It must be wonderful to have a friend/business partner like Simon Stepsys when he is willing to shamefully shill for you.

Stepsys has published two poorly written articles on “articlebase.com” to try and rank for the term “Shaun Smith Scam“. Looks like he is trying to help out Shaun as they appear to be working together in order to sell a product.

The product is called “How to Market Experts” and promises £70,000 per month. In fact, Shaun and Simon are, according to their adverts, “Two of the Top UK Internet Marketing Experts“.

Not sure I could agree with that description. I’m not even sure I could find anyone other than those two who would agree with the description either.

Shaun is facing problems as some of his customers aren’t altogether happy with their purchases and his poor guarantee.

For example, there is this site:

Shaun Smith Scam

According to that report Shaun is only prepared to give a refund on his “700 per day” product if the purchaser follows Shaun’s step by step instructions. Also Shaun warns that should the purchaser “miss use” (nice spelling) the system, no refund will be given.

Sounds like a great excuse to use whenever he doesn’t want to refund unhappy customers.

Onto Simon’s articles…

The first one is called “The Truth Behind The Shaun Smith Scam Issue“.

Simon says: “Shaun Smith has started in the internet marketing business sometime in 2005”

That’s probably true. From what I’ve read Shaun was in prison before that after being found guilty of fraud.

The remainder of the article is a poorly worded attempt to keyword stuff the term “Shaun Smith Scam” in as many times as possible. I guess Simon thinks that is the best way to rank high for a term – he should know, being one of the “Top UK Internet Marketing Experts”

Simon’s second article has the title “Why The Shaun Smith Scam Is A Lie“.

Apparently “a certain Shaun Smith have been accused of selling products that did not deliver what they are supposed to do“.

Simon even concedes that Shaun’s products could be considered “ineffective” and that Shaun really could be out to swindle his customers’ hard earned money. Don’t believe that Simon would say that? Here’s what he wrote:

“You see, the Shaun Smith scam issues solely revolves on the fact that a couple of clients and customers are unsatisfied with the turnouts of their ventures with the marketer’s products, claiming that the whole product is ineffective and that the man is only out to swindle other people’s hard earned money. This could be the case“.

So, is “Shaun Smith Scam” a valid term to use?

On the internet people will tend to ask a question like “is [insert marketer’s name here] a scam?”

It isn’t a valid question. A person can’t be described as a scam but their method of doing business can.

For example, let’s say someone purposely sold a poor product with inadequate advice but then refused to refund unhappy customers. Could that be considered a scam?

What about if a marketer openly promoted what is basically a thinly disguised pyramid scheme, could you legitimately call that a scam?

How about if that same marketer was caught copying proof of earnings from another marketer’s site and claiming them as his own?

What about if a marketer claimed to be “bringing in £20k a month” but was actually spending £19k on advertising to make £20k, leaving less than £1k profit?

I think you’d agree that those methods of doing business are pretty scummy and could probably be labelled as a scam.

Shaun Smith is very vocal about how much he likes YourNetBiz. That particular “opportunity” is covered on another blog post and the main website:

A Couple of Things That Worry Me About Shaun Smith and YourNetBiz

An Outsider’s Review of YourNetBiz aka MyInternetBusiness

Simon Stepsys spent a lot of time in 2006 promoting the illegal pyramid scheme “Prosperity Automated System” in the National papers (before the SEC shut it down).

I certainly can’t blame anyone for labelling what these two marketers do as a “scam” following their past behaviour. 

And I wouldn’t EVER recommend either of them, or their products.

—————–

As an amusing aside, Shaun has posted a video of himself on YouTube:

I’ve taken a copy for myself in case he tries to remove the video so I can re-upload it. Check it out around the 2:50 mark. He has one of his mentoring students, “Mick”, on the phone as he is driving:

Student: I’ve signed up for Twitter and all that now but it’s two weeks and I’ve had no-one. I’ve tried eight or nine places every morning and had no-one.

Shaun: So you’ve had no opt-ins at all or?

Student: Not a thing, not a single thing.

Shaun: Right, OK, errrrrmmmm…. OK…. we’ll have to… errrmmmm… are you doing any YouTube videos at all at the moment?

[some further conversation] 

Student: YouTube? I haven’t done that yet Shaun, just advertising in eight or nine places every morning doing it over and over again and I’m getting nothing…

There you have it folks, Shaun Smith’s mentoring student has been following his advice for two weeks and hasn’t had a single person opt-in to his newsletter.

I’m sure you can draw your own conclusions from that…

Robert Puddy is holding his annual UK internet marketing seminar in Bristol on the weekend of the 7th, 8th and 9th of May 2010.

This annual event is one that I’m always happy to promote because I know first hand how beneficial it is to attend.

Seminars can be a very difficult sell because people simply don’t realise their worth until they’ve actually been to one. It’s much easier to sell a ticket to someone who’s already attended an event because they know how valuable seminars can be.

So, here are 13 reasons why I think you need to book your ticket to the LFMpire seminar now and get to Bristol for the 7th May:

1. No one is successful as an internet marketer when working completely on their own, it’s a team sport. Look at any of the big marketers, the ones who pull in a lot of money, they all work with friends. You find these friends by going to events and meeting people

2. A ticket for the three day Bristol LFMpire seminar is just £67 at present, which is a bargain

3. Robert has attracted many excellent speakers across the pond in the past and this event is no different. You’ll hear from Donna Fox, Johnny Andrews, Simon Leung and Omar Martin plus from the UK there’s Martin Avis and Robert Puddy.

4. Getting away from distractions will leave you free to concentrate on your business for three days – when was the last time you could do that?

5. You’ll meet lots of people who understand what it is you’re trying to achieve online

6. No matter how experienced you are, you’ll learn something – probably from the speakers but don’t be surprised if one of your fellow attendees gives you some great, useful information in the bar one night

7. If you’re looking for joint venture partners, marketers you’ve met ‘in the flesh’ will be far more likely to JV with you than someone you’ve only spoken to on a forum

8. When someone’s had a drink, they often let their defenses drop a little which basically means they tell others things they wouldn’t usually. Gossip, stories, promises, hints, tips, secrets; they’re all shared late on at an event. If you’re not there, you’ll never know.

9. I won’t namedrop but I’ve spoken to plenty of big names one-on-one at events and now they know who I am, answer my emails and often help me if I need it. All this from spending ten minutes chatting over a beer once at an event.

10. The hotel is big, comfortable and inexpensive. I’ve booked a room on B&B rates for £55 per night. Compare that to one event I attended – it was in a hotel that cost me £170 (ex VAT) for the first night without breakfast…

11. I’ll be there… but seriously, you’re reading this blog and now know I’ll be at the event. You regularly read emails and blog posts from other marketers, some of whom will be in Bristol in May. It’s surprising who turns up as an attendee but doesn’t advertise the fact they’re going.

12. You’ll get to meet Robert Puddy and experience his unique sense of humour

13. You’ll get a lovely badge with your name on it!

So step out of your comfort zone and get yourself down to Bristol.

By the end of the Sunday you’ll be kicking yourself for waiting so long to attend an internet marketing seminar.

Tickets are still available from the website at just £67 for the entire weekend:

http://www.lfmpireworkshops.com