THE BIZOP NEWS

It costs nothing to join Commission Junction.

There are no attacks on STE; it is simply a dumb play.

As for green products, look at CJ's FAQ

http://help.cj.com/faq_archive/Green_Categories_FAQ.pdf

I tried to join Commission Junction. It costs thousands of dollars! Why are there so many repeat attacks on Shop to Earn by Tracy and Michael?? I am going to join STE to test it out since $448 is less than the last tip I left at the Blackjack table in Las Vegas. Any business is a gamble and I want to see what Tracy and Michael are talking about and if it is true.

I got involved with STE last October. I love being part of a network of 80,000 (and growing) people who want to make a real difference in the world. Imagine if all 80,000 of those people each spent $100/month buying products that are good for the environment! Imagine the number of green start-ups that will have an immediate market for their products. I don't give a crap if I don't make a penny - I have a portal that makes hundreds (someday thousands) of green products available to me and supports green manufacturing. I am one of 80,000 people who are actually MAKING a difference! It's not all about the money.

I just joined STE. Four of my friends joined before me and all of them, at least made their money back in the first 30days. The rest of gravy. Even if they don't get rich they are playing with house money.

Nothing wrong with that!

We agree with your view on STE and it being just an affiliate program. Our version of shop to earn is sitting comfortably in the house using sites like Ebates, Big Crumbs, and GreenBackStreet to shop and earn money for purchases we were already going to make. That form of get paid to shop or shop to earn is totally legitimate and we absolutely love it! SistaWAHMs gives this post two thumbs up - great review!

I have been in STE for 3 months and have MORE than made my money back. ASIDE from that I have SAVED hundreds by shopping through my site. YES any one can do affiliate marketing but knowing how to create a website and create affiliates as the STE website does cost MORE money and TIME than i care to spend. STE keeps track of all of it for me and I am affiliated with EXCLUSIVE GREEN CONSCIOUS stores that other sites are NOT. Whoever says this is a scam obviously has not tried it or expect thing to JUST come to them with no work at all. NOTHING comes for free, but through will, determination and business know how you can build ANYTHING and my SUCCESS with STE is evidence that this DOES WORK! now I laugh all the way to the bank!!!!!!

There is no business model which makes sense for Shop to Earn.

If you aren't skilled enough to make money as an affiliate, then you shouldn't bother trying Shop to Earn.

Shop to Earn makes no sense, if you can sell as an affiliate.

If you cannot sell, then Shop to Earn makes no sense.

I love it when tech heads talk about 'it's so easy (a caveman can do it)to buy your URL, set up your own website, signup with affiliate programs, do the advertising to draw people to whatever site you might have (probably one set up by a webster (convenient name))who will draw from it for their extra income... it's free, they say,(but offer no actual costs of purchase, setup and labor time based on the hours that the person has to spend vs the hourly rate they earn, and over time costs in 6 months of constantly following up and what is the time frame that you can expect to get results with all the others that have done the same thing have pushed for top Google standings). I love the first comment on this blog ".. make it sound like he is really on the phone with someone.." Guess what... he is!! This is the type of stuff that they spew with no knowledge or facts. Having been in the computer business for about 25 years and hiring, placing and contracting thousands of tech support, programmers, and web designers,to them it is easy. They, not you, are the actual ones that cannot see the ease created by a prepackaged system that an organization like STE offers. They haven't even spent the time to actually look at the sites to see which ones are not part of the aggragators because as STE has grown, it has gained companies that are not part of those programs. Not to mention the additional ones on the Earth side that are totally independent of the affilitate programs. In addition, no company starts off with enough power to negotiate better rates, but usually techheads sitting behind their computers don't understand those priciples because they are just looking at 'right now'. With the growth of STE, those bargaining abilities have already begun. Example... they are Expedias largest affiliate program member. Those talking just can't seem to boast that nor understand how it really works. They are just talking from behind their mouses and off the top of their heads, and other places, expecting everyone to blindly believe them or to explain it to them rather then doing real research. Oops, sorry, they won't listen to anyone else because the are the guru of their existence. It is very easy for them to post comments and call people idiots and such when in reality, they are guessing, supposing and flat out lying. I'm sure they blasted other startups for being simplistic. Then those companies morphed into much larger and tech based companies. A rush to judgement is simple when you have no vision. That is also why I fired so many techheads... no real vision, much like some of the people commenting here.
When you go to work, look at your structure. If you are in any sales arena, especially Real Estate, Car Sales or any business where commission sales are based on your team, you will see clearer. Don't forget the blue chip companies in that... how many pay referral bonus' when you bring somebody in. How much extra does a national sales manager make from his teams around the country who are working on commission. How much does the CEO make because of his sales team.

