I see all the threads on this subject were deleted at other forums. Hopefully, we can discuss it here.

Today was a large launch for a $1 product originally valued at $5500. Naturally and expectedly, it was followed by several upsells. No big deal.

What was a big deal was that all purchasers were enrolled in a $29 a month newsletter without being "clearly and conspicuously" told as required by the FTC. There was mention of the monthly newsletter in the sales letter but only that you'd get one month free. No mention of continuity of any kind, no price, no notice that it could be canceled, etc.

A lot of people are upset, even some that promoted it. I know they knew about the continuity but apparently they weren't told it would be so well disguised in the sales letter.

What I'd like to discuss is, are offers like these a good way to make money? It seems you tick off a lot of people but I'm sure a promotion of this sort will bag 10,000+ new members today. That's a lot of money. Maybe you don't care about the pissed off people? Would you if you were making $300,000 a month?

One day the FTC is going to make an example out of somebody...

I know there's another thread that we've both replied to already. But I just wanted to add that I was already filling out the credit card order form when I got a funny feeling and decided not to order - even for $1.

Something about giving so much personal information (address, phone number) to an internet marketer I'd personally never heard of before made me feel uncomfortable even though the person who forwarded the email is widely known.

The point is - I never knew there was a monthly fee until I read it here first. I guess I should read more carefully.

I noticed the monthly charge right away, so that wasn't the problem for me. Maybe they added it in there this morning due to pressure from affiliates?

Perhaps even more damaging, the copy contains a...

Semicolon!


No self-respecting Internet Marketer would ever use a semicolon... it doesn't matter what the rules of grammar say.

I thought it was hidden too, UNTIL...

I READ THE SALESPAGE!

DUH!

Amazing what happens when you actually READ!

I'll admit, it wasn't blatant in a headline, nor on the order
form, but it surely wasn't in the "fine print" either.

One just has to "Read" the offer (which is something I'll
even admit I suck at).

But saying this is a HIDDEN CONTINUITY is not necessarily
true.

Here's exactly what it says....

"

• Total Access To My $5,500 Seminar. You get everything the attendees got, except you don't have to travel to get it. And all the physical stuff they got (manuals, disks, etc.) you get in instantly downloadable, digital format.
• Access to my quarterly customer appreciation seminars. 4 times per year I bring together some of the world's top internet marketing experts and business strategest with one goal in mind... to make an impact in the lives and businesses of my best clients. Join us!
• A Free issue of the Internet Marketing DIRT Print Newsletter. The Internet Marketing Dirt is the newsletter I just started publishing a few months ago, and it is already being praised at the “best of its kind”, “better than any other newsletter on marketing." And you get to try that out for free… if you don’t want to continue receiving it it’s simple and easy to cancel your $29.97 monthly subscription (you’re crazy if you cancel… but it’s easy to do, and up to you!)."

Hey Jason,

I'm 99.9% sure the sales page was changed due to complaints. I DID read it and I was specifically looking for the continuity as I personally heard Matt discuss this Saturday night in Austin with some other marketers.

So, I may have missed it and I didn't swipe a copy to prove it, but I don't think so. I recall reading that bullet and looking for a price.

In any event, as it is now, it's fine. I love continuity. I just think it should be painfully obvious to the buyer.

There were a couple of FTC fines ($1.3 - $1.6mil) issued to non-information marketing companies for "hidden continuity" that I posted in a different thread.

Besides the fines, both are now required to show the "hidden continuity" in the same font size and color as the cost of the product/service/offer.

So, In Bacak's case, he needs to show it in the same font size and color as in this part of the sales letter:

So Here's Everything You Get For Just $1

After reading the letter I see now that HE is a GURU (I stand corrected) and since he's made over 3 million last year the FTC would probably be interested in going after him.

I'm not sure if it was added in after complaints, but I think
that considering it's located in the "Middle" of the copy that
the majority of the people (including me) missed it.

I definitely added it straight to the swipe file though as the
offer seems irresistible to many.

I also alerted my list and informed them it was a forced
continuity gig so I wouldn't get a bunch of Aweber complaints.

However, it appears placing the continuity part in the "middle"
of the copy seems to be very effective in getting signups. Whether
or not it's going to stick, we'll see.

I don't need to swipe it. The copy isn't selling it. It's proof that a great offer ($5500 for $1) will sell like hotcakes. You and I already knew that.

Oh, I thought you did that to warn us LOL


PS: Missed you in LA, man. It was a blast. Austin was too but not like Underground.