Is someone waving a scammy carrot under my nose?

[D.o.S.]

Are you aware you type like a spambot, bro?

[Doctor X]

sexy russian girls want to meet you TODAY

[futuresailors]

Mr. Rogers evil alter ego seeks world domination by making world talk like spambot.

[Mudfuzz]

i'm way too tired, it's 4 am. but did the long fucking email read that someone was currently making music with michael jackson? i'm so confused. and where'd hitler come from.

Kapuzinerstrasse.

[Chankgeez]

http://science.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/0 ... e=obinsite

[FuzzHugger]

I asked Marie, if she doesn't work for Minoan, why she was contacting me instead of them.

Knosso/Eric contacted me last week:

Hey Tom, further to all mentioned below, I would very much appreciate the deletion of the thread containing all of the baseless accusations from all of the non clients about myself and my company. It's become a totally unnecessary and false nuisance, so kindly do the right thing.

Thanks.

Regards, Eric

Followed by the entire text of Marie's message.

I wasn't able to reply, as I was busy and this isn't priority #1 for me.



Today, I get this:

What's the word Tom, we're anxious to get this resolved.

I'm getting tired of this. I was already threatened last year with a lawsuit for this thread (where they threatened to "shut the site down"). The name-dropping is ridiculous, and the idea that anyone can edit commenter opinions online is redickulous. I responded:

Eric,

I'm sorry, I don't have time in my schedule to edit user-submitted posts. I work 80+ hours a week.

I also have an obligation and incentive to allow free-speech on the forum.

If a user clicks "report" on a particular post, one of our volunteer moderators reviews it, but I haven't been made aware of a specific post in that thread that constitutes actual slander; no one has accused you of running an illegal scam, nor has anyone claimed to have been defrauded by your company. They're offering their opinion or assessment of your marketing scheme, based on your marketing strategy/materials. I believe that's clear throughout the thread.

If so many people have that immediate perception of your business, I'd personally take that as a sign that you're doing something wrong in representing/presenting your business and services. Honestly, to me, it has every appearance of a confidence scam; again, not illegal, but unscrupulous and predatory. That's my first impression--opinion--on viewing your emails, practices, offers, and Marie's claims.

Like Yahoo Comments, Yahoo reviews, Yelp, Amazon.com, Google Places, we do not edit opinion-based posts that don't engage in illegal slander.

Thanks,
Tom

I'm not interested in your opinion Tom. Take it down.

Eric

[TheOndrakGuy]

Wow, they're really not doing themselves any favours here, are they?

I forgot to mention when all this kicked off, I made a thread about it on Reddit too - kinda low-key, only one real reply (you can guess what their thoughts on it were), and then a week later, Kat pops up trying to defend Minoan with the same copy and paste messages we've been getting on here - so this must be normal practice for them if somebody's got problems with how they do business.

Considering how things are going and how they're conducting themselves, I'm glad this thread went somewhere and people can see it.

[AxAxSxS]

"knossou wrote:
I'm not interested in your opinion Tom. Take it down.

Eric"


Wow, Clearly doesn't get it. I'll laugh in a few months when we've all forgotten about this and they bump the thread again jousting the windmills.

[Seizurema]

I didn't know this thread was like an actual thing.

YOU CANT POST WHAT YOU WANT HERE
THIS IS THE INTERNET

[yallerhon]

Tom, I think it's nearly at the point where these people incessantly contacting you with their pointless requests would constitute harassment.

Perhaps tell them as such, and to cease contacting you or any other forum members again?

[Doctor X]

I'm not interested in your opinion Tom. Take it down.

Eric

wow, he/she/they really do come across as pretty shifty and unpleasant. if there has been a misunderstanding they why not just present yourself as a person and explain things? it seems to be based on aggression and behind the scene threats sent as personal messages, who on earth would want to deal with people like that?

everything i have seen so far about minoan music, music to kill for, musicpromotion.com screams SCAM

firstly you have the pr hype and vague name dropping, but with no actually clearly laid out description of what it is that they do, with examples.
oh, the one example is mentioned in passing that one person 'invested' $400 and made back $10000 ... oh, but it turns out that person is actually one of them and involved in 'the business', and sends angry messages and threats

secondly we have the vague characters who seem to be interchangeable and hard to pin down

thirdly we have charging money for the 'service' and the no contract thing .... flashing lights, sirens, alarm bells - scam city here we come!

it seems like at some point they have had some slight connection to some genuine artists, and have some music promotion activity, and are puffing this up with vague pr bullshit talk to entice naive/gullible/hopeful people into parting with money

if this is genuine why not promote the tracks on the compilations on a profit share basis? with an written contract so that everybody knows where they stand?

when it looks like a scam, sounds like a scam, and the people involved behave in an obscure and aggressive way, then it's no surprise that people think it's a scam

[warwick.hoy]

SERIOUSLY; WHAT A BUNCH OF ASSHOLES

[FuzzHugger]

firstly you have the pr hype and vague name dropping, but with no actually clearly laid out description of what it is that they do, with examples.

it seems like at some point they have had some slight connection to some genuine artists, and have some music promotion activity, and are puffing this up with vague pr bullshit talk to entice naive/gullible/hopeful people into parting with money

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confidence_trick
I don't think they're doing anything illegal. It's legal, predatory scheme.

Step one is to gain their mark's confidence through name-dropping and big promises.
Step two is to ask their mark for money.

oh, the one example is mentioned in passing that one person 'invested' $400 and made back $10000 ... oh, but it turns out that person is actually one of them and involved in 'the business', and sends angry messages and threats

Seriously. Jesuismarie gave them only $400 dollars and has made back almost $10K?!? They haven't taken a penny over that $400 and haven't received a cut of that 10k? That's seriously insulting to my intelligence.
She's typed half-messages to me, then handed the keyboard off to someone at Minoan. Her IP address is Boulder, CO. (Minoan's location.) She also posts Minoan-related promo stuff constantly on her Facebook page.

secondly we have the vague characters who seem to be interchangeable and hard to pin down

After Jesuismarie started posting again last week, and before Eric registered, someone else registered an account...in the "Why Are You Here" section, they wrote that a great music company that they had hired to work for them (and with great success!) was being slandered here and they were registering to defend them. Also an IP address in Boulder, CO.
Now Eric's here. Also Boulder, CO.

[FuzzHugger]

Funny that the word "slander" keeps being thrown around. I wonder if they know that it's impossible to slander someone on an internet forum?

[futuresailors]

Fuckin Dalton.