Will The Internet Marketing Mafia Try To Silence You, Too?

Thousands upon thousands of people today have a dream – that of making money online and being able to control their destinies. They want to say goodbye to the slavery of a job where they are working for someone else. They’re tired of getting permission to go to a simple doctor’s appointment or their child’s school play. They know that with a business of their own, there is no limit to their income potential if they are willing to work hard.

I’m not talking here about people who are looking for an easy ride. Anyone who thinks an online business will be easy has never actually taken this on. Get ready to work harder than you may have ever worked before – but to enjoy it much more.

There are products galore competing for your attention every moment on the web. Each one promises to deliver a world of easy riches if only you buy their course and learn the secrets of online success. With the huge amount of competition, marketers are getting more and more creative at capturing and keeping your attention with riveting copy that leaves you absolutely rabid to get your hands on their product.

Before you invest your money in any product, check it out on the internet as best you can. Don’t just rely on testimonials from other famous online marketers.

Go to Google and type in the name of the product seller in quotations, then type the word “refund” or “customer service” or “don’t buy” or “don’t get.” You may be surprised at what you will learn.

Recently I did exactly this regarding a very well-known product that will have to remain nameless because I have a family to support. What I learned has put the fear of God in me – or rather, the fear of this particular marketer.

I found people who had requested refunds which never arrived. I found report after report of bad or non-existent customer service.

I found a person who had written a negative review of this product – a "little guy" on the web just like you and me. What happened to him? The last thing he posted was that the famous marketer’s lawyers had contacted him. His discussion board on this subject was now a blank webpage. This marketer can well afford a formidable legal team. Apparently it was enough to make the "little guy" shut the heck up if he didn’t want to lose his home. It’s just not worth it. So much for freedom of speech.

The Internet Marketing Mafia got to him – and silenced a voice that might have saved a lot of people some time, money, and grief.

The bad news is that I did all this research after I bought this product. It taught me some valuable lessons.

Before you spend your money with any online merchant, ask around. Do web searches. Contact their customer support and see how long it takes you to get a response. If it’s more than two days, then forget it. Don’t set yourself up to waste your hard-earned money.

A reputable, honest marketer truly cares about his clients and values them. He displays qualities of honesty and friendliness, and keeps the hype to a minimum.

Unfortunately, when things go wrong, you can find yourself on the receiving end of a legal threat – even if you’re telling the truth. In the online world, this can mean threats to complain to your pay-per-click provider, your hosting service, your affiliate program, and just about everything that provides your online income.

When problems in dealing with others arise, it’s very hard to concentrate on your online business goals. The problems tend to take center stage if you’re not careful.

Avoid these hassles in the first place by being smart. Learn about who you’re dealing with before you get involved. Steer clear of selling or buying anything you don’t have faith in or feel in any way uncomfortable with for any reason. Above all, stay within your own value system and interests.

The peace of mind you receive from these important steps will be more valuable than money in the bank.

Tim Phillips is a marketing consultant who writes about Internet Marketing and other topics. His articles have appeared all over the internet. He is writing his first ebook based on what he has learned from http://www.ebookin7days.com.