After considered thought and experience, I have no use for telemarketers. Period.

If you touch them at all, you’re stuck. Don’t think the government is going to get you unstuck, either.

And the only way you can really get ripped off is to believe in their “pitch” to begin with.

But the trick is to stay far away to begin with – or take some actions now so you don’t have these scammers on your lines ever again:

1. When a telemarketer calls, say “No.” and then tell them to take your name off their lists.

2. Never give a phone number out. Period. No one except your friends and family need to know. When you send off for information, they don’t need your phone number – or you don’t really need that information. This includes all online and off line forms.

3. Never give out a credit card online. Be very, very careful who you give it to on a telephone call, preferably NOT.

3. Quit using credit cards. They can send telemarketers your way under their agreements’ fine print.

And once you are done with these internet rip off artists – stay far, far away and never deal in their general direction again (unless you are subpoenaed for legal information in someone else’s case, obviously.)

- – - -

Additional tip: use release technique to get rid of the negative thinking and emotions these guys stir up. One thing you can bless them for – giving you something to release…

[Updated 06/12/10] Learned the hard way at least once since I wrote this book – but here’s the lesson plans to Get Your Self Scam Free.

Getting your money back from a scam

Writing this as I just got scammed again (some turkeys whose address I found out is a UPS store in New York), and because you need to know your recourse if you can’t find this simply in the forums:

1. Immediately call their number and keep careful notes of who you talked to and find out their supervisor’s name if you can – tell them you are taking notes and demand your refund in no uncertain terms. Do not let them talk you into an extension. Most of these guys only give you a 3-day refusal period – and might even count the weekend, although the courts and laws only count weekdays. Be absolute. You want your money back and you want it now.

2. Now, same day, right after that call: call your credit card company and tell them you disputed that charge. Also keep very good notes on who you talked to, and if possible, get their supervisor’s name. (Credit card companies are mostly into this scene, but will work with you if you keep at them – and contact them early enough.)

3. Same day again – go online to your Attorney General, as well as the Attorney General in the state they came from and file a complaint. This is even if they promised to refund your money. The reason is that they will still try to get out of it. No, you don’t threaten to do this if they don’t return your money.  These guys don’t respond to threats. Just do this third.

4. Report online to FCC, FTC, and FBI. Fill out all the information you have. Now, this is even if you are promised your money back. Because these guys are doing this to others.

5. Contact their local Chamber of Commerce and file a complaint there about that business.

6. You can also file a complaint with the BBB, but that won’t do much more than irritate them. The worst scammers either don’t belong or could care less.

7. Hit the forums and complain about them. Just so others can find out.

The reason you do all this in the same day is to first, get it out of your system – and second, most of these guys simply move somewhere else under another name quickly. Too many complaints and they just drop everything, reincorporate under another name and start over.

Good Luck. Tar is sometimes hard getting off your hands…

Thanks for visiting my blog and reading this entry.
If you’ve found it valuable, please consider donating via PayPal to enable my continuing research.

Our latest upcoming release, “Freedom Is — (period.)”

Once you're up there, now what?!?

Well, the answer to the question just came from Lester Levenson’s friend, Stephen Seretan:

The Part of Releasing They Don’t Tell You About

by Steve Seretan

I know many of you are having trouble implementing the nuts and bolts of the Sedona Method to achieve your goals and get more money. I get emails every day. I am listening. I hear you.

I also know you read other teachers’ reports of how rosy it all gets when you release and how easy success is with it. And then you feel worse because that is not the case in your life. Then you begin to doubt the truth about the Sedona Method and releasing. You start to spiral down until you are in apathy. You don’t want to do anything anymore, including releasing on goals. Sound familiar?

I have been in that place many times. What is the cause of this experience and what can we do about it? It is caused by programs about the Sedona Method, releasing, and resistance, which is another program. Programs, past subconscious decisions, hold us back by convincing us of their viral message. We listen to these scripts over and over until we are certain they are true. We make a strong case for them. “Look, this is what happened. It is a fact.” “Can’t you see, it is true?” We argue for the limitation they tell us is real for some odd reason. Then we own the results of it. The “Law of Attraction” gives us what we hold in mind.

