ODR News
Welcome to Odr news
Wealth Building Scams
I have some good news and I have some bad news. First the good news. The number of infomercials on television is decreasing.
Some might say that is great news. But, before you yell hurray, here's the bad news. They are reincarnating as web sites. Changes the whole picture, doesn't it?
For those who've never seen an infomercial, it is a program-length TV commercial touting easy ways to make money in a variety of ways.
Real estate is probably the most often run program. Others include low-interest government loans or grants to start a new business or go to college.
Then there are the old standby classified advertisement sections in newspapers or magazines promising "big money" business opportunities and/or work-at-home schemes. The companies behind these infomercials and print ads claim that by using their products and services, you can learn how to increase your wealth or start a business from the comfort of your home.
These infomercials and advertisements make it very clear you can make the big bucks only by purchasing their books, audio and video tapes, or computer hardware and software. The materials range in price from less than $100 to several thousand dollars.
To clinch the sale, some promoters include a toll-free telephone consulting service with your purchase and offer a money-back guarantee. The fine print in the guarantee is what gets most people.
Web sites promoting these same type of "opportunities" look like an infomercial. Hype, glitz and promises of big money adorn the screen. On the other hand, contact details, other than ordering information, is scant if existent at all.
On television, these infomercials are designed to look, feel, and sound like real TV programs. The FTC says "they often imitate the format of genuine talk shows or investigative consumer news programs."
Because they imitate real programs, "the products being sold often are discussed as part of the program and touted by paid "experts," "moderators," or "reporters", according to the FTC. The programs may last for 30 minutes, interrupted by advertisements for the shows products with ordering information.
As in the offline world, online promoters of wealth-building schemes claim that if you follow their methods, you can make substantial sums of money. The means to easy wealth have shifted from real estate and government auctions to web site sales and development, autoresponder sales, gift clubs and bulk email programs.
The offline world uses the infomercials and advertisements to invite you to attend seminars where you can learn more about their program. You can rest assured the seminar is a slick sales pitch.
The smooth-talking salespeople tout the programs, materials, and services and use testimonials of the people in the back of the room selling the materials to illustrate what easy money you can make. The truth is these people are paid to give testimony. They are on the payroll as salespeople and that's it.
At these seminars the pitch is feverish and it is easy to be lured by promises of success into parting with your money. They are designed to work off the herd mentality. Don't fall for the nonsense.
On the Internet, the herd mentality is engaged through testimonials and a rush to action. You are encouraged every step of the way to BUY NOW! There are only so many days left and this opportunity will be gone forever or some other such nonsense.
The FTC, and everybody else who has studied these programs, gives the following advice:
1. Be skeptical about "get-rich-quick" advertising claims.
2. Ask companies for written substantiation for claims in their presentations, especially those about success rates.
3. Be aware that "experts" who endorse a product often are paid by the advertiser.
4. Be cautious about "testimonials." They may be paid for and probably owrse, do not reflect the experience of most consumers.
5. Be wary of purchasing a program if company representatives give you evasive answers or aren't willing to answer your questions at all.
6. Before you buy, decide whether the price reflects a fair market value.
7. Be wary of promises of free money or low-interest government loans. As a rule, these are available only in limited circumstances.
8. Dont be pressured to purchase immediately. Good opportunities are not sold through high pressure tactics.
9. Before you buy, ask about the companys qualifying requirements and refund policy.
10. Check out the company with your local consumer protection agency, Better Business Bureau, and state Attorney General's office. They should be able to tell you if any unresolved consumer complaints are on file.
Additional consumer protection resources are available at your local library. Check out materials on personal finance and those geared toward the small business owner.
Your local community college may have a marketing department. Call and ask to speak with one of the professors. Explain the program and ask his/her advice/opinion.
The Small Business Administration and your state and local government have publications and programs for new and potential business owners. Write or call and ask for a list of available publications.
Tap into the Internet. That's right, search engines could turn out to be your best friend. A host of scam busting sites exist and expose scams online and offline.
As always, common sense is your best weapon in the fight against this garbage. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. However, if you have more than a passing interest, do your homework. Getting too much information is not a crime or a hazard to your wealth.
