Then ask these questions (unless you get the answering machine of course): Why are you not a member of the Better Business Bureau?   Why haven't you provided the BBB the information they've requested? Are you really a CEO who owns a 'corporation'? The State of Florida says not.  Do you really have offices in Miami and "New York"? Your address turns up 'New Jersey'? Do you really do business out of a condo in Miami? May I see your resume? your financial statements? They must be quite impressive. How many people are on your 'sales teams' and 'support teams', as you call them? Why, after purchase, are your phone calls screened with an answering machine? Why are calls for service subordinated to calls for sales? What happens to my support if you die, become disabled or cave in to competition? Why does your site not appear in the top Google results for 'consignment'?   Why are your prices so much higher than your competitors?   How can your software be 'easiest to use!', as you claim, when you offer to explain it for $2,000?   On a web page you say "If you're looking at buying software that requires a 2-day training class - please ask yourself "why?" and run." Which is it?   Why don't you provide a full written disclosure of your fees and adverse provisions BEFORE purchase? You say software updates are free but then require payment. Why?   Why are you attempting to exploit users of failed software companies?   A lady recently learned that her husband has cancer and they want to sell their Consignpro. Are you really so callous as to disallow it?   Is it true that your program crashes a lot and loses data? Why does the database need 'refreshing' anyway? Something wrong with it?   Why isn't this service included in what users are already paying you?   If you require $125-$250 for support, why are there additional charges for 'other services'?   You've advertised 'free software' on the Internet. How can I get your 'free software'?   Why are not all of your fees out in the open where we can see them?   Do you have access to people's computers and if so, why aren't you disclosing that? You say NARTS membership "assures professionalism"? How is that?   How did you qualify to become a member of NARTS, or was there no 'qualification' other than paying dues? Why do you encourage your users to cheat their customers?   You refer to past when you had little competition. How's your chances for survival looking forward? You say this is your only business. Is it wise to so narrowly focused?   Why don't you disclose that you get kickbacks from the products and services you push?   Last week your website said if I bought that day, I'd save $100. Today it says I'll save $100 if I buy today? Is it stuck?   You claim that several 'updates' to your software are a good thing, but many of them are fixes of faults. hmmmm Speaking of updates, how many times have you increased fees and prices in the past 5 years? Your competitor doesn't charge to store users data? Why do you charge $72/year? If I pay for a year's service or online services, do I get a partial refund if I quit before my year is up? $7,000 for a web site? Are you serious?  ) Why do you slander your competitors and lie about them in public? Why do you lie about references?   What happened to that 'professionalism' you claim your NARTS membership assures? Why are your hardware prices so much higher than those available elsewhere on the Internet? Why do I have to give my credit-card information before you'll tell me what shipping charges are? Why can't I find where you disclose that I (probably) can't sell my software? Is it hiding?   You require that someone buy my business and use the same name, location, address, phone number in order for me to sell my software. Do I get a refund of advanced support fees paid? You repeatedly use the word 'free'. Where can I find your 'free offerings'? You repeatedly use the word 'we'. Got a mouse in your pocket?

Conpro Disclosure PDF     DOC Get this signed by Wilson before buying Conpro. Conpro User: "ok, so 2 months later and still no reply. I came here to ask about the gift cards, but won't waste either of our time. 7 years of loyalty to ConsignPro...not much at least 2 recommendations resulting in sales of ConsignPro...not much 1 answer to 1 question...priceless" Conpro User: "Just wanted to let you know I felt much better after stumbling across your webpage and reading your comments on Consignpro. Unfortunately, when I started my store four years ago I purchased software from this horrible place and have never been treated so badly in my life! You're absolutely right, Brian gets you sucked in and then treats you like a dog because he thinks he's got you backed into a corner because you have no other choice. He actually told me he deleted me from his database and if I ever needed anything from them I would have to rebuy the license. That is illegal! So, long story short, I'm looking into how to go about filing a complaint and found your page."

About Consignpro:

"The Consignpro user stated that the owner had already sunk over $5,000 in Consignpro (in two years!) and that was enough! They originally bought Consignpro because of NARTS' endorsement. Later she found out that Wilson’s mother is the founder of NARTS.

"The user is taking NARTS and Consignpro to court. After failing to get help from Wilson, she tried to access Consignpro and the registration code and data had been erased! They disconnected her PC from the Internet and she was able to open the program. They are under the impression Wilson can access their PC if it's connected to the Internet. They are both livid."

"He advertises on his site that they print the horizontal tags for the Zebra but in actuality CP prints out Zebra tags vertically. Once customers realize this he charges them $75.00 for the driver to have the ability to print horizontal tags."