My friend got into this scam and I went to the seminar (that really isn't a seminar). All they did was navigate the website while some guys tries to make it sound like he is really on the phone with someone. Pretty lame. I am not just going to hand over 400.00 for a website and then beg all my friends to do it so that i can make money. I try to help my friend out and I order through her site and she doesn't get back anything. The websites say up to 7% and then they only payout 2%. This is a pyramid scam and should be shut down. I really don't think any of the retailers on their make the payouts - shoptoearn gives a little back to the people for using but making a killing ont the $400.00 a pop for referrels. Then you have to renew your website every year SCAM!!! My friend has been doing this since July and she has only made like $250.00. She hasn't even made back her start up money. Don't waste your money on this - Put your $400 in an account and collect the interest or you can flush it down the toilet with shoptoearn.net.

Join the eCommerce Revolution that is sweeping the Internet!!!
http://www.e-commerce.instantecom.net

If you are considering joining STE, do it with the support of our team.

I would like to know who owns Shop To Earn?

1. We all pay taxes to fund public goods, some of those expenditures are poorly made.

2. The cost of a franchise includes the right to rent their trademarks, trademarks which if popular brands drive more traffic to your shop.

3. Bad MLM distributors, on the other hand, are simply selling the opportunity to sell the opportunity, ... They provide no economic value.

I simply don't see Shop to Earn as business.

Everyone has the same website, there is no incentive to become a member unless it is to sell others on membership.

I see no economic value being added by Shop to Earn.

Also, why doesn't anyone think that the Government or buying a McDonald's franchise is a scam. The Government is earning taxes out of everything that we do (i.e. Income tax, Property Taxes for YOUR own propery, Sales tax, Corp. Tax, etc., etc., etc.) and it ALL goes to the top. As with McDonald's, you pay $45,000 just for the name and they receive 10% royalties for life and again it goes to the top. What's wrong with that? NOTHING! With any MLM, you have the opportunity to start at the top and earn a small percentage out of everyone's efforts. What's wrong with that? NOTHING. I think Corporate America is a scam before you're not getting paid what you're worth, unless you think you're worth what YOUR boss thinks your worth. STE has created a Save Haven to all who have been affected in these hard economic times. What's wrong with that?

There is always going to be opinions on both sides of everything and that is respectable. I've been part of ShopToEarn since June 2008 and my wife and I have been working this business full time ever since. The mission of the company is not only to save on your shopping, but also to create awareness on eco-friendly products and services by also partnering with environmentally friendly companys. STE is definitely making a positive impact by doing this. Why doesn't Tracey or Michael mention any of those positive aspects about the business? Maybe they're envious that they didn't come up with the idea and they're not going to make a fortune out of it. Instead, it looks like Tracey is trying to advertise how much of a fraud expert she is to attract negative minded people to purchase her "Fraud" book.

I like the STE idea. I shop online and except the idea of referring other to join. One can make more money by referring others than they can actually make by shopping. The point of shopping is to use as your convenience and the referrals are what keeps the business model moving. If all referrals bought a box of paper towels each month, think about the number of purchases. It isn't necessarily about spending money online but making money. I believe there is money to be made. I will give it a try.

I see both sides of the coin here but must comment.

I have been a website owner for years and while you can "do it yourself" so to speak it still takes money...and more than many want to admit to drive traffic to any affiliate site. Plus keeping up to date on which programs are added and being dropped from CJ and the like can be a full time job. Most people don't have the time or patience to see that through to what would be considered a successful business.

Mediocre success and learning by expensive and time wasting mistakes does not equal a great business.

What STE offers is a ready built site with a Multi Level Marketing Business Model. That appealed to me both as an owner of multiple websites as well as a full time Network Marketing Professional.

