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Calling Video Professor a Scam
palmerj3 writes in to give some wider attention to a piece on Techcrunch today in which Michael Arrington reacts to Video Professor's desperate attempts to shut him up after he called Video Professor a scam in a piece syndicated by the Washington Post. As described by Arrington, the ways the company's site operates (differently depending on where a visitor comes from) are strongly reminiscent of the practices a Senate committee recently condemned. (Here is a detailed example of another, similar scam, from a not-naive victim. Video Professor's tactics sound even more deceptive.) Video Professor seems to react with belligerence, not to mention legal threats, towards any hint of criticism. Please share any direct experiences you have with this outfit.
Call it a scam if you wish but I hardly feel sorry for people who willingly accept these offers thinking they are getting free shit with no obligations. It is their fault because many people are willing to pay for the products. A scam, in my opinion, can't be selling a product that people can truly get value from at the offered price. If someone is just trying to get the free offer without any intentions of following up then they are "scamming" the company just as much as the company ends up "scamming" them back. Just because that person didn't realize that by accepting the free trial they were opted into a program doesn't make it a scam.
You are missing the point of a free trial if you don't understand why a company would bill you. A TRIAL is designed to allow you to, try, or test the product for a period under the assumption you will choose to buy it or not choose to buy it. The company is assuming, based on participation in the trial, that you do want the product and are making sure you don't want it. If you don't want it they figure you would have the sense to cancel the trial. It is not called a "here have a free product", it is a trial.
What you end up with is a situation where people see the word free and are greedy and think they can just get free shit. They order said free shit without thinking because they are so greedy and just want stuff without paying. Then they end up getting a bill because they never had any intention of participating in the product trial, never read the conditions but instead just wanted something free. Most of the time these companies are very up front about the conditions of the trial but people chose to ignore them anyway. The whole reason it is set up this way is that so only the most interested people will accept the trial because they know if they don't want the product they will have to hassle with canceling. What else is there to stop greedy people from accepting every damn free offer on the TV with zero intentions of ever buying the product.
I love the irony that people expecting free shit end up with a bill. Sad thing is the companies can't be outraged at consumers abusing trials...