Less-than-ethical website practices

[Rearadmiral]

In December I subscribed to a website that I saw reviewed here. The review was helpful and the site was great. While on the site I clicked on two links that offered free access to other sites owned by the same provider. I probably spent less than five minutes on both sites and downloaded nothing before heading back to the site that I had subscribed to. I had an unpleasant surprise when I opened my Visa bill this month - a total charge of just less than $60. I went to the billing site and saw that my 'free' click had actually triggered a month membership for each.

While I was a bit naive to click on the links, I think that this is unethical behaviour. This was a decent website that I would have re-subscribed to to get updates a couple of times a year, but not now.

While I'm not sure of the technical barriers, it would be helpful to be able to see reader's comments linked to each review. That way if there is any disagreement with the review it is easily accessible.

I should add that I frequently subscribe to adult sites and this is the first time I've been scammed in five years. I'd like to tell you which site it is (though the site isn't to blame - the parent company is), but I figure it would only be edited out. Email me if you'd like to know.

Anyone have any thoughts on this?

[Jeppe]

Thanks very much for your feedback! We appreciate especially this kind of feedback, since our entire goal is to prevent people from being ripped off!

So trust me, I will under no circumstances edit out the name of the site. In fact we would have written it in the review of the site if we had discovered it during the review.

However I have a question regarding the links you clicked: Did you only click the link stated as free? I mean did you check any boxes or approve anything before you had access to the "free" sites?

If that was not the question I will certainly let the company in question know that we think it is unethical and bad for the entire business.

And thanks for the suggestion about comments for each review easily accesible. We will take a look on how we can possibly implement it on the site.

You are welcome to email me at jeppe@adultreviews.net if you like.

[Rearadmiral]

The fact that you would allow me to say which site it was increases my trust level in your site. I subscribe to several sites a few times a year, mostly going back to check for updates. (In this sense, I don't really consider myself a 'leecher' in that I do pay for multiple months per year, I just don't pay while there is no new material on the site.)

To answer your question, while I can't be certain that the word 'free' was used, the implication was that there was no charge. I checked the free area of the site recently and noticed that as biat to get you to sign up you are offered 'premium access' to other sites from that company. That may heave been what I clicked on. There was no indication, and certainly no authorization that money would change hands. Oh well... live and learn.

[Rearadmiral]

After subscribing to another site offered by the same company (I didn't know this at the time) I figured out what happened the first time. The first time I signed up for BrunoB and then cancelled before the month was up. I was then charged for memberships for PlayersXXX and another site. That ticked me off.

Last week I signed up for Bikini Hookups and was again given 'free' access to PlayersXXX and another site. I recognized the PlayersXXX name and knew I had been burned before. After a bit of digging it seems that when you sign up for whatever site you do from this company they give you free access to other sites but set those up as separate memberships. I had to go to Paycom.net and cancel each site they gave me access to.

I honestly can't figure out why they'd do this. Both BrunoB and Bikini Hookups had good content and excellent value for te money. I'm sure that many guys are like me and are repeat customers. I wonder why the company (Gamma Entertainment) is so willing to fuck over their customers.

If you subscribe to any of their sites, watch your back...

[Jeppe]

Thanks for the info. I also have a hard time understanding why they would do that. They have always been a very honest company and we have done business with them a lot.
At least I hope it is clearly mentioned in the terms before you sign up to the site.
I will bring it up some time when talking to them.

[masterRaim]

I've read your interesting post and it did ring a bell on a little trouble i had when subscribing for a LS site. There was indeed a second subscription (that was not mentioned) appart from the main one i paid for. It was a trial period fee of 1$ but with a renewal fee of 25$ after 4 days. My billing status mentioned the two subscription and that's why i was able to cancel it before having a very bad surprise. So if i have one advise is to double check the email-confirmation you received and see if there's no additionnal fee.

[skeets]

Thank You-Jeppe and Rearadmiral
Myfirst hit and I got intelligence WOW!
I heard that Celebflix uses SEXKEY and they do the same thing to people who think their SKey thing is free for a year while they bill you for a coversite every month! 3 short ?-Pls and TU
any 1 have a review of terri summers.com?-or the orgy-male stripper/female sites-?-We live togethersite?

[emma]

Its sites that use sneaky practices like the above mentioned that really screw things up for other honest webmasters. They scream out for people to do chargebacks which really have caused visa and third party processors to go nuts... I wish there was a way to put unethical sites out of business....grumble..my personal pet peeve.

emma
www.hippiegoddess.com

[Izabella]

I think that with any site that offers a 1-3 day trial period you have to be rather careful since there is usually a catch there (in most cases the fact that if you forget to cancel you will be charged a full membership price automatically), however based on the post made by Admiral it seems to me that what he experienced was simply fraud. If the site that you originally signed up to did not state that you would be charged for entering the other "free sites" then that is simply wrong, but then again it is likely that somewhere on their site there is a fine print where it states that you would be charged separately for the other sites (just like in those car commercials...LOL)

Iza

www.ladyizabella.com

P.S. How come no avatars are available here?

[Jeppe]

[color=red]P.S. How come no avatars are available here?

Thanks for the input!

I will make avatars available now. I never thought of turning it on.
Btw I will be sending you an email shortly :wink:

[Jeppe]

Thanks for the input!

I will make avatars available now. I never thought of turning it on.
Btw I will be sending you an email shortly :wink:

I just talked to the webmaster, and it won't be implemented until monday. The specs will be 120x120 and 7 kb though.

[Izabella]

Avatars are not working yet. I tried doing uploading from a computer as well as a server and it doesn't work. Uploading from a computer gives an error. All you have to do is go to the phpBB administartor panel and in the settings allow avatars and set their size so people don't go size crazy.

[Jeppe]

Izabella,

I have already enabled that feature, otherwise you wouldn't be able to try and upload it. What needs to be done before it works, is to make a change in the settings for our server, something that I cannot do, but need our webmaster to take a look at it. He is doing it now as I speak, so expect it to work by tomorrow.

[Izabella]

ITS ALIVE...ITS ALIVE!!!!!!!!! LOL It seems to be working now and no the tatoo is not real....
I did the redesign of my site and after uploading I find out that the font that I use is visible on my computer while on my second computer that does not have the fonts installed the font becomes plain New Times Roman which makes the site look a bit funny. Anyhow those are the issues I have for today and I probably need to find a way to make sure the fonts are downloaded for the user upon entrance. Talk about an amateur in website design...I have no clue what I am doing... :lol:

Oh and sorry about changing the topic of this post...Yes all of us agree that sites that scam people out of money should be reported and they suck. However , what is even worse is sites that charge you and then you find out that they have 200 low resolution pictures in their member area...

Oh and one more thing. I saw that you just reviewed a certain site (won't mention the name). What I will mention is that a new site starting out offering a yearly membership plan is a scary proposal. Because I feature many models over the 3 years I can honestly tell you that I deleted at least 10-20% of the models featured within that time due to the site going kaput and some of these sites were awesome (like Brooke Foster). So my suggestion is unless the site is well established or a big mega site dont buy a membership for anything longer than 6 months when joining. Just my 2 cents....