Fridays with Vicky 11
In today`s online world we are getting swampt with online “opportunities” and people wanting to show us how to make money online. The sad part is that a lot of them are scams, programs with empty promises.
There are legit, good programs out there that can help you achieve your goals and dreams. The problem is how do you find them? How can you pick out the golden nuggets from the scams?
I know the feeling to well. You visit a website, the offer presented is… well the picture, the dream painted is amazing. You have all the freedom you want, drive a fancy car and live in a mansion with checks flying in right and left but you don`t have to work hardly at all…
Could this money making opportunity be IT??
Do you recognize the feeling?
In this article I will give you some tips on how to spot a scam or decide if a product is legit, in the money making jungle.
Make Money Online NO Scams Allowed
First Impression
What is the first impression of the site? Is it pictures of dollar signs, fancy cars and a big house? Is money screen shoots the first thing you see?
Legit site: If the site is legit, you will see what the site/product can offer you. There is a clear message of what they can help YOU with.
Scam sites: If there is unreasonable claims of making tons of money within a very short period of time then it is most likely a scam. If the site is filled with ”dreams” in the form of money and expensive items, but fails to explain what it does, it`s most likely a scam.
Are They Selling a Dream or a Training/Program?
What is actually being offered and sold. Can you easily see what the training or program will include?
Legit site: A legit site will have a strong product, training or program. The product is good enough and will be explained before you have to purchase. There is no hiding the product behind shiny objects. There is no hype…
Scam site: They don`t really care if you reach your goals or dreams, they want YOUR money and have little interest if you ever get any return.
You can spot a scam site because they sell the DREAM, they will show you everything you can get using their product (you still have no idea what the product is though) but there will be plenty of fancy cars and dollar signs. They get people to pay for the dream NOT their product.
The problem is that they are very good at selling the dream. We do want the freedom, we do want the money and we do want to believe that there is an EASY solution to it all.
The TRUTH is that there is no over night million dollar push button system out there.
Can You Tell What the Program/Site Will Teach You?
Is it clear what the product offer? If you purchase the product what will be your result, will you learn how to build a website? Will you be able to set up an email campaign… What does the program teach you?
Legit site: A legit program will show you or give you an overview of what you will learn. What the result will be when done with the training or course.
Scam site: One of the most frustrating things is when you sit through a 30 minute sales video and when it`s done you still have no idea what the product is doing or if there even is a product. You are left with an email form, if you fill it out you will receive ”the secret”.
If the site/video does not explain what it does or what it will teach you, do not bother giving your email away. I can guarantee that your inbox will be filled with spam and your email address probably sold…
Upsell
Now it will be up to you to find out, the cost of the product and if there is a monthly membership fee, before giving your credit card number away. The sneaky part comes if they try to upsell you on ridiculous amounts OR if you need to buy in to be able to finish the program.
Legit site: There will be no sneaky upsells. Sure they can give you an offer here and there but nothing that you will be ”forced” to buy to reach the next level. Legit sites are upfront from the beginning and don`t try to hide anything.
Scam sites: Upsells and hidden costs can be a little tricky to see right off the bat. Some scams are very sneaky and try to lure you in with reasonable priced products but the upsells will be ridiculously expensive. I am talking about getting in for $47 and then they try to sell you master mind groups, personal coaching for thousands and thousands of dollars.
With a little online research you can often find out about these upsells. I always say don`t believe everything you read online but if there is a pattern, multiple sites writing about crazy upsells, people getting into personal debt… then take that into consideration.
Another thing you DON`T want to pay for is being an affiliate. I read about one program where you had to pay a certain amount to promote their product… wait I want to make you more money and you will charge me for it… don`t fall for it. There are plenty of FREE affiliate programs to join.
Is There a Free Trial?
Legit site: If you can try out a program for free, or even for a small sum (without there being tons of upsells) then you can be sure it`s a legit program. The program will do what it says it will do, if not nobody would pay for the full version.
The only way this will work though is if people enjoy the product and get tons of value from it.
You can read my review of my favorite free trial online marketing program, here!
Scam site: Scam sites will never offer anything for free they will try to suck as much money as possible out of you. They might claim that they have a refund policy, but even that, can be a tricky process to get your money back.
Main Question – What Are You Looking for?
We all want and need help with different things. What I am looking for might not be what you are looking for…
There are tons of ways to make money online, have you figured out what direction you are taking?
If you want to build an online business. I will be happy to show you my favorite legit, honest way to make money online. In fact it`s a scam free zone, where spam and other nonsense is not allowed.
Hope you found this article helpful – Make Money Online NO Scams Allowed – How to Spot a Legit Program in the Money Making Industry.
If you have a money making program that you are looking into, but you are not sure if it is a scam or not, please leave us a comment below and we will be happy to take a look at it and help you decide if it is a scam or not.
