What is beginning to happen is that because of this “wid west” atmosphere, government regulators and state attorney generals are getting involved. All thanks to the greed and lack of integrity of so many “marketers.”

The hidden truth is that even the good products being marketed, are of little help to people just learning the ropes of starting an internet based business. The curiosity of the newcomer and the ridiculous dreams that it is easy to make money online – consistently – lika a Steve Wagenheim does. It takes way more than many, many newcomers think to make a living online and no amount of mass control, traffic secrets, or motivational gurus are going to be of much help except to experienced marketers needing an extra boost, tweak, or assist.

Choose to emulate a real person doing their job cosistently and honestly and do what they do – then go for the bigger launches promoting their advanced stuff. Steve Wagenheim is the real deal.

They welcome reviews of products and of providers.

I shall also be complaining about time wasting tactics, like two videos and 6 pages before you find the price. 3 videos, a special report and 6 days of teasers before you realise it sounds better than it is!

If we all speak up and log complaints on this site, Digg etc the gurus will have places they can learn when to retire.

You absolutely correct. I buy most of my products thru the Warrior Forum after reading reviews from other warriors. Most of the warriors care about each other that they would recommend a product after trying it out. That’s my two cents.

Spencer

Just because we’re on the Internet doesn’t mean we have to throw common sense out the window. If you buy something at an offline store and it doesn’t meet your expectations, you automatically take it back and let people know why. Most offline businesses also have some sort of refund policy in place so that customers can’t take advantage of them repeatedly. We can do the same thing online if we choose to.

Jenny

On the other hand, you are doing a kindness to point out shortcomings with the intent of stopping someone from continuing to make the same mistakes over and over.

For me, it’s rarely black and white, and I must admit to being a part of the problem most of the time.

One of the tactics that bugs me is when you have purchased a product/membership and no longer want to recieve 15 emails a day from the same source from different membership sites, if you click the “unsubscribe” button, it not only unsubscribes you from the newsletter, it also terminates the membership you have already paid for.

So, to continue access to a membership site you have to put up with all the garbage offers on a daily basis.

This should be outlawed.

When I sent a help desk ticket to this “guru” I was basically told, too bad. Stay subscribed or loose your access. That’s just how we do business.

And that is just ONE of my pet peeves.

I’d love to see others comment on this with some of YOUR “IM Horror” stories

Keep up the great articles

Allen

I like you, because you are willing to just say your piece, letting the winds blow as they will. So my hat is off to you for showing some “guts” (B_ _ _ _) here.

I see you as a bit of a perfectionist, like me. Your heart is to produce great stuff, but your perfection-seeking approach, sometimes over-rides what could be a better product; a more simplified step-by-step presentation.

You certainly are not shy about promoting or selling your own goods. BUT I always appreciate that you do it in a manner that is not overly hyped. I still feel a bit like I’m being sold too much though. But if you critiqued me, I’d be in big danger, so please take that as constructive commentary.

But something I truly appreciate very much about you, is that you have not been corrupted by what I see as a bit of an IM syndicate.

FIRST, I DO NOT BUY the statement, “it’s not your fault.” You always remain a victim with that kind of mentality. Buyers beware! IM product purchases must be scrutinized prior to purchase. Be sure to evaluate the essential key ingredients, the fundamentals. Do not buy into all of the hype. Start opting out of marketing email messages that add subject line afer subject line of hype in your preferred email inbox.

Back in the late 70′s and early 80′s, all kinds of “no money down” real estate seminars popped-up. I won’t mention names. They hyped their messages just as we see with today’s IM gurus.

The current get rich IM big-wig cross promotions looks identical. Big ticket seminars to boot.

I see the same kind of “top players patting each others backs” system, playing out within the “get rich internet marketing arena.”

I put most of the blame, on the side of greedy “so-called” gurus. Hype upon hype invades my email inbox day after day. Check you inbox and you see giveaway JV promo after promo eagerly supporting each other, knowing they gain immediate double (or more) exposure by simply chiming-in, all at the expense of “buyer beware’ and quality – as you pointed out.

What I think would be nice (but unlikely), is if a number of so-called gurus joined hands and went renegade, sounding off warning bells about such insider schemes, thus prompting an inner-circle of only credible marketers, and blowing the whistle (from the inside) ON HYPE.

Some of the best IM material I’ve happened upon comes from non-hype experts. How about joining hands and blowing the whistle on all of the nonsense?

That is my 2 cents.

Cheers!
Jim

A very thought provoking post.

I agree almost entirely with what you are saying.

A lot of the problems possibly occur because we are transacting business on the Internet (unlike ‘face to face trade’ which has gone on for thousands of years), so some people, both buyers and sellers feel that they can do almost as they please, because of geographical distance, different cultures, different local laws and the indifference to and lacking of, government understanding of trade on the Internet.

There is also the issue of mind set. Most people who are involved in the IM niche are either established or aspiring entrepreneurs. The problem is that a lot of aspiring marketers have a consumer mind set and can’t make that all important step to adopting a business oriented mind set.

“Together…we can clean up this dirty industry.”

I’m not so sure about the inclusion of the word “dirty”, but I concur otherwise. There are probably more ethical and honorable people on the Internet, such as you (and I hope I), than there are unethical and dishonorable. Feedback though, as you imply throughout your post, is probably the only way to improve the reputation of the industry.

Just my thoughts,
Jeff Henshaw.