"The present owner uses Consignpro. He said the owner has had all kinds of problems and expenses related to Consignpro. Checks will not print correctly. If a whole sheet of labels is not used the unused labels are wasted. Consignpro constantly had glitches requiring repeated uninstalls and reinstalls and they still do not have the problems resolved. Hang tags for Consignpro are the most expensive at $70 per roll and a roll is gone in just a few days. Another recurring expense was for support (that rarely was ever pleasant). I had 4 more calls relating to Consignpro today and all were VERY dissatisfied Consignpro customers."

"A Consignpro user said support is unfriendly and treats her like she does not know how to use a PC. She has been a customer for a long time and (Wilson) should be aware that she knows how to use a PC."

A CON is a confidence game - intentional misleading for financial gain.

(*Networking 5 Computers – Transferring License Twice – See Website for Fees - If You Can Find Them)

Important Facts: The initial $995 is essentially a ‘down payment’ with many fees to follow. The software can only be resold if purchased with a business using the "same name, location, address, phone" - important fact hidden in a 'disclaimer' no less. Does the annual service fee ($125-$250) include all fees? Nope. $69 for each 'database refresh' (and you will need them). $45 for printer help. BCSS stores data for free. You? $72 PER YEAR. Support and updates are denied if annual fees are not paid. Prices and fees are frequently increased and added. for 2008 Service fees raised! Buyers are not asked to acknowledge all fees and unfavorable policies prior to purchase. Shipping fees are tacked on after an order is placed. ‘Consignpro’ is one programmer (with some admin help) operating out of a condo in Miami. Wilson falsifies his business as a corporation and himself as a 'corporate CEO'. Consignpro has a history of unsatisfactory service and business relationships. The program is inferior. Ask for a large sample database (which you won't get) and test CP as you would use it. You'll find it looses/corrupts data and crashes often, then you can spend $69 each time it needs fixing.

Consignpro is not a member of the Better Business Bureau. The BBB: “The Bureau has requested basic information from this company. The Bureau has not received a response. Without this information, the Bureau may not have current information concerning such things as the company's management or its nature of business.”

For 6 years we have been watching Brian Wilson dream up new ways of getting more money from users and new ways of disguising his intent. Our competitors, including him, have lost 600 customers to us during this time and rather than lower his prices, he has lowers himself to slandering us in public. You have a right to know the truth so we offer this information along with an apology for having to be the messenger.

"Visual Horizons"
Converting Your Dollars to Ours - One Scheme at a Time

Schemes and add-on fees are buried on website subpages and in the 'disclaimers' and of course there is no effort made to assure that potential buyers are fully aware of these traps prior to purchase.

If you’re interested in seeing how a scammer operates, read on. If you’re only interested in finding a decent software program, just know there are better programs at far less cost than ‘Consignpro’ and certainly more honest vendors. Search Google for consignment software.

Venturing beyond this point, you might find it 'incredible' that an individual can be so arrogant as to think that phony sales hype, unsubstantiated claims and outright attempts to defraud are effective marketing methods. Perhaps you'll be motivated to contribute to the cleanup of the Internet by filing complaints with agencies that matter. Email or write to the BBB of S. Florida (2924 N. Australian Avenue, West Palm Beach, FL 33407) and the BBB of New Jersey (1700 Whitehorse Hamilton Square Road, Ste. D-5, Trenton NJ 08690-3596). Let them know that you object to being scammed. Edit, print and mail these letters to the BBB S. Florida and the BBB New Jersey. File a complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center and the Federal Trade Commission.

How to Run an Internet Scam

Step 1.  Absolve Yourself of Personal Liability

Visual Horizons Software, “LLC” - Limited Liability Company (Consignpro) - The owner has limited personal liability for the debts and actions of the business. People with a less-than-ethical approach to business often take this route hoping to dodge legal recourse if/when the wrong foot steps into one their snares. After all, who would buy software from 'Brian Wilson Homeboy Software'?

Step 2. Refer to yourself as a 'CEO' - Chief Executive Officer. Now that IS impressive (except your business is not a corporation and you are hardly a 'CEO'). No worry. People are too busy running their legitimate businesses to notice your illegal nonsense.

From the Consignpro Website:

Step 3. ‘Objects in the Mirror Appear Larger Than They Are’

Consignpro was written by an individual, Wilson – not a ‘software company’. The Miami address is not an office. It’s Decoplage Condos, and there is no office in New York. There is an address in New Jersey – not quite so impressive as ‘New York’. But then, not many would pay several hundred dollars for a software program when support for the program depends solely upon what is in only one person's head. You lose that head - you've lost your support.

