|
Testimonials?
What is the value of a Testimonial?
If the Testimonial comes from a
person you know, it has some value.
However, caution is
sill advised according to the Detroit Free Press, in the July 13,2000 issue of
the Detroit Free Press they had an interesting article. The article is quoted
below.
P.S.
MICHIGAN IS AMONG 11 states to reach a settlement with celebrity pitch man
Robin Leach for deceptive advertising of "dream cruises" that turned
out to be ferry boat rides with bingo games. Leach said he didn't know it was
a rip-off, but agreed as part of the deal only to endorse things with which he
is personally familiar. Catch his new show, Lifestyle of the Rich and
Infamous."
This short article seems to point out that
the influence of MONEY can draw people, even professional people, into an
endorsement of a so-called worthless or minimally valued item.
As we have said before, if the so-called
testimonial comes from an unknown source, or from some person in some town, what value is
it? It has the potential of a limited value.
The value of the testimonial
may be based on the value of the person or company passing on the so-called testimonial.
Or in the instance of
Robin Leach as mentioned in the article, it is based on the value of his time
the promoting company paid for...
This obvious potential
for questionability of a testimonial is why we do not rely on Testimonials. We
rely on satisfied customers sending customers to us, and by offering a money back
guarantee.
As another way to look at it, we
just got what is typically called the scam of the Nigerian Letter.
Many business people get these
Nigerian Letter scams in the mail. They usually come with bright and colorful stamps.
Typically, companies that
participate in Trade Shows where the show promoter passes out the list of exhibiting
companies, get a number of the letters, over time. I am sure there are other ways the
people who write these letters get names of potential victims.
If you have never received such a
letter, it is appropriate for you to read the following letter we rewrote for the web so
it will load quickly. We will FAX you a copy of the original if you ask us for it, send us
an e-mail with your company name and FAX number.
THE
NIGERIAN LETTER FOLLOWS
MUSA BELLO
LAGOS, NIGERIA
TEL/FAX:-234-90-407536
DATE--------------
SIR,
I AM MUSA BELLO, A SENIOR OFFICER WITH THE NIGERIAN NATIONAL
PETROLEUM CORPORATION (NNPC). YOUR ESTEEMED ADDRESS WAS RELIABLY INTRODUCED TO ME AT THE
NIGERIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY DURING MY SEARCH FOR A RELIABLE
INDIVIDUAL/COMPANY WHO CAN HANDLE A STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL TRANSACTION THIS INVOLVES THE
TRANSFER OF A REASONABLE SUM OF MONEY TO A FOREIGN ACCOUNT. THIS MONEY AMOUNT TO A TOTAL
OF U.S. $20m (TWENTY MILLION UNITED STATES DOLLARS ONLY).
THIS HAS ALREADY BEEN EXTRACTED FROM VARIOUS CONTRACTS AWARDED BY
THE CONTRACT TENDERS BOARD AS A RESULT OF OVER-INVOICING BY OFFICIALS WHO WERE DRAFTED TO
MAKE FINAL PAYMENT FOR CONTRACTS EXECUTED TO THE NNPC SOME YEARS BACK. THE MONEY IS NOW
FLOATING IN THE CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA AWAITING CLAIM BY A FOREIGN PARTNER WHOSE STATUS
WE WANT YOU TO CLAIM.
FOLLOWING THE PRESIDENTIAL DIRECTIVE TO ALL CORPORATIONS TO PAY
OFF ALL OUTSTANDING DEBTS TO FOREIGN CONTRACTORS I THEREFORE SEEK YOUR ASSISTANCE TO
REMIT THIS MONEY INTO YOUR PERSONAL OR COMPANY ACCOUNT.
IN MY LAST MEETING WITH OTHER DIRECTORS INVOLVED, IT WAS RESOLVED
THAT 30% OF THE TOTAL SUM WILL BE GIVEN TO YOU, 65% WILL BE FOR US WHILE 5% WILL BE USED
TO REIMBURSE EXPENSES THAT MAY BE INCURRED IN THE PROCESSING OF THE TRANSFER.
I ASSURE YOU THE TRANSACTION IS 100% RISK FREE AS WE HAVE
CONCLUDED EVERY ARRAIGNMENT TO PROTECT THE INTEREST OF EVERYONE INVOLVED. LIKEWISE ALL
MODALITIES FOR THE SUCCESSFUL TRANSFER OF THIS MONEY HAVE BEEN WORKED OUT WITH THE FEDERAL
MINISTRY OF FINANCE AND THE CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA. IN ORDER TO FACILITATE THE REMITTANCE
OF THIS MONEY TO YOUR ACCOUNT WITHIN SEVEN (7) WORKING DAYS, THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS
HEREBY REQUIRED FROM YOU.
(A) NAME OF DESIRED COMPANY AND ADDRESS.
