Monday, June 25. 2007Identifying Scams and Con ArtistsEoghan has some very good advice over at Naive by Design, explaining how as a one man show you can make potential customers feel at ease by convincing them you're not a con-man. You will build them a good site, and you will stick around afterwards to make sure they're happy with it. It got me thinking about scam artists, pretty much every piece of advice Eoghan provides is the sort of thing that would scare the bejesus out of a potential con man. Their entire trade relies on one rotten principle... “Show people what they want to see, and then charge them to find out if it’s true.”
Hey destraynor, Hi, I've made $1,000,000 through Google Adsense, and if you buy my book, I'll show you how! Save $$$ Are you spending thousands on your web sites? Here at ConArtistWebDesign.org.co.uk we can develop, a website, branding, content, and more for only €149.00. 4 tickets to see Justin Timberlakes Show in Vicar Street. Hot Girl at Bar: “Hey darling, why don't you sit over here?” You're probably nodding your head thinking “This is all old news Des”. Unfortunately each of these scams brings in millions a year. Millions. This is only a small selection, and whilst you'd never fall for any of them, your friends, family, relations, and neighbours all will. Whenever I set up a computer for a family member or friend/next door neighbour, after installing all the usuals, and deleting dells advertising I make sure to clarify this one point about online offers. “If it's costing you serious cash or financial details to find out if it's real, then it's not” Real special offers don't rely on customers to take risks when purchasing. And that got me thinking about software pricing, and the importance of trial versions, or free restricted versions. I wouldn't just take someones word that OmniGraffle is a great tool, or that Basecamp really does manage products well, and then go shelling out $149 on it. I'd want to see the truth, and then pay the money. That's the way honest transactions work. P.s. Eoghan is not a con man, or scam artist. Eoghan McCabe is a Web Designer Trackbacks
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Dear GOD!
THE ORANGE, OH THE HUMANITY! Now, I shall read his article...
"4 tickets to see Justin Timberlakes Show in Vicar Street.
Face Value, will sell to genuine fan. Payment through Paypal only. €320 for the lot." Sounds like an ad I proofed this morning (and very well could be). I would never buy from the poster of this ad. I also have an aversion to the scammer breeding ground called eBay. However, I do know people who buy these things without problems. Even when they sound fake, they're usually just some eejit thinking it's a good selling technique they saw on another website. That said, I never buy software without a fully functional trial period. It has to be a "30 day and this will lock" kind too, rather than a "we'll unlock the rest of the program as soon as we run off with your money. Oh, and the hidden features are useless."
Good point re trial versions of software. It's a very honest, open, trust-inspiring thing to do.
Thanks for the link. |
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This website is the online diary of me, Des Traynor, a User Experience Researcher in Dublin, Ireland. I work with Contrast. I usually write on 5 topics: I update about 3-4 times per month. Be sure to subscribe so you don't miss this good stuff. If this is your first time here, check out the archives.My official homepage provides more information about who I am, and what I research. You can contact me at destraynor [at] gmail [dot] com Quicksearch |
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