Is this website a scam? - Page 3

DixieGal · 05-11-2009, 03:10 PM

Maybe he got a p$ubsidy grant? Or maybe his psponsor is PScientology? Plenty of $$$$ to psubsidize the other half of the price?

I know, serious thread, but I just couldn't stop myself.

Daithi · 05-11-2009, 03:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by avaloncourt

He's claiming that he's being subsidized by unpublished authors to provide content to be loaded on the Kindle. The numbers on that can't possibly work. He's claiming a 50% discount on the cost of the Kindle's are due to those authors making up the $244.50 out of their pocket and, we would assume, there's money in it for him as well.

If only 500 people took him up on this offer that would be:

$244.50 x 500 = $122,250.00 that would have to be supplied by the suckers (er, authors) wanting to be placed on the Kindle. If there were 100 authors subsidizing each Kindle DX, every author would have to pay $1222.50 per 500 shipped. That's just not going to happen. That doesn't even include any percentage to go to him. That is merely the cost of subsidizing the equipment and not accounting for the shipping aspects.

The odd thing here is that he's claiming that the authors are paying this fee. I, and others, have done searches on his company and his name. Nothing has turned up anywhere. Where is he actively recruiting these authors to participate in his scheme? He's seeking unknown authors... apparently so unknown even he doesn't even know who they are.

If there is a glimmer of hope in this, if someone searches the name of his company it doesn't not come up on Google in any way other than this thread and a Mashable article.

If any unpublished author is interested, I'd be more than happy to read your book if you'll pay for half of my Kindle DX.

avaloncourt · 05-11-2009, 04:59 PM

He's changed the site yet again. I guess I'm his script writer. Apparently he forgot that he needs subsidizing authors before he can pretend to sell these Kindles to the public. So, he's put up a page for that too. Now he can screw two different groups of people. Genius!

He's having webpage issues though. Since he put that topic in he apparently can't figure out how to resize the surrounding frame and it's running over top of it. Let's see how long that takes before he fixes it.

He should never say he's a dishonest person and is out to take people's money. Never. Nope, he should never say that.

Promo Publishers · 05-11-2009, 09:41 PM

Hi avaloncourt,

If I haven't responded to your email, it's because this thread has given me so much free promotion, I'm busy all day answering the phone and taking orders.

I think it's funny how you have so much time to research and sensationalize the works of others under the pretence of "public avenger". Really, it's crazy how an idea I thought up a week or so ago strikes so much "fear and distrust"; no wonder our country has come to it's current state.

So much for the little guy trying to be creative enough to be disruptive in an obviously backwards industry that's trying it's hardest to play catch-up with the times.

Maybe I should just fall in line with the current socialist movement in America, quit trying to be productive, and live off the government.

Enough of the bashing. So before you spend your time bashing my efforts tomorrow, why don't you use your energy to HELP someone; I'm sure your town has a shelter and needs volunteers.

Feel free to call me to discuss your opinions and concerns; you have my number.

-David

Promo Publishers, LLC

p.s.

domain name = $10
Website = $99
thinking of an idea that stirs emotion in others = PRICELESS

desertgrandma · 05-11-2009, 09:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DixieGal

Maybe he got a p$ubsidy grant? Or maybe his psponsor is PScientology? Plenty of $$$$ to psubsidize the other half of the price?

I know, serious thread, but I just couldn't stop myself.

See....THIS is why we're all in trouble, with the economy, housing and such. Its YOUR fault.

(sorry, had to blame it on someone....)

Yojinbo · 05-11-2009, 10:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Promo Publishers

Amazon sells you a $500 device (grey screen no less) they make for $125; and I'm the scam.

Promo Publishers,

As an entrepreneur, let me advise you that is unwise to trash a product that you are selling as a key component of your business model. You are about to have an army of Amazon lawyers in your local DAs office locating you, tracking you, monitoring you, and talking about you non-stop to every LEO they can find. Might be a bad time to imply that Amazon is a scam on top of everything else.

Amazon's business is not hardware; is it selling content. Your project (scam or real) could not have been better designed to force them to make an example of what used to be your life. Settle ASAP and abide by the NDA they make you sign.

Board,
Maybe he's some unemployed go-getter who's in over his head. He had nothing to loose after loosing the job so why not try a dangerous public scam? That's what is so great about America; absolutely anyone can start a business (or a con as the case might be). And some actually succeed!

