Let's start with the Nick Brown case. To refresh ourselves, gift50.com linked to brandnewprizes.com, a CRS site owned by Robert Celsi. Nick Brown contrived a cellular text spamming plot to bait successful sign ups and offer completions. Although gift50.com linked to CRS, I needed more to ride on to tell me if Nick Brown had involvement with CRS. Before we go any further, if you haven't read our discussion on Nick Brown and Robert Celsi, do so here: DIYfreebies' third annual anniversary blog..., then here: The night explodes with... -- The rest of us may continue.
Nick Brown has another corporation in marketing known as Delivery Division, Inc. Take a look...
delivery-division.com whois:
Click to enlarge.
The contact page has Nick Brown's e-mail: nick.brown@Delivery-Division.com, so we know Mr. Brown works there. However, the whosis info shows a Bart Brown in Wilmington, Delaware. Started off with Robert Celsi taking us to Vaughan, Ontario, and Austin, Texas. Then, Nick Brown drags us down to Wilmington, Delaware all the way from New York to meet his-- son, brother or father? Whew. *wipes forehead* Okay, so who is Bart Brown? Could the man in the whois info be related to Nick Brown? Or is someone behind the computer registering domains with false information? Bart Brown and/or Nick Brown could be a fictitious name like Bob Davis or Kevin White. Or what about him having a friend who shares the same last name? My intuition says both men are bonded by blood. Just the feeling I get. Whether or not they are family, we must find out if they are with CRS or not.
Let's look at my other findings...
The whois matches Nick Brown's...
Now we have an address match! But as you can see, there is a typo in the whois report. We have: 244 5th Avenue STE# 282j, New York, NY 10001; 244 Fifth Avenue STE# 292j, New York, NY 10001; and Best World Media's contact page: 244 Fifth avenue Suite 292, New York, NY 10010. The first two pointed to a NY mailbox, Best World Media's location did not. All three addresses sent me to a street corner on Google maps with a mailbox right on it. On the zip code, if "STE 292j" and "STE 292" are on the same street, why wouldn't the zip code be the same? I think the Best World Media address is the right one, and the whois info was entered wrong. What do you think? Could the whois info be falsified? And if so, what does that say about there being two Browns?
Complaints on Nick Brown:
Since Best World Media, Inc. and Delivery-Division, Inc. are compliant with the CAN-SPAM act, if they registered for e-mail accounts and domains with false information, they could face penalties of up to $16,000. Isn't a big blow though if they usually pay the Department of Justice $100,000 on the low scale for unsolicited e-mails. Most DIY companies spam to some extent, and nearly all of them do it through e-mail. It becomes a problem when they refuse to honor opt-out requests. If someone does not want your spam, they don't want. What part of "No" don't they understand? Despite what was said to the contrary, companies who spam supply me with current promotions, which I am able to investigate fully and determine their legitimacy. However, I understand the ire from those who don't want it. Years ago, before I blogged, I made a new e-mail address, then gave it to 50+ friends so they could find me. That was my only escape from my mailbox nightmare. Before I could read my mail, I had to scroll through 3-4 pages of spam e-mails! It was awful. There should be a better way to stop spammers in their tracks. If CRS aren't tied into Nick Brown and Bart Brown, they can't be held liable for spamming. Anyway, I will try to dig up some more dirt on these guys as the weeks progress.
You may have seen this I-Deal site:
It was a non-referral Visa site which is now gone. But the one for 2 referrals remains: http://www.e-researchcouncil.com/?session_id=b498ce32cdb111e0b80c2b435407cece -- The status page for the non-referral Visa with the same image as the 2 referral site can be accessed here: e-researchcouncil.com/account.cgi?config=1174, or visit the consumerrewards.us.com home page. This particular site, which was moved to consumerrewards.us.com, sparked DBA concerns which I-Deal has addressed to me. Please see my questions to them, and their response to me below.
me, From: xxxx@xx.com [mailto:xxxx@xx.com]
Sent: Tuesday, August 23, 2011 2:07 PM
To: contactus@expertcustomerservice.com
Subject: DBA question (Thread:295429)
Hello,
I had a question regarding your DBAs. I noticed that your gifts sometimes are moved to other sites with different DBAs, and I was hoping you could give me a little clarification. If a site is located at consumerrewards.us.com, with the 123 Click DBA, then is moved to another site with the DBA Top Notch Media, what dba are we receiving a gift from, and what dba can we still receive a gift from? The Visa site that was identical to this one but with no referrals got taken down? http://www.e-researchcouncil.com/?session_id=b498ce32cdb111e0b80c2b435407cece <-- One with referrals that looks like the other. My guess is that the old Visa with no referral link is still considered Top Notch Media, but I wanted to get confirmation from you for those who are confused by it.
