Windows Secrets Promotes Another Scam

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Windows Secrets sends out a flyer every couple of weeks called Win Deals. The flyer offers supposedly offers a deal on some piece of software. Recently they sent out one offering a duplicate file finder for free. There’s no mention whatsoever of any limitations or costs involved. If you download and run the free software it searches and finds duplicate copies of photos, documents, etc. When it comes to removing those duplicate files to free up space that’s where the catch comes in. The program may find dozens, hundreds or even thousands of duplicates but it will only remove 10 or 20 items unless you go back to their website and BUY the FULL VERSION. Today’s flyer is another cleverly worded come-on for a program called Driver Agent which checks your computer to see if all your drivers are up to date. Then it shows a report with a link beside outdated drivers. To get the latest driver click on the link. But, wait – it’s another scam. You’ll have to BUY the FULL VERSION to update all your drivers. These Win Deals software offers should state clearly up front that there is a substantial cost involved, but they omit any mention of this in their advertising. Windows Secrets is, shamefully, a party to this DECEPTIVE ADVERTISING. It’s simply not good enough to say “Caveat emptor” and leave it at that. It’s not enough to say you can unsubscribe from the Win Deals flyer as i just did. Windows Secrets’ integrity is clearly undermined by their willing participation in these sleazy deceptive sales tactics. Come on, Windows Secrets, are you really that desperate for a little extra revenue that you continue to allow such scams to continue?

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We have no control over the newsletter or any email. Please use the “Contact” tab at the top to register your displeasure with the editors.

Joe

--Joe

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We have no control over the newsletter or any email. Please use the “Contact” tab at the top to register your displeasure with the editors.

Joe

OK, i did.

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a flyer called Win Deals. The flyer supposedly offers a deal on some piece of software

And you didn’t smell a rat?

cheers, Paul

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And you didn’t smell a rat?

cheers, Paul

LOL – yes, i smelled a rat on “deals” like this years ago and try to warn unsuspecting friends before they get sucked into these semi-scams. But, i was frankly surprised and disappointed that Windows Secrets would put their name on deceptive advertising.

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Windows Secrets sends out a flyer every couple of weeks called Win Deals

I find it interesting that you receive these “Flyers” since I have been with WS for many years and have never received one.

Don't take yourself so seriously, no one else does 🙂
All W10 Pro at 22H2,(2 Desktops, 1 Laptop).

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I find it interesting that you receive these “Flyers” since I have been with WS for many years and have never received one.

I find it interesting that you don’t remember Windows Secrets offering to send you Win Deals flyers on an opt-in / click here to subscribe basis.

” You are receiving the WinDeals Newsletter because you opted-in at WindowsSecrets.com. WinDeals brings you occasional discounts and offers from Windows Secrets, its advertisers and its partners.

As a subscriber to WinDeals, we want to pass on this exclusive offer to you. “

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Hmmm, maybe dementia is setting in because I don’t remember getting any opt in to win deals. Maybe I unchecked a box on my last renewal for the paid newsletter?

Don't take yourself so seriously, no one else does 🙂
All W10 Pro at 22H2,(2 Desktops, 1 Laptop).

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It’s difficult to find, but you say Yes or No at http://windowssecrets.com/windealsprefs/

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It’s difficult to find, but you say Yes or No at http://windowssecrets.com/windealsprefs/

Evidently you have to click on something to bring that page up because I have never seen that page before. Lucky me. 😀

Don't take yourself so seriously, no one else does 🙂
All W10 Pro at 22H2,(2 Desktops, 1 Laptop).

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Hello starvinmarvin,
All publications require revenue, of course, but as is customary, the editors of Windows Secrets don’t get to choose, vet, or veto the advertising schemes arranged on the newsletter’s behalf. The corollary to this rule is that the ad sales team don’t get to choose, vet, or veto our stories in the newsletter. You and I might agree that some products and deals are bad and some are good, but naturally, because I am an editor, I am not consulted about advertising deals in advance. I can and do report subscriber reactions to advertising campaigns after they appear and have passed along your comments that came to me in email this morning and as they appear in this post.
If you can think of good, reliable, transparent (honest, of course) ways to support publications that avoid advertising, someone will name you genius.
Kathleen

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Hello starvinmarvin,
All publications require revenue, of course, but as is customary, the editors of Windows Secrets don’t get to choose, vet, or veto the advertising schemes arranged on the newsletter’s behalf. The corollary to this rule is that the ad sales team don’t get to choose, vet, or veto our stories in the newsletter. You and I might agree that some products and deals are bad and some are good, but naturally, because I am an editor, I am not consulted about advertising deals in advance. I can and do report subscriber reactions to advertising campaigns after they appear and have passed along your comments that came to me in email this morning and as they appear in this post.
If you can think of good, reliable, transparent (honest, of course) ways to support publications that avoid advertising, someone will name you genius.
Kathleen

It seems as though you’re trying to tell us that ALL publications have no say in their advertisements. I can’t believe that is true.