I bet Jeff is "nice"and offers him a deal where David owes a few hundred thousand more in damages then he has access to and they bind him with a non-talk contract to avoid jail time. If so, he will disappear in the next few days. I just hope everyone gets thier money back (or their DX)

desertgrandma · 05-11-2009, 10:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yojinbo

I just hope everyone gets thier money back (or their DX)

Oh, please don't tell me anyone actually fell for this?

How sad.

radiationman · 05-11-2009, 10:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by desertgrandma

Oh, please don't tell me anyone actually fell for this?

How sad.

To quote PT Barnum: There's a sucker born every minute...

avaloncourt · 05-11-2009, 11:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Promo Publishers

[B]Feel free to call me to discuss your opinions and concerns; you have my number.

p.s.

domain name = $10
Website = $99 (You've got a long way to go to get to $99)
thinking of an idea that stirs emotion in others = PRICELESS

No, thanks. I'm sure Amazon will be contacting you. It is odd though that I can't think of a single business that runs off a cell phone. Oh wait, are you a drug dealer, too?!

This just in... look at this. Why is your domain now pointing to a Godaddy parking page?

I'm guessing Amazon had a talk with GoDaddy.

domain name = worthless

Promo Publishers · 05-12-2009, 12:14 AM

All your bashing, and you've yet to call?

FYI -> I shut down the link removed site, not godaddy, not Amazon...

I'll say it plainly...

I thought of the idea a week or so ago, bought the domain, built the site, twittered like crazy, made a lot of sales (which as of tonight have been refunded in full via PayPal), and caused a buzz that seems to have taken on life of its own.

The rest of the story...

I had authors, and an angel investor backing me for 1,000 units.

The reality...

This board, and a few others like it, didn't do their homework (I didn't receive one phone call to even attempt to hear my story), and ultimately you just pissed off a lot of people who would have received a Kindle DX at half price.

GREAT JOB! Want a cookie?

-David

sirbruce · 05-12-2009, 01:07 AM

If you were busy taking so many orders, and you had an angel backing you, why did you shut down the business and abandon the idea?

Most likely you're just saying that to try to save face.

Even if you were on the straight and level when you started out this crazy venture, you botched it up by your unprofessional demeanor and your inability to answer the scam questions in a timely and forthright manner. Thus, any fault for the fact that your business has failed and people aren't going to receive their Kindle DX at half price is YOURS, not in the people who questioned your business model.

Sporadic · 05-12-2009, 01:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Promo Publishers

The rest of the story...

I had authors, and an angel investor backing me for 1,000 units.

The reality...

This board, and a few others like it, didn't do their homework (I didn't receive one phone call to even attempt to hear my story), and ultimately you just pissed off a lot of people who would have received a Kindle DX at half price.

Do you actually think you are being clever? Yes, I'm sure you not only had enough authors but an angel investor onboard and because people were calling your totally not a scam site a scam, you drop everything and bail on everybody (who most likely don't even exist).

Yeah, you showed us you weren't a scam!

Want to prove you aren't a scam? Post a full list of authors who were onboard and contact information for each of them.

Jill75 · 05-12-2009, 03:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by avaloncourt

He's running charges through PayPal. It will immediately take the funds from the customer. No question about that. He's not using a real merchant account where he could simply just do an authorization to verify funds and then perform the charge later.

When you have paid through paypal, which will be direct to his account, then how can you be assured that your merchandise will be sent to you? This is not like ebay that you can make comments, etc but dealing directly with him and not a company which is too suspicious.

kacir · 05-12-2009, 05:46 AM

Strange ...
The link deleted address now leads to the Amazon site.

Perhaps the idea turned to not be financially feasible.
Perhaps the PromoPublishers was paid to give up the site.
Perhaps Amazon has blackened the skies above PromoPublishers with Nazg^H^H^H^HLawyers.

It wasn't a bad idea, IMHO.
Even if I am somehow skeptical that PromoPublisher would be able to get the authors to pay for more than $250 per unit.
God knows that vanity publishing used to be(*) quite lucrative business.

(*) It might still be a lucrative business, but today in the Internet Era authors have much, much more possibilities.

HarryT · 05-12-2009, 05:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hybernation

Isn't is ILLEGAL to take money for a product you don't have, way prior to you shipping it?

Depends where you live. In Europe, it's fine to do so, provided that you tell the customer up-front that that is what you're doing.

