Article by Charlie Wright
I don’t know why I do this. Perhaps I’m a sucker for punishment.
But, yes, I am about to mouth off again on the subject of Multi Level Marketing opportunities…
KNOWING that I will get a load of angry emails denouncing me as an evil biz opp traitor… destroyer of other people’s businesses… and irresponsible twassock of the highest order.
Although what I am actually doing is giving my opinion, as is my right.
(Well, it’s our right for the time being, until everyone is forced to work as a tax slave for the government under 24 hour surveillance, no questions allowed, etc.)
And why am I going to risk my neck to talk about MLMs today?
The next big thing:
Global Domains International
You’ll probably have heard of this by now.
It’s the new big thing in ‘touch of a button… mega- wealth-in-an-instant… just add water and stir… MLM opportunities.
Global Domains International (GDI) is an American company which has been given sole rights to register website domain names with an ending of ‘.ws’, (you know, instead of ‘.com’ or ‘.co.uk’)
This ‘.ws’ suffix stands for ‘Western Samoa’.
Basically means that the company has an arrangement with the kingdom to use the country code assigned to them by the Internet regulatory body.
This way, they can remarket ‘.ws’ as an internationally recognised domain name. So, re-marketed, ‘.ws’ will stand for ‘website.’
For $10 per month package GDI will give you your own domain name, hosting accounts, and up to ten email accounts. You can introduce others on a networking basis down to five levels. You get paid $1 per month for every subscriber in your network.
So, in short, the product is a domain name. And you sell it through multi-level marketing.
Okeydokey, that’s the gist of it.
Now let’s rumble…
Is this product a real goer?
To get all Dragon’s Den on you for a second, let’s forget MLM for a second and look at the actual product.
A good domain name is important. You need one that sounds reliable to your target audience. For instance, a ‘.com’ domain or the domain that has fits your country.
The problem is offbeat domain names – like ‘.biz’ or ‘.info’, or ‘.cc’, ‘.ws’, ‘.tv’ – sound suspect to most people.
In the US, they like ‘com’. In France they like ‘.fr’ and in Britain we like ‘.co.uk’.
However, GDI are betting on this ‘.ws’ becoming the new ‘.com’. They’re saying it will be a bit like an internet land-grab or ‘oil rush’.
Personally, I’m not convinced that ‘.ws’ names are the next big thing. If you get it for name speculation you probably aren’t doing yourself a favour. There’s still a zillion ‘.coms’ that are undiscovered or have expired.
I don’t think the rush is an urgent one. Besides, they’ve been saying ‘ws’ will be the next big land-rush since they launched in 1999!
Can you think of one popular ‘ws’ website?
No? Me neither.
Let’s just say, I wouldn’t invest.
That said, I’m not an international entrepreneur, or a soothsayer, so I may be wrong.
And the thing is, if everyone gets sold on GDI’s promise that ‘.ws’ will be part of a global internet land rush then maybe ‘.ws’ will take off in a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Hmmm…
Nah.
So it’s all about the MLM
I reckon this is all about the multi-level-marketing opportunity. It’s about getting people sold on the IDEA, then watching the money filter through the system.
I spent 2 solid hours on the internet scouring hundreds of websites, forums and news sites for the juice on GDI.
And blimey, what a minefield!
Let me say this first. It’s not a scam. It’s a legitimate business. And yes, people have made money from it.
However… GDI claims to being the exclusive registrar for ‘.ws’ domain names and recently listed at number 37 on Inc Magazine’s top 500 list of companies.
The fact is, GDI used to be the exclusive registrar when it first started back in 1999.But not any more. Also, GDI was listed as an Inc Magazine top 500 company back in 2002.
Not exactly ‘recent’.
The problem is, you can’t tell how much money people are REALLY making now, years after launch, and multiple thousand sign-ups down the line. Because everyone involved in it won’t have a word said against GDI.
You can’t tell who is giving an honest opinion, who is a mole for the company, and who is trying their hardest to keep the hype machine going for their own benefit.
And you should see some of the comments made against people who are sceptical about GDI’s service.
Angry, abusive taunts. Often personal or threatening.
You’ll get plenty of promotions explaining how good this opp is, so in the name of balance, and to inform your decision…
Here’s what some of the forum sceptics say
One forum goer said:
‘By refusing to cancel some accounts and continuing to charge some customers even after they have followed the email support request cancellation, GDI are committing a breach of trust.’
Another said:
‘Many network marketing companies have come and gone because the management got greedy, and it’s beginning to happen with GDI. We promote their company, earning them millions, yet we have to pay them for their business cards and DVDs if we want them.’
And another:
‘I joined them in 2003 because I thought I was going to have a good sponsor that would help me along. Like most others, the sponsor emails and support stopped as soon as I signed up. I think I lasted a good three months and quit.’
And is it really so easy? One guy says:
‘If you don’t work at it long enough or hard enough and only build an income of $3 per month, then that’s what you get, $3 per month for life.’
Also be aware that if you cancel from here in the UK, you have to pay for it.
As one online comment says:
‘If you want to cancel your account, you have to call their US office and pay the long distance charges that go along with it.’
In summary then – OUCH THAT HURTS!
Like I said, GDI is not a scam, but will take effort and a lot of advertising to a large list to make it worthwhile. The people who will make the major money from this are people with large lists to sell to in the first instance.
If you’ve got a good marketing infrastructure and healthy list, then go for it. Otherwise, treat with caution.
!!!!!!
Ouch. That rotten tomato really hurt.
!!!!!!
Ow, and that tin can!
!!!!!
……Why is everyone booing me?