Steve

Stephen Seretan

www.LesterandMe.com

Author of Lester and Me, My Unforgettable Conversations With American Master, Lester Levenson

Now, I let you in on this and peeled off the time-dated stuff below. Mainly so that later I can simply have this top data as valuable.  Let me give you their pitch (which is a really good deal) and then I’ll tell you how this fits in…

This coming Sunday, June 6TH, and for 3 others, we will begin to dissect this issue that is not talked about much by other teachers. I will help find and word your programs about using KISS Releasing to achieve your goals even though they have been out of reach thus far. List 25+ beliefs that you have now about the Sedona Method and all else, and we will begin to whittle these down to viruses we can delete from your mind.

It is an exciting and rich endeavor that will pay off big. I promise. I will give some free phone time to anyone who registers before Sunday to help you with this.

Sign Up: http://www.kissreleasing.com/butt-method.html

- – - -

How your own programs keep you from releasing (How this stuff works):

As you dissect the above, you can see the pure logic of it all.

1) We’ve collected all these thoughts, memories, and beliefs to set them all up as programs so we can still play this fascinating game called “Life”. (Although “Life” the board game is far less painful…)

2) Part of these are to keep you from running out of game. So you have counter-programs which are there just to argue that you shouldn’t keep on that route.

3) And then there are people who are hyper-critical and the first ones to label anything a “scam” – because their programs say that nothing ever works for anybody – that “the’re all agin’ me…”

OK?

Hope this helps.

Get Stephen’s book at www.LesterandMe.com and you might get some more help on these counter-progams – that is, if you’ll let yourself…

And don’t forget his timely teleseminar special coming up this weekend: http://www.kissreleasing.com/butt-method.html

Thanks for visiting my blog and reading this entry.
If you’ve found it valuable, please consider donating via PayPal to enable my continuing research.

Our latest upcoming release, “Freedom Is — (period.)”

Boy, that was a mouthful. Good thing I don’t have my titles that long all the time – Twitter would ban my updates for sure (or people would think I never finish anything…)

OK, the reason I got inspired to write this was exactly what was in my in-box – another endorsement (read: affliliate link) for someone I hadn’t heard of before and how many glowing testimonials with some incredible, don’t-pass-now offer reduced for a limited time…

Like I’d never seen these before.

Actually, I don’t know if it’s just me, but I’ve been opting out of way more mailing lists than I join now days. Usually right after the first worthless offer.

Because these guys are in the same ego trap as their customers – and you can tell in the way they are writing.

You have to ask yourself – what’s all this money for? Sure, having good health is a near necessity – but are you trying to be perfectly healthy all the time, or would minor aches and pains every now and then (like sore from playing a long game of tennis, or being tired after tromping around in the woods all day keeping up with grand children – would those be acceptable?)

Charles Haanel held that money was only a symbol, and that chasing a symbol would cause it all to disappear. Money only stands for what you did to get it. Earl Nightingale said at least once that money only says how much value you’ve been giving others.

Figure that people who only are telling people how to get all the money they want, all the success they can stand – these people are caught up in the same trap.

They’re all symbol-chasing. Why? So the people around you will think better of you?

When you don’t have to take any medicine, and all your bills are paid for months at a time, then what?

And when you get along with the people you like and the other ones mostly leave you alone, then what relationships are you still needing to improve?

The question you want to ask yourself is: “What happens when I get there?”

Thanks for visiting my blog and reading this entry.
If you’ve found it valuable, please consider donating via PayPal to enable my continuing research.

Our latest upcoming release, “Freedom Is — (period.)”

In “The Secret”, you’re told to let go in order to let the universe manifest it. However, no one in that DVD tells you exactly how to simply do that. Even Jack Canfield, whose quote on this I have above my desk, is a Sedona Method graduate – but if he told (or Hale Dwoskin – also in that DVD), it was edited out.

So, if you can’t let go, then you can’t get the Law of Attraction to work. Oops.

Here’s a question I’m hearing over and over from my subscribers…

The question goes something like this:
QUESTION: I’ve heard of something called “letting go” as the secret behind The Secret.  Can you tell me what “letting go” means and how it can help me attract financial abundance into my life?

That’s a great question.

It’s an extremely important one, too.

Because while keeping a positive state of mind does attract positive things into your life (including financial abundance) – many people have “hidden pockets” of counter beliefs about money in their subconscious mind.

And those counter beliefs override the positive intentions and goals.

