Comments on: monster advertiser wants your social security number http://www.cheezhead.com/2007/07/23/monster-ads-ssn/ Insight and opinion from the world of employment. Thu, 28 Aug 2008 18:14:05 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: ex-employee http://www.cheezhead.com/2007/07/23/monster-ads-ssn/#comment-96410 ex-employee Tue, 08 Apr 2008 19:31:21 +0000 http://www.cheezhead.com/2007/07/23/monster-ads-ssn/#comment-96410 I worked for affinity direct, it is a cult & sweatshop. It;s real scary. Yes the scam is in full effect just like slight of hand. In the beginning you're told lie after lie about other employees, the program, sales tactics you name it. If you act like you're not down with the program you're spied on by other employees who are obviously over paid. Based on there lacjk of any kind of professional skill. You are not allowed to leave for lunch nor are you allowed to eat lunch with whom you like . It is a completely controlled/manipulated enviroment. Boiler room. I worked for affinity direct, it is a cult & sweatshop. It;s real scary. Yes the scam is in full effect just like slight of hand. In the beginning you’re told lie after lie about other employees, the program, sales tactics you name it. If you act like you’re not down with the program you’re spied on by other employees who are obviously over paid. Based on there lacjk of any kind of professional skill. You are not allowed to leave for lunch nor are you allowed to eat lunch with whom you like . It is a completely controlled/manipulated enviroment. Boiler room.

]]> By: anonymous http://www.cheezhead.com/2007/07/23/monster-ads-ssn/#comment-45488 anonymous Fri, 24 Aug 2007 17:56:51 +0000 http://www.cheezhead.com/2007/07/23/monster-ads-ssn/#comment-45488 I know people who work for Educational Direct and have been told that they preach to their employees about how to sell these consolidations to vulnerable college students. I've been told that it's like a cult or even a sweat shop. They don't let their employees take lunch breaks and God forbid you take a day off. They take advantage of the word "federal" and trick people into thinking they are the government. Actually you might be happy to know, that I was told that they are currently under investigation. Nobody should trick you into giving out your social security number. This is how they steal there leads. They will call you non-stop, monday-sunday, even on holidays. My advice is to stay the hell away from anything you recieve in the mail, on email, or through phone calls presenting themselves as educational or affinity direct. By the way, if you do recieve something from them and call to be removed from their list, make sure you tell them to remove you completely or they will continue to harass you through other means. I know people who work for Educational Direct and have been told that they preach to their employees about how to sell these consolidations to vulnerable college students. I’ve been told that it’s like a cult or even a sweat shop. They don’t let their employees take lunch breaks and God forbid you take a day off. They take advantage of the word “federal” and trick people into thinking they are the government. Actually you might be happy to know, that I was told that they are currently under investigation. Nobody should trick you into giving out your social security number. This is how they steal there leads. They will call you non-stop, monday-sunday, even on holidays. My advice is to stay the hell away from anything you recieve in the mail, on email, or through phone calls presenting themselves as educational or affinity direct. By the way, if you do recieve something from them and call to be removed from their list, make sure you tell them to remove you completely or they will continue to harass you through other means.

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.cheezhead.com/2007/07/23/monster-ads-ssn/#comment-41971 Anonymous Thu, 02 Aug 2007 12:34:36 +0000 http://www.cheezhead.com/2007/07/23/monster-ads-ssn/#comment-41971 This is an offer for a student loan consolidation product - the company is called Educational Direct. The company uses the SSN to check the eligibility of the applicant to consolidate (some people can, and can't consolidate their student loans). I'm not in love with this practice either, but it exists in many places. Credit card offers, mortgage offers, 401k rollover offers... they all ask for SSN to quickly determine if the lead is qualified or not. This is an offer for a student loan consolidation product - the company is called Educational Direct. The company uses the SSN to check the eligibility of the applicant to consolidate (some people can, and can’t consolidate their student loans).

I’m not in love with this practice either, but it exists in many places. Credit card offers, mortgage offers, 401k rollover offers… they all ask for SSN to quickly determine if the lead is qualified or not.