I hope that all makes sense. Thank you for your time...
me"
I-Deal's reply, "from Customer Service contactus@expertcustomerservice.com via yahoo.com
to xxxx@xx.com
date Tue, Aug 23, 2011 at 2:38 PM
subject RE: DBA question (Thread:295429)
signed-by yahoo.com
Important mainly because of the people in the conversation.
hide details 2:38 PM (1 hour ago)
Dear Customer,
The Visa offer you are referring to was changed from Top Notch on August 12, 2011 to 123 Click Inc. If you registered for this offer while it was still Top Notch, you will now be receiving the gift from 123 Click. However, we will not penalize you in this scenario, if you already created a unique email address for a separate 123 Click, Inc. site.
Specifically, what is meant by penalize, is outlined in our terms and conditions. Namely, only 1 email address per entity (123 Click, Top Notch), $1,000 per 6 months per entity, etc.
Sincerely,
Customer Service"
Me, "xxxx@xx.com xxxx@xx.com
toCustomer Service
dateTue, Aug 23, 2011 at 5:04 PM
subjectRe: DBA question (Thread:295429)
mailed-by xxxx.com
hide details 5:04 PM (6 minutes ago)
Thank you for your quick and thorough response. I appreciate it. Just to be clear, if we receive the Visa gift from 123 Click, that shouldn't hinder us from doing a new site under 123 Click, right? Its Top Notch Media that we couldn't do for another 6 months since that is what we signed up for? Or is it that we cannot do 123 Click since that is where this gift is coming from? That is all the questions I had.
Thanks again!
me"
I-Deal's reply, "fromCustomer Service contactus@expertcustomerservice.com
to xxxx@xx.com
dateWed, Aug 24, 2011 at 8:17 AM
subjectRE: DBA question (Thread:295429)
Important mainly because of the people in the conversation.
hide details 8:17 AM (4 hours ago)
Dear Customer,
Please let me know if this answers your concerns….
Let’s say you registered for the Visa offer while it was Top Notch using the email address anonymous37@gmail.com. The terms and conditions state that you can only use anonymous37@gmail.com if you ever plan on registering for a Top Notch Media site in the future.
Let’s say that you already signed up and received $500 gift from 123 Click using an email address such as anonymous38@yahoo.com. Now, if I were to research your email address I would see that anonymous37@gmail.com is registered for a 123 Click site (since we did the change a few weeks ago) for Visa offer. I would also see that the email address anonymous38@yahoo.com registered for a 123 Click site. In my review process, I would be able to determine that your Visa offer shifted from Top Notch to 123 Click, and therefore you would not be penalized in this instance for having 2 different email addresses registered for the 123 Click entity.
In regards to your questions about 6 months…
Let’s say you signed up for Netflix as part of your gold,silver,platinum requirements for a 123 Click site. This would mean that you would NOT be able to sign up for Netflix again on any site (123 Click, Top Notch, etc) until 6 months have passed from your initial Netflix sign-up date.
Please let us know if you have any more questions.
Sincerely,
Customer Service"
me, "from xxxx@xx.com xxxx@xx.com
to Customer Service
dateWed, Aug 24, 2011 at 1:09 PM
subjectRe: DBA question (Thread:295429)
mailed-by xxxx.com
hide details 1:09 PM (4 minutes ago)
Hello,
Thank you! You answered my questions perfectly. Makes sense to me now. I will pass this info along as it will help others with their gifts. Very good to know. :)
Thanks again..."
In their last response, they used e-mails "anonymous37@gmail.com", and "anonymous38@gmail.com" as an example. I hid my e-mail by typing "anonymous" for my address. "37" is the only part that is real. I-Deal used "37" and "38" in their explanation, so that is where the "38" also comes from. The 38 represents another e-mail that was used to register for a 123 Click site. From what I understand, they wont penalize you because the offer shifted from Top Notch Media to 123 Click. You should be able to do more sites under 123 Click with the e-mail you have always used. As for Top Notch Media, if you did the Visa offer they may not allow you to do another site under Top Notch Media for 6 months since that is where you registered initially. Or it could be that since 123 Click is rewarding you and isn't penalizing you, that Top Notch Media is expelled from the issue, making them doable since they are not giving you the gift. I may need to ask them again to be sure.
