Forced Continuity – Friend Or Foe?
It’s a debate that shows no sign of slowing down, in the red corner you have the marketer using the “Forced Continuity” method, and in the blue corner you have the customer who has been stung in the past.
And before my analogy continues, here’s just a very quick explanation of forced continuity and how it is used in Internet Marketing.
Forced continuity has been around for a very, very long time. My first experience of a forced continuity program came through a direct mailing company that offered to send me a brand new DVD for just £1, so without reading the small print I decided I’d be a fool to miss it, so I filled out the form and ordered my £1 DVD.
Little did I know that by ordering the £1 DVD, I had also agreed for them to send me 3 DVD’s each month at the normal price. It was all in the small print, but of course I didn’t take any notice of it, I just wanted my £1 DVD!
This would have been 6 or 7 years ago, but forced continuity reared it’s head again when a high profile marketer, Mike Filsaime introduced forced continuity to the online world. I know there were others using this method before Mike, but I do believe that Mike “introduced it to the masses” – he seems good at that so kudos to him!
The idea behind forced continuity is simple, you are offered something of value for peanuts, usually less than a pound/dollar. But by accepting the offer you are also enrolled into a freebie monthly agreement, that starts to cost after the first month.
The problem that a lot of customers have is with the way everything is laid out. Many feel that they are often tricked into the forced continuity and the first they know about it is when they check their credit card statement at the end of the month.
There are also a few horror stories going around about how some marketers make it impossible to cancel to monthly subscriptions. *cough* Keith Wellman *cough* credit card charge back *cough*
BUT
And yes, there’s always a BUT!
Despite all of the bad press, forced continuity can still be a good thing for marketers and customers alike.
IMHO if a marketer has a new monthly product coming out, what better way is there to gage public opinion on the product than to offer potential customers access free of charge (or virtually free) for a month to see if they like it?
Surely that’s better than charging $x per month from the start?
With the free month offer, a customer has 30 days to decide if the product is worth the $x per month it would cost after that, if they don’t like it, all they need to do is cancel. The forced continuity can actually turn out to be a good thing for both the marketer, and the customer.
Let me take a real life example. I was actually asked to promote this product around 3 weeks ago, and I came back to look at it yesterday. I didn’t want to do a regular mailing because I know a lot of you are in the “blue corner” and the last thing I want to do is piss you off, especially as it’s nearly Christmas! 😉
So I thought I would come out and show you why it’s worth taking the time to look over products with forced continuity, rather than turning your nose up at them right away.
The product in question is called Quick Fire Income and it’s been put together by Lee McIntyre. I’m not too keen on the product name but that’s by the by! (Although I guess it does sound better than “10 how to marketing videos worth more than $200+ and we’re giving away access for just $1”)
So the deal to hook you into the offer is access to 10 (TEN) of Lee’s popular “How To” videos that usually retail at over $200. But as part of this special deal you can get your hands on the videos for just $1 – even with the USD/GBP exchange rate it’s still a bargain!
But there has to be a catch right?
YES! 🙂
The almost irresistible offer is designed to get you to try out Lee’s brand new “Elite Mastermind Club”. When you purchase the videos for $1, you automatically get 30 days of free access to the mastermind club and if you choose to stay a member you pay the normal monthly price after the free 30 days are up.
So if I break it right down, here is how it all works:
Step 1: Pay $1
Step 2: Download the 10 Internet marketing videos
Step 3: Check out the Elite Mastermind Club for 30 days, free of charge
Step 4: If the club isn’t for you, then cancel. If you like it, you pay the normal fee.
SIMPLE!
I say it’s simple, but the reason forced continuity gets a bad press is down to step 4, most notably word 8 in the sentence – CANCEL.
A lot of marketers seem to take the FORCED part of forced continuity way too far and make it almost impossible to cancel. Lee doesn’t do this, he has given me his word on it and that’s good enough for me!
