Visa is cracking down hard on scammers. You can read what Mike Hill had to say on his blog about it here.

So, why is Visa out for blood? One dirty little word: chargebacks (when a customer calls up their CC company and disputes a charge).

Have you seen those fake blogs? You know, where “Sally flushed away 58 pounds” just by taking a magic pill? Or, some fake pictures of a gal with turbo-white teeth? Or a fake news site that links to a “Make Money With Google” offer?

You’ve probably seen them…

They get you to sign up for a $1.98 trial and then in 6-point font at the bottom of the page (in nearly invisible letters) it says you’ll be rebilled “$88.95″ after THREE days. A three day trial! Com’on…

Well the FTC tightened up on “flogs” (fake blogs) and Google has been trying to kill these sites too. Thank God!

But, the bottom line is this…

TREAT OTHERS THE WAY YOU WANT TO BE TREATED.

It really is that simple. You need to disclose exactly what you’re customer is getting (and is NOT getting). Tell them. Don’t add on a recurring billing charge that they don’t know about. You will shoot yourself in the foot!

Trust me. I’ve done a lot of stuff wrong. And I admit, I’ve made some big mistakes. And I’ve destroyed some relationships that I had with customers… who will never buy anything from me again. On the other hand, I’ve tried to do things right. I’ve tried to make amends. And I have customers who buy just about everything I have to offer.

It’s soooooo much better to have customers who 1) know you and 2) like you. Your life is better. You sleep better. Your conscience is clear.

Then, it’s fun to wake up in the morning and sit down at your computer, knowing that you’re “doing good” in the world.

Here’s the take-away: build a BUSINESS that will last a long time. How? Give people what they want. Make your sales process something that you’d feel good about having your grandmother go through. Make everything transparent. If you make a mistake, then fix it. Make good on your promises as often as you humanly can.

And most of all… be HONEST. And if you’re promoting affiliate offers, only promote good solid products and services.

Ok, I realize this was somewhat of a rant. But just make sure that whatever your online venture, please stay on the good side. And no matter how tempting it may be to turn the “dark side” to make a quick buck. Remember, it’s just not worth it in the end.

Best,

Daniel Denley