Real Estate Blog - If It's A Free Trial, Why Do You Need A Credit Card?

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If It's A Free Trial, Why Do You Need A Credit Card?

Annapolis MD Real Estate - Richard Iarossi

Maybe you saw the blog post today offering a “free trial” of the Vision product. Not bad really. 90 days free for a website, IDX feed and contact management solution.

Make sure you sign up quick because it's only being offered to the first 50 takers. If you were number 51 signing up, you can have my spot. I changed my mind.

Did I need it, no, but I’m willing to give it a try. If the trial was a success, I would certainly consider paying at the end of the trial.

Where the wheels came off this offer for me was the email I received a few minutes after signing up on the web. In order to get started, all I needed to do was fill in my credit card information, type a signature in the block and we're ready to rock and roll.

Hey Vision product manager, here's my take. If you're offering a free trial, you don't need my credit card unless there's something else going on. Your "promise" not to charge my credit card wasn't that convincing.

How's this for a novel approach? Since you completely control the site and the "free trial", if I don't order the product in 90 days, turn it off. That's a real "FREE TRIAL."

Let your product speak for itself during the "free trial." If it's good, you'll have plenty of business. If it's not, you won't.

Maybe it's just me but I'm not a fan of the approach that the Market Leader folks are taking here. I know it's a fairly standard practice in the industry to ask for a credit card up front, but I'm not playing that game.

Richard Iarossi, REALTOR®
Long and Foster® Real Estate, Inc.
Crofton, MD 21114
410-451-6255 Office
443-995-9595 Cell
Web: http://www.RichSellsHomes.com
eMail: Rich@RichSellsHomes.com

Annapolis MD Real Estate Specialist
Bowie MD Real Estate Specialist
Crofton MD Real Estate Specialist

Posted by Richard Iarossi, Crofton MD Real Estate, Annapolis MD Real Estate on 06/29/2009 06:14 PM

Comments (17)

Growth Leader in the ActiveRain Channel

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Originally posted at: mdrealestateblog.com: If It's A Free Trial, Why Do You Need A Credit Card?

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17 Comments on If It's A Free Trial, Why Do You Need A Credit Card?

JUN

I signed on with Vision this month but I had to pay. I did not know they were going to offer a free trial.

Richard, I agree with you completely- I do not like giving out my credit card for FREE trials- a shady practice in my opinion. I saw put your money where your mouth is a create a real free trial.

Angelia, Apparantly, there were a few paying clients upset too. Maybe you can call them and get the first 90 days free.

Hi Richard~ I wouldn't sign up either if I had to give my credit card upfront. No Way! It is shady if you ask me, otherwise they wouldn't be doing it that way....

Don't you love that ...free trials... but they want your credit card..I hate that and will not sign up for something..that tricks me that way.. just because.

JUN

I've always wondered the same thing. Seems to me it isn't too difficult to email (or call) a user 10 days or so before the free trial expires to say "Hey, did you like the product enough to pay for it?" and then get the payment information.

GOOD MORNING RICHARD! Slick. If the company really did refund the money - can you imagine how long it would take to get it back? Maybe 90 days or more??! -- Gab

You echo my thoughts when I tried Market Leader (or is it Growth Leader) and Vision. Your logic is flawless. It's a big turn-off that they require your credit card for a "free trial" - But they're not the only ones to do that. I look forward to someone revealing the answer in this thread.

Richard - I just re-blogged this post.

I hate that. Not talking Vision or Growth leader but...when a company says try us for free. Nope not gonna do it, it is sketchy and I don't have the desire to fight them to get my TRIAL to stop.

Richard - I'm one of them with a free trial and I gave them the info they wanted. I have seen this throughout various web sites for a free trial and they still want your info. To this date I did not had any problems with that when I canceled my subscription during or after the free trial period.

Since this free trial period originated through Active Rain, I thought that there is some kind of trust established with Growth Leader and Active Rain, therefore I did not had any issues with giving my number out.

I'm not a huge fan of the "free trial" offers that request you add your credit card info either, Richard. They only do that because they know that, if you decide to cancel after the free trial ends, you may not remember until you get charged that first time. Then they get to grab the first payment off your card. I think it's backwards and really don't like those kinds of things, but you find them everywhere.

Hi Richard, as I explained on my blog, our 90-day no-obligation trial of Vision is limited to one per agent. A credit card is required for validation and to prevent duplicate signups. It also ensures uninterrupted service should you choose to continue service after the trial period expires.

We are very pleased with the responses to the trial offer so far, and there are only a few spots left. At this rate, all the trial spots will be filled by tomorrow. Any agent interested should sign up through my blog. Thanks!

Jennifer,

Thanks for stopping in. I have no problem with your product, just the credit card requirement. Seems like I'm not alone either.

There are many ways to prevent duplicate sign ups without the need to collect credit card information. BTW, since most people have more than one credit card, there does seem to be a weakness in the logic.

I'm glad you're doing well. Like I mentioned, if it provides value for the price, it will be a success. If not, it won't.

If you ever change the requirement for entering a credit card, let me know.

I left your post intact even though I wasn't crazy for the two hyperlinks to your product trial blog post.

Rich

Richard,
I'm with you on this --- if something is really free, don't ask me for a credit card!

JUL

Hmmm. I don't like it either. If it's free, then it should be free, period, with no strings attached.

Thanks everyone for your comments, and Margaret for the re-blog. I've got no beef with the Vision product. I hope people who use it are successful. I'll just never know because of the sign up method. Apparantly, it's not just me either.

Rich

JUL

Rich - I agree 100%. The credit card requirement is total BS and there is no way in hell I would give my number for a FREE trial.

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