I have been a loyal, rule-abiding participant in the Google Adsense program since 2005. Adsense has developed into respectable part-time income stream for me so when I received a mailing from “Google” marked in bold letters FINAL NOTICE, I became quite concerned. Had I inadvertently violated some Adsense program policy? Was one of my websites not up to Adsense program standards? Was I on the verge of losing the monthly Adsense revenue stream that my family had come to rely on?
I opened the mailer cautiously tearing off the perforated edges and unfolding it. My relief was immediate. The first word over my name in big bold letters was CONGRATULATIONS. Phew! I hadn’t done anything wrong…apparently I did something right! Wow! The Google “promotional department” was presenting me a “New Google Tablet Complete with new Android software“.
Maybe this was my anniversary present…a well-deserved reward for six years of being a loyal and obedient Adsenser.
This is the outside of the "Google" FINAL NOTICE mailing I recently received.
Google rewards me for years of program loyalty. Oh, wait, just another timeshare promo...
But, alas, no such luck. A closer reading of the fine print on the coupon enclosed with the mailing disclosed that:
- This wasn’t really a mailing from Google. Rather it was a cheesey timeshare piece from The Resorts of Tullymore & St. Ives
- Neither the letter or the tablet computer were really from Google: “This promotion is not sponsored by or affiliate with Google or Android…” and,
- I even had to pay for shipping and handling costs if I ever hoped to see my Android tablet.
Always read the fine print!
Bummer!
I called the phone number shown on the mailing curious to learn what this was all about. A very nice young lady came on and, once I gave her the offer number, informed me this was a time share promotion targeted towards select couples. 1 I would be awarded my choice of a Google tablet or a Blu-ray player once I completed a tour of The Resorts of Tullymore & St. Ives time-shares in Stanwood, MI (pop. 204). And, by the way, I would be responsible for government fees and taxes ($39.95) + shipping and handling. (She didn’t know how much shipping and handling would be, but assured me that they would have the full details at the tour site.)
I Googled the resorts of tullymore & st ives. It appears to be an attractive, reputable golf resort – “Michigan’s Best Golf Resort”, by some accounts:
A luxury golf resort community set in peaceful Mid-MIchigan. Tullymore is named Michigan’s #1 Golf Resort and #27 in the US by Golf World Readers Choice Awards, 2010
Things are tough in Michigan, probably more so for luxury golf/timeshare resorts. Everybody’s trying to eek out a living, so I can’t get too upset about this attempt to pique interest in their timeshare development. Still, it is a timeshare scam when the return address area of the mailing only shows the Google trademark. Clearly they think their mailing has a better chance of being opened if the recipient believes it is from Google. I hope Tullymore sells some of their timeshares; I also hope they stop giving me heart palpitations over my small but important relationship with Google.
- From what I could gather from the phone conversation, select couples means: employed full-time, married, at least one spouse age 25-70, legal US residents, income $60k+ [↩]
Filed under: Small Business Finance • Website SEO
Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!
You stated that you have been with adsense since 2005. Can you tell us how much you have made since being with the program? What are your best sites and what keywords make the most money for you?
I got a letter also and thanks for explaining about it. However, you never covered what I was most interested in….. Was the offer for the free tablet and $100 gift card for real? I know how timeshares work and I have no issue with them offering me a gift to go listen to their sales pitch, but I want to make sure I’m getting what I think I’m getting. Do you know which google tablet it was? What restaurant was the gift card for? How much needed to be paid for shipping? Please let me know
the touch pad is a motorolla there is also two other options a mini laptop and a blu-ray player not sure what brands and there is a $100 dinning card that is for many resteraunts depending on participants your local area thank you for acknowledging that time shares are not a scam in fact they are a less expensive way to vacation around the world.
Timeshares might not be a scam, but this letter is obviously intended to deceive. If you don’t want people to think timeshares are shady, then be upfront. Say, we think our timeshares are great — come listen to a pitch about them, and we’ll reward you for your time with an Android Tablet. Don’t design your mailer to look like it’s come from Google and that you don’t have to do anything in exchange for the Tablet. I wouldn’t buy one of these condos because I’d assume all the people I’m sharing with are morons who fell for this scam.
I recieved the same offer and went to claim it. It was a timeshare as I knew from the start but I was quite pleased to find out it was not a scam. I have my tablet and enjoy messing around with it all the time.
Received the same thing, but the company promoting the offer was not a time share on mine, instead it was a Direct Buy Club.
Stay far far away from Direct Buy. I decided to join when I just bought a house. I figured I could save quite a bit while furnishing it. Unfortunately, the owners of the particular club I joined had decided to run one last recruitment night before closing the branch. That’s right – had I paid the down payment by check, they would have gotten away with my $1000, and I’d be on the hook for $4000 more over the next year. Maybe all Direct Buys don’t operate this way, but this one did. Fortunately, I called the main office and got them to drop the contract, and my credit card company denied payment as well.