What exactly was “this exclusive offer” sent to many of us from windowssecrets.com today?

This software has been a scam for ten years.

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As an update, I can report that product managers are looking carefully, this afternoon, at this advertising offering and others, and I expect to see changes.
BruceR, I can’t report on what ALL publications do about advertising–only that it’s common practice to keep a moat between the business and editorial sides of a publication.

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As an update, I can report that product managers are looking carefully, this afternoon, at this advertising offering and others, and I expect to see changes.
BruceR, I can’t report on what ALL publications do about advertising–only that it’s common practice to keep a moat between the business and editorial sides of a publication.

And yet we have another deceitful scam advertised at the top of today’s newsletter!

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As an update, I can report that product managers are looking carefully, this afternoon, at this advertising offering and others, and I expect to see changes.
BruceR, I can’t report on what ALL publications do about advertising–only that it’s common practice to keep a moat between the business and editorial sides of a publication.

I would think that Windows Secrets would insist on vetting advertisements and advertisers, if for no other reason than to protect your own reputation. I would allow nobody to use my business name without reviewing how it is used. You have a good ethical reputation only until it’s gone. And once the horse is out of the barn, the damage can be permanent.

Whatever revenue you generate from Windeals, it’s probably not enough.

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For the first time I received an email today from Windows Secrets WinDeals ; Google promptly placed it into my spam folder, I thought, widows secrets windeals? so I looked into penton direct and didn’t like what I found.

A copy of the email I received, I embolden and underlined specific areas of the email for further review:

This message is sent to you as a valued member of the audience served by Windows Secrets WinDeals, a Penton property.

From time to time Windows Secrets WinDeals, a division of Penton, would like to provide relevant product and services offerings that we believe you will find helpful in your business or career.

Windows Secrets WinDeals also limits the number of emails sent to our contacts each month. If you would like to receive valuable, carefully-screened offers from Windows Secrets WinDeals, you do not have to respond to this email. You can easily opt out each time you receive an email from us if you don’t find the information useful and worthwhile.

If you no longer wish to receive these messages, please scroll to the bottom of this email for instructions.

Thank you very much for your time,
Joann Kropp
Penton
http://www.penton.com

To STOP receiving emails from Windows Secrets WinDeals advertisers, please click this link.

Penton | 1166 Avenue of the Americas | New York, NY 10036 | Privacy Statement

[*]Windows Secrets WinDeals, a Penton property? Windows Secrets WinDeals, a division of Penton? | The drive for revenue makes for strange bedfellows.

[*]that we believe | Please, do not presuppose that you think you know what is good for me.

[*]Windows Secrets WinDeals also limits the number of emails sent to our contacts each month. | I checked my setting on the link that BruceR provided, and it was already checked “No, I don’t want to receive the deals e-mails” so, penton ignored my choice.

[*]You can easily opt out each time you receive an email from us | This is nothing but a way to increase pentons click-through rate (CTR).

[*]To STOP receiving emails from Windows Secrets WinDeals advertisers, please click this link. | Okay, I clicked on the link and it took me to a minimalistic page, “I would no longer like to receive information by email from Penton.” I clicked on the submit button and it told me “Successfully Removed. You have been successfully removed from for all future e-mail deliveries.” I wonder; If penton ignored my initial choice, would they honor this one?
[*]

Hello starvinmarvin,
All publications require revenue, of course, but as is customary, the editors of Windows Secrets don’t get to choose, vet, or veto the advertising schemes arranged on the newsletter’s behalf. The corollary to this rule is that the ad sales team don’t get to choose, vet, or veto our stories in the newsletter. You and I might agree that some products and deals are bad and some are good, but naturally, because I am an editor, I am not consulted about advertising deals in advance. I can and do report subscriber reactions to advertising campaigns after they appear and have passed along your comments that came to me in email this morning and as they appear in this post.
If you can think of good, reliable, transparent (honest, of course) ways to support publications that avoid advertising, someone will name you genius.
Kathleen

Then have the ad sales team look harder for a more reputable Information Services Company, but I fear that will not happen since Windows Secrets is a property and division of penton

We get a lot of reader mail each week: questions about articles, requests for help with computing problems, compliments, gripes, and so forth. We appreciate all your feedback, even when it hurts a bit. More distressing is when subscribers have difficulties receiving or reading the newsletter. For the past several years, much of the workload needed to solve these issues has fallen on associate editor Kathleen Atkins. (Windows Secrets might now be part of Penton, but the newsletter itself is still a small operation.)