What I’m saying is this:

It’s not what you consciously think about that you attract.

You attract what you subconsciously believe.

And that’s why many people who affirm, set financial goals and visualize having financial abundance – never HAVE the financial abundance they want.

See, although they are consciously focused on attracting financial abundance; subconsciously (outside their awareness) they have a “counter belief” that keeps them from having financial abundance.

A common counter belief is:  It’s just not possible to make $X without a lot of hard work.

And so they continue to struggle working hard to make money.

Which brings us to the topic of “letting go.”

As in “letting go” (or clearing) the subconscious counter beliefs about money (or anything else for that matter).

Once you “let go” (clear) your subconscious counter beliefs – you’ll naturally FEEL positive and naturally attract abundance into your life.

But how do you “let go”?

It’s easy…

You go to this website – and all will be revealed!

Thanks for visiting my blog and reading this entry.
If you’ve found it valuable, please consider donating via PayPal to enable my continuing research.

Our latest upcoming release, “Freedom Is — (period.)”

Here’s some Levenson quotes:

Let go of all your attachments and you’ll be so light, it will be hard to stay on the ground.

Let go of all your desires and you reach the ultimate level of happiness. And when you put a thought out, it shows up.

Let go of all desires, all attachments and all these other things – and be free.

The more you let go of attachments, the happier you get – and the easier it is to get things.

We started out playing a game and wound up thinking happiness was outside of ourselves.

Do you see how this works? Of course, the usual disclaimer: reject all of this unless and until you can make it your own, deciding and proving for yourself that it has use or applicability in your own life. That you can get something out of it.

Now, the world is full of ego-traps. And the physical things you see around you are just the symbols of these. Money, houses, clothes, cars, planes, video games – all these things aren’t real. Most of them would disappear in a fire or other catastrophe.

But a person who knows how to get them can replace them at any time.

A person who is dependent on them is devastated when they lose them – and even when they think of losing them. This person often doesn’t have them and is simply stuck in the desire for them. But even if they get what they want, they can’t keep it.

Because they don’t simply see them as symbols for other ideas. Money is a humankind thing. Doesn’t exist naturally. You can’t eat it, but you can use it to get others to give you food. Won’t buy love, but you can get someone to have sex with you, or even marry and live with you for the rest of your life. Can’t make you happy, but it can get stuff which will distract you from your unhappiness for a little while.

So the stuff around you isn’t the real you. That real you is only what you find out it is. You have to start letting the Universe within you shine out.

Simply start the habit of releasing all the time – any feeling or thought about anything – just let it go. Use the release technique constantly. Then you can easily get anything and everything that you need or want. Precisely because you get off the artificial needs and invented wants.

Just remember that joke: KISS-BUTT your way through life -

1. Keep it simple, sweetheart, and
2. Sit on your butt and just release to get anything you want.

Make releasing so simple that you don’t think about it, it’s just second nature.

And quit efforting to get, or acquire, or achieve, or attain anything. Everything you really need/want will come to you if you just let the Universe within and around you bring it to you.

All this effort people put into getting stuff, that’s just making it harder. That’s a real game. Level playing field and all that nonsense. If you want to really win the game, quit playing it. Just let the game play itself. Be the witness up in the stands.

OK?

More tomorrow…

Thanks for visiting my blog and reading this entry.
If you’ve found it valuable, please consider donating via PayPal to enable my continuing research.

Our latest upcoming release, “Freedom Is — (period.)”

How do you get down from an elephant?

You don’t, you get down from a goose.

Let’s go back to our simple basics:

• Most people run on semi-automatic. Meaning they are letting their subconscious do the work for them. They only answer the telephone when it rings. These are the factory workers, the cubicle hourly workers, the warehouse and set-wage people who contribute a fixed part of their wages to the Government every week, on an increasing scale the more they make. This is about 97% of the world’s population.
• Of the remaining 3%, most are in incredible action to get things done. They either run corporations or start them and sell them to others who do, then starting another. Most of these are self-employed or own the company and work either on dividends or in as many low- or non-taxable ways as there can be invented. Politicians and government leaders are in this bunch (and their staffers are in that first group.)
• And there is a micro-fraction of the whole – about 3% of 3% who really run the world’s wealth. Or they are independent otherwise in the extreme and create the inventions you use all the time. They may work for salaries, but they don’t necessarily depend on these. More often, they are independently wealthy, or have other support systems which allow them an independence from day-to-day necessities of living.