My husband received the same type of letter and it was from a place in West Palm Beach Fl. We did not even call to find out more about it. I can’t believe Google would lend their name to such mailings.
They haven’t — I would say this is right on the borderline of being illegal.
Just received my congratulations!!!
Return address: PO Box 20389 West Palm Beach Fl 33416
I will call the phone number, 1-877-830-3230 tomorrow from my work.
That will afford me the opportunity to record the conversation for…. well, Quality Control purposes. If they are violating any state law regarding “special offers” I’ll have evidence to send to State’s Attorneys office.
The mailer states “this promotion is not sponsored by Google or Android, but they are major suppliers.
The offer also states that confirmation by phone is what is required to claim the prize; in addition to the recipient being responsible for any fees, and or shipping and handling.
How’d it go? It seems like this should be illegal, but the fact that they included the notice that it’s not sponsored by Google at all makes me think they at least think they’re complying with the law. I got an answering machine when I called.
I also received one of these in the mail today. I came to the internet (to “google it” ha!) to see if i could find out what this is all about, thinking this is some kind of scam, when i came across this website! Mine is the same exact mailing except it is not a time share it is from DirectBuy. I have no intention of getting involved with DirectBuy.
But now that I have found this site, I plan to stick around and do some reading!
I got that exact one. Direct buy, not a time share. They didn’t seem to mind that I am unemployed. These people should be executed for building the hopes of disabled persons like myself. Really wanted that tablet.
We attended the timeshare presentation and Tullymore/St Ives is a top notch resort with two great golf courses. However, the Google Tablet we were so generously “awarded” by their Promotional Department would only have cost us a $19.95 activation fee and an additional $49.95 shipping and handling. Not what I’d consider a proper business practice from this resort. I didn’t order the tablet and in fact sent a scathing email to Raenelle Wilhelm, Director of Property Exchange, Tullymore Real Estate. Her email address is [email protected] if you’d like to send an email and let her know how you feel about this scam. I personally would like to see her flooded with emails.
I also received one of these mailers not to long ago, except after I went to the sales presentation I got an actual tablet. I have heard about some people having to pay so fees in order to get theirs but still $69 for a tablet computer is pretty cheap considering that they usually cost $300 and up at best buy. I personally don’t understand why people make a big deal about a silly mail advertisement. If you don’t like it than throw it away.
What kind of tablet was it? what is the “activation fee” for?
shame on you if your that cheap to pay 70.00 for a tablet that cost over 300.00. Its a gift they give for just going to the presentation. I enjoyed it, became a member and I am all smiles with my tablet. But, then again my presentation was in Atlantic city at the Flagship. Maybe the place you went to just had bad customer service.
What kind of tablet did you get? How long did it take to get it?
We also went on the tour of St Ives, and turned down the offer. We thought we were going to look at housing development, not timeshare. We have been on several timeshare tours, receiving gifts such as $100.00 cash, tour in Hawaii for half off, a cruise and hotel. St Ives is a scam. We had to pay $20.00 just to receive the certificate for the touch tablet, then once we received the certificate, they want $59.95 just for shipping and handling. I am sure the shipping does not cost anywhere near that amount. We have owned for years and enjoyed our timeshare but they have put the word scum into ownership. Do not think about going on this tour, there are nicer resorts with much bigger reward.
I just received this mailer today. It has Google, Android, Shell gas, and Chevron on it. I called the number to see which promotion it was for. I got a recording stating that “this promotion has ended, however should it become active in the future, leave your name and number and we will contact you.”
we’re in the los angeles area. we received the same Google tablet mailer. they’re branched out, this one was pushing solar panels for our home.
I guarantee you if it was a $300 tablet they would not give it to you. It is a $30 tablet so they are making $40 in the process and wasting hours of your time to listen to the stupid sales pitch. Save your time and the money toss the ad and write your congressman to create a do not mail list like the do not call list.
Yea it’s one of those cheap Chinese epads, they cost around 40 bucks shipped online. Ours was through DirectBuy Atlanta. Save your time and money.
they charge you $80 and about 2 hours of your time sitting in a high pressured sales pitch to get what you could buy right now for less online…
here is a link to the “free” tablet they lie about you winning in the mail for only $76 (you could probably find it cheaper too it is a piece of junk):
http://www.szdiglex.com/goods-431-7inch+EPad+Fly+touch+pad+android+21+Camera+256MB+tablet+pc.html
please don’t call the 800 number. they will get your info since they are paying for the call and it will encourage this sort of shameful behavior
So you have to pay for shipping or you don’t? I could sit through a 90 minute presentation for a free tablet.