@Moz Free Pro Trial Scam Targets Bloggers & @Udemy Instructors

Other day I got this weird email. Its not out of the ordinary companies contact us to see how we can work together and usually it can be very beneficial for both parties. On Tue, Jun 18, 2013 at 2:54 PM, Ryan Watson wrote:

Hi Jeremy, Hope you're well. I wanted to reach to get a discussion going between you and Moz. If you're not familiar with us, we're a marketing software and SEO company based in Seattle with a little over 20,000 customers and a registered community of over 300,000. Specifically, we're interested in providing your Udemy students with an extended free trial of Moz Pro. Looking forward to the discussion. Cheers, Ryan Watson J.D. >Business Development Associate| Moz Mobile:(503) 342-8493 Twitter: @RyanCWatson

Now its interesting cause I never heard of Moz before. But after doing some quick research it looks like SEOMoz has rebranded as that. And yes I go back knowing the founders there since ehh the beginning? But this is a bit exciting because we, much like them, are also having a promotion!! We are giving away all of our Udemy products AND a free copy of my book when you purchase the ShoeIn System for only $9.95. So sounds like a great cross promotion!

On Tue, Jun 18, 2013 at 3:36 PM, Jeremy Schoemaker wrote: Hey Ryan, This sounds interesting. Lets do a swap each promoting each others products? We can do the ShoeIn system for only 9.95 and throw in the udemy courses for free. Jeremy

Err what?

On Tue, Jun 18, 2013 at 4:49 PM, Ryan Watson wrote: Hey Jeremy, I think we are going to pass on the co-promotion for now, but I would still be willing to provide an extended free trial of Moz Pro to your Udemy students. If you think it adds value to your offerings and want to continue the discusion let me know! Cheers, Ryan Watson

I also sent them our rate card for advertising but he made it very clear they had no interest in paying for ads or doing any sort of co-promotion. So what is this Moz Pro Free Trial ? Its basically a free trial that auto rebills you. Its your standard rebill. Its like be saying Hey Ryan that sounds great I would like to offer your users a FREE BODY BY VI MEMBERSHIP! Alright so lemme do some research. That FREE PRO TRIAL.... Rebills you at...

$99 PER MONTH! UNTIL YOU CANCEL!

Yea Ryan let me do something that SHITTY to my readers and students. Let me enroll them into something you're going to stick it in their ass every month until they realize it. Rebills are a GREAT business model in that the whole model is playing on the fact that a very small percentage of people will keep consuming the product but will keep paying for things they forgot about. But most Udemy instructors and bloggers are not going to be savvy/experienced enough to recognize the model. Just be careful. The last thing you want is one of your students/readers coming to you bitching about that "free" trial you "hooked them up with" turns into a thousand dollar service you never logged into. BTW Ryan Watson J.D., if you have really passed the bar exam how did you get talked into doing monkey work spamming folks online with free trial spam? Surely Moz has better use of your time? I am guessing this is not the trial work you studied for in college?