I knew about such a company operating in Singapore and Malaysia with their ridiculous offer some time back but forgot about it until I read that post.
The question: “Would you pay $10,000 for 6 websites that you have to build yourself?
That’s exactly the offer made by an so-called Internet marketing company to trick people out of their money. Maybe you wouldn’t but there are tons of others out there who don’t know a single thing about the Internet, and these people are easy prey to vultures like this.
I know the name of the company but I won’t mention it here. What I can mention is how they operate…
The company will offer you tons of free gifts, free seminars and even buy you lunch at a fancy restaurant. They will make you feel special since it’s a one-on-one experience. However, after eveything is said and done you will be handed a bill to pay $10000 for 6 websites that YOU have to build…
That’s insanity. With $10,000 you can hire someone else to build, design, write and market 10 websites for you if you want. In reality all it costs you for a single website is:
- $9.00 for the domain name
- $30 – $90 a year for hosting
- Frontpage – free
- $60 – $120 for any kind of professional web template
What you can do is warn others about such and activity. Tell them how checp it really is to start their own website so that they don’t get sucked into this trap.
You need to understand that most people are used to spending $10,000 for an offline store or business, so if they are clueless about the Internet they will assume that they are getting a great deal because they get 6 “storesonline”.
If you’re from Malaysia and you want to learn from a truly successful Internet marketer, I recommend that you get Patric Chan’s System called You Chan Do It.
I am well aware of the comments you may have heard about Patric, but facts are facts. Patric is probably the most successful Malaysian on the Internet. His English may not be perfect, but if you understand that content matters above everything else, than You Chan Do It is a great investment.
I’m trying to get Patric to agree to a public teleseminar so you can find out more. I hope that turns out well.
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Hi Gobala
You look like an Indian.
I am from India.I think I am in the category of “niwbie by choice”.Let me elaborate.
I am “trying” to get success in internet marketing business for nearly about 2 years.But still I didn’t able to start this in real.I mean it “in real”.
Actually I know a fair bit of Adsense,Adwords,Article Marketing,Blogging etc….
Adsense: Need A website
Adwords: Too Costly
Article :Not a born writer.
Blogging:No Topic which I am Passionate about.
Actually I am earning right now $100 per month.As I am the only member earning in my family , it is very difficult to compete in adwords or PPC.
Now my family needs are getting higher and higher , so please believe me I am just exausted.I need to take rest to get rid off from my nightmare of family burden.It is now untolerable.
I request you to help me atleast to get $100 per month more to fullfill my family needs.I do not want car , home at all. I just want my family to stand firm in the crowd. That’s it.
Will you please do me a favour by helping me to get there.If you say type your name thousand times I will do that blindly.
Please help me.
1.I am not able to find my niche.
2. I am weak in english.
3. I am not a good writer.
4. Adwords is too costly.
5. Really love to be affiliate.
After reading this you might think that my callibre is all against to become successfull internet marketer,Right ?
But I can’t help it.
So please please guide me sir step by step.
I promise I will follow you blindly.
Thank you
Kind Regards
Manidip Chakraborty
papman_bizz@yahoo.co.in
Let me share MY HONEST OPINION AND LET THIS BE A WARNING COMING DIRECTLY FROM A VERY VERY DISSAPOINTED STORESONLINE MERCHANT. YOU HAVE TO BELIEVE ME.
I managed to build the website but what the mat sallehs never told us is that after paying RM1000 for the payment gateway, we do not have any access to e-nets of Singapore but instead a bloody 3 rd party vendor called MSI. This is a useless company that never answer your calls and ignore all your e-mails.
I was so happy when i got my first sale totalling USD 621 on 16 Jan 2007, and my supplier sent the products to america because i saw the approval code for the credit card purchase and all. But today the 9 March 2007, I still havent seen my money and neither Storesonline or MSI is doing anything to help. Please read below my email to Stores online to show you how frustrated I am. Now even the paymnent gateway that i paid RM 1000 for is not working and they dont care.
They were recently in KL cheating so many other people but even i made a report to the consumer affairs in Malaysia, but the stupid government agency is not bothered about their own country people being cheated. I pity everyone else who will have to go through my plight. Please read the e-mail below.
**************************************************
Dear Stores Online,
I really wonder why suddenly no one replies to my e-mails anymore. Is this the service that you guys have promised? I just missed another order yesterday and another 1 month back because the payment gateway that I paid RM 1000 for is not working. So is the management just going to keep mime about all my e-mails just because of my harsh previous mails?
This is how you guys treat your merchants after we trusted you guys with buying 6 websites and paying for the payment gateway and all. All our hopes and dreams of having a Internet business that is making money so we could quit our full time jobs? After spending 6 months building the website and burning the midnight oil and finally getting customers whom are frantically trying to purchase only to get their cards rejected because MSI in Singapore has not fixed the payment gateway problems and have not bothered to do so for a month now?
You never failed to credit my card for the hosting fees for the past 2 months. You were very prompt to credit my cards when we signed up for the package, and now if you see my incomplete orders for license 176xxxx, you will realize how people are trying to buy my products but they simply cannot proceed. Isn’t the website supposed to be making money as per what the store builder has trained us? Then why SOL, you guys do have not resolved anything for me since i requested for help since the 8 th of February 2007?
