Posts Tagged ‘ethics’

Albert Einstein once said “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”.

And after my last post on this subject along with attorney Mike Young’s post, I’m astonished to see Ian del Carmen continuing to place YOUR business at risk!

(Go ahead and read the last post - make sure to read the comments. I’ll wait. )

All done? Great.

Now, let’s take a look at those pesky legalities associated with this kind of  franchise scam:

• The “biz flop” is being sold in “territories” (in the United States among other places). However, potential “partners” are NOT furnished with Uniform Franchise Offering Circulars (UFOCs) as required by federal and some state laws.
• There does not appear to be any attempt to qualify to do business in each state where franchises are being sold.
• Utilizing the term “partner” in the sales pitch suggests that equity may be sold as part of the deal. If so, there appears to be no effort to comply with U.S. federal and state securities laws.

How Does This Put YOU At Risk?

In the words of legendary marketer Tony Blake:

“In the United States using the words Franchise and “territory” are extremely legally problematic… they are seen one in the same… in order to sell a franchise or territories you need to register your opportunity with each independent state, post a sizeable bond and make available approved prospectus’s… plus that this opportunity is well over $499 you will also have to register it in 43 states as a business offer and post another large bond…

In other words, what you are selling in the US is highly illegal and actionable not only by the FTC but by each states individual Attorney General’s…”

Don’t Let YOUR Business Explode
Into A “Fireball”!

If you’ve been duped into buying an illegal franchise or “partnership” with “territories” in the United States, here’s what to do:

1. Demand a full refund.

2. Contact the U.S. Federal Trade Commission.

3. Contact your state’s Attorney General’s office.

If you reside outside the United States, consult with your attorney about similar laws in your own country and TAKE ACTION to make sure sites like this are penalized.

There are a lot of people that talk about how cool Internet Marketing is and how much money you can make. But there is one thing they never talk about… And that is how people can totally rip off your product and share it amongst other thieves.

Click here to read more

No matter how long you have been selling online, it will happen to you.  If it hasn’t yet, it’s only a matter of time.

In fact, there are hundreds of websites out there that are totally dedicated to stealing and sharing eBooks. Up until now you could not do anything about it.

I’ve discovered a simple and inexpensive solution to combat the scum of the internet and safely protect my eBooks.

And I want to share it with you.

Check it out…its amazing!

Click here to read more

You can now find out the sucker that shared your stuff, And once you catch the loser doing it…and when you have their details you can do all sorts of things to bring them down.

You Can…

• Get Their Paypal Account Shut Down (Ouch)

• Shut Down Their Internet Connection (Bye Bye)

• Ban Them From Ever Purchasing Your Products Ever Again (See Ya)

• Have Their Warrior Forum Account Closed ( Gone )

• Start Legal Action And Really Nail Them ( Take Them To The Cleaners)

Never before have you ever had this much power and the ability to track down the people that are sharing your pdf reports!

Click here to read more

There is a strict limit of 50 copies being sold. Get yours today!!

I was reading a rant by another blogger who was annoyed by those who were copying his content into their websites without giving him the proper accreditation. He was looking for a solution to his problem, something different than Copyscape… and boy, did he find it!

There’s a great new FREE tool called Tynt Tracer (currently in expanded beta) that covertly tracks those who copy even just a little of your content… and adds YOUR link to the copied material!

Seriously… This Is The Coolest Thing!!

Check out this short demo video:

Let me know if you find this as awesome as I do!

A few days ago, Tony Blake and I were discussing a new product launch from Ian Del Carmen. He pointed out several disturbing things about this “opportunity”, and as a result of our conversation, he contacted our favourite, brilliant attorney Mike Young.

Mike Young is a no-nonsense expert in legal business matters, and he regularly “tells it like it is” as a valued expert moderator at ABlakeForum.com.

Mike knows his stuff… and he posted an extremely informative article on his blog.

Here’s a link:

Worldwide Internet Consulting: Franchise Scam

Do your subscribers a favour… let them know that it IS POSSIBLE to make a healthy income online without resorting to tactics like this.