So if you do have any problems in canceling, let me know and I’ll personally come over and act as the spit bucket man for you in the “blue corner” 🙂
I was about to sign off, but you know what. Here’s how confident I am in the product, I’ll show you the exact steps you need to take if you do wish to cancel at any time during your 30 day free trial, and as I said, if you have any problems let me know!
How To Cancel Quick Fire Income
You can either use the LiveChat option, or the email ticket option to cancel at any time, just go here:
http://www.aimhighersupport.com/
Not too painful was it 🙂
*Brain Fart* Calling the method “Forced Continuity” doesn’t help, it makes it sound so cold and unpleasant. Why can’t we rename it to something nicer like “Free Trial….something” *Brain Fart*
So there you have it, my views on “Free Trial…..something” exposed to the world! Are you still in the same camp that you were at the start of the article?
As always your comments are welcome, nay, encouraged so comment away, and do check out Lee’s Quick Fire Income videos, it might help change your perceptions on forced continuity, how else can you get something of such value for just $1? (And please don’t say the Woolworths closing down sale!)
Thanks for reading,
Dan
P.S. I upgraded to WordPress 2.7 earlier, and one of the main differences is that we now have “Threaded Comments” on the blog. So if you are leaving a comment to a particular…comment, you can hit the “Reply” button, and, well, try it out and see what happens!
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38 Responses to “Forced Continuity – Friend Or Foe?”Receive FREE Email Updates, according to one reader it's....
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I’m just getting the comments rolling for this one, plus I want to see the new “Threaded Comments” in action!
Dan,
Well written post, but then yours always are.
YES, be transparent about the continuity, “free trial…… something” and YES make it easy to cancel.
That’s my corner and I’m standing in it. 😉
So let’s see this “threaded comments” thing.
Peggy
Oh, was I supposed to hit the reply button on your comment??
Peggy
LOL, yeah I think you must have been, but I’m now threading you so at least we know how it works now. I think I like it.
Unless one comment gets loads of replies, then it might get a bit messy 🙂
Well I think if someone is going to reply to someone else’s comment, then they should hit the original reply button in the original comment so everything doesn’t end up all little itty bitty, like this. 🙂
Peggy
That’s why I set the ‘tier’ limit at 3 on my blog!… 😀 Which just means it’ll keep things a touch more cleaner, and quite possibly easier to read at times.
So how small can this thing go?
I’ve set the limit to 10, so we have a few more replies before we get to the bottom.
Hay Dan
Great Post, I agree with you on that because if you want to try something out and you not sure if you want to continue the membership, then you should be able cancel easily and painfully,
I always stand by lees products he puts a lot of effort in his support and products to over deliver to his customers.
Danny
(You and your ‘toys’ again!) 😛
Now before you get me started on the Threaded Comments, I just want to say that this is a fantastic post! And in more ways that one, believe it or not!…
Like you Dan, I’ve always preferred something different to the word ‘FORCED’ as there are many people who take things differently.
Onto the Threaded Comments now, I love em! And as long as the people commenting don’t start and abuse the commentating system, by replying to comments just to get your name higher, then they’ll work well!
Glad you got yourself upgraded though, I wasn’t too pushy on MSN when telling you about it was I? 😉 LOL
Thanks
Mark
I just tried replying to a threaded comment above another threaded comment but mine just went to the bottom, so people trying to get higher up the comment list shouldn’t be a problem, as it doesn’t seem to work. LOL!
Hey Dan, have you really got “HIM” as a customer? 🙂
Seriously though, nothing wrong with forced continuity as long as it is transparent and easily canceled. BTW, I wouldn’t expect Lee McIntyre to be anything but “snowy white”.
Dave
Yes Dave Everett. We know Lee and his reputation and we trust him to honor his word. We also trust Dan who trusts Lee.
I think the word gets out pretty fast when we all cough about those who don’t play fair, and there goes their reputation.
Peggy
What can I say Dave, he just seems to turn up EVERY Christmas, I can’t get rid of him!
Hi Dan,
I agree with Peggy … again you managed to write a great post!