Most of your buyers are in that 97%. And that’s where all your taxes come from as well.

And since those 97% run on the subconscious patterns (mostly), they are relatively easy to offer goods based on “wants” and “needs”, and to get purchases. Meaning they work all week so that marketers can take their money at the end of it. Or, as in credit cards, they set it up for these people stay in hock until they die. And then go after their relatives for that debt.

The 3% think they are running the show – however, they are also running on mostly semi-automatic. They are simply in action instead of stuck in a rut of expecting things to be handed to them when they work long and hard enough. While these few are the task-masters of the world. They also don’t have a clue on what is actually going on.

That 3% of 3% do actually understand the systems, or at least the bulk of them. And they can concentrate on exactly what they have to operate to get the other 99.9% (+/-) to do what they want, more or less. They think they have the tiger by the tail. But they only succeed to the degree they stick to the system they have and that system is mostly complete. Bill Gates, Warren Bufffet, Sam Walton, all these guys. They concentrate on a system that works.

So selling to any of these bunches is quite simple. Know how the subconscious works and pander to it. Offer systems to that 3% who are in action. But use those same psychology-buttons to get them to buy. Even that .09% will settle to some degree based on your offerings. In most cases, they make or control such vast sums it doesn’t matter if they waste some of it here and there. Plenty more where that came from.

And the write-ups on the systems to market and sell goods to people exist widely on the Internet. Even available as free downloads. Again, you only have to concentrate your attention on finding them, proving them, and using them.

What they will buy:

• 97% will buy stuff. Material things which temporarily satiate their desires. As instant a gratification as possible.
• 3% will buy into systems to control or run other peoples’ lives – especially the ones that make that stuff.
• .09% will buy the copyrights, trademarks, and patents to those systems and license them. Plus buy that company itself.

There is only one rule: You can’t sell something they don’t actually think they need or want. And if you work to deceive them into momentarily thinking they need something when their subconscious says they actually don’t, you’ll wind up paying them more in return than the sale was worth. Almost all of their thoughts are semi-automatic, and their wants and needs are pretty much pre-ordained. (Just reverse engineer my anti-scam checklist and you’ll find them.) This rule holds top to bottom. No real exceptions.

- – - -

There is a very, very small minority – about 3% of 3% of 3% – or .0027% who are actually immune to the whole system.  They don’t actually need or want stuff. Because these are an enlightened few who don’t work either reactively or pro-actively. They operate intuitively.  And while the wealth they accumulate (and they are usually very wealthy if they put any attention on it at all) comes through the “normal channels of industry and commerce”, you’ll find that they don’t work very hard to make it show up.

These extreme minority few don’t actually work at all. They intuitively know what actions they have to take, but it’s a game to them. They have fun at every single thing they do. Life is unending joy.

And the rest of these guys above would pay just about anything to know and understand and be able to simply do those actions for themselves.

But there’s a trick to this.

Money can’t buy it. And there’s no way to market it or sell it.

You can only earn it.

And these rare few don’t even consider that it’s their job to package this system up and tell people about it, or offer it on any market. Sure, some write books, some make DVD’s or CD’s, or lecture, or hold seminars. But they do this for fun.

They know that only a very, very, tiny handful of people out there are ready to get what they are offering. Because that is how many people are actually ready for it.

To the rest – they are selling a system. And when you study the above, you know exactly what they will do with whatever you offer through your marketing. You’ll know who your clients are, and who your consumers are, and who to sell out to when you intuit you want to do something else.

But they also know that only a handful (as in: you can count on one hand) will actually get what they are saying and put it to actual use in their lives.

So: “To those who have ears, let them hear…”

Thanks for visiting my blog and reading this entry.
If you’ve found it valuable, please consider donating via PayPal to enable my continuing research.

Our latest upcoming release, “Freedom Is — (period.)”

And last night was a doozy. But what came from it is that when you release on goals in order to achieve them, you are actually helping everyone around you as well. So the bigger the goal, the more you help humankind in general.

Meaning, that if you really have concern for this planet and the people on it, you’ll work on releasing the biggest goals you can dream of. We are all connected, after all.