Have a productive day and a great week!
See you next Friday,
Vicky
Next week`s post – 7 Ways to Make Money with a Website or Blog
P.S Thought I would let you in on some good and bad going on in my online business…
Worst Online Happening This Week: I didn`t get as much done as I wanted to… but that`s ok I spend time with my daughter that was sick this week.
Best Online Happening This Week: I have been getting great feedback on the site, thank you 🙂
Very well explained on the red flags to look for when deciding if the offer is a scam or legit. Scammers are increasingly revealing less and can never be found when you want to return or get your money back. It is websites like this that help people avoid becoming victims to scam artist and we need more articles like this. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you.
Yes they try to lure you in and sell the “dream” the product it self is seldom very good. Like you say, even though they say that they offer a money back guarantee, it can be hard to get the money back. That`s something you find out after the fact though. That`s one of the reasons it`s so important to do the research before spending your hard earned money.
Vicky
Vicky, hi!
Great site, very delicate by design. And nice post. Also cool signing up icon at this page.
Good work!
Thank you!
this is one very informative and clear article
Hi Sarah,
Glad you enjoyed it,
Vicky
Hi Vicky
I wish I’d seen this some years ago, before I was scammed myself!
Thankfully, I am now a member of Wealthy Affiliate and can spot an upsell funnel a mile off 🙂
Claire
Hi Claire,
I think if you have an interest in working online/working from home… most of us have been scammed at one point or another. The reason being is because we truly want to believe that the “dream” of working for ourselves and making good money is possible.
It IS possible but it will take hard work and determination.
Wealthy Affiliate is truly a great place to learn the ins and outs of online marketing. You can be sure it`s NOT a scam since they have a FREE starter account.
Thanks for your input Claire,
Vicky
Loved your insights! excellent …. Ginger Spark
Thanks Ginger
Hello and thanks for these great tips. There really is so much stuff online these days and so many dodgy people waiting to pounce that it’s difficult to know where to turn, so your clear, informative article makes for a valuable read. Thank you.
Peter
Hi Peter,
I`m glad you enjoyed the article.
It`s true but sad that so many people are out to scam others, instead of creating a helpful product that will actually help their visitors achieve something.
Vicky
Hi Vicki.
Thanks for all the tips and info on how to avoid internet marketing scams. I personally got ripped off from a company who claimed I could be making hundreds of thousands of dollars in a short period of time. I had to pay 47$ just to hear a long, long sales pitch that told me nothing about the actual product I was supposed to be promoting.
Curiosity got the better of me, so I payed another 300$ to get the starter package. They told me I would then be able to begin promoting their ‘information package’. The unnerving thing that happen was that there wasn’t any information in the package, just information about a product that didn’t exist.
After a struggle I got my original 47$ back, however I still haven’t got my 300$ back. I’ve been trying for months to get my money back. I reported the transaction as fraudulent to my credit card company because they lied about the information they said they had for sale.
I also reported the company to the Better Business Bureau.
I feel like they sold me an empty box and they wanted me to turn around and sell the empty box to other unsuspecting suckers. They straight out lied to me to get me to spend my money.
Thanks for your post and I hope this comment helps.
– Adam
Hi Adam,
I`m sorry to hear what you have had to go through.
This is exactly why I wrote this article. I have heard too many stories just like yours, Adam.
It`s time to spread the word and make others aware of what to look for in a scammy product.
There are good products out there that can help with online marketing, but the ones selling the “empty dream” to
make money off others are NOT good products. The sad part is not only that people loose money to these people, they give the whole industry a bad name.
I`m glad that you got the $47 back and hope you get the $300 as well.
Thanks for sharing your story with us,
Vicky
After looking over a handful of the blog posts on your site,
I honestly appreciate your way of blogging.
I book-marked it to my bookmark webpage list and will be checking back in the near future.
Glad you enjoyed the post Cornelius!
I know this if off topic but I’m looking into starting my own blog
and was wondering what all is required to get set up?
I’m assuming having a blog like yours would cost a pretty penny?
I’m not very web savvy so I’m not 100% certain. Any tips or advice would be greatly appreciated.
Appreciate it
Hi,
I recommend you read this post, Step by step to set up your own site.
Let me know if you have any questions, will be happy to help,
Vicky
Great post Vicki, love the bit about up-sells which are very annoying when you believe that what your buying is all you need, and then find out that the up-sell is a must have and therefore you miss out because of the rediculious amounts that are asked for. Look foreward to you next post.
Craig
Hi Craig,
Thanks for your comment! Yes, it`s very annoying. I recently got a Twitter course that I was very excited about but the whole thing fell through because to get the promised result you had to purchase another tool… I just find it incredibly annoying.
It`s important to know what to look for, but even though you do, you can still “fall for it”.
That`s why it`s so great if they have a free trial, that way you know what you are paying for…
Vicky