I can't believe these websites...

Yes I have seen those websites. But how do you know they are scams? I know they are promoting a weight loss pill, but what is wrong with that? They probably are exagerating but with mascara TV ads they do the same thing. The model is always wearing fake eyelashes LOL

Just curious.

Giselle

I have seen similar products to these on T.V. with that now known "quack" doctor that sits in front of the camera with another nerdy looking guy. I found out the ingredients in that product actually made a lot of people sick but its still running on the air.

As for this product I would have to agree with Giselle and ask how you know its a scam? The **** berry has nothing but good reviews. I havent had a chance to search out information on this exact product but still curious.

It looks fabricated and that picture is of two different people. I wonder what would be a better way to accomplish the same thing?

I saw this site and several like it when researching niches a while ago. The really strange thing is that all the girls seemed to be called Laura!!!
I have found a site that certainly seems to bear out Matt's thoughts on a scam.

celebritydietdoctor.com/****-berry-scam/

Loads of comments on being ripped off.

By the way I decided not to do anything in the weight loss niche, thought it dangerous messing with people's weight and health.

Welcome to the Interwebs - it's called "marketing".

Apparently she lives in the same small city as me as well. I will have to look her up and get the real scoop. At least I can find out if she actually lost weight or not. Everybody knows everybody through someone in this city....I don't know anyone that spells St. as Saint in this city. Can't these be reported?

This forum has plenty of people who publish glowing reviews of products they have never used, as well as people who use fake testimonials.

And there's plenty of people using 'real' blogs to promote via "reviews".

The only thing different with flogs is that it simply uses the look and feel of a blog, which I really have no issue with. Who really cares if it actually has a full blown wordpress install behind it? If the review is going to be based on a personal experience, then the blog format itself is a neat idea.

Styling someting to look like a blog is not unethical - it's the content that needs to be judged, and frankly there's nothing new about fake reviews and fake testimonials. The only thing 'new' with these is their use (abuse) of the geo-location script.

*edit* I'd like to point out that fabricating where you are from is not nearly as unethical as a fabricating a review.

My point is: "scamming" is when you promise something, collect the money and don't deliver. I fail to see this in this example.. sorry.

Hahaha another geo-targeting script flog thread. (bangs head against wall looking for phone book)


Here ya go have fun. Be from everywhere.


http://www.geoplugin.com/

I'm with Jason, while it's a bit dodgy, it's not scamming.

Almost all the Clickbank style review sites are setup by people who have never actually used a product and most people don't have any problems with those.

This is basically a more sophisticated version.

Sean

hi Matthew--

I believe these are the same guys that I posted about. Please check out the thread I started here:

http://www.warriorforum.com/ad-netwo...shut-down.html

Johnathan

i know i'll get some flames for this, but..

REALITY CHECK!

Do you want to make some money in IM? ..then get with the program. Switch on your tv and have a look at them commercials: it's ALL about lying, faking, making potential buyers BUY something they DO NOT NEED AT ALL! ..is it unethical?! Hell YEAH! Is it scamming?! Hell NO (because they actually buy a working product).

And y'all complain about some geo-targeting? C'MON, PLEASE!

I can think of a million things more unethical in the offline world compared with these flogs (which can make a ton of cash by the way). weight loss TV advertisements have for decades been using people to praise the companies or products involved, when in all likelihood they've probably never used the product they're endorsing let alone benefited from it.

You think those people on the Ab King Pro TV ads really got their perfect bodies from doing a few fake sit ups with a plastic object?

Some people have a problem with flogs, others don't... if you're not hurting anyone or anything then I don't see a problem with it. Ultimately it is up to the reader if they want to buy and the only problems that occur are when they don't read the terms and conditions.

Well, she got me alright, how'd she know I'm from 25?! Spooky

I don't have a problem with the blog itself - if the product really does do what they say it does. If it doesn't, or is actually harmful and bad for you, then that's a problem.

But that's a different issue from the 'making it look like a blog' issue, which I don't see so much wrong with. People from here do that sort of thing every day. And big names like Fox, CNN, Walmart, Rachel Ray, Martha Stewart etc et al do much, MUCH worse and unethical things every day in the name of marketing as well.