These four goals (word them as you like):

• World Peace
• Abundance for every single person
• Ecological balance
• Personal Freedom for every single person

Now, I could tell you more about these (and have, in my various blog posts over the years), but the key point is that you need to deal with individuals to get this to work. Never, ever, the government. Because the government (like money) is a fiction, a contrivance and as you release more and more, it becomes obvious that people only use the concept of government to control, to gain approval, and to provide a false sense of security.

The next point it is that you never “fight” anything. That also doesn’t work. You become the thing you are fighting. In order to dissolve a situation, you will need to simply welcome it and release it. Recognize it for what it is and let it go. It will then cease to have any effect on you. If you do need to do something, you’ll get the intuitional inspiration of what to do. Don’t “think” about it – just put it into motion.

As you start working on these broad goals to release, then you’ll see how they interact, as well as other reasons you need to work on all four. Time permitting, I’ll set these each up with the data I have and help you as possible with your own work.

4 studies to learn from

My own background, as I’ve said, came from Scientology – although I don’t use anything I learned there anymore. It was a great introduction to a wide world of philosophers, religious prophets, and spiritual guides, but it’s a limited study.

When I started butting up against the limits of that subject, I started studying the core texts it was derived from. This lead to my “Go Thunk Yourself!” study, which lead me right into New Thought.

New Thought is a very wide umbrella which has incorporated a lot earlier philosophers, as well as the bulk of the really successful self-help books such as “Think and Grow Rich”, “Science of Getting Rich”, and “Master Key System.”

Somewhere along those studies, I stumbled upon Huna. This is the oldest known surviving philosophy on this planet. And interestingly, owes its rebirth in popularity (at least in the Western world) to Max Freedom Long, who gave it it’s name. (Practically, the subject was so immersed in the culture, that it didn’t have a single name before that point, much like water has several names for its various forms.) Long was a New Thought student, but I found that out later.

The third study is Silva Method, after the work Jose Silva did in his life-long study of the human condition and how to improve it. This is very powerful stuff, more powerful than even its practitioners know. But in the last decade, they’ve seen how it’s more broadly applicable than earlier known.

A fourth study is Lester Levenson’s release technique. Also known as the Sedona Method. And there are other variants around – they all work. Larry Crane and Hale Dwoskin, as well as Stephen Seretan – all these have their own individual approaches, but they all trained directly under Levenson and so got the real scoop on how to help anyone achieve their own Freedom and Peace of Mind.

I use all four of these together as the most effective way to quickly resolve personal situations and problems in my life.

Any of them individually would take you right on out to enlightenment if you really, really studied and applied them. All of them can also be toyed with to simply make your life more comfortable.

My own use, with Haanel, Hill, and Wattles providing the theoretical base – is to use the Alpha centering technique of Silva to get into a high personal state in order to use Levenson’s release technique to simply let things go. Huna provides the glue to hold everything together.

And I would tell you these four things:

1. Know we are all connected (7 principles of Huna).
2. Know how the universe works (New Thought authors as listed.)
3. Use Silva techniques to get into a personal high state of certainty.
4. Release with Levenson’s techniques so that you drop the underlying desires which hold everything in place.

Where to get the data

I’ve worked to republish the key New Thought authors at my Go Thunk Yourself Bookstore (Lulu.com).

For Huna, I have Max Freedom Long’s books there and also tell you to visit http://huna.org , where you’ll see all Serge Kahili King’s work. Tad James’ work is also recommended.

While Silva has undergone many transitions since Jose passed on, I’d still recommend getting a copy of his Ultra-Mind CD’s as you can. These I know give you all the data you need to get going. (I’ll find you a good link for this.)

Levenson’s original stuff is most easily found at Larry Crane’s site. I’ve also found some original Levenson recordings on Hale’s, but it’s much harder to locate there.

Practically, all of the above is also released to the Internet in various forms. So if you can afford to spend the time and bandwidth, you can get this all for “free.”

The key point is to get this data, get your self proofed up and doing well, then tackle the bigger issues we all face as part of humankind.

[An interesting note: you'll see in both of these sets that they line up more or less as "tetrads" - which you can find more about on my "Go Thunk Yourself, Again!" blog.]

Thanks for visiting my blog and reading this entry.
If you’ve found it valuable, please consider donating via PayPal to enable my continuing research.

Our latest upcoming release, “Freedom Is — (period.)”