$448 doesn't seem like a huge investment compared to what a novice would spend on adwords and the like before they learn the expensive lessons about internet marketing.

It's great for those who have all that knowledge to criticize STE and praise the "do it yourself" method.

But truth is the average person does not have that knowledge. And most opportunity seekers on the internet are looking to supplement an already full time work schedule. You do them an injustice by suggesting they could duplicate the income being made by people in STE as a newbie by creating their own websites.

While STE is not for everyone it is for many who do not have the technical knowledge, time or resources to "do it yourself" but want the benefits of earning residual income for work done one time. That's the beauty of network marketing plain and simple!

Dawn Mathisen
http://www.earnforshopping.com
http://www.shoptoearn.net/candledawn

Shop to Earn is pretty sickening. It's a blatant pyramid and bogus "business."

Kudos to the posts that have pointed out what's wrong and ridiculous and fraudulent about STE (aka:everything).

Being sucked into something like ShopToEarn is dependent on a pawn’s utter lack of critical thinking and common sense. The disinterest in truth that is required to waste one’s time and squander one’s principles for the sake of a pyramid scheme like Shop To Earn is both baffling and dangerous. Oh, and obviously, sleazy, too.

A piece of advice - avoid STE like you would exposing yourself to an oozing, pussy STD.

Peter writes: " Cause for one you would not get paid for the shopping anyone under you does. Sorry there is no way you can make the same kind of money doing with commission junction or linkshare. In the end people do not join shop to earn for the savings they join it for the business. "

There is no business in STE.

If you cannot make it being an affiliate, then you have no business trying to sell.

A good affiliate program will easily out earn any bs mlm program.

Charles writes: "The real money is made when you have thousands of people shopping under you and you getting paid for that. My question to you what is wrong with that?"

Charles, there is no economic reason for people to be "shopping under you". It is nonsense. On the other hand, the organizers of STE are very clever. They have aggregated affiliate demand, pitched to idiots like you, and are going to make a killing.

Tracy what you don't understand is that we like the mlm business model. You don't and thats understandable.

The reason we like shop to earn is cause we like the idea of earning money from doing work once.

We like getting paid on everyone that is under us shopping. We don't mind taking the risk of paying 448 for our own business where it is possible to get thousands and millions in return.

We understand that shop to earn is a recruiting business duh they say it themselves refer two people.

What you don't understand is we do not want to go through the hassle of going to commission junction to get linsk to all those sites. We know that the money is not in the initials sales.

The real money is made when you have thousands of people shopping under you and you getting paid for that.

My question to you what is wrong with that? What is wrong with a business that offers a good product that people want anyways whether it si free or not and turning it into a possible goldmine.

You don't like mlm's that's fine don't join them. But mlm's are legal and they are not scams.

Just cause you don't like the idea that it is a recruiting business that is too bad for you.

As long is there is a product people getting for thier money then there is nothing wrong with the program.

We get a product for our $448 the ability to build a business and we get percentages off hundreds of sites on things we usually buy anyways.

It's a genius idea and yeah the cost for the shop to earn guys for coming up with it is probably not much. But who cares? They came up with the idea stop being jealous of them and move on with your life. If you don't like shop to earn keep it to yuorself. Why do you ruin everyone's happiness cause your mind can't understand the concept??

That's all I got to say about it.

Yeah but you would never make money that way. Cause for one you would not get paid for the shopping anyone under you does. Sorry there is no way you can make the same kind of money doing with commission junction or linkshare. In the end people do not join shop to earn for the savings they join it for the business. Why is that so hard to understand. People see this as a good business opportunity. Everyone knows that if something is free you can't amke money with it. There si no exchange in cash. Use your head.

I am looking at STE to bring our Krill Oil to the public. Is Shop to Earn a viable outlet for this? I need some feedback on other sites that I might look at.

Jeff, if you look at the STE websites they are the same. No consumer has any reason to pick one or the other to do their shopping from.

STE is very clever because it is simply running the standard affiliate programs across all their members "websites". Aggregating demand and charging people for it!

STE is not a serious affiliate business opportunity, there is no commercial reason for it to exist - except their pitch to "just recruit 2 more".

Silly.

