If you've been looking for a way to make money on the internet, but don't know where to start...let me warn you, there are lots of scams out there. This blog is intended to help you learn more about one of the offerings out there, the Global Cash Flow Network. Whether it is a scam or a great opportunity is not yet clear to me, I am trying to figure that out as I chronicle My True Story about the Global Cash Flow Network and Mary Gersten's "Certified Media Placement Specialist" (CMPS) Program.
In early July 2007, I became a "student" of the CMPS program, as one of many things I was trying to use to make money and start a "home-based business" of my own. I had quit my job in June (to pursue a network marketing opportunity that I had been in for over a year, which I thought would explode if I pursued it full time...which is yet another story for another day).
Anyway, I was sick of corporate-life slavery and I wanted to be able to work from home and become an independent entrepreneur.
Needless to say, after plugging away at it for a couple of months, the MLM thing still wasn't making enough money for me and my wife to live on. Savings began to dwindle, credit card balances began to rise.
I had heard all sorts of hype about people making hundreds of dollars a day on the internet. After a bit of searching (see my Squidoo Lens for the full introduction and summary of my story so far), I ended up as a student and "business owner" with the Global Cash Flow Network.
After spending several thousand dollars on GCFN "add-ons" I was really questioning my intelligence. Doubts were overwhelming. Is it all just a scam?? Can I really make money with this program, or should I abandon it and try to do something from scratch? Did I just waste my money on this CMPS thing? Money that I could have used more productively?
Which brings me to this Blog today.
I have a couple of Squidoo Lenses about this topic. As the main one about my story grew in length, I decided the best thing to do was start a Blog and just use the Lens as a summary.
I am writing this in my spare time. As none of the "businesses" I have started are producing enough money to live on right now (even collectively), I have taken another job, which limits the time I have for blogging.
But I continue to implement what my "CMPS Media Coaches" have been telling me to do, as part of the program I have invested so much money into so far.
If this is a scam, it needs to be revealed as such! I think the public deserves to know the truth.
If you have tried the CMPS program and GCFN, maybe reading this will help you make more money with the program (only time will tell...)
Bottom line: The GCFN gives everyone who signs up 12-months to try their program, after which I can get (some of) my money back if it hasn't worked out. So I don't want to be hasty in calling this thing a scam. They claim some of their students are making thousands per month. I have actually received some checks back from the company (as of August 27), but not enough to be fully convinced I've got a money-maker on my hands. For all I know, they sent me those checks to make me THINK I had a legitimate opportunity, since I've put a lot more in than they've sent me so far.
On the other hand, from all the "rich gurus" I've read and heard in the past, I am led to believe the biggest factor determining the size of your bank account is yourself, not your product. That's what marketing is all about.
For the record, I am dead-set against so called "prosperity doctrines" and the "think and grow rich" thing. I think they're hocus-pocus hogwash. But I do agree with the concept that my attitude and personal growth are the primary things holding me back from making a good living as an entrepreneur.
Anyway, these are some of the things I intend to touch upon in this Blog.
Join me here each week, as I chronicle my story...primarily about trying to figure out if the Global Cash Flow Network is a scam or not!
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23 comments:
Hi there, I used to work For a company like this,,,,,,,,and dont be fooled. Its a total scam. Its so funny to think that people wonder if its a scam. Sometimes we cant see the forest through the trees. We get blinded by the thought of making money from home, and we dont want to accept the fact that we got taken. Tell your friends, family, and anyone who will listen, what you did, how much you spent, and what youve made so far, and they will tell you its a scam. Stop the bleeding. I developed a comprehensive business package that shows you how to spot a scam, how to get your money back, and how to report these crooks! If you want to know more just leave a comment, and ill get a hold of you! Thanks, and dont you dare give up!
Christopher,
If you contact me, I'd like to know more about your experience at the place used to work that sounds like GCFN, and the business package you mentioned.
I'm not sure yet if this is a scam. Maybe I'm in denial...but the training I'm getting is pretty informative. And they seem pretty tightly connected to Joshua Shafran, who I thought was a legitimate guy.
The proof one way or the other will be whether or not the $4000+ advertising campaign actually results in me making any money or not...and for me only time will show what the truth is. If it weren't for the $4000+ I spent on that, I'd actually be completely satisfied with the "CMPS" stuff I am learning.
Christopher & koala bear,
Today, 09-10-07, I received my GCFN binder w/ all the info. Unfortunately, I did not do online research before purchasing this product. I have read both terrible and wonderful things about this program. Then I've read that the terrible things were written by people who were not willing to put in the time and effort the program required; and that the wonderful things were written by those who are part of the so-called GCFN 'scam'. I've read all of your weekly updates, koala, and I appreciate your information and 'maybe/maybe not' attitude towards this program. I know that when someone calls me to 'invest' more money into the program, I'll say, "No, thank you." Any information would be GREATLY appreciated, Christopher. Thanks to both of you.
please contact me at birdboy75@yahoo.com
john
Thanks a million everyone. They got me for about $600 already. Now that I read your blogs I could just kick myself in the rear. I got the binder with info today and the thing that raised a red flag with me, was the fact that I couldn't give up my social security number to complete strangers. Thanks to everyone out there I will end my relationship with GCFN B.S.