You know, we are all Masters in our own right. True. Just look inside and you see the perfection that you are.

The ancient Polynesians had is completely right. Nowadays, when you say Kahuna, you either think of some surfer dude who always beats everyone else out in the competitions – or some mystic healer who can fire-walk, control nature, and maybe raise the dead.

But “Kahuna” always met something like “keeper of the secret”, although that is a very loose translation (suitable for us haole’s who don’t speak a word of it). There were kahuna’s for every trade and business and activity. Our use would be mentor – as you would seek out these experts if you wanted to learn that skill or art. (Fishing kahuna’s, weaving kahuna’s, gardening/farming kahuna’s, etc.)

And so, originally, there were kahunas all over the place. (Check out wikipedia for both these terms.)

It is even so today. Masters (kahunas/mentors) of any trade actually abound. Our approach with the Sedona Method or releasing technique, is to enable everyone to master themselves as well.

My approach, different from most, is to tell you that you don’t have to have a lot of money, or sexual partners, or servants, or impeccable health to be a complete success. You don’t have to control vast estates of property and hundreds or thousands of employees to be a success. But certainly, you need to be free of having to have approval from anyone else about what makes your success.

For the only person who can weigh in on your level of success is you. You either are doing what you want to do in life, or you aren’t. And the only one who sets the decisions about what you should and shouldn’t be doing is you.

That is the freedom which Sedona Method release technique brings – to be able to be, do, and have anything you want. You don’t have to have money or prowess in order to accomplish whatever it is you want today.

If you want to stay at home and home-school the kids while maintaining the household, then that’s perfectly fine. So is flying airplanes for a living. Anything you want to do that isn’t hurting anyone else or illegal because of that fact – you should be able to simply learn to do as an expert in that field. A Kahuna. A Master.

And any Master of their craft does it with an ease that makes it seem like they were born to do just that. And it’s probably true. For when a person is following their passion, it’s something that they meant to do since they were born (or thereabouts.) But that doesn’t mean you can only have one passion. Many people have several and either master all of them, or shift from one to another, mastering each in turn.

The key point in that is that they do it with ease. That is where Sedona Method comes in. Masters simply release on everything and anything which interrupts or interferes with their practice of their craft. And they live rather calm, peaceful lives. Even if it’s a hut on the beach they have to rebuild every few years. Or if its a stone hut in the glens of Scotland so old that there’s no record of when it was first built. Or the business executive who has been rising through the ranks for 20-30 years and stands a chance of being the COO or CEO soon. Or the administrative assistant who has seen those CEO’s come and go – but knows how to help them all be a success through her mastery of corporate policy and human behavior.

There are Masters who walk this earth and they need not be famous or wealthy or outrageously lucky.

And the reverse is true. People who win lotteries are often bankrupt and further in debt a couple years later – because they never learned how to manage wealth. People who have rented their whole lives aren’t necessarily ready for home ownership. Because a politician is able to get elected doesn’t mean he’s ready to be a statesman.

As well, most people are hampered by popular success – celebrities often no longer have any life of their own once they’ve “made it.” So being a quiet success and having everything you could want is just fine with most people.

My point here is that you are looking for personal freedom, above and beyond any fame or fortune. The society around you worships these ego-traps. That doesn’t mean you have to.

You have to want freedom more than you want the world. And once you get yourself on that route, you’ll walk it right on out. Sure, others may pass you by, or maybe you suddenly attain it in a flash after persuing it for years and years.

And after you Master yourself, then what? Practically, the release technique has been used to help people become millionaires and resolve relationships, and create huge successes. But the people who only used it for those material things wound up in trouble again, sooner or later. Because money, fame, fortune – all these are part of the World. They are not part of Freedom.

Doesn’t mean you’l be broke and lonely – those are also part of this world. When you look for the Freedom, Peace, and Joy which have always lay within you – just waiting to be let out – then the world gives you anything you want. Because you don’t need it anymore.

So: become the Master you already are. Let your light shine.

Thanks for visiting my blog and reading this entry.
If you’ve found it valuable, please consider donating via PayPal to enable my continuing research.

Our latest upcoming release, “Freedom Is — (period.)”

After considered thought and experience, I have no use for telemarketers. Period.

If you touch them at all, you’re stuck. Don’t think the government is going to get you unstuck, either.

And the only way you can really get ripped off is to believe in their “pitch” to begin with.

