Jeff Paul - Shortcuts to Internet Millions Page Responses

Please understand - I do not promote any service or work-at-home business at all. I DO believe there are real and safe offers out there in internet-land and elsewhere, there are MANY, MANY work-at-home and investment scams out there, too. For example, over the past few weeks, I've received a MINIMUM of ONE spam job offer a day. Among the offers:

• Money Transfer - Receive checks, money-orders or other payments in a bank account in my name, withdraw all but my commission (usually between 5-10%), and wire transfer it to someone, somewhere in the world.
• Reshipper - Receive packages at home, many purported to be from online auctions, repackage and/or re-label them, and ship them, normally overseas.
• Other - Many don't mention what the position would be for, but they came as spam to an email address I don't use for job-search, so I CANNOT believe them. Most will be one of the above, or could be others mentioned on my Scams - Work-at-Home Scams page.

Oh, and many of the scams work, because they are based on real jobs. HOWEVER:

If it comes in Spam emails, it's crap.

Remember that.

The other thing to remember is that most businesses offered in infomercial are real. It IS (or WAS) possible to make money doing them, assuming the testimonials are by real people. HOWEVER, most have been doing these businesses for years. The gurus have offered seminars and other products, sometimes the same products, for years, all costing MUCH more than the product is worth or the product being sold on the infomercial. In  some cases the product is a tease, and you must buy into their mentoring or "university" program to learn how to do what they did. In others, the information provided, while good, is usually old - it hasn't caught up to the internet age. In some cases, the principles and steps may be valid, and may work for you.

The things you have to decide are:

1. Is my peace and privacy worth the chance of answering the infomercial?
   When you sign up, you will be giving the infomercial fulfillment centers your name, address, phone number, email address, credit card number, and probably much more. In the fine print of the contract - off- or on-line - there will most-likely be something about you accepting offers and services from their partners. You have now given them something they can sell to others - YOUR INFORMATION. Legally, they should not sell the Credit Card info, but... Even with your name on the National "Do Not Call" list, they now have permission for them and their partners to call you, to mail you, and to email you.
2. Can I afford the product?
   Be aware that many times, the product sold is a "tease" and the REAL product will cost much more. There will be expensive seminars (most not in a city near you), more training material, service charges, and others (see #3), all designed to "help you learn how to do" whatever they're selling.
3. Can I afford the continuing costs?
   Most are not just a "buy this and you're done with us" thing. (It's not "just a self-help" book approach.) Most have monthly and yearly fees, and, of course, they want you to buy more and more stuff and services. These fees and services may or may not help you in your own business.
4. Do I have the time and/or energy to "do the work" necessary?
   Ain't nothin' free, folks. As much as they continually offer more and more stuff, and much of it free (for the basic charge), YOU MUST WORK to make money, unless you are an expert investor (and even they work at the investing - there's a LOT of research and risk-taking for them!) The work may be something easy for you and difficult for others, or it may be easy for everyone, or it could be easy for someone else, but you find it difficult. That's the way of ALL jobs/careers/positions/businesses. You're not going to be able to sit on your ass at home, and make money. You WILL be doing SOME work.

Many of these companies have based their business model on Amway and other venerable, proven and tested home-based business models. The problem is that many of those following have changed the model, making them even more legal or vice-versa, depending on how you look at it, meaning that at some point, they will need to go through the trials and tribulations that the old ones did. As this and many other sites have noted, there are many MLMs are out there, and a few of them work, making money for the individual and their up- and down-lines, while providing quality products or services. However, as you can see at this site and others, there are many out there attempting to just take your money.

My whole point is: BE CAREFUL OUT THERE. Be sure to research ANY product or business you read about in magazines, newspapers, or on the 'net, or hear about through commercials on TV or radio before spending ANY money.