Data Network Affiliates’ Upsell Includes ‘PRO’ Module To Enter License-Plate Numbers; Company Describes Its ‘FREE’ Module As A Clunker
You might find yourself a rank amateur in the new business of writing down the license-plate numbers of your neighbors for entry in a database if you don’t pay Data Network Affiliates (DNA) a one-time fee of $97 and a monthly fee of $29.95 for the right to use what the firm describes as a “PRO” data-entry module.
News about the “PRO” module began to spread yesterday, only days after DNA told members who listened to an “Oscar” night conference call that the company’s “free” affiliates would “receive the same kind of commitment and respect from our DNA management team” as paid members received.
Whether the company’s current membership roster of 69,000 — all members of which were targeted in ads and presentations to join DNA for free — will consider the appeal for them to reach into their pocketbooks for $126.95 an example of commitment and respect to free members is unclear.
The “PRO” module is part of what the company is dubbing the “Business Benefit Package” (BBP), which DNA described as an “awesome” value.
“Upon close inspection of the B.B.P. you will find a minimum of 10 times the cost of such package to the end user in value savings and benefits,” DNA said in an email to members. “The two that stand out the most is (sic) the FREE 1000 REWARD DOLLARS with FREE REFILLS and the $402 Travel Agent Value Package for only $49.”
Indeed, DNA is cross-pollinating the data-entry portion of its business with other opportunities, according to the email.
The “PRO” module is included in the BBP upgrade package “at no additional charge . . . to make DATA ENTRY simpler, easier, faster and less time consuming,” DNA said.
DNA’s “free” members may remain as such or get started with the BBP package for an initial outlay of $126.95, including the one-time fee of $97 and the monthly fee of $29.95.
DNA described the free data-entry module as a clunker, compared to the “PRO” module, which the firm asserts has bells and whistles and crunches information faster.
Here is how DNA described the benefits of the upgrade package (italics added):
With PRO Upgrade Software an entry takes up to 1 minute. Without takes up to 3 to 5 minutes.
With PRO Upgrade Software you may repeat address for entry with a click of a button. Without you need to re-enter all address data manually.
With PRO Upgrade Software many fields will be already filled in. Without you need to re-enter all address data manually.
With PRO Upgrade Software you may enter as many entries as you wish at one time. Without you are limited to 5 entries per day.
With PRO Upgrade Software you may enter data for others who also have PRO Upgraded Software. Without you can only enter for yourself and not receive any entries from anyone else who may wish to help.
DNA’s email yesterday also implied that it might not be able to trust some of its own members who entered license-plate data. The company, a multilevel-marketing firm that does not have a contact form on its website and uses an address from Google’s free gmail service as its support address, urged its data-collectors in the field to be honest.
“WARNING,” the company blared in yesterday’s email. “Anyone caught entering bogus tag data information will be automatically suspended from D.N.A. pending a 30/60 day review. We are not talking about a possible error or a potential mistake. We are talking about outright fraudulent entries. You may say who would do such a thing. We say hopefully no one.”
The company did not explain why members caught entering “outright fraudulent” data or “bogus tag data” would merely be suspended pending a review that could take up to two months, rather than banned immediately for life and reported to the police for a criminal attempt to defraud the company.
DNA pitchmen have described the parking lots of major retail stores, churches and doctors’ offices as excellent places to record license-plate numbers. Implicit in the pitches is the suggestion that license-plate data is public information available for the taking from virtually any venue by any DNA member.
Some DNA promoters have suggested that the company’s plate-recorders should behave “inconspicuously” when writing down numbers with a pen and pad or taking pictures of them with cell phones and video cameras for later entry in the database.
The claims have sparked privacy concerns that the data could be used to create profiles on the movement of people. If the data is sold to a company in the business of repossessing automobiles, for instance, the repo man might be able to determine where a car owner shops, receives medical treatment, picks up prescriptions for medicine, receives psychological or spiritual counseling and visits for any purpose under the sun.
LOL. They’re already setting up for the ‘members abuse the system and now we have to do an audit as XX millions have been stolen’ so they can take the money and run.
HeHeHe,
someone who felt the need to fake their 5 license tag numbers would just HAVE be rewarded with the “laziest fraudster on the planet” award.
On a more serious note (if anything concerning DNA or NTC could be taken seriously, that is) be prepared for mass suspensions/none payment of commissions at some time in the not too distant future.
Most long time observers of the HYIP “scene” would recognize the companies anti fraud warning as just “another” regularly used preemptive justification for delayed or missing payments.