But the trick is to stay far away to begin with – or take some actions now so you don’t have these scammers on your lines ever again:

1. When a telemarketer calls, say “No.” and then tell them to take your name off their lists.

2. Never give a phone number out. Period. No one except your friends and family need to know. When you send off for information, they don’t need your phone number – or you don’t really need that information. This includes all online and off line forms.

3. Never give out a credit card online. Be very, very careful who you give it to on a telephone call, preferably NOT.

3. Quit using credit cards. They can send telemarketers your way under their agreements’ fine print.

And once you are done with these internet rip off artists – stay far, far away and never deal in their general direction again (unless you are subpoenaed for legal information in someone else’s case, obviously.)

- – - -

Additional tip: use release technique to get rid of the negative thinking and emotions these guys stir up. One thing you can bless them for – giving you something to release…

[Updated 06/12/10] Learned the hard way at least once since I wrote this book – but here’s the lesson plans to Get Your Self Scam Free.

Getting your money back from a scam

Writing this as I just got scammed again (some turkeys whose address I found out is a UPS store in New York), and because you need to know your recourse if you can’t find this simply in the forums:

1. Immediately call their number and keep careful notes of who you talked to and find out their supervisor’s name if you can – tell them you are taking notes and demand your refund in no uncertain terms. Do not let them talk you into an extension. Most of these guys only give you a 3-day refusal period – and might even count the weekend, although the courts and laws only count weekdays. Be absolute. You want your money back and you want it now.

2. Now, same day, right after that call: call your credit card company and tell them you disputed that charge. Also keep very good notes on who you talked to, and if possible, get their supervisor’s name. (Credit card companies are mostly into this scene, but will work with you if you keep at them – and contact them early enough.)

3. Same day again – go online to your Attorney General, as well as the Attorney General in the state they came from and file a complaint. This is even if they promised to refund your money. The reason is that they will still try to get out of it. No, you don’t threaten to do this if they don’t return your money.  These guys don’t respond to threats. Just do this third.

4. Report online to FCC, FTC, and FBI. Fill out all the information you have. Now, this is even if you are promised your money back. Because these guys are doing this to others.

5. Contact their local Chamber of Commerce and file a complaint there about that business.

6. You can also file a complaint with the BBB, but that won’t do much more than irritate them. The worst scammers either don’t belong or could care less.

7. Hit the forums and complain about them. Just so others can find out.

The reason you do all this in the same day is to first, get it out of your system – and second, most of these guys simply move somewhere else under another name quickly. Too many complaints and they just drop everything, reincorporate under another name and start over.

Good Luck. Tar is sometimes hard getting off your hands…

Thanks for visiting my blog and reading this entry.
If you’ve found it valuable, please consider donating via PayPal to enable my continuing research.

Our latest upcoming release, “Freedom Is — (period.)”

While 97% of all you see out there in Internet Marketing is scam-laden bunk, so are 97% of their customers.

This planet, and all cultures on it, runs on 9%-97% subconscious/unconscious reaction-only.  And that is what passes for “popular”. Sorry I even had to finally find this out. This doesn’t mean anyone has to get pessimistic about how the place is run, just that any forward progress has it’s work cut out for it.

Because most of what passes for “progress” is just old stuff re-hashed. Like anything, anything out of Washington in general or your local politician’s mouth specifically. Because they were elected based on popularity.

Our last few presidents have proved this over and over and over. They have about 6-7 months of sustained popularity and after that, they are attacked for so much as getting into a secure limo to ride somewhere.

And Congress by polls is the most popular when it does nothing and just sits there – and local Congress people can come home to get re-elected, saying that they used all their power to stop the other side from doing anything and still got most of our tax money to come back to the state and it’s people.

So? What kind of result is that? We pay them to do nothing and make sure nothing gets done?

It just struck me today when I was critiquing a marketing company, going back to what’s hit my lines as some sort of scam. When I looked over their operation, it was all that type of stuff. All scammy, hit them where their emotions sit. Get them to spend money.

These guys were all about money as the key point to their touted “success”. But the actual self-help products they were pushing were disguised. Most of these at their base were actually there to help people improve their lives. But what were they pushing? More and better: wealth, success, personal-esteem, health, money, approval, personal power, better control over your life. Things. Stuff. Junk. Tricks.  Not a mention of peace of mind, personal freedom, unlimited happiness. It was all “how to get more money”, “how to attracts (blank) into y0ur life”, “do nothing and get everything”.

