General discussion

But I added to it:

hxxp://www.vertrue.com/
hxxp://www.webloyalty.com/
hxxp://www.affiniongroup.com/

And these are the sites listed in the article that used these morons:

http://www.orbitz.com/
http://www.buy.com/
http://ww12.1800flowers.com/
http://www.continental.com/web/en-US/default.aspx
http://www.fandango.com/
http://www.classmates.com/

http://usairways.com

This last one, U.S. Airways, said they had stopped using these scammers.

Continental Airlines also said they "would" stop using these idiots.

However, the article did not detail ALL the sites that had stopped using these scammers:

"He also remarked that some of the retail companies, including U.S. Airways, had informed him that they they had ceased doing business with the marketers. He told the audience at the hearing and those who watched via a Webcast that he anticipated Continental Airlines would do the same."

In listing these sites that "used" these scammers, the article said "such as", so I assume there were others not listed.

However, there is a table at the end of the article that lists the amount of money certain sites have received from these scammers. I have no idea if this table is all inclusive, plus it lists only the amount of money, and doesn't say whether or not these sites are still using these morons.

As an experiment/investigation, I went through some of the listed site's (all randomly chosen . . . 1-800-Flowers was one for example) purchase/check out process right up to the point of asking for credit card info, and I didn't see any small print or ads as listed in the article, nor did I see any redirects to these scammers in the source code. So, for example, I have no idea if some sites are still using them or not. It does appear at least that the sites I tested had stopped using these scammers, but I could've missed it. Doubtful though, because I was looking for it, and since those not looking for it seemed to click on it, it must be something that a person "looking" for it would find.

However, I made these "fake purchases" as a guest, not as a registered user. So registered users may see something different.

In any case, while I agree that those who have used it are at least "ethically" dubious, I can't verify who is still using it. And the ones still using these scammers are the ones that definitely deserve to be rated red!

To have used it and then dropped it is not necessarily a sign of "good ethics", rather it just may be the realization that a Senate Investigating Committee is hot on the trail and an effort to keep your name out of the papers.

Here's one listed in the Documents - PDF listed below.
It's currently not rated, that is.. until I finish this post.

adaptivemarketing.com - Scorecard

At Adaptive Marketing, we help consumers save on a wide variety of home, family and small-business needs while offering revenue-generating opportunities to our business partners at the same time.

Our subscription-based membership programs can significantly reduce out-of-pockets costs related to healthcare, personal security, shopping and family entertainment. Plus, each program is fully customizable to help our partners build brand loyalty with their customers and enjoy increased incremental revenue for their bottom lines.

Yeah.. right...
What a bunch of crap!

Look at the whois for adaptivemarketing.com
and notice: "Adaptive Marketing" owns about 2,428 other domains

Check out the info available over at robtex.com

Example: privacymatters.com - whois
already rated RED in WOT

What they do is offer a "free trial" (7 days) to "protect your identity" by offering you access to your "free credit report" and then charging your credit card monthly. It's a scam, along with any "free credit report" that does NOT come from AnnualCreditReport.com

AnnualCreditReport.com is the ONLY authorized source to get your free annual credit report under federal law. The Fair Credit Reporting Act guarantees you access to a free credit report from each of the three nationwide reporting agencies — Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion — every twelve months. The Federal Trade Commission has received complaints from consumers who thought they were ordering their free annual credit report, but instead paid hidden fees or agreed to unwanted services. Don’t be fooled by TV ads, email offers, or online search results. Go to the authorized source when you request your free report.

source: http://www.ftc.gov/freereports

This is but 1 marketeer involved in this scam.. and they are not listed as a "Partner" - they're just the "middleman" making money transparently.

PDF files available, as found in this Press Release

• Representative Documents Part III (1.6 MBs)
• 11.16.09 STAFF REPORT (626.1 KBs)
• Representative Documents Part II (4.1 MBs)
• Representative Documents Part I (2.1 MBs)
• 11.16.09 EXHIBITS TO STAFF REPORT (755.6 KBs)

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I like the idea of arrest, fining them alone is not enough-- I think they are ethically a smaller version of Bernie Madoff. they need to be fined to total pennilessness. Ergo eliminating any doubt to others that scams like this are not a good idea, and any chance of these people involved ever having the sources of doing similar scams again. If their parents lack of upbringing and lack of religion have not instilled the ethics of not robbing your fellow mankind , let them get used to living in a refrigerator box and eating in soup kitchens- as the home invaders too should be treated. We all heard time is money now here is another thought - since we all sell off our LIFE as time to a company , then trade that fro money and consumer goods, then stolen money and goods represent the stealing of a piece of a person's life. Isn't that what murder is - only on a larger piece of that life? Americans need to move the priority of their Sunday morning T-time down on their priority list and move items like this and other atrocities against humanities up that list -- TO THE TOP!!!

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