05-11-2009, 04:59 PM	#33
avaloncourt Enthusiast Posts: 41 Karma: 951 Join Date: Mar 2009 Device: Kindle 1 & 2	He's changed the site yet again. I guess I'm his script writer. Apparently he forgot that he needs subsidizing authors before he can pretend to sell these Kindles to the public. So, he's put up a page for that too. Now he can screw two different groups of people. Genius! He's having webpage issues though. Since he put that topic in he apparently can't figure out how to resize the surrounding frame and it's running over top of it. Let's see how long that takes before he fixes it. He should never say he's a dishonest person and is out to take people's money. Never. Nope, he should never say that. Last edited by avaloncourt; 05-11-2009 at 05:13 PM.

05-11-2009, 09:41 PM	#34
Promo Publishers Member Posts: 12 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2009 Device: Kindle DX	To avaloncourt... Hi avaloncourt, If I haven't responded to your email, it's because this thread has given me so much free promotion, I'm busy all day answering the phone and taking orders. I think it's funny how you have so much time to research and sensationalize the works of others under the pretence of "public avenger". Really, it's crazy how an idea I thought up a week or so ago strikes so much "fear and distrust"; no wonder our country has come to it's current state. So much for the little guy trying to be creative enough to be disruptive in an obviously backwards industry that's trying it's hardest to play catch-up with the times. Maybe I should just fall in line with the current socialist movement in America, quit trying to be productive, and live off the government. Enough of the bashing. So before you spend your time bashing my efforts tomorrow, why don't you use your energy to HELP someone; I'm sure your town has a shelter and needs volunteers. Feel free to call me to discuss your opinions and concerns; you have my number. -David Promo Publishers, LLC p.s. domain name = $10 Website = $99 thinking of an idea that stirs emotion in others = PRICELESS Last edited by Promo Publishers; 05-11-2009 at 10:45 PM.

05-12-2009, 12:14 AM	#40
Promo Publishers Member Posts: 12 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2009 Device: Kindle DX	to avaloncourt All your bashing, and you've yet to call? FYI -> I shut down the link removed site, not godaddy, not Amazon... I'll say it plainly... I thought of the idea a week or so ago, bought the domain, built the site, twittered like crazy, made a lot of sales (which as of tonight have been refunded in full via PayPal), and caused a buzz that seems to have taken on life of its own. The rest of the story... I had authors, and an angel investor backing me for 1,000 units. The reality... This board, and a few others like it, didn't do their homework (I didn't receive one phone call to even attempt to hear my story), and ultimately you just pissed off a lot of people who would have received a Kindle DX at half price. GREAT JOB! Want a cookie? -David Last edited by Promo Publishers; 05-12-2009 at 12:17 AM.

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05-11-2009, 03:10 PM	#31
DixieGal Hi There! Posts: 7,473 Karma: 2930523 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Ft Lauderdale Device: iPad	Maybe he got a p$ubsidy grant? Or maybe his psponsor is PScientology? Plenty of $$$$ to psubsidize the other half of the price? I know, serious thread, but I just couldn't stop myself.

05-12-2009, 01:07 AM	#41
sirbruce Provocateur Posts: 1,859 Karma: 505847 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Columbus, OH Device: Kindle Touch, Kindle 2, Kindle DX, iPhone 3GS	If you were busy taking so many orders, and you had an angel backing you, why did you shut down the business and abandon the idea? Most likely you're just saying that to try to save face. Even if you were on the straight and level when you started out this crazy venture, you botched it up by your unprofessional demeanor and your inability to answer the scam questions in a timely and forthright manner. Thus, any fault for the fact that your business has failed and people aren't going to receive their Kindle DX at half price is YOURS, not in the people who questioned your business model.

05-12-2009, 05:46 AM	#44
kacir Wizard Posts: 3,463 Karma: 10684861 Join Date: May 2006 Device: PocketBook 360, before it was Sony Reader, cassiopeia A-20	Strange ... The link deleted address now leads to the Amazon site. Perhaps the idea turned to not be financially feasible. Perhaps the PromoPublishers was paid to give up the site. Perhaps Amazon has blackened the skies above PromoPublishers with Nazg^H^H^H^HLawyers. It wasn't a bad idea, IMHO. Even if I am somehow skeptical that PromoPublisher would be able to get the authors to pay for more than $250 per unit. God knows that vanity publishing used to be() quite lucrative business. () It might still be a lucrative business, but today in the Internet Era authors have much, much more possibilities.

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