Next comes the crediting problems we have seen with I-Deal. Below is what a member sent me regarding their offers. I will also include the exchange between them and I-Deal.
member, "Wozniak,
I still haven't had any other offers credit, except that one I told you about. The name of it is Simply beaming (tooth whitening) or something like that. I just can't believe this, that only one credited so far. I've never had this happen before, but I've never done an I-Deal site before either. I just don't think this is normal. I think I'm going to go ahead and start other offers. The trial expirations are all either over or ending within a day or so, so I've cancelled the ones that I dont want . The thought of starting over again......oh well, a $1,000 gc is worth it. At least the one I did get the credit for is the one with the bonus gc for $250. Also, I don't understnad everything I've read about the 7, 20 and 30 day crediting. What does that mean? It's not really explained anywhere. Does that mean they only credit on those days, like if they don't credit you by the 7th day, they will credit you on the 20th or 30th day? Thanks so much for your help.
member"
member to I-Deal, "Web Site: e-ResearchCouncil.com (1174: ERC Visa Card)
Email: xxxx@xx.net
IP: **********
Question: My question was not found here
Message entered by user:
Hi, sorry to trouble you, but I'm not familiar with your sites and wondered if it is normal to have only 1 offer approved out of the 8 that I did complete. I know that you must allow up to 30 days, but I've never seen this before on any site and thought you might be able to tell me something. I did most of the offers starting the 20th of july and had all completed by the 25th. Thank you for your attention to this matter."
I-Deal's response to member, "Dear customer,
Per the terms and conditions of our website:
We do not guarantee that you will receive credit for an offer. We reserve the right to refuse crediting your account for a variety of reasons, including but not limited to improper sign-up, lack of appropriate information or documentation or improper browser settings.
We are not responsible for delays in reporting offer completion. The time it takes to receive credit for an offer varies with each advertiser.
We are unable to manually credit an offer.
We would suggest completing another offer before your account expires. All accounts expire 60 days after the original registration date.
Sincerely,
Customer Service"
This member is one of many who are experiencing difficulty with I-Deal's gift sites. There are 3 crediting cycles to go by: 7-day, 20-day and 30-day. Most people would rather do a 7-day site than a 20/30-day, because the 20/30-day sites push you closer to your expiration date. That's why it is recommended to do your offers all in one sitting, then do any replacements once you see that you're approved for all your other offers. Now with I-Deal's faulty crediting system, people who have done their offers all at once are doing double the amount because of the replacements. When only 1 out of 8-10 offers credit that is very bad news. And I-Deal will only tell you to complete more offers, as they always have. What to do? Here are some tips if your offers haven't credited: Complete more offers. Close browser and delete cookies before opening browser and doing offers. Only click offers once. Set your security and privacy settings to low while you do your offers. Make sure your firewalls are turned off. If that fails, try doing one offer at a time. Clear cookies/cache, open browser and do another offer an hour later. Or take it a section at a time. Do just one the first day if you've had trouble with a previous I-Deal site. Check your status the next day, then move on to the next.
I-Deal crediting cycles
Silver = 1, Gold = 3, Platinum = 10
Then 20-day and 30-day periods
I-Deal's offers have been crediting the next day for many people. Meaning, if you signed up and registered for a gift today, most of your offers would show "Approved!" by tomorrow. That is how my last one went. All but two showed "Approved!" on my status page. I listed I-Deal's crediting cycles in case someone needed them.
Surprise!!
My $1,000.00 gift came in the form of two $500.00 Visas. I was so happy!~! They showed up Tuesday, August 16, 2011, 3 weeks after my approval. Was nice to do I-Deal again, especially since being limited after CRS. :)
If you have been following our anonymous member's Nuitech progress, then you'll want to see the end result. For those who haven't kept up with anonymous's gift, please read "DIYfreebies' third annual anniversary blog...", and "End of summer bash..." to get the details. Below is my correspondence with anonymous regarding their gift.
member, "from member xxxx@xx.com
to "diyfreebies@gmail.com"
date Fri, Aug 5, 2011 at 7:58 PM
subject Nuitech may come through after all !
mailed-by xxxx.com
signed-by xxxx.com
Important mainly because of the people in the conversation.
hide details Aug 5
I've religiously checked my status everyday and finally today when it's too late to do anything I got confirmation that i'm approved for my gift. I'll have to wait till monday to get it notarized and it said I should receive my gift in 4 weeks ! Boy, this one was tough. I still made a profit of 5-600 but I usually don't spend that much. I'll be relieved when I get my check. It's been trying."
member, "from [Busy] wozniack diyfreebies@gmail.com
to member
date Sat, Aug 6, 2011 at 1:33 PM
subject Re: Nuitech may come through after all !
mailed-by gmail.com
hide details Aug 6
member,
Congratulations! I am so happy about your approval. You should post a proof pic on your blog once you get it! I would like to share this good news in September's blog if you don't mind. It would give my readers some relief. :)) You did a great job.
Have a great weekend!
wozniack"
Me again, "from [Busy] wozniack diyfreebies@gmail.com
to member
date Sat, Aug 6, 2011 at 2:07 PM
subject Re: Nuitech may come through after all !
mailed-by xxxx.com
hide details Aug 6
member,
Could you tell me how you were able to get Nuitech to accept your billing statement? I ask because, if you read my latest blog, you will see that is where I left off, with Nuitech accusing you of copying and pasting your statement. I just wanted to know what you had to do to get them to accept it, or if they went on and approved it as is.