36,000 visitors to my 2 websites in 3 months and not 1 referral. What a joke. Arnold Anderson
36,000 visitors to my 2 websites in 2 months and not 1 referral. What a joke. Arnie
I feel "ripped off" with Global Cash Flow Network. Was told everything would be done to resolve my complaint about the start up fees, but after 3 weeks of emailing and calling any and every number and email address I can find on their website, I have not had a reply! - One week I speak to 3 representatives from the company and then nothing! I feel like the company has vanished into thin air!
Mel
Australia
Hi
I paid for massive trafficing also and i have paid in about 6000 dollars-all i have to show is 110 dollars-do the maths! I have no money left.
Hi I spent about 6000 dollars-the last of my money on their trafficing program and made back 110 dollars-there is no way would i consider it targeted traffic!
to everyone who posted about gcfn:
i had been looking into it with great interest but thanks to your info. all it ended up costing me was my time
I was just wondering how you are going now? Like today is 31 Jan 2009 in Australia. I have just joined Global Cash Flow knowing quite well it may not be what I am searching for. But you know regardless of what happens (good or bad)I will have learnt a little more with regard to the internet. In Oct 2008 I started looking at many different programs. In fact my head was truly swimming with information. - So much that I couldnt think straight. Yes I am new and don't know alot but you weren't born walking and you aren't going to master anything overnight! Set some goals, find some passion and enjoy the journey and pray to God to give you strength and staminer! P.S. I'll let you know how I go with GCFN
Little did I know how many unscrupulous people were out there trying to get your bucks. They start out with a FREE this or that. You sign up for it and immediately they want you to upgrade to this program. When you do they say that to make instant money you have to get their "gold" system for another couple of hundred or so dollars. After all that expense you try their program and what happens? Nothing! It seems that they left out a key ingredient or two. So you're still not making any money and poorer in the process.
A case in point is Mary Gersten's Global Cash Flow Network. I signed up with them in
February 2009 ($328.95). They promised 2 free websites and, with the upgrade to their "Ultimate traffic System" package, which I bought into ($5,039.95), they would guarantee you will have 20,000 "targeted, unique visitors, who have clicked on an ad related to what you're selling" in three months. I've been with them almost three months and have, so far, 17,015 visitors. HOWEVER, I have gotten only ONE person who was interested enough to look a little farther. If you ask any on-line entrepreneur what the usual conversion rate is they will tell you approximately 3% for a general visitation and 6 to 10% for a "targeted" visitor. Conversion rate is the number of people that go to your site and sign up for what you are selling. So I should have at least 510 (at 3%) people that were signed, sealed and delivered. Kind of makes you wonder where this traffic is coming from. Are they real people or just a bunch of numbers added by someone? HMMMM?
When I questioned support about their conversion rates they didn't know what I was talking about but if I want to succeed I had to "ADVERTISE, ADVERTISE, ADVERTISE". This is what I have been doing, sending out their post cards with their mailing labels, taking out ads on the internet, passing out business cards (which I had to buy myself) even having a signature on my e-mailings. So tell me, what good is 20,000 visitors with no sales? What good is 1,000,000 visitors with no sales? By the way, that one visitor that inquired further? I don't even know if he signed up so I still haven't made a dime in this program.
Guess I'll have to fall back on their guarantee, which states, If you don't get 20,000 visitors in the allotted time we will extend the same thing for another three months at no additional charge! PLUS! If you don't make your money back in a year all you have to do is call their office within 30 days of the expiration date and they will throw in another year ABSOLUTELY FREE!!! Is that a deal or what?
Well I'm sick of the whole process. There are some very reputable programs out there but they are getting harder and harder to find. I'm still involved with a couple that seem promising but it remains to be proven. In the meantime I'll be plugging away at trying to make money on the internet. I intend to report on every program that I'm involved with. So keep a sharp eye out for more articles.
Hi, Could someone please tell me the difference between Mary Gertsen's "Global Cash Flow Network", (getting people to your websites etc,) and the "Certified Media Placement" (advertising companies and being paid for it? I am a bit confused. . .