If you’re familiar with the Scam Free book, what do you see? They are pushing feelings and basic desires. They are using the same buttons scammers use. All the good which is found in the materials and services they sell is hidden under a bunch of typically-crass and overworked, hackneyed tripe which came out years ago from Madison Avenue Psychology Studies.

And these guys say they “really get” social media marketing. Yawn. Look over their sales pages. They are simply the same classic “feel good” pages with all the elements any successful sales page has. And success in this instance is “clicks through and buys” or “clicks through and goes on a mailing list so they can buy later.” They measure their success by how many dupes they’ve managed to keep on their mailing lists.

What do I do with most mailing lists? Opt-out. Why? Because they are sending me really stupid offers and so think I am really stupid.

I just don’t need more stupid people on my lines – or condescending ones. Especially those who are only “selling” something. Much less stuff I don’t need.  Because you know you are going to get scammed.

Look, while this might be effective, it really only works on about 3 percent of those you sign up. That’s where your money is coming from. And these people are really, actually either consumers or customers. They simply consume everything you sell them, or are creatures of habit (custom) and just keep coming back for more, regardless. (And they probably work in factory, cubicle, or union/government jobs where they have to make very damned few decisions in life – so being able to buy anything on their own is an esteem bump.)

The whole world is extremely long-tail – more than we realize – so it’s split up into billions or more niches which are interactive with each other. So now we can each “sell” to our niche-customers/consumers and make our own pile of money, can’t we?

Barf.

I don’t know about you, but I buy once I’ve checked out the quality for myself and then what my friends, family, and associates  have to say about it. And online, this is the social networks we belong to. So Heflin, among others, say to just limit yourself to those social networks you can really participate in – meaning the ones you like to participate in because they’ll actually give you something you want in return.

And leave the bulk of them behind.

Literally 1 in a million will really be giving out dependably good products and incredible value with every offer. The rest are really just wanting your money on an irregular or regular basis to keep their own coffers and pockets lined.  To the vast bulk of companies out there – you are nothing but a number which can be replaced with another number. This even extends to jobs and employers these days. Been there, done that.

Value and cherish the people you find, or who find you, that you can really, really trust and give you more than you could ever expect to repay. And be that person yourself: give more than others expect and make each product you give far above the value expected or received in return.

There are so very many authors who cover this point that it’s just not funny. But then, I’ve narrowed the authors I study down to those who are consistent bestsellers, most of whom died last century or more.

So I’m picky. For good reason.

Be picky.

And help others get picky.

That’s our real road out of this mess we are surrounded with.

- – - -

Internet Marketing Links of possible interest:

Learn How To Excel In Your Business Using Social Media and Web 2.0-Free Seminar

…with top internet marketing experts for the advantage of all. Each marketing expert is sure to give … See all stories on this topic

‘Search Affiliates: Partners or Parasites?’ by Shawn Collins

Shawn Collins’ latest blog post is titled “Search Affiliates: Partners or Parasites?”. [Shawn Collins' Blog] Shawn Collins’ latest blog post: Search Affiliates: Partners or Parasites? Shawn Says, “Search Affiliates: Partners or Parasites? presentation from Affiliate Summit West 2007, which took place January 21-23, 2007 in Las Vegas, NV”. Search…

Internet Marketing Ideas | SnadBox: Search Engine Optimization …

…Internet Marketing Ideas – http://www.internetmarketingideas.info/

Marketing an Online Business In 2010 | Legitimate Home Based Business

…Marketing an online business is a very important thing that you have to do if you are involved in a affiliate marketing business or if you have an internet. Legitimate Home Based Business – http://www.onlinemoneymakin.com/blog/

‘Keyword Research Tools And Best Practices’ by Sean Rasmussen

…Most internet marketers start developing a list of keywords by thinking. They think about their business, think about the products or services they are offering, and then think about how ordinary consumers might search to find these items.” Keyword Research Tools And Best Practices… Sean Rasmussen’s Blog

Thanks for visiting my blog and reading this entry.
If you’ve found it valuable, please consider donating via PayPal to enable my continuing research.

Our latest upcoming release, “Freedom Is — (period.)”