Since I don’t owe a credit card, nor do I want one, it’s quite easy for me to cancel any subscription, forced or not.
cough Cody Moya cough is also a star in (ab)using the principle of forced continuity. He’s giving away about everything for “free”, but forgets to mention you’re stuck to a $97 monthly membership. But since he uses PayPal, it’s quite easy to unsubscribe.
Shame Lee doesn’t use PayPal as a payment processor, but only works with credit cards.
Since I’m truly interested in his great products, I wouldn’t even think of cancelling them.
But alas .. credit cards only 🙁
Daniël
Thanks for the comments Daniel. Lee switched over to 1ShoppingCart quite a while ago, not sure what the reasons were. Probably a lot easier to have everything running through one central system – I know my accountant would prefer me to do the same thing.
Forced continuity is a deceptive practice and should not be tolerated by savvy buyers. When I see it in use I put that seller on my DO NOT BUY FROM list, even the great ones like Mike Filsaime.
But is it really deceptive if you know what’s coming before you signup?
Well, forced continuity is only really deceptive (and forced!?) when it lives up to its name – i.e. it is actually enforcable.
The practices of mail-order subscription companies was only possible for two reasons. 1) there was a legal way for them to demand you subscribe for a prolonged period (written into the legalese which you accept when ordering), and 2) a system through which it is easy to strongarm your “customers” into paying, even when they are inclined not to (here comes the lawyers etc.).
So, a system like the one Lee has set up, where it’s easy to cancel, no strings attached, and you are not required to be a member for more than one payment period at a time, is in my view nothing like ‘forced continuity’ – it’s simply a subscription with a first month discount 😉
Morten
Amen to that, Morten 😉
Daniël
Hi Dan,
Interesting post. I automatically belong in the ‘no way’ column. I’m having trouble getting out of my first forced continuity programme at the moment and that may skew my opinion somewhat.
But, it’s the way you put it in your post that worries me. If I go for the ‘no way’ option then, according to you, I’m automatically in the Cliff camp, which I refuse to be.
Do you have any more options?
Yes, somewhere in the middle the devil and cliff Richard there is some middle ground, I’ll have to get back to you with a name 😉
Isn’t the Cliff Richard phenomenon a good example of forced continuity on itself then???
Daniël
LOL, yeah, I suppose you could use it as a “real life” example! 🙂
Hi again.
I made that first post in a hurry and while I stand by what I said, there’s more.
Lee McIntyre is trustworthy. I say that based on experience of his products, not the quality of his copy.
This is true in my experience, but one thing about Lee worries me. I know a number of Mancs personally, and they all support City. I didn’t know that there were any Mancs who supported U. This is an anomaly that could be worth watching.
I’m more interested in whether fc works as a general rule. That is, does it make long term profits?
It does seem to depend on your reputation, so get that right first. But I haven’t seen any long term stats.
Barry
That’s a very good point. (Long term profits not Man U supporters!)
I’ve never used FC on on any of my products, so can’t give you any stats. But it would be interesting to see how many of these big FC launches manage to retain the recurring subscribers, and by recurring subscribers I mean the people that actually want to be a part of the subscription, not those who find it impossible to cancel.
Any readers out there using FC and can provide us with a few stats?
Thanks Dan for a great post!
(though had I known you would take a screenshot of my email I would have got my spelling right :))
I totally agree with every word of your article. Personally I think free trials are a great think for the consumer and the marketer as long as everything is fully disclosed and the process is smooth and without friction.
Between 9-4 GMT I pay someone a full time wage in my office to answer the phone and handle live chat because I want to make cancelling as easy as possible.
I want EVERY single person who joins to be FULLY aware of the continuity, how much it costs, when they will be billed, and how to cancel.
We don’t make people ring up or jump through hoops. You can either….
a) email support at aimhighermarketing.com
b) ring (0044) 161 408 0166 during office hours
c) grab us on live chat at http://www.aimhighersupport.com during office hours
d) submit a support ticket
e) write to us at
Lee McIntyre
Aim Higher Marketing Ltd
The Works Business Centre,
5 Union Street, Manchester, England
M12 4JD, UK
d) find me in Sam’s Chop House in Manchester at 5pm on a Friday and ask me there, or in Row 6 Stretford End Tier 2 when Manchester United are at home!!