Thanks,
wozniack"
Member, "from member xxxx@xx.com
to wozniack
date Sat, Aug 6, 2011 at 2:58 PM
subject Re: Nuitech may come through after all !
mailed-by xxxx.com
signed-by xxxx.com
Important mainly because of your interaction with messages in the conversation.
hide details Aug 6
Hi, I had to download it as a different txt file and resent them, they accepted it. There was several file types I could choose. I didn't know whether they were going to accept it or not though i've been waiting to see if they were going to deny it or not. As you may have noticed one of their responses is that they don't accept word documents. I replied that it wasn't a word document it( actually popped up in it's own window to be printed ) they then replied that they don't accept copy and paste. Ok, so apparently they didn't like the way it looked. I'm just glad it went through. Let me know if you have any other questions.
BTW, on my Ideal offer only one of my replacements has approved, hopefully more will go through.
Thanks,
member"
I must criticize companies who I feel are unfair, its what I do. Doing the "dirty work" isn't easy, but I do it to #1. Help the victim. And, #2. to get the company's attention. If a company reads my blog, they gain a better understanding of what is going on with their members, and may work on changing the operations within their company. Which helps improve their service, and it keeps their members smiling from ear-to-ear. As the author of this blog, I am sometimes asked for my opinion on a company's performance and what I think they should do. I go by the customer response, because it tells me how well a company is performing. If there are an abundance of complaints, then there is an unresolved issue that hasn't been dealt with. By connecting with members I relay their concerns to the company and we work together to reform their business.
Congratulations once more, anonymous. Glad you were finally approved. Now comes the fun part... Waiting for your gift's arrival! A "thank you" is in order to Nuitech for approving this member. Thank you for running a legitimate DIY network.
Come get your hot links! Check out these cool Labor Day deals...
*links 'n such*
I-Deal--
http://www.giftcardsurveys.us.com/?session_id=d8773514ce7e11e094cfc6b9a68cb92e - 8 offers, no refs/$500.00 JcPenney gc
Nuitech--
http://www.freegiftcardsnow.com/rd_p?p=313458&t=11469&c=40439-fgcn_234x60_500chilis&a= - 8 offers, no refs/$500.00 Chili's gc
http://www.exclusivegiftcards.com/rd_p?p=205468&t=15177 - 6 offers, no refs/$250.00 Motorcycle Superstore gc
http://exclusivegiftcards.com/rd_p?p=124395&t=964&c=&a=sub=194753 - 8 offers, no refs/$500.00 Best Buy gc
http://www.consumerincentiverewards.com/rd_p?p=313572&t=17593&c=53210-cirvitawiiu250gc_728_hibrand&a= - 6 offers, no refs/$250.00 Visa gc
http://www.consumerincentiverewards.com/rd_p?p=313572&t=17593&c=53210-cirvitawiiu250gc_728_hibrand&a= - 6 offers, no refs/$250.00 restaurant gc of your choice (Visa option)
http://www.consumerincentiverewards.com/rd_p?p=314479&t=17712&c=txt_030&a=Custom_Variable_For_This_Creative_Here - 6 offers, no refs/$250.00 Visa gc
http://www.consumerincentiverewards.com/rd_p?p=208015&c=49072-cirihopdennys250gc_728_hibrand&a=PEERFLY - 6 offers, no refs/$250.00 gc to IHOP or Denny's
http://www.onlinerewardcenter.com/rd_p?p=305720&c=49947-orceconomysurvey_728_hibrand&a=SUBID - 6 offers, no refs/$250.00 Visa
http://www.mypremiumrewards.com/rd_p?p=203190 - 8 offers, no refs/Motorola Droid X phone or Apple iPhone 4
http://www.premiumproductsonline.com/rd_p?p=305875 - 8 offers, no refs/Nintendo Wii Bundle + $250 Sports Authority or GNC Gift Card
Nice to have decent I-Deal offers again even though their sites don't credit so well. Will be working on another I-Deal site very soon. Summer went by in a whirl, now it's September. I like it when it gets this time of year though. I'm tired of the heat. I'm ready to rake leaves and shovel snow. The months leading up to Christmas are just as delightful as the holiday itself. I am savoring every minute of it when the time comes. *w* Hopefully we see more amazing offers from I-Deal and Nuitech, and one of us will be able to test an Ifficient or LeaderDirect site. That would be two more DIY options for us! I can't test because their sites lack offers I can do or else I would.
This concludes September's blog. As always, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask. I love hearing from you!
Take care,
wozniack
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