You guys are all wrong, she lives in Bergen, 07 What a lame concept, they fail at everything else so they stoop to scamming for a living gj lmao.

look at the various CPA programs and check WHAT is actually making the most money.

HINT: Its NOT necessarely ethical...

In Affmarketing and CPA..i see a LOT borderline-scam offers, sadly...

As for what these blogs do that is scammy - aside from the fact that faked testimonials are lame, and making up a character who allegedly wrote the blog is lame - because it clearly means the product doesn't WORK if you have ot make up fake testimonials -

the blog that I referenced above sold people a subscription to a "work from home system" which is apparently nearly impossible to cancel, according to all of the complaints that I saw on various "ripoff report" sites.

So these fake blogs are not only doing the stupid geo-targeting thing, and using fake pictures of a fake person who supposedly created the site, they are also selling products that don't work and making it near-impossible to cancel subscriptions.

Is there more than one Scunthorpe in the world, I thought we were unique here in the wilds of Lincolnshire UK

Kim

Edit

I just read the rest of the thread and realised the location is targeted at wherever you are

I don't agree with it, but it's a clever idea

Hilarious. Just checked the site out. I'm in Paris, France. Guess where "Lauren" is now? Yep "Paris A8". And even the comments have been altered - geo-targeted. Talking about "the kind of stuff that gives IMers a bad name" and unethical marketing - how do you feel about the cookie-stuffers and CPA Craigslist scammers currently promoting their unethical marketing on WSOs?

BTW you want to clear your cookies after you visit that site.

Dear Agony Aunt,

According to "Lauren" she comes from wherever the guys above live.

Well now I'm worried because when I go to the site all I get is "My name is Lauren Burt and I am from , ."

Does this mean that where I live has been abolished? I haven't had a letter from the council about it.

Or even more worryingly does it mean that I've been abolished? Should I try the site again when one of my other personalities comes to the surface again?

I have to go now as "The Voices" are telling me to do bad things again like making an **** Berry CPA site.

Yours,

Worried of , .

Matthew, guess what I just found. It's a spin off your Flog.

http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...pamazines.html

Well, I'm probably going to get flamed, but what is the difference with this than the hundreds of IM product pages being pushed all the time? Most of them are outright lies and even if they are not lies most are embellished. There isn't any difference. Many people use geo targeting to connect better with the reader. Porn and dating sites have done it for years. Unless you actually believe all those lovely women actually live down the street from you.

This is marketing. Read Seth Godin's all marketers are lairs. Sure this site is pushing it, but its just marketing to the herd. This product is targeted towards females and most females want to read a story about someone else having success with some product before they buy. They want to connect with others who have similar problems.

In fact most people on the Internet want to connect. This is the reason for the explosion of sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and the thousands of other social media sites.

Effective marketing is about understanding your audience and then giving them what they want. This same technique is taught on this forum all the time. How many times have you read find a hungry crowd and feed them? If you have spent any time on the Warrior forum then I'm sure you have heard this before.

Now whether its something you want to do or not is up to you, but this is marketing and you have to compete or you don't make money.

Bruce

If I remember correctly didn't the FTC go after all those **** berry sites (granted that's just 1% of all these flogs) ? Whatever they decide is going to set a precedent for the rest of that stuff.

There seems to be a mistaken assumption here... that lying IS marketing.

Some marketers are liars... but not all. For an example of a wildly successful one who is not, see Paul Myers.

Presenting something in the best possible light is one thing... making up fake testimonials and even using a geo-targeting script is a completely different ball game.

Sure, some sales pages are full of lies. But the good ones, written by honest copywriters, are not.

-Dan

No question, this is misleading and deceptive which is illegal in many jurisdictions including the U.S. and Australia.

It's also immoral, unethical and sad.

I do NOT think it's marketing in any shape or form. And comparing this to other examples of deceptive marketing doesn't justify it one bit.

I can't encourage people enough to 'just say no' to this kind of thing.

Thanks for the heads up AffiliateMax.

You know I thought it was bad... but not this bad...

How do these people sleep at night?