DNA just gave themselves 60 days during which time they can delay payments using the old “we’re investigating suspicious transactions” excuse.
Patrick,
What’s the difference between legitimately entered license tags and those that are fraudulently entered by the DNA members?
Zilch, zero, nada, nothing……..they have the exact same value…..
My reading of the “free” module is that it will take free members four days to input 20 plate numbers because of the forced limit of five per day.
And because DNA is suggesting members should input more than 20 plate numbers as a safeguard against mistakes, it actually could take five or more days to enter numbers in the free module to meet the minimum threshold of 20 entries.
“With PRO Upgrade Software you may enter as many entries as you wish at one time. Without you are limited to 5 entries per day,” DNA said.
So, the “free” members, it seems, have been relegated to flying in the dregs of coach with their leg iron of a data-entry module — but still are close enough to hear all the partying going on in 1st Class with the “PRO” module.
The message is hardly inspirational: Free yourself from the dregs of coach and the leg iron we’re attaching to you and pay us $126.95 to set yourself free — you know, like our preferred, 1st-Class passengers.
It will take 1st Class passengers no longer than 20 minutes on a single day to enter their data, but it will folks in the dregs of coach up to 25 minutes per day for at least four days — and perhaps more than four days — to meet the minimum threshold.
That, of course, does not count the time it takes actually to write down the plate numbers while trying to look inconspicuous at Walmart or the church parking lot or the parking lot at the doctor’s office or the parking lot at the pharmacy.
Also up in the air is whether the mileage you rack up writing down plate numbers will be deductible as a business expense. If you deduct it, it might be a good idea to have your reasoning right on the tip of the tongue and your accountant right by your side if the IRS questions it.
IRS/DNA MEMBER FANTASY DIALOGUE
IRS Examiner: “I notice you say you’re a self-employed, data-collection specialist for DNA, which pays you to enter license-plate numbers in a database. Where’d you get your plate numbers?”
DNA Member: “Mostly from the parking lot of Walmart about 10 miles from my home.”
IRS Examiner: “Why not the grocery store right across the street from your house?”
DNA Member: “Well, I guess I didn’t want to take the chance that my neighbors would see me writing down plate numbers there. People are funny about such things.”
IRS Examiner: “So, you drove 20 miles round trip to Walmart to avoid being seen recording plate numbers at your neighborhood store?”
DNA Member: “Well, yes. I guess.”
IRS Examiner: “And you made 12 roundtrips to Walmart — one roundtrip a month — for the purpose of recording plate numbers? And you’re claiming a mileage deduction of 240 miles?”
DNA Member: “Yes. It’s true. Honest to God.”
IRS Examiner: “Did you do anything else at Walmart when you were trying to avoid being seen recording plate numbers at your neighborhood grocery store?”
DNA Member: “Well, not always — but sometimes. You know, sometimes I’d pick up something for the kids or my mother in the nursing home.”
IRS Examiner: “So, by your reasoning, at least some of your trips to Walmart are tax deductible now?”
DNA Member: “Well, yes. When they’re for a business purpose.”
IRS Examiner: “Did you ever travel farther than 20 miles roundtrip to record plate numbers?”
DNA Member: “Well, yes. I live in New York; I drove out to San Diego to see my sister, and I recorded some plate numbers at Walmart out there.”
IRS Examiner: “Hmm. I see. So that’s why you’re claiming an additional mileage deduction of 6,000 miles? Because you wrote down plate numbers at the Walmart ‘out there?'”
DNA Member: “Well, yes. I see nothing wrong with that. DNA told me I could get the plate numbers anywhere. I wasn’t limited to my own neighborhood. I listened to a conference call. The man said if I shopped in Walmart or a store like Target to keep the receipt, because big retailers put the address of their stores on the receipt. I could write down plate numbers when I left the store, and then drive home and enter them in the database without having to look up WalMart’s address where the cars were parked, because it would be right on the receipt.”
IRS Examiner: “Did you take any trips on airplanes last year?”
DNA Member: “Yes.”
IRS Examiner: “Where’d you go?”
DNA Member: “I flew from New York to Fort Lauderdale to see my brother.”
IRS Examiner: “Did you record any plate numbers at the Walmart in Fort Lauderdale?”
DNA Member: “Yes.”
IRS Examiner: “So, now your airplane trips to see your brother in Fort Lauderdale are tax-deductible, too — because you recorded plate numbers down there?”
DNA Member: “Well, yes. It was part of my business.”
IRS Examiner: “I see that DNA sent you a 1099 for $700 in earnings. Is that correct?”
DNA Member: “Yes. DNA sends 1099s. It’s up to members to tabulate their own business expenses.”