Let me know what you think!

I just finished reading a post entitled “A Friend Asked Me To Warn You…” by Ken McArthur, a prominent marketer who is well-known for being an upstanding, nice guy throughout the internet marketing world.  You can read the post by clicking here.

I was sorely disappointed by this post for a number of reasons.

First, I dislike it intensely when a marketer uses misleading subject lines and headlines in order to deceive people into clicking a link. When they say that even bad publicity is good publicity, “they” are wrong. If this post had been selling something, I would have refused to purchase it based solely on the deception.

Second, I was truly disappointed by the content. The opening sentences had me believing that Ken was finally going to warn his followers and revoke his endorsement of a particularly unsavoury character. I’ve emailed him privately about the matter, and most experienced and connected marketers are aware of the person’s lack of integrity, but only through “back channels”.

Sadly, these top marketers continue to ignore the problem, insisting that it’s not for them to say anything… that the new marketers will learn on their own.

But at what expense?

Ken posted a second blog post: “Controversy Or Communication?” where he elaborated on the original post further. You can read it by clicking here. I posted a lengthy comment there as well.

What’s your opinion?

Are you selling your integrity to maintain your popularity with the “Big Boys”? Promoting questionable products and marketers regardless of their ethics or the value of their products? Letting your followers “find out for themselves” about unethical marketers instead of speaking up and providing true direction for them?

I’m interested in hearing your point of view.

As most of you know, I am an enthusiastic Twitter fan. Well, I recently engaged in conversation with another marketer, John Reese (you may have heard of him) on Twitter, when he posted the following:

“Instant Lesson: Negative-Attitude Marketing (i.e. bashing others) builds more of a following of other miserable people not good customers.”

I read the post twice, then was compelled to post a reply.

“Instant Lesson: Brutally Honest Marketing (i.e. exposing liars & thieves) builds a following of extraordinarily grateful people/customers.”

I figured that I had made my point, but then John replied.

“Anytime spent “exposing liars” or worry about what others are doing is time taken away from PROVIDING VALUE to customers.”

Needless to say, I was stunned. Here is the rest of our short conversation:

Lisa: “When others are ripping off my customers, I AM providing value. What’s a waste is having to undo their damage… and so damn often, its sick.”

(cont.)… “Solidify in their mind that you are looking out for them, showing the potholes to avoid and they become extremely loyal = massive returns.”

John: “but greater returns come from spending ALL your energy in providing the proper value instead of critiquing competitors”

Lisa: “Well, John, I’ve been doing this for a lot of years. Give incredible value AND direction/advice. Probably why I have ZERO unsubscribe rate.”

John: “well then that’s great. Keep up the good work. My primary point is that negativity is ultimately a zero sum gain.”

Lisa: “I spend no time seeking out degenerates, but when I learn about them or experience them, I am morally obligated to my clients…”

(cont.)… “to steer them in the RIGHT direction. And that is not necessarily MY direction. That is what my clients appreciate.”

(cont.)… “Negativity does NOT equal Brutal Honesty. I was simply making the distinction with my original post.”

So what do YOU think?

My personal view is this…

When I was a “newbie”, I earned the money I made by selling products and services, period. I was a consumer in this industry, still learning all the ins and outs of internet marketing, much like most of my clients. I looked out for my bottom line – no more, no less.

When I took on the responsibility of being a mentor/coach/teacher to others, I took on the responsibility of looking out for their bottom line as well. This includes recommendations for products, services and sites that I’ve personally created, tested and/or used, and giving them the benefit of my experiences and expertise.

So when someone comes along who blatantly lies about his products, services and/or income claims, steals, cheats, lies… whatever – I feel that I have an ethical and moral obligation to let my clients know.

These people, especially those who are new to internet marketing, need a guide who isn’t focused on their wallet. They need to be able to trust me, and because I provide information that truly helps them through the minefield of internet marketing, they do.

Agree or disagree?