From the Consignpro Website:

Suite in a condo? So 1970's...

Carry it a step further. Refer to yourself as a 'corporation' -sounds impressive and who will know the difference other than the State of Florida which has no record of "Brian Wilson, CEO".

From the Consignpro Website:

$10,000+ over 10 Years? Just how is it that you are 'competitively priced' now?

Step  4. Throw the Little Ones Back

It’s a lot like fishing. You’re not out to fool every fish in the lake, just 2 or 3 big ones paying your high prices will keep business afloat. Lie to everyone as they come to your website home page. Give them the impression that your software is competitively priced. How? Just claim that it is. You don’t need to prove it. You know people don’t know not to trust you and they don’t know what to look for. It’s easy! While you’re at it, lie about your competitors’ prices. No one will know, at first - and maybe never - until you disclose after the money-back period that there's more costs than you first let on!

From the Consignpro Website:

Just Heartless

We have been tracking your shenanigans for 6 years but this one takes all. This person did not ask you for a refund your Greedy Gus. She only wants the chance to pawn your lousy software off on someone else.

You didn't even have the decency to express your sympathy, let alone let this person know you hide a provision somewhere that forbids your users from reselling your software. One of your stooges had to speak up for you to let this victim know she had been had - by you.

From tgtbt.com (February, 2008):

Let No Misfortune Go Unexploited

While you're at it, why not try to exploit the misfortunes of users of your failed competitors? Obviously 'Buy My Book Kate' doesn't mind if you post your 'for sale' signs in her front yard. No sympathy. Full price. All fees apply. Just what you've been waiting for.

And 22 Stoker users have rushed through your door so far in the 1st 7 weeks of 2008. Give us their names and phone numbers. We don't believe you! Maybe the FBI needs to knock on your door.

From tgtbt.com (February, 2008):

Deception Equals Profit

You can not spring additional fees on unsuspecting users later on if you tell them about your scheme up front.

Be careful to follow these steps:

List a few token fees on a web page. Don’t list all of them and certainly avoid pointing out the total of all fees over a period of time. People will certainly run if you hype fees as much as you hype your program.

Outwardly lie about your intentions. Say that you are open and honest. Claim that you”present all fees” and in the next breath state that you are only disclosing “some of the fees”. Smoke and mirrors. Who will know the difference?  something like this…

From the Consignpro Website:

Some of the fees???

 

Hide. Bury your ‘total disclosure’ on a sub-sub-webpage. Link only once to it from another sub-page (which itself has only one link) to assure that this page will rarely be seen.

When asked in phone and email conversations about your fees and adverse policies, gloss over them and hope that phone conversations aren’t recorded and email messages aren’t saved. What’s a little more risk when you’ve gone this far? 

Milk and Bilk

Competition got your sales revenue down? No problem. Just raise the rent! Growing stores adding PCs and copies of your software later will fall right into your trap. Let's see. 5 licenses over 10 years time? (5 licenses @ $1,495) + (10 years service fees @ $2,500) = almost $4,000 per sucker!

From the Consignpro Website:

Create Illusions

Make ‘Package Deals’ and let people feel like they’re getting ‘a bargain’. Good way to whitewash all those fees coming down the pike, eh Sparky?

From the Consignpro Website:

Feign Honesty

Hide your fees but make it look like you disclose them. How? Ask yourself a question then avoid answering it. Your networking licenses are $295 EACH - highest in the industry! Your competitor’s are $100 and under. While you’re at it, claim that you’re providing a discount. Discounted to what? Doesn't matter! Try this side step:

From the Consignpro Website:

Ok, so what was the question??

Hide Hide Hide

This is a standard that adds 5% to bottom-line hardware resale profit year in and year out and cannot be overlooked – shipping and handling fees. Set up a fake online ordering form. Make it look like your processing an order. Collect the buyer’s credit-card information without disclosing these hidden fees. Surprise them later with your add-on tactic. They may not like it but buyers seldom back out when hit up for a few more bucks at the end, right? Just to be on the safe side, put this caption somewhere on your site, but do avoid disclosing the amount you’ll be adding on:

From the Consignpro Website:

Why not?

Half Truths Will Get You Sales!

3-11-08, www.consignpro.com/compare.htm: "Myth: Our software is expensive. Fact:Software prices range from $695 to $1,110 (for programs with similar feature sets). We're competitively priced at $995.  We will admit, you can find cheaper resale software but you'll have a tough time finding better resale software!