Many thanks,
Tim
This applies to me too - "Hi, Could someone please tell me the difference between Mary Gertsen's "Global Cash Flow Network", (getting people to your websites etc,) and the "Certified Media Placement" (advertising companies and being paid for it? I am a bit confused" cheers anne
I received an email today, 7/27/2009, promoting GCFN. When I first opened the website, a few red flags made me a bit leary. It seems that every time I see all the logos from tv networks like CBS, CNN, etc., it is usually a "bad opportunity". I immediately googled Mary Gersten and found that the common thread from GCFN victims was " I spent $6000 and made very little money". If I were to invest $6000 in an online opportunity,I gaurantee you that I would at least cover my investment and probably a whole lot more. Internet Marketing is simply Traffic + Conversions(3% to 5%)= Profit. Find a product that converts in the aformentioned percentage range and drive traffic to the website. Use a sqeeze page to build your list and an autoresponder to increase your conversion rate. Offer a free report or ebook to get them to opt in and a one time offer they can't resist on the free report download page. Then, whether or not they purchase, make sure you have a great back end offer.....If I can help you in any way get started making money online, email me at alanpott@gmail.com
Bruce Pott
Very interesting reading. I'm in the UK and signed up with Global Cash Flow network which cost me initially around £200 sterling. I did get the websites (2) and sent out many free advertising. They did try to upgrade me to the guaranteed visitor thing but I though no! lets see what happens first. Well not to my surprise I have not made 1 penny so far in 4 months. I looked in the statistics back office and lo and behold I have had 4000 visitors from my own doing and about the same through their co-op thing. 2 people expressed interest and not one of them has been converted by their fantastic sales guys...HUH! I have completed the initial list they give you to the best of my ability with the exception of the PayperClick part. I wasn't prepared to put any more money in. I spoke to a/my media coach (thats a laugh) and said I wanted my money back as the conversion rate obviously sucks! He suggested I use $20 out of the initial money I paid and they would do a PPC campaign for me, so I thought what the hell whats $20 in the full scheme of thing. I was also told that I would get the MPS cetificate and the promised refund when the certificate is issued which can take 7-15 days but sometimes 30 (I bet its at least 30 days) and hopefully I will get it - watch this space.
If anyone out the does have a LEGITIMATE offering that can be built slowly with little investment, please let me know (Preferably something working in the states that has not been completely sacturated here in the UK) I have learned a lot about IM over the past 2 years. paul@securitworld.com
Very interesting reading. I'm in the UK and signed up with Global Cash Flow network which cost me initially around £200 sterling. I did get the websites (2) and sent out many free advertising. They did try to upgrade me to the guaranteed visitor thing but I though no! lets see what happens first. Well not to my surprise I have not made 1 penny so far in 4 months. I looked in the statistics back office and lo and behold I have had 4000 visitors from my own doing and about the same through their co-op thing. 2 people expressed interest and not one of them has been converted by their fantastic sales guys...HUH! I have completed the initial list they give you to the best of my ability with the exception of the PayperClick part. I wasn't prepared to put any more money in. I spoke to a/my media coach (thats a laugh) and said I wanted my money back as the conversion rate obviously sucks! He suggested I use $20 out of the initial money I paid and they would do a PPC campaign for me, so I thought what the hell whats $20 in the full scheme of thing. I was also told that I would get the MPS cetificate and the promised refund when the certificate is issued which can take 7-15 days but sometimes 30 (I bet its at least 30 days) and hopefully I will get it - watch this space.
If anyone out the does have a LEGITIMATE offering that can be built slowly with little investment, please let me know (Preferably something working in the states that has not been completely sacturated here in the UK) I have learned a lot about IM over the past 2 years. paul@securitworld.com
I don't advertise or promote their system eventhough I lost €3000 my last savings-it started off really weel and I was impressed with what they said they would and could do. I was very new to the internet. I couldn't in my heart look for more people out there to part with their money for THIS! I am trying a few different things at the minute but at present can't recommend anything as I need to see how they work out-then I will be sure to update everyone!
I would like to thank all of you. I was looking for a way to make money online. I am a freelance writer so that helps. It has taught me to do research and I know from being in this field that there are clients out there who will pay you to write bogus reviews on products. Because of this blog and the reader comments I have put Mary Gersten's email in the delete pile. Thank you. You saved this single mom some money.
Thanks for the "heads up" on Mary Gersten.
I was circling the "join now button" wondering whether it could all be that easy and simple.
I was getting a little "sus" when (in one of their testimonial videos) that guy's cheque arrived in a FedEx box - WTF?
Thanks to all the contributors here, all I've wasted is a little time; this kind of (promised) success can take a back seat to real work.
I, too, wish to thank all of you for your comments. I wish one of these was "for real" .... but am glad I researched this. You saved me some money. Thanks so much.
Linda
Hi, I just joined CMPS on 9th October, I am from Thailand. It takes more than 10 days to get my documents by Fedex. During this time many e-mails reached me to find out my progress. Then I got my documents and I contact GFCN. The next day the Level 1 Media Expert called me to offer their Unique Traffic System. The quarterly cost range from $2500 to $6500. I turned down all because I cannot see myself spending on 2 pages of other people's web extensions. I do not know how to SEO them as my so called web store is just an extention of their web. I was quite annoyed by the cost. This Traffic system is NOT MENTIONED AT ALL BEFORE! in my previous mails with them or in their original sales sheet. Being annoyed, I made a research and landed on your blog. I will follow you closely as I go through CMPS for one year.
I spent close to 2 years as part of the GCFN program. I am a Journalist and am in the process of exposing the program for what it is - a scam. I have set up a website where I will be telling my story in great detail. Anyone wishing to participate - sharing good or bad stories about getting rich quick online - can do so by visiting: http://www.globalcashflownetwork.ca That's right, I registered the Canadian version of their web domain, so you can bet my site will be noticed. If GCFN has ripped you off, then come on over to my site and let's all band together to get them to actually come clean on their money back guarantee!!!
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