an interesting marketing method

Today I ran into something that annoyed me. I joined a site and they gave free prizes, one was a free reading by a medium whom of course I would not have heard of in another way . I clicked on it to receive it. Within the hour I got an e-mail from her thanking me. It said said she would send my confidential completely free reading within 48 hours, thanking me for my confidence and signed "your friend 'X'" (name withheld).

Then I went out to dinner and came home to find a new e-mail a few hours later, saying that she has had many requests and has had to make a difficult decison and respond to/read only for those who have ordered a Study from her. And that she will contact me if I am a client. She says as soon as she receives my request and payment she will send me a new e-mail address that she uses for clients. And once I write her at the other address she will answer as soon as possible.

Again signed "your devoted friend" and sending her full support and friendship. What a way to treat a friend!

What a way to do business! Why would I trust someone for advice on my life when they can't even keep their own word? The idea that she has a separate e-mail for "real" clients makes it look premeditated. To me the whole thing is irresponsible. If I promised something I would do it, even if I had to have a waiting list of a few months. And if I did not have time I would remove myself from the free bonuses of that site.

It just struck me as really not the best way to get new clients. It sure does not inspire trust right from the start. Wonder if people actually take her up on it. To me it looks like another one of those things that give readers a bad name.

What do you all think?

Babs

It smells a lot like bait and switch to me. I would not buy a thing from her.

I concur.

SCAM.

You know I"m on a whole list of these flim-flam artists and their emails. Couple of us like to sit down and read them and just howl with laughter, I get some very interesting emails.

But here's the real problem.

These folks send out humongous amounts of scam-mail, that reflect upon all credible email readers.

That's why I prefer to read f2f (although I also read via the net).

"I had a vision last night about you (insert name here), and on (insert date), I forsee a fortuitous time, as long as you are aware of it. (insert name here) , your life can change, all your problems will be washed away in a sea of money on (insert date) if you have the information I was given in my dream. Please remit as much money as you have in your bank accout and max your credit card limits so I can give you the information you need to ..."

Get the hint?

If you are ONLY a net reader, that's your competition.

Don't matter if there's a thousand genuine net readers, there's ten thousand scam artists who utilize spam-mailers to flood millions of mailboxes.

Wonder why your response rate to your web-page is disappointing?

Thousands of folks think that web-based Tarot readers are scam artists.

One has to develop a f2f reputation for it to translate, via friends via the net.

Me? I like to eat, I develop my clientele f2f.

MsRubyRain said:

It smells a lot like bait and switch to me. I would not buy a thing from her.

Click to expand...

No of course I knew better than to also, but I was just amazed at the lack of moral values to do that. And that was a new way I never heard of to scam people.

That was the point of my post that someone had found a new way to scam people with readings, which of course makes it harder for the rest of us when they do that.

Well if that's my competition, I'm bound to win out over that.

But yes it's a problem for the rest of us. As I only read online, and honestly even if I had the courage to read face to face, my reading method just does not work in person. I need no distractions at all and it does take me over and hour per card. So unless the querent wants to sit there for four hours for a three card reading in absolute silence and not look at me at all until I am done, I couldn't read. Not many would want to do that. LOL

I have to believe that it is still possible to succeed online. I cerntainly know people who have. If not I would not have been called to do this, and I was. My cards...told me it was what I was meant to do, so many times. And I have to know that my newsletter is helping me build that trust in me personally. I give as much as I can to my subscribers and it's all about them just as it is in my readings. And I think they know that.

As well what you believe is what you will attract to you. So if you really believe you can do something and refuse to give up, you can't help but succeed. And I fully intend to.

But it was annoying as I was looking forward to the reading, not to being treated like that.

Babs

well, unfortunately, the scammers will always be with us.

all the rest of us can do is to be real, do our best - and hope quality ultimately triumphs. (this is also where referrals come in handy.)

my 2 cents.

ETA: yes, there are a lot of scammers (I won't dignify them with the title of "artists") on the net - but so too, there are all those F2F "neon readers" - most of whom seem to be... well, less than legit...

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2711/4165286828_88cd3ff396_b.jpg

Oh Sunchariot, I knew you weren't going to buy anything from her. I was talking in me terms.

I do wonder if the website you chose her reading from knows she is pulling that scam.

That's true there are also dishonest readers in person as well. (sigh)

Babs

I'm curious... does the site where this "free reading" is offered as a prize belong to the medium herself? Or is it someone else's site, and she's partaking in it to get her name out there with these alleged prizes?

If it's NOT the medium's own website, I would contact the site's owner to let them know that their so-called free reading prize isn't actually being given out as promised.

If it IS her site, then she's just unethical. She shouldn't be offering a prize that she never intends to award.

Argh. Dishonesty makes me steaming mad.

shelikes2read said:

I'm curious... does the site where this "free reading" is offered as a prize belong to the medium herself? Or is it someone else's site, and she's partaking in it to get her name out there with these alleged prizes?

If it's NOT the medium's own website, I would contact the site's owner to let them know that their so-called free reading prize isn't actually being given out as promised.

If it IS her site, then she's just unethical. She shouldn't be offering a prize that she never intends to award.

Argh. Dishonesty makes me steaming mad.

Click to expand...

No it wasn't her site, It just came with joining another site, there were some "free" gifts they gave you for joining, some coupons and the free reading. While I am sure it helps entice people to join the site, I am sure you are right that they would be interested to hear that. As it doesn't leave a good impression of their site and people could just cancel afterwards.

It was even more annoying as she first wrote me and told me she would have it out to me in 48 hours. THEN wrote and said that she would only do so after I paid as she was too busy to do freebies. After the first letter I was looking forward to it so that's just plain mean and uncaring, not to mention irresponsible and crooked.

It bothers me more that it feels premeditated, that she knew all along that she would not do it for free, even when she wrote me the first letter saying that she would send me my free reading within 48 hours. It sounds like she knew even then that she would not. And then all the letters signed "your devoted friend".

First what kind of person could do something like that to others without having a conscience to make her feel guilty enough to know it's wrong. And secondly, wow, you can only imagine the quality of the reading as for a reading to be at it's best it's about putting the needs of the querent/client first. And she clearly could not care less about that. She does not seem capable of that. To me it would not be a reading worth paying for anyway.

Dishonesty makes my upset too, also when you can see that the person is blantantly showing you that they couldn't care less about your feelings as is just as willing to trod over them as to do you a favour. I'm a pretty trusting person by nature, but it sure looks premeditated like no one gets the free reading. And if it was, then that is what it says. And when you think about it, it shows that not only did she not care about my feelings, but she also did not care about the reputation of the site owner that was offering her free gift.

Babs