Since the 13 th February, you guys have been totally ignoring my e-mails with regards to #1136929. Is this the management’s idea of penalizing merchants whom happened to be very harsh on our e-mails because we were left helpless and to fend for ourselves? Is this the management’s way of punishing merchants for demanding the basics?
I have never felt so cheated before. Just do what you guys feel like doing. Its very very sad to know that this is the actual company as opposed to how we looked up to you guys when we bought the package. Totally ignoring my e-mails is a disgrace for the DIRECTOR OF CUSTOMER SERVICE, MR. Sean Guy. Its such a pity that people like you guys are associated with SOL and you people are a disgrace to your country America for treating us this way. Last but not least, I have not received the money from my sale on the 16 th January 2007. You guys promised to follow up for me on the 8 th February 2007 but today 1 month later, I have not received anything nor can I do any new sales. You were the guys who took RM 1000 up front in June 2006 and promised us a payment gateway that functions, but in reality, when the thing doesnt work, you choose to totally ignore our e-mails. This kind of service is unheard of and is a disgrace to your organization and to your country.
Do justice to yourselves,
Kuhan FZL 4xxxx (Terribly disappointed)
I went for their talk with a friend, unfortunately I arrived late and they told me sorry, no entry. Told me to try again the next time they are in Malaysia. But I’m sure you’ll see their ad again in the paper, and can attend it if you want.
I think they have reduced the price significantly.
Hi guys,
Good news to those who bought 6 websites with storesonline and never benefited from it. They are willing to give refund. Do contact them to find out how. I heard they are in KL now.
Hi Alexander,
Cheapest gateway: Paypal
Most reliable gateway: 2CheckOut
Economical marketing: search engine blogs
Gobala has provoked many thoughts in us and useful ones too, especially for naive first timers. Anyone who wants to make money on the net needs to go through the A-Z of e-commerce.
I am attending their (as stated above) seminars next weekend to find out more. Yes, developing the websites ourselves (or sub contract it out to programmers) and buying the domain name directly at the price around USD9 is always better/cheaper, as commonly practised by most webmasters. It is sad that foreign companies like that make good money from us by offering us package deal i.e. integrating payment gateways etc. Malaysia has still a long way to go in terms of internet commerce. Anyone can suggest where to get similar package offer in Malaysia with lowest cost?
I like to commend S.K. for his generous and honest sharing. Besides setting up the website, marketing is the last and most important of all. Say you have a food stall, common sense tells us how on earth the clients going to come?
Lastly, I wish Gobala would enligthen us about the following:-
(1) Where to get cheapest payment gateway alternatives eg. Paypal, probably (a bank account in Singapore for Malaysians??? this is for us to withdraw our cash after getting money into our paypal)
(2) Economical publicity/marketing methods (linking, search engines, blogs, classifieds, newspaper ads, mass mailing etc.) ???
Nowadays, enterprenuers are getting smarter, that is getting their websites done up, and if you have the resources to tie in payment gateway, thats best, and finally marketing / publicity. Marketing / publicity is always the weakest factors.
Hi Misha.
This is my experience, SOL will never say or admit that they have sold less than RM18,000 even though there were. That is why you have to do some negotiation with them. You see, they will never return your money back. I supposed, you have read the terms and conditions of purchase that you can only cancel the purchase within 72 hours. Well what past, is past. What I suggest is for you to make use of the website. Don’t give up. When I first purchase the website, I do not know what to sell on the internet. People say, we can sell anything. and they are correct. I received emails from Irfan (during his talk in TV1 if I am not mistaken). They were 64% from the SMS voted says that they will buy from internet and the balance 34% will not. This percentage has increase. Maybe in future or our next generation will only use internet to do their shopping. Do not give up Misha, simply because they are other people that paid RM5,000 for 6 websites. I also wanted to know who are those people. When I was there, I heard someone wanted to purchase for less (try to do bargaining the Malaysian way), the SOL guy straight away ignore her and went to other people. Don’t feel demotivated because of the remarks given by other people about SOL. If you are actually want to do internet business but do not know what to sell, I would suggest you go to MITI. Check their lists, do some research and I sure you can get ideas. MITI have tones of suppliers that welcome people like us to do business with them.
Hi everyone again,
I just got off with Storesonline Chatline, telling them how upset I was with the pricing differences. Guess what? they did not believe a word I was saying! In fact, they wanted me to prove it to them that there are real people actually buying 6 websites from them a lot cheaper than RM18,000 (the amount I paid, remember?) They wanted me to contact them again with a list of Customer ID numbers! Now, I really need your help guys!
All of you out there who paid less than I did, please contact me the soonest:
misha@axisnetonline.com
I really, really appreciate your help.
Hi Rismawati and everyone out there,
I forgot to post my contact number. You can let me know personally if anyone you know is interested in buying the 6 websites from me.
misha@axisnetonline.com
To Rismawati,
Thanks for the reply. Since I paid RM18,000 for the 6 websites, I would like to sell RM3,000 each. But, if anyone is interested in buying 3 websites in a go, I’ll sell them cheap: RM5,000! I may lose some but at least, I know I will not hold on to it any longer. Ris, I want to sell them all. Let me know if anybody can help me with this.
I really appreciate your help.