(B) NAME OF YOUR BANK, ACCOUNT NUMBER, ADDRESS, TEL/FAX NUMBERS.
(C) YOUR PRIVATE TEL/FAX NUMBERS..
YOU ARE URGENTLY REQUIRED TO SEND THIS INFORMATION THROUGH MY
TEL/FAX NUMBER ABOVE.
IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOU KEEP THIS TRANSACTION VERY CONFIDENTIAL
SO AS NOT TO TARNISH THE CONFIDENCE REPOSED ON THESE OFFICERS BY THE NATION'S FINANCIAL
HOUSE.
MEANWHILE, YOUR IMMEDIATE RESPONSE WILL BE HIGHLY APPRECIATED.
BEST REGARDS,
MUSA BELLO
THE END OF THE NIGERIAN
LETTER
I should point out that the misuse
of the English language may be intentional. Also, the letter came in a hand written
envelope, apparently postmarked in Japan. It had a nice looking NIPPON 110 stamp on it.
Why does a letter from a person who
claims to be a Senior Officer of the NIGERIAN NATIONAL PETROLEUM CORPORATION come in a
hand written envelope postmarked from Japan?
Perhaps we are to believe Musa Bello
is traveling the world passing out money?
The date on the letter was written
in by hand too.
The ALL CAPITALS makes it hard to
read but it is how they do it.
The letter looks as if it is one of
thousands processed through a copier with a scratch on the drum.
The entire letter reads like a low
quality con job.
At a minimum, they could have done a
better job on their presentation.
No one in Nigeria knows me, or cares
to know me, 6 million dollars worth.
If they did have 20 million and they
were willing to spilt off 30 percent to me, how could anyone justify paying a person they
do not know 6 million dollars. And, if they really wanted to give away 6 Million Dollars,
they would not send a letter out on a low quality photocopier with a hand written date and
hand written address on the envelope.
At a minimum they would have a crisp
printed letter on impressive stationary from the NIGERIAN NATIONAL PETROLEUM CORPORATION.
Perhaps even a gold seal.
I like the part that they want
to keep this transaction "CONFIDENTIAL SO AS NOT TO TARNISH THE CONFIDENCE REPOSED ON THESE OFFICERS BY THE
NATION'S FINANCIAL HOUSE." The only tarnished image I know of is the image of anyone
who gives them the information they ask for.
I do not have FACT to back this up.
However, the story I did hear says anyone who gives the writer the information, has their
bank account cleaned out. I suspect that would tarnish an image.
I also liked the part where they
claim it is 100% Risk Free. It is 100% risk free to them since once they get your bank
information, they wipe out your bank account. I suspect there is no way of finding them in
Nigeria either.
While all so-called product
testimonials may not be as big a pile as this is, I have to fall back on several basic
items.
If you know a person who is using a
piece of equipment and they give you their opinion, the opinion probably has merit.
An opinion passed on as a
testimonial by the person selling the equipment does not have the same merit. After all,
no one expects the seller to say anything negative about the product they are selling, so
ALL TESTIMONIALS are fully supportive, and should be viewed as "advertising and or
puffing" of a product.
An opinion or a Testimonial from
"MUSA BELLO" in Nigeria is not worth anything to me. At least I see it as an
obvious con.
Testimonials from unknown
individuals passed on by or through companies to make sales should not be worth anything
to you either.
Testimonials from people I do not
know are worth as much as the so-called story sent by "MUSA BELLO" in Nigeria.
At least the message from "MUSA BELLO" gave me a good laugh.
If you want a testimonial you can
believe, give yourself a testimonial after you have experience with a piece of equipment
and or a process.
To create a testimonial you can
believe, purchase the equipment, whatever the equipment is, with a MONEY BACK GUARANTEE
and then purchase it on a Credit Card.
If the claims by the merchant or the
sales person selling the product for the merchant, or the product, does not live up to the
claims of, or for, the product, you have options and ways to get your money back.
Any product that does not live up to
the alleged promises should not have a RESTOCKING FEE imposed on the person making the
return.
You should get the merchant to take
back the item, if they are aware.
Or if you have to go to the Credit
Card Company, the Credit Card Company will help you if the merchant is not willing.
The Credit Card company has more
impact on a Merchant than an individual has.
I had two instances where I got my
money back because the items did not live up to the expectations and each of the merchants
were not willing to give me my money back. In each instance, the Credit Card company was
able to convince the merchant on what was the right thing to do. I had documentation,
and copies of letters I sent to resolve the issue!
Make sure you keep records and get
the Money Back Guarantee in Writing.
We offer a MONEY BACK Guarantee in
writing on our Web Site. It is simple, Satisfaction Guaranteed or YOUR MONEY BACK.
To go back to the top of the Frequently
Asked Questions page, CLICK HERE
To go to our GOLD PLATING INFORMATION PAGE,
CLICK HERE
To go
back to your previous page,
please click on your web browsers BACK button.
| 