IRS Examiner: “So, you’re claiming 6,240 miles for recording plate numbers — at 50 cents per mile — for a total mileage deduction of $3,120 for a license-plate recording business that grossed $700? And you’re claiming a plane trip to Fort Lauderdale that cost $800 as an additional business expense, because you recorded plate numbers down there?”
DNA Member: “Yes.”
IRS Examiner: “I also see a 1099 from a company called SurfUntilYouProjectileVomit.com. It says you made $3,000.”
DNA Member: “Yes, that’s correct.”
IRS Examiner: I also see you’re claiming an advertising expense of $2,000. Where’d you spend $2,000 on advertising?”
DNA Member: “I spent it at SurfUntilYouProjectileVomit.com.”
IRS Examiner: “What business did you advertise at SurfUntilYouProjectileVomit.com?”
DNA Member: “My DNA business.”
IRS Examiner: “Getting back to the 1099 for $3,000 from SurfUntilYouProjectileVomit.com: Did the $3,000 income figure include the $2,000 you spent on ‘advertising’ your DNA business?”
DNA Member: “Well, yes. They told me I’d get back all the money I spent on advertising, plus a little more.”
IRS Examiner: “So, are you saying that $2,000 of your $3,000 income from SurfUntilYouProjectileVomit.com is also an ‘advertising’ expense for your DNA business?”
DNA Member: “Yes.”
IRS Examiner: “Where’d you hear about DNA?”
DNA Member: “I read about it on the old Golden Panda Ad Zone forum. I joined that forum when I was a member of Golden Panda and AdSurfDaily.”
IRS Examiner: “What was AdSurfDaily?”
DNA Member: “Well, it reminded me a lot of SurfUntilYouProjectileVomit.com, but the Secret Service said it was a Ponzi scheme that pretended to be an advertising company.”
IRS Examiner: “Were you worried that SurfUntilYouProjectileVomit.com was a Ponzi scheme if it was a lot like AdSurfDaily?”
DNA Member: “No. Not in the least.”
IRS Examiner: “Why not.”
DNA Member: “They sent me a 1099. They wouldn’t do that if they weren’t on the up-and-up.”
IRS Examiner: “I still have questions about your tax return. I’ll get back to you for another appointment.”
Patrick
Hi Entertained,
As a random-walk principle, I agree with you — with respect to the potential to recover missing children or even a repo.
But I don’t believe the data is valueless. I think the value of the database could increase exponentially — not for its purported ability to aid in child recovery or the 2008 Corvette — but as a database that maps the movements of individual citizens.
That’s mostly why I’ve been writing about the privacy concerns — not that the other concerns are unimportant or immaterial. I have little trouble imagining that some people and companies would pay big money for movement maps on individual people.
What better way to get the profile than to record the whereabouts of cars registered to individual people?
The question, to me, is whether either DNA or Narc That Car could obtain the sort of critical mass necessary to populate the databases in a meaningful way.
This is theoretical, but a small number of people in a small town could keep tabs on an entire small population. It would take more people in big towns and cities to keep tabs, but it could be done. Such a model could evolve into “orders” being taken to monitor the whereabouts of individual cars and extra “awards” being dispensed to people willing to follow cars for a fee.
Heck, it could happen without DNA or NTC even knowing about it: A data client could contact an individual rep and make a private deal. You know, “I’d like you to keep tabs on ‘Harry’ from a distance and enter the plate sightings in the DNA or NTC database.”
Or it could happen WITH the companies knowing about it.
The info would not be used to help the repo man; he already knows the likely places the car might be found, so I see that entire premise as a sort of red herring.
But I DO see the value some people/companies in no way connected with the finance biz might place on the data profiles of an individual or group of individuals. For instance:
Supreme Court Justices
Federal Judges
Litigation opponents
Potential jurors
Spouses/partners
Off-duty law-enforcement people
School teachers
Professors
Business executives
Scientists
Government workers in particular agencies
Politicians
Family members of politicians
Key staff of politicians
I’ve mentioned here before that I’ve seen promoters say that people who have nothing to hide have nothing to fear, which, at a minimum, is Orwellian — if not real-life chilling.
Patrick
Why bother with writing down license plates? Why not just have law enforcement track cell phones as those locations are stored (at least for the time being) automatically and there is a website for LE to access these records. It was accessed 8 million times last year. The information is also real time and not stale. No army of get rich schemers needed.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_phone_tracking
The only database that has any value is the database that holds the list of numpty MLM promoters/believers/victims that are willing to go along with this nonsense. I bet other MLM companies would pay for that kind of data.