Basically, you’re in complete control and if you wanted to cancel you can pick the method you’re most comfortable with and go from there.
My guarantee is that if you ask to cancel then it will be dealt with within 24 hours Mon-Fri and you then receive a cheery email from James saying thanks for giving it a go.
I’ve put just as much thought into making the cancellation process as smooth as possible as I have into the marketing of this site and that’s because I really believe it’s the right thing to do!
Personally I hate the term “forced continuity” as there’s nothing forced about my site. If you don’t think it’s amazing value then we certainly don’t want an unhappy customer.
We don’t try to persuade you to stay and we don’t try to sell you anything extra either.
Thanks for a great post Dan and I hope that helps!
Cheers
Lee McIntyre
Hi Lee,
Glad you liked the post!
And thanks for the added cancellation info, if anyone submits a cancellation request by finding you in Old Trafford, I think they deserve free lifetime access 🙂
Shame you didn’t get into the payment processing aspect, Lee.
Would you think of (re-)considering PayPal as a payment option?
It would surely make your great products accessible for more (starting) marketers, I think.
Yours,
Daniël
Hi Daniel
The lack of a Paypal option for this is simply due to 1shoppingcart. You can do recurring billing with 1shopping cart but their system doesn’t integrate with Paypal’s recurring billing system.
So if we have it switched on in the cart then all the Paypal orders fail.
My 1st choice would be to accept credit cards and Paypal, but sadly we don’t have that option. It’s just not possible to do any type of recurring billing using Paypal when also using 1shoppingcart.
I appreciate your frustration though and I’m going to work hard to think of a solution.
Thanks, and sorry to be bringing bad news 🙁
Lee McIntyre
Feeling frustrated isn’t really my thing, Lee 🙂
Your efforts of trying to find a solution for PayPal users like me are highly appreciated though, because I understand from others your high quality products really make IM a lot easier.
Yours,
Daniël
Hey Lee,
Firstly, thanks for another really cool post Dan. I maintain your writing style is by far the “easiest on the eye” that I know of. If your ever bored, feel free to update my blog too!
Lee, I was just wondering if there was anything in paticular that made you choose the forced continuity method? Especially with the stigma (justified or not) around this method Oh and watch out, I work about 200yds from Sams Chop house…LOL!
Theres plenty of UTD fans in Manchester… Your talking to a City supporter who can see Old Trafford from the lounge window… Tend to stay in on Matchday.. hehe.
These have been around forever offline — record clubs, book of the month club, etc. — you had to send in the card or you got the product and then owed for it.
Some of the programs are good and some lousy as is the case for everything in life.
I refuse to call them “forced communities”. One of the many definitions of forced is “To gain by the use of force or coercion”. I just don’t like the way that sounds.
If I were to do something like this, I would have the print much larger as to what they are going to have to do. If you examine some of them closely, you will find that all they say is Free Offer $xx for trial. Very little mentioned about what will be next.
This is too deceptive. Everything should be spelled out on the sales page.
Carol Smith
Hi Carol,
Thanks for the comments, have your guests arrived safely yet?
I totally agree with Carol’s comments. I once ended up with a Bryan Adams CD because I didn’t send the “ah, no, please don’t send me that!” card back in time 🙂
As Carol says, it should be made clear from the outset exactly what your are signing up for and all marketers should be as conscientious as Lee is about making it easy to cancel.
Since none of us like the term “Forced Continuity” maybe we should have a contest to come up with something more appropriate and less hostile.
I’m sure I could come up with a prize for the winner, submit any suggestions and if we get enough I’ll make a poll!
My suggestion:
“Complimentary Access Trial”
Not exactly great, but what can I say, I just woke up!
AHHHHHHH, so you were the one that ended up with that Bryan Adams CD they never sent me, Lynn 😀
Daniël