Source: http://windowssecrets.com/field-notes/a-new-windows-secrets-faq-and-a-microsoft-reorg/

Kathleen; I do appreciate all the work you do for windows secrets, but this strongly implies that indeed Windows Secrets is owned by penton.

As an update, I can report that product managers are looking carefully, this afternoon, at this advertising offering and others, and I expect to see changes.
BruceR, I can’t report on what ALL publications do about advertising–only that it’s common practice to keep a moat between the business and editorial sides of a publication.

Could you please update your managers that; Since I jumped through all the hoops (at least all the ones that I know of) that if I receive any more “deals” from penton@pentonmeddirect.com I will be filling a complaint with https://consumercomplaints.fcc.gov/hc/en-us/requests/new?ticket_form_id=38824

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….If you can think of good, reliable, transparent (honest, of course) ways to support publications that avoid advertising, someone will name you genius.
Kathleen

How do you feel about tights? 🙂
42624-Robin-Hood-Errol-Flynn-002

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How do you feel about tights? 🙂
42624-Robin-Hood-Errol-Flynn-002

Tights are fine. Not so sure about the funny hat ….

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I agree with starvinmarvin that implying the software is free then saying it will cost isn’t a very good marketing ploy. If I downloaded the software then found I needed to pay for it to get full use, then I’m not going to buy it. If, on the other hand, I know how much it will cost to use it fully (or after a period) I’m more likely to buy it.

Apart from the above, I’ve no problem receiving these emails other than the fact that all the offers are for the USA, and are priced in dollars.

Eliminate spare time: start programming PowerShell

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Windows Secrets sends out a flyer every couple of weeks called Win Deals?

Starvin if you read these forums (at least the parts I keep up w/) you will read numerous posters saying not to put products advertized here in any special regard. It is just some thing we live w/.
:cheers:

🍻

Just because you don't know where you are going doesn't mean any road will get you there.

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Starvin if you read these forums (at least the parts I keep up w/) you will read numerous posters saying not to put products advertized here in any special regard. It is just some thing we live w/.

Yes, we’re used to the fact that the banner ads are controlled by Google (AdChoices/AdSense/DoubleClick); although even there someone at WindowsSecrets Newsletter could block inappropriate ads if they wished.

And even at the top of the Newsletter email, clearly marked ADVERTISEMENT.

But these weekly Windeals emails are meant to be special discounts/offers which come directly from WindowsSecrets.com.

There was nothing exclusive about today’s offer.

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IMO there is no such thing as an exclusive deal. It’s just advertising through social engineering.

cheers, Paul

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I basically ignore the ads. I know that most, if not all, of them are generated by Google.

In my view, Google is a necessary evil, enabling us to have a cost-free internet experience, so I have “tuned out” (i.e. I ignore) Google as much as I can.

One day I hope to have my own website with technical or other informational articles. I really hope that I can say no to Google, even though I know they wave cash under your nose in return for letting them control the ads on your website.

Group "L" (Linux Mint)
with Windows 10 running in a remote session on my file server

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Anak,

Yes, Penton owns WSL no argument there.

However, they don’t own us! By US I mean all the contributors here and the Lounge Officers, Moderators, and VIPs. These people are all volunteers and the opinions and advice they provide are their own and NOT Penton’s or iNet’s or any other previous owners’.

The minute that fact changes I for one will be gone and I’m pretty sure so will the others.

In fact as a Moderator I can tell you we vigorously patrol the Lounge for advertising spam of any kind and squash it as fast as possible.

:cheers:

May the Forces of good computing be with you!

RG

PowerShell & VBA Rule!
Computer Specs

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Understood, and well said; But the fact remains penton invaded my privacy.

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Understood, and well said; But the fact remains penton invaded my privacy.

If you’re on the internet you ain’t got no privacy!!

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Windeals is an email which you subscribe to independently of WS. I suspect the “deal” with Windeals is you accept other email as well.

cheers, Paul

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QUOTE: “From time to time Windows Secrets WinDeals, a division of Penton, would like to provide relevant product and services offerings that we believe you will find helpful in your business or career.

Windows Secrets WinDeals also limits the number of emails sent to our contacts each month. If you would like to receive valuable, carefully-screened offers from Windows Secrets WinDeals, you do not have to respond to this email. You can easily opt out each time you receive an email from us …”

Originally Posted by Kathleen Atkins:
“As an update, I can report that product managers are looking carefully, this afternoon, at this advertising offering and others, and I expect to see changes.”

Sometimes you wish you hadn’t started something, but in this case i’m glad i raised the issue and that we, all of us, stirred the pot, so to speak! I’m wary of reactivating WinDeals newsletter just to see if things improve so i hope others here will report on whether the free-but-not-free offers will keep on coming or have they been phased out.

As an aside, we can all check Gizmo’s “Best free software” columns for a good alternative to any free-but-not-free offers that come from WinDeals and elsewhere….

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