelf life. So, it's very difficult to get them in their raw, most healthy form. This means that the VAST majority of **** products out there are processed to death, and are worth practically nothing health-wise. You'll notice that most of these **** products have a "proprietary blend", meaning there's probably have a speck of **** in the product, and the rest is fillers and other stuff.

    If you're interested in getting ****, I suggest NOT getting the pill form. Get it in the liquid form. My personal favorite, and I think the one that preserves the most health benefit is what's offered by Amazon Thunder.

    http://www.amazonthunder.com
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