I hope the original author doesn't mind, but I posted these questions to the comments section on the daily mirror story.
It has to be approved before publication.
Fact 1: As stated many times, nobody can find the ads. Other than a few token (quite silly) ads run by them directly, there is no "footprint" of BB advertising on the internet.
Fact 2: The program was announced in 2010 as a "Straightline Doubler Cycler", and was exclusively announced on HYIP/MLM websites. If you don't know what "doubler cycler" means, research it.
Fact 3: The guys who started BB or who are now the leaders of it have zero credentials or history in the advertising business. They do, however, have a long history in MLM / Pyramid schemes.
Fact 4: BB refuses to work with you as a publisher, if you contact them with an offer to put traffic out on a well-positioned, high-traffic website. Several of us have tried this and were not able to even talk to anyone.
Fact 5: BB refuses to work with out as an advertiser, if you contact them with an offer to buy a large block of advertising. Again, several of us have tried this and BB is completely unequipped to handle the request.
Fact 6: There is no organic traffic. BB offers the "choice network" to members, with no disclaimer whatsoever about it being in "test mode" -- and Jamie Waters himself demonstrates how to make money from using the "choice network". However, when pressed on the complete lack of utility or credibility regarding this network, people quickly say "it is in test mode". This is not disclosed to any members via the dashboard, back office or on the BB website, anywhere.
Fact 7: No businessmen (or women) in a free market economy would "discover" a business model as elegant as BB claims to be -- and turn it over to anyone willing to sign up for a free membership. There are (supposedly) millions of dollars in cash flow at play here, with margins that would make the executives at Google salivate - yet the patrons who started BB decided to give it all away to the rest of us.
Fact 8: BB claims to be in business with Clicksor, yet Clicksor has nowhere near the capacity to even begin to touch the advertising flow-through that BB claims to be driving. You can call Clicksor yourself (as I did) and confirm this.
Fact 9: BB is not known to any of the outside advertising reporting agencies who spend 24 hours a day tracking and reporting on the online advertising business. You can call ComScore yourself (as I did) and confirm this.
Fact 10: The leaders of BB never attend, present a topic at or even have a presence (like a simple information booth) at any of the big advertising conferences. This is beyond unusual for a "breakthrough" business such as BB.
These are all facts, not opinions. Feel free to take the opposing side of any of these, and present us with facts to the contrary.
Well if nothing else, it may give the reporters something else to look at and may encourage them to do a bit more investigation. I do hope that they get others writing in with similar stories. Who knows which other newspapers may pick up on it - they often do.
Don't get drawn into an argument on that mirror page.
I agree not to get drawn into an argument but it might be a good idea for a few others to post their own story and / or contact the writer. That will potentially encourage them to do a follow up.
"if they are giving the Banners Broker Mastercard,Banners Broker must be a real company." -BB member.
"A toyota means 1 thing. Extrenal revenue. That is proof."-BB member
Manipulating newspapers lol. We can give a heads up, or a tip to a reporter. But reporters will then go on and do their own investigations. But gathering a bunch of gullible old people in a rented hotel room, and flash mobbing them into parting with their hard earned money. Now that is manipulation.
What??...We no longer stuff the reporter into the trunk of the car till they agree to print what we demand??
I know this isn't the same person, but rather someone that just happens to share a name with Dixit's common-law wife, but the heading seemed appropriate
I received an email yesterday from Terry Stern, who is the apparent Director of International Public Relations & Compliance at Stellar Point.
When I saw who the email was from, I was expecting some kind of legal threat or a C&D, but it was nothing of the sort.
He offered to fly me out to Canada, put me up in a hotel and visit the Canadian HQ to view first-hand how the company operates.
Visiting the HQ is an intriguing proposition, and one that I'm tentatively going to accept, on the condition that all of the expenses are paid by myself so there's no conflict of interest.
In the meantime, I suggested that the company could clear up some of the concerns related to their business model (and the India situation) in a Q&A session that I will publish on my blog, unedited, in full. It will give them a chance to have their say in response to our claims, and an 'official line' will be much easier to analyse than a wave of shills and pimps.
I'm compiling a bunch of questions to send over, so if there's anything burning a hole that you specifically want answered, feel free to drop me a message.
I received an email yesterday from Terry Stern, who is the apparent Director of International Public Relations & Compliance at Stellar Point.
When I saw who the email was from, I was expecting some kind of legal threat or a C&D, but it was nothing of the sort.
He offered to fly me out to Canada, put me up in a hotel and visit the Canadian HQ to view first-hand how the company operates.
Visiting the HQ is an intriguing proposition, and one that I'm tentatively going to accept, on the condition that all of the expenses are paid by myself so there's no conflict of interest.
In the meantime, I suggested that the company could clear up some of the concerns related to their business model (and the India situation) in a Q&A session that I will publish on my blog, unedited, in full. It will give them a chance to have their say in response to our claims, and an 'official line' will be much easier to analyse than a wave of shills and pimps.
I'm compiling a bunch of questions to send over, so if there's anything burning a hole that you specifically want answered, feel free to drop me a message.
They're expecting you to say no to it, they'll be annoyed if you do go. They'll lose one of the major talking points of there seminars, they love to moan about you!
I would make a deal with them that they answer your questions first.
"if they are giving the Banners Broker Mastercard,Banners Broker must be a real company." -BB member.