Let's see if we can restate your 'Fact' to get at the Facts:

• Fact: 'Similar software' - $595. It can be resold, let's say, for $400. Net Cost: $195.
• Fact: Your software can't be resold - Net Cost: $995.
• Fact: $995 is a 'down payment'. Your 10-year fees are over $10,000. Your competitor: $195.
• Fact: You provide faulty software and charge users $69 each time to fix it.
• Promise: Your marketing methods will bring you what you deserve. Better polish up that resume.

Outright Lies Will Get You the Reputation You Deserve

"We're the only company that makes references available on our website - now that should give you a nice warm feeling!". Actually 6 consignment software websites have 'testimonials' posted on them at the time of this lie (3/17/2008)

From the TGTBT Forum:

I think that 'warm feeling' is nausea.

Leave No Opportunity or Customer Unexploited

Shipping via FedX? Over charge your customer and make an instant 100-200% on your money. Don't worry. Most won't bother to check to see if you're ripping them off:

From the Consignpro Website:

FedX Overnight Service is $10-$11 to most US destinations.

Milk It for All It’s Worth

Idea 1. So what if you’re already charging $125-$250 per year in service fees. Separate a few tasks from the herd and charge extra for them. Here are some ideas: Data Conversion $200; Data Repair $69; Printer Support $45; License Transfer Fee $50; Second Transfer $995; Replacement Manual $25; Replacement CD $25. Meanwhile falsely accuse your competitors of charging fees even more ridiculous than yours!

From the Consignpro Website:

The only software provider even close to $100/hour is your $75/hour Tag Customization Fee.

Idea 2. Sell hardware substantially above free-market prices but allow people to think they are getting a bargain from you by comparing your over-inflated prices with hypothetical ‘List Prices’ that no one ever pays. And don’t forget to tack on 5% for ‘shipping and handling’.

Wikipedia: List price can be manipulated. Retailers deceptively advertise an excessive list price and their lower selling price, suggesting to customers that they are getting a 'discount' or 'great deal'.

Idea 3. Add new services but instead of including them in the price of your software, see if you can dupe people into paying monthly fees - paid annually of course - and, are they refundable?

Gouge the Innocent

Buy 64MB Memory Sticks online for 10 bucks and mark them up to $35. Who knows? Maybe you'll sell a few and certainly 250% on your money is great business (for you)! Of course you could show people where to buy sticks for $10 but then that doesn't help you bilk your customers.

Dream Up and Mark Up

As a service to your customers, you could store backups of their data for free but where's the profit in that? Come up with a 'novel' online storage scheme and charge each one $71.40 per year every year! Just 100 suckers x $71.40 x 10 years = $71,400 for doing practically nothing!!

Pander to the Unsuspecting

Most will know better than to pay $549 for a '5-page website' and they will surely see the trap you've set for snaring more fees (service @ $60/hour, hosting @ $149/year) after 3 months into it.

Anyone paying that much would certainly expect multiple email addresses (info@yourwebsite.com, sales@yourwebsite.com), so force them to buy your $800 plan just to get more than one email address. Clever. Manipulative.

And after the first year? Leave them hanging if they don't pony up another $150/year to keep you around. The wheel of fortune is certainly spinning at Conpro!

Just for fun, let's ring up how many dollars are in your eyes for 10 years. Cha Ching!

Website	$1,059
Setup Fee	35
Website Hosting	1,341
Finance Charges	30
Access Fees	1,050
Online Store 200 Items	2,994
$60 Hourly Fees (est.)	600
Total from One Wayward Soul	$7,109
Total from 100	$710,900

Now just where is that Full Disclosure Form of yours again?

For most stores a website is not necessary. It's just another (unnecessary) expense and headache. Getting your business listed (for free) on websites like the Consignment Shops n Stores Directory is far more important. Search Google for 'Consignment Shops Texas'. You'll find the directory at or near the top. Replace 'Texas' with your state to see the same thing.

Find other ways to promote your business for free at Free Consignment Resources.

Websites are also basically worthless unless people can find them. Consignpro ignores this very important fact because 'Consignpro' can't be found searching Google for the very word most relevant to their own business (consignment), whereas Best Consignment Shop Software has been in the top 10 if not the top 5 since early 2001.

Otherwise, a one-page site will suffice. A '5-Page Website' might sound grandiose but if the 4 subpages only contain scant information (like 'About Us' and 'Contact Us'), it's just another scam to make big bucks with little effort. 'Who you are, what you do and where you can be found' can fit on one simple page.

Thank you, Slick Willy Wilson, for yet another example of your larceny!

Claim Credibility Where/If You Can Find It

Got friends or family in a related business? Some kind of ‘club’? Extol the virtues of their ‘organization’ (even if it was your own mother who formed it) and have them bestow an award upon you. Who’ll know the difference? Why bother joining something reputable like the Better Business Bureau (where you will be examined, monitored and punished for your brazen tactics)? That costs money and they surely wouldn't grant you membership anyway because they've been made aware of your modus operandi.