]]> By: Nick http://www.cheezhead.com/2007/07/23/monster-ads-ssn/#comment-40780 Nick Wed, 25 Jul 2007 18:41:47 +0000 http://www.cheezhead.com/2007/07/23/monster-ads-ssn/#comment-40780 I do not know of any other advertiser that would ask for your SSN in their ad. This ad does seem deceptive. You do not give out your SSN unless you choose to apply for a loan of any kind. Hopefully, those seeing this ad will be smart enough to skip this ad. However, I think most people skip these interstitial ads becasue they are so annoying. I do not know of any other advertiser that would ask for your SSN in their ad. This ad does seem deceptive. You do not give out your SSN unless you choose to apply for a loan of any kind. Hopefully, those seeing this ad will be smart enough to skip this ad. However, I think most people skip these interstitial ads becasue they are so annoying.

]]> By: Daniel Sweet http://www.cheezhead.com/2007/07/23/monster-ads-ssn/#comment-40623 Daniel Sweet Tue, 24 Jul 2007 14:50:07 +0000 http://www.cheezhead.com/2007/07/23/monster-ads-ssn/#comment-40623 Ah yes. It's "Big Swingin.." er... "King of the Hill" Syndrome. As in, "Well, 80% of the screen real estate is ads and our pageviews haven't gone down, so I guess nobody minds..." The market is ripe for something that works better, is less intrusive, and isn't all about seeing how much crap people will wade through before they get to an actual job. Dan Ah yes. It’s “Big Swingin..” er… “King of the Hill” Syndrome.

As in, “Well, 80% of the screen real estate is ads and our pageviews haven’t gone down, so I guess nobody minds…”

The market is ripe for something that works better, is less intrusive, and isn’t all about seeing how much crap people will wade through before they get to an actual job.

Dan

]]> By: joel http://www.cheezhead.com/2007/07/23/monster-ads-ssn/#comment-40543 joel Mon, 23 Jul 2007 23:46:37 +0000 http://www.cheezhead.com/2007/07/23/monster-ads-ssn/#comment-40543 Your eyes are way better than mine. Your eyes are way better than mine.

]]> By: Eric http://www.cheezhead.com/2007/07/23/monster-ads-ssn/#comment-40533 Eric Mon, 23 Jul 2007 21:57:37 +0000 http://www.cheezhead.com/2007/07/23/monster-ads-ssn/#comment-40533 If you look at your video in between the 2-3 minute mark, you'll see the spot where they're asking for a SSN. It's kind of hard to see, and someone was unkind enough to stick their head in the way, but it's there. (See the three seperate fields with the lock next to it). Semantics though...point is M has been doing this forever, and you probably should be reminding people about it every 8 months or so anyway! If you look at your video in between the 2-3 minute mark, you’ll see the spot where they’re asking for a SSN. It’s kind of hard to see, and someone was unkind enough to stick their head in the way, but it’s there. (See the three seperate fields with the lock next to it). Semantics though…point is M has been doing this forever, and you probably should be reminding people about it every 8 months or so anyway!

]]> By: joel http://www.cheezhead.com/2007/07/23/monster-ads-ssn/#comment-40519 joel Mon, 23 Jul 2007 21:27:56 +0000 http://www.cheezhead.com/2007/07/23/monster-ads-ssn/#comment-40519 Exact? Hardly. This is the first instance I've seen of asking for a social security number. Exact? Hardly. This is the first instance I’ve seen of asking for a social security number.

]]> By: Eric http://www.cheezhead.com/2007/07/23/monster-ads-ssn/#comment-40515 Eric Mon, 23 Jul 2007 21:02:11 +0000 http://www.cheezhead.com/2007/07/23/monster-ads-ssn/#comment-40515 Can you get in trouble for plagarizing yourself? This is the exact ad Goldberg was talking about in the "Monster is crap video", which you wrote about 8 months ago! http://www.cheezhead.com/2006/11/02/monster-crap-product/ Can you get in trouble for plagarizing yourself? This is the exact ad Goldberg was talking about in the “Monster is crap video”, which you wrote about 8 months ago! http://www.cheezhead.com/2006/11/02/monster-crap-product/

]]> By: chrisr2 http://www.cheezhead.com/2007/07/23/monster-ads-ssn/#comment-40512 chrisr2 Mon, 23 Jul 2007 20:23:19 +0000 http://www.cheezhead.com/2007/07/23/monster-ads-ssn/#comment-40512 I just checked the blogosphere for "Affinity Direct" LLC which operates the site in the ad. I found this blog warning that its an email scam... http://www.newlook.com.sg/newsmasq.asp?guid=070610180400 I just checked the blogosphere for “Affinity Direct” LLC which operates the site in the ad. I found this blog warning that its an email scam…

http://www.newlook.com.sg/newsmasq.asp?guid=070610180400

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