2000(c) All rights reserved. No one may reproduce this article without permission of the author (tom-koziol@excite.com)
GUARANTEED! Turn your paycheck into a cash flow geyser. www.cashclique.com/page4.htm">Cashclique.com Dollar$ign Newsletter provides proven paycheck stretching money management tips, tools, techniques and strategies to increase your personal cash flow. This is YOUR fail safe money management program. FREE subscription at www.cashclique.com/page4.htm">http://www.cashclique.com/page4.htm
RELATED ARTICLES
Want a Web Site that Turns Lookie Loos into Buyers? Seven Passion Copywriting Tips
Web Site Blues? Need one, don't know where to start? Got one, but aren't getting enough sales? If you need a Web site soon you may be wondering where to start and who to trust. All Web masters are not equal.
Ten Tips For Starting A New Job
1. Get to know people.
7 Tips for Home Business Start-up Success
1) Prepare a realistic business plan.Think of this as your business road map.
The Top 7 Marketing Tips You Dont Want To Overlook
1. Combine Emotion and LogicConsumers buy because the want to experience the benefits of the product or service you have to offer.
Top Ten Ways to Develop New Success Habits
1. Make a clear, specific commitment to what you want.
Private Practice Success: 10 Essentials for Starting a Practice
As a counselor, therapist or healing professional (massage therapist, physiotherapist, alternative health practitioner, etc.) it is quite likely that you did not chose your profession because you wanted to be a business person.
7 Tips on How To Prepare for Business Events
Are you scratching your head after business events wondering why you aren't finding prospects? Whether it's your first or 100th event, here are some tips on how to prepare for your next event that can make the difference between scratching and smiling. These tips will help you save time, money, create memorable impressions, and increase connections.
Positioning Your Company for Debt Financing
Positioning Your Company for Debt Financing:There was a time in the old days when going to the bank was the only way to get outside capital for your business. These days with the explosion of raising equity investment, many of the guidelines for running a company have been revolutionized.
Why Clarity Is Essential To Building Massive Momentum In Your Business
Clarity is an absolutely essential ingredient for you to achieve your full potential in business. Napolean Hill, in his classic book Think & Grow Rich, said "Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve.
Never Sell Again: Get Repeat Business and Avoid the Need to Prospect
If you're a business owner, you know that repeat business is critical to your success. It also makes your life much easier because you can count on ongoing business without having to continuously find new prospects and convince them to hire you.
Top Ten Tips When Business is Slow
How's your business going to keep growing with the holidays just around the corner? What can you do when most people don't want to spend money now?If you are concerned the cash flow won't flow and you won't have enough income for the next months, check out these ten tips:1. Create written copy to email your subscribers and other email lists.
Top 7 Business Tips For Small Business Starters For Online Business
1.) Brainstorming for an idea - You must select what interests you in any field and put together 5 to 7 possible ideas that seem viable as a source of income.
10 Things To Do When Business Slows Down Over The Holidays
I'm sure you've seen it happen every year: your business slows down during predictable times, like the summer vacation months or year-end holidays. For the self-employed who rely upon steady cash flow, this can be a disconcerting time.
Seven Keys to Get Out of a Rut
Rut -- a routine procedure, situation, or way of life that has become uninteresting and tiresome..
How To Finally Unlock Your True Potential And Discover The Secret To Lasting Success
Did you know that there is one critical difference between average businesses and super-successful businesses?Many of the success experts who are quoted time and time again refer to this one common characteristic as the big differentiator between being mediocre and actually unlocking your true potential.Take a look at the following popular quotes and see if you can identify the common thread that ties them all together.
Shaking Your Money Tree: Seven Ways to Make Quick Cash
Does your business have a money tree you can shake when a little extra cash is needed? Every business should have one!What I mean by a money tree is something you can do to quickly generate revenue when you need it. Where can you find a money tree? Although you can't buy one at your local garden store, they are more common than you might imagine.
7 Money Saving Tips to Decrease Home Business Expenses
We all know that running a home business is highly satisfying, and at times downright liberating! No clock to punch, no dress code, and best of all, no boss to answer to. But there are also many facets of business ownership that entrepreneurs must stay on top of.
How to Become an Expert in Your Niche Business
What is a niche business? A niche business is one that caters to the common needs and interests of a focused group of people. For instance, people who play golf forms a niche market and people who are golf instructors form an even tighter and smaller niche.
11 Things Small Business Owners Can Learn From Michael Dell
1. Think Big - In college, Michael Dell said he wanted to "beat IBM.
10 Marketing Tips For Your Business
Here are a few ideas to get you started, all with low or no cost, which should especially help you in the early days of your business.This is by no means an exhaustive list, but is just a few ideas to start you off.
Ads
Elverborn is toys for kids.
Elverborn is an danish webpage with 4.8 score on Trustpilot.