Hi Tony,
I agree with your point that the members’ database would have value to other MLM companies seeking access to a list of people who might be willing to sell anything for a commission or people who have no discernment skills or choose to be willfully blind.
But I respectfully disagree that the members’ database is the only one with value. I think the database of plate sightings could evolve into something that has considerable value.
I’m not saying it will, mind you; I’m saying it could.
Regards,
Patrick
You are correct; that’s being done. I’ve seen pitches for lists of names, etc., of members of defunct MLMs being offered for sale as leads for recruiting purposes.
Well, not for nothing, they still have to get past being a ponzi and it’s already too late for that since no one can prove what their outside revenue source is.
Patrick:
I have forwarded the latest spam from DNA. All hype over nothing and now they are claiming a new CEO has come on board plus a new phone conference.
Sure wish these scumbags would sue me. I do not know how many times I have to call them a crook before the message sinks in. But, they are just proving the point that it is all hype and no action.
PONZI PONZI PONZI!!!!!!!!!
Well the new CEO is George Madiou, the former publisher of The Network Marketing Magazine, and I also believe the Real Estate Success Magazine.
He also was associated with Phil Piccolo back in 2007 as he was allowing Phil to sell his books and magazine subscriptions. When he was asked about all of this, he refused to respond to the inquiries. Why anyone with his reputation would want to have anything to do with Phil Piccolo is beyond me.
After Phil single-handedly helped take down YTB, George kind of disappeared from the scene. Now he has re-surfaced as the new CEO. Goes to show you that money talks. Wonder if Phil is behind the scenes giving George advice? Wouldn’t be surprised if he was, and would be more surprised if he wasn’t.
Wonder what George will do when this gets shut down if he thinks the money was worth it? I am not sure if I was more disappointed in George when he was doing business with Phil, or now. Wonder how the MLM world will react to this news. Should be interesting.
Lynn,
would that “MLM world” be the world of ethical, hardworking M.L.M.ers, the “MLM world” of HYIP ponzi scams disguised as MLMs or the “MLM world” of overhyped, overpriced product pyramid scams ???
NarcThat Car and Data Network Affiliates are as much “like” an MLM as a Volkswagen Beetle is “like” a Porsche 911S
PHEW !!!!
Worry no more.
All your questions about the legitimacy of DNA have been answered.
According to their latest spa…….err…….promotional email, far from being just ANOTHER fly-by-night HYIP ponzi, DNA offers:
“Make $1,000’s from Home with the most UNIQUE and AMAZING Home Business You’ve EVER Seen!”…
This business did 14 BILLION DOLLARS LAST YEAR!”
So, there you have it, all is OK in HYIP land.
LRM: Proof positive that Phil Picollo is behind this.
just got off the phone with a heavy hitter, who’s in the know of what going on with DNA, the new CEO will a CEO from the 5th largest forture 500 company. the heavy hitter doesn’t know the name yet. but DNA just signed with Walmart!!! I ask “to allow people to get license plates on walmart”s land?” No Walmart is giving $240 in prescriptions. I told him to keep me posted.
Ah, the old, weak ‘blastoff’ excuse.
Didn’t work for them either. lol
Anyone can be an affiliate of Walmart.
All they have to do is sign up.
http://affiliates.walmart.com/aff_home.jsp
Interesting choice of wording in reference to ‘the 5th largest fortune 500 company’. Is it what would be ranked as the 5th highest revenue company such as GE from 2009, Conoco Phillips from 2008 and 2007, or could it be something like the 5th largest in just the number of people that they employ?
Weren’t you rather upset that you couldn’t get your money back from one of your previous adventures? Now, you are touting this program? It doesn’t seem like you’ve learned anything at all. If you had gotten your money back, you’d just lose it again.
While I had sympathy for you previously, I think you should be subject to a “stupid tax” if you keep this up meaning you would be disqualified from any recovery if this program tanks like it will. You can’t get rich from these programs.
It never ceases to amaze me that victims go from one failed :get rich quick” scheme to another as if they were mentally challenged and/or amnesiacs. Have we fallen off the evolutionary track of learning from our mistakes? How many times do you need to grab a white-hot object before you remember it burns you every time you grab it?? If the majority of internet users are freely giving away thier hard earned money, I will be glad to give you all my Pay Pal account number and you can just give it all to me instead…and I will give you the same return as these schemes.. nothing at all.
[…] though, oversold the “free” part. It then tried to inspire members to buy a $127 upgrade by telling them its free module to enter plate data was a clunker. Its affiliates have done other […]