CJ is good. You could make real money there if you invest in a web page, advertising and constant upgrades to keep up with changes in your own business with the need to redirect everyone to YOUR site. Seems like a big hassle to me. I would rather pay the $448 for the turn-key site, support, updates, and everything else that goes into a running a business to make some extra cash each month with STE. Is it about recruiting more people. Sure it is. The more EVERYONE recruits, and purchases are made, the more commission you make. But it is also about everyone in the business working together to shop online to make EVERYONE that money. You do nothing you get nothing. I know investors in STE that only have six people under them and they are making a considerable amount. Not enough to make a living, but... you could if you work hard enough at it. If you just want the extra money it is a great place to invest. STE is a rapidly growing business and it is becoming more known by the positive AND negative posts out there. So, keep up the good work on both sides. I'll be rich in no time. PEACE!

Mimi;

For $500, you would do well to learn about adwords and how to drive relevant traffic to your website.

Look into CJ Commission or other affiliate programs, and join a forum like the Warrior's Forum.

I'm really confused about all the talk about STE...Ok, so let's say set up my own website and TRY to drive traffic to it and market it and sign up for affiliates. With the momentum that is happening with STE don't I already have that with the $448 I would be investing??
Please help me understand, I do most of my shopping online!

People,

Almost everyone is making money in this business; you only need to bring 4 people in the business to get the $448.00. Some people are making the money back in one week; a lot of people are making over $50,000.00 every month. Some people are thinking that this business is a pyramids, who cares if the business is a pyramids or not, what really matters is the you can make a lot of legal money very soon. I know this business works and I have seen the money people are getting. This business is not a scam because you can get your investment.

Please join my business a change your life financially.

http://www.shoptoearn.net/cepeda

This is a real business and this is the way pleople will shop in the future

Mario

Peggy, join cj and look at the opportunities in their virtual mall. You certainly can run an excellent affiliate business promoting these brand names. And if you cannot, you have no business trying to use Shop to Earn.

This MLM nonsense about referring just two people and living off the downline suckers is just silly - they are thinking the same thing as you when they signed up.

You are wasting your money, and you know that it is more that $448, as detailed by Tracy Coenen

Peggy, there are a number of questions I have for you. First, I don't see that these affiliate deals are any different from what you can get from CJ, for example. Second, what is the evidence that Shop to Earn is negotiating for higher cash backs? Finally, for $448 you could buy several domain names, install wordpress, get adsense, hosting, and get the affiliate programs to do your accounting.

Thanks, Tracy for pointing that out. I missed it the first time.

Peggy - Thank you for pointing out that STE is a pyramid scheme which depends on ever greater numbers of new recruits in order to get the people above them paid. You also fail to realize that someone who sets up their own affiliates can certainly "make a residual income" from shopping... having people who shop on their own website and referring others to do the same. For free. Without STE.

I also wanted to mention that, yes, you could join an affiliate company for free but they do not offer the opportunity to earn residual income on everyone shopping in their business. You can't make a business out of joining Commission Junction or others like it. At ShopToEarn, you don't have to be a "referring machine" to earn residual income. Two referrals are all that is required to earn commissions on ALL shopping and referring below you. Where else in America right now can you spend $448.00 to save on shopping everyday items PLUS have the opportunity to earn good income from others doing the same? Everyone knows at least two people who shop online, shop for discount and need to earn extra cash. Call me crazy but I'm not being offered that by my prior employer!

I challenge anyone to try and set up their own affiliate program and receive the same cash back discounts that ShopToEarn offers. ShopToEarn has individual agreements with each retailer to get the most aggressive cash back percentage. The highest of any online shopping club. There is strength in numbers and ShopToEarn is using those numbers to negotiate the highest cash backs to it's members. The $448.00 to own your own website handles all accounting, website maintenance and marketing. Try and find a website manager who will do all that for less.

I didn't miss it! :)

You could do the same thing on your own for free - Want to make money from people shopping online? You can get access to the exact same stores STE had by signing up for Commission Junction and LinkShare. (That’s all STE has done, after all.) You could host your own web page (one you own!) and set up the actual page for a very minimal cost, and all you’d have to do is create links to each of the stores you sign up with through CJ or LS. If it’s really all about the shopping, then this is the way to go because there’s no $448 signup fee, no annual fee of $119, and no monthly minimum purchase of $100.