Should Cycle Chat be advertising hoax products?

[presta]

Power Factor Correction Scam
1. Your power factor doesn't need correcting
2. Electromechanical electricity meters read true power, not apparent power, and electronic ones are programmed to read true power for domestic consumers
3. If needed, PFC would have to be fitted in the appliance it's correcting
4. These devices don't do anything except light an LED

 

[Teamfixed]

I feel sorry for people who fall for this carp. The ad is laughable.

 

[Chris S]

I got a warning for posting a joke from one of their other sponsored sites. I think Cycle Chat's adverts must be handled by a third party.

 

[Sterlo]

I've got Ad Blocker so I don't get any ads.

 

[a.twiddler]

Pretty obvious really. Following the link, "Power companies are scared", "public utility commission", Big Energy, unverified references, vague conspiracy theory terminology, the promise of something for nothing. I don't get this stuff on CC but you only have to go on eg Youtube where they seem to let anyone put videos up and you will see the whole range. It's an interesting exercise to follow up the claims on the various scam busting sites because it makes you aware of the red flag phrases that are a dead giveaway for other scams. Most scammers aren't particularly subtle -they often recycle material used eg in the USA where it tends to jar in a UK context. But maybe I'm hypersensitive to vocabulary. This stuff just stands out when I see it.

 

[Chris S]

It's an interesting exercise to follow up the claims on the various scam busting sites because it makes you aware of the red flag phrases that are a dead giveaway for other scams. Most scammers aren't particularly subtle -they often recycle material used eg in the USA where it tends to jar in a UK context.

I have yet to hear anyone in the UK use the phrase 'savy Brits'.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Nikola-Tesla-inspired technology


Enormous massive red flag. Bigger than any red flag ever seen on a Mayday parade in Moscow.

Tesla - a man about whom there is as much myth as there is about Jesus Christ.

He did fall in love with a pigeon, though. (Tesla, not Christ, although Christ is known to hang out with his dad and a dove)

 

[mistyoptic]

Such a strong smell of farmyard. Copy written by the same folk who write some of the Hifi “enhancers” ads?

 

[raymondo60]

I bought one. Its brilliant.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

I bought one. Its brilliant.

?????
data - savings - sarcasm flag???


I keep getting these ads on the Independent new web site - I have tried to find out how to complain but they don't make it easy

but - yes - they normally come up via Google adverts or something like that

 

[Willd]

yeah I'd trust Nikola

 

[DaveReading]

Such a strong smell of farmyard. Copy written by the same folk who write some of the Hifi “enhancers” ads?

And the photo of "The founders of this powerful new device photographed in Berlin during a tech expo" bears an uncanny resemblance to a readily-available Shutterstock photo.

 

[a.twiddler]

I suppose the main point is that no, adverts for hoax products should not be appearing on CC (or anywhere, once identified as a scam).

 

[IanSmithCSE]

Good morning,

If you click on the triangle in the top right of the add you can report the ad to Google as An ad violates other Google Ads policies and then
Misleading or scam (Including ads with false claims or offers, impersonation, phishing, clickbait, or inaccurate pricing information)

Remember that these Adsense adverts are selected by Goggle not the site displaying them, except at a very broadest level, so mods or the site owner may not even be getting a specific ad that you have seen.

As adsense accounts are mostly automated a site owner that continually reports bad ads or manually blocks them may find that there are undisclosed "automated features" and one day he wakes to find his account cancelled! I would also expect that many site owners wouldn't want to ask the mods to vet the adverts as it is extra work or give out the password to the ads account.

Bye

Ian

 

[Chris S]

I wish the hoax ads would come back, I'm getting ones for earwax again.