"A toyota means 1 thing. Extrenal revenue. That is proof."-BB member
I hope the original author doesn't mind, but I posted these questions to the comments section on the daily mirror story.
It has to be approved before publication.
Fact 1: As stated many times, nobody can find the ads. Other than a few token (quite silly) ads run by them directly, there is no "footprint" of BB advertising on the internet.
Fact 2: The program was announced in 2010 as a "Straightline Doubler Cycler", and was exclusively announced on HYIP/MLM websites. If you don't know what "doubler cycler" means, research it.
Fact 3: The guys who started BB or who are now the leaders of it have zero credentials or history in the advertising business. They do, however, have a long history in MLM / Pyramid schemes.
Fact 4: BB refuses to work with you as a publisher, if you contact them with an offer to put traffic out on a well-positioned, high-traffic website. Several of us have tried this and were not able to even talk to anyone.
Fact 5: BB refuses to work with out as an advertiser, if you contact them with an offer to buy a large block of advertising. Again, several of us have tried this and BB is completely unequipped to handle the request.
Fact 6: There is no organic traffic. BB offers the "choice network" to members, with no disclaimer whatsoever about it being in "test mode" -- and Jamie Waters himself demonstrates how to make money from using the "choice network". However, when pressed on the complete lack of utility or credibility regarding this network, people quickly say "it is in test mode". This is not disclosed to any members via the dashboard, back office or on the BB website, anywhere.
Fact 7: No businessmen (or women) in a free market economy would "discover" a business model as elegant as BB claims to be -- and turn it over to anyone willing to sign up for a free membership. There are (supposedly) millions of dollars in cash flow at play here, with margins that would make the executives at Google salivate - yet the patrons who started BB decided to give it all away to the rest of us.
Fact 8: BB claims to be in business with Clicksor, yet Clicksor has nowhere near the capacity to even begin to touch the advertising flow-through that BB claims to be driving. You can call Clicksor yourself (as I did) and confirm this.
Fact 9: BB is not known to any of the outside advertising reporting agencies who spend 24 hours a day tracking and reporting on the online advertising business. You can call ComScore yourself (as I did) and confirm this.
Fact 10: The leaders of BB never attend, present a topic at or even have a presence (like a simple information booth) at any of the big advertising conferences. This is beyond unusual for a "breakthrough" business such as BB.
These are all facts, not opinions. Feel free to take the opposing side of any of these, and present us with facts to the contrary.
Courtesy of Sam. These would be the best place to start.
"if they are giving the Banners Broker Mastercard,Banners Broker must be a real company." -BB member.
"A toyota means 1 thing. Extrenal revenue. That is proof."-BB member
To quote Terry in his email: "If you would like to send over your questions, I would be more than happy to sit down and answer the ones we feel we should answer, the remainder may have to wait until you're here visiting our office so that you can validate the comments made in-person rather than just quote me."
Clearly I think we are going to differ in our interpretation of the questions BB 'should answer', but if he's willing to play ball with some hard facts, it could be very interesting.
Any explanation for the advertising model that Banners Broker provides will be checked thoroughly for legitimacy not only by me, but by several of my contacts in the advertising industry (including one who used to work at Clicksor, and one who currently works at Google).
If they can't answer the questions, then there's no point in me travelling to Canada. But if they do, I'll happily fly out there and visit HQ to verify the explanations.
Hard to know what they hope to accomplish inviting you there. Since if they had any credible explanations, surely they would have been given out by now, and saved all the aggro and bad press they are receiving. Not to mention scrutiny by authorities.
Maybe as Amathyst says, they expect you to refuse, and they will say you were unwilling when they were going to explain the whole thing to you.
Or perhaps they think you will be dazzled by their hospitality, and shiny new office, with 6 computers showing fake coca cola and bmw ads, and suddenly become a believer.
Who knows.
If I were you I would go, with full 3 card trick antidote, and a bullet proof jacket.
... In the meantime, I suggested that the company could clear up some of the concerns related to their business model ... I'm compiling a bunch of questions to send over ...
I assume you'll insist on satisfactory answers to these questions before making the trip?
Hard to know what they hope to accomplish inviting you there. Since if they had any credible explanations, surely they would have been given out by now, and saved all the aggro and bad press they are receiving. Not to mention scrutiny by authorities.
Maybe as Amathyst says, they expect you to refuse, and they will say you were unwilling when they were going to explain the whole thing to you.
Or perhaps they think you will be dazzled by their hospitality, and shiny new office, with 6 computers showing fake coca cola and bmw ads, and suddenly become a believer.
Who knows.
If I were you I would go, with full 3 card trick antidote, and a bullet proof jacket.
I think they were probably hoping I'd refuse, so that they can tell their followers that the blogger who 'investigated' them didn't have the balls to be flown out for free to see the business first-hand.
Then again, if I accepted the free flights and hotels, maybe they see that as a weakness and a chance to 'woo me' in to retracting the blogs.
Paying for the trip myself and using it to 'check off' their official explanations eliminates both possibilities.
I think it's safe to say that the new Stellar Point HQ must be an upgrade on the old garage if they're willing to invite critics. Perhaps they think a sparkling new facility will erode any fears of the business model?
An impressive HQ might be enough for some people, but the only room I'm interested in visiting is the one where the banners get served and the advertising deals get struck.
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