Wilson: "Member of NARTS... Your assurance of professionalism"

NARTS Adele Meyer, 'Executive Director', (9/5/2005): "Our members must also agree to adhere to our Code of Ethics." Then, "I do not know of any Industry Association that has the power to approve of marketing and operational methods of a member company. Now that sounds 'official', er, contradictory. Which is it?

From the Consignpro Website:

NARTS was hard pressed to explain the qualifications for ‘Vendor of the Year’.

The Better Business Bureau on Consignpro: “The Bureau has requested basic information from this company. The Bureau has not received a response. Without this information, the Bureau may not have current information concerning such things as the company's management or its nature of business.”

From the NARTS [hypocritical] 'Code of Ethics': "SINCERELY represent and act within one’s areas of professional competence and authority without exaggeration, distortion or concealment".

Double Talk Your Way to Added Profits

On the one hand, repeat over and over how simple and easy your program is, then on the other see if people will pay you $2000-$2500 to fly to their place of business to explain your complex complicated wares.

Hey, aren't you the same manipulative jerk who said this about Liberty some time back? "If you're looking at buying software that requires a 2-day training class - please ask yourself "why?" and run."

From the Consignpro Website:

OK! Easy to use. Got it!

Oh wait! Not easy to use? OK.

I'm confused. Easy! Best! Affordable! Run!

Which is it? ‘Easiest to learn’ or so complex it takes 8 hours and $2,000 plane flight to explain it?

Patronize & Manipulate for Profit

Lurk in forums and patronize forum participants with a crumb here and there. Give the impression that you ‘care’ and are contributing your time and knowledge to ‘give something back’. Who knows? Maybe you’ll sway an extra sale or two every year with your perceived generosity. It is important to take advantage when and where you can! And you seem like such a nice boy.

Wilson pouncing on potential prey (2-13-2008):
"What about the next one? Will you recover as quickly? What were your thoughts when you couldn't run your business? Were you worried? What if it took a week to find the answer - would your business even survive? In many cases, your local tech won't be able to solve the problem either - it's software specific and your vendor no longer supports that software. If you're tired of playing Russian Roulette with your unsupported software, give us a call. We can convert your data to ConsignPro in minutes and you'll sleep easier at night knowing there's a company [of 1] behind you when you have a problem. Thanks, Brian Wilson ConsignPro Creator" [& Manipulator - like running into your snare is going to solve their problems. Give us a break!]

Question: What happens to your 'company' and users' support if you aren't here to join us tomorrow (for whatever reasons such things happen)?

Manipulate Your Customers

Stress how important information security is but program your software to allow you access to their computers so you can zap their valuable information when they call you on the carpet for having scammed them. That will surely put them at your mercy!

From the Consignpro Website:

One ex-user found her data erased after a confrontation with Wilson

Play Up Small Change

Add a feature to your program. In reality, it doesn't have to do much or even do what you suggest just so long as it appears to be an added benefit. For example, a true useful ‘Pricing Feature’ would be preprogrammed with thousands of entries and suggested prices. Slap in a blank database that collects only the information a user inputs and let them do the work for you.

From the Consignpro Website:

It would take a long time to build a meaningful benefit this way, but sounds good!

Make Customer Service a Profit Tool

Make claims about providing great service on your website but give preference to demo users who might buy from you and put customers on the back burner. How? Get an answering machine. Screen calls. If someone is calling to buy, pick up the phone. If someone is calling with a problem, take a message. Make ‘em wait. You already have their money.

If You Say So

Best in the business! Let's try a rewrite this malarkey: 'I bait you with '3 free months of support' to create an illusion. The plan Stan is to get you in the door and turn your store profits into my profits with a long list of never-ending fees. Several of my competitors have no fees but you might bite on "best in the business" just because I said so.'

From the Consignpro Website: Support fees are $125-$250 per year, not $100.

Stay tuned. While you're sleeping I'm dreaming up new fees!

Make Hardware a Profit Tool

Mark hardware prices up then compare your lofty prices to "List Prices" (whatever that is) to give the appearance that you're giving buyers a big price break, then hide shipping charges. Tack them on at the end of the order and pump those profits! Don't mention that "List Price' is bogus and that you are actually charging 67% more (including your hidden shipping fees) than the best prices available elsewhere:

Distract from the Future by Pointing to the Past

That’s what it’s all about - getting people to look away. Don’t reveal how your situation has changed and how much more difficult it is to make a profit in a more competitive market today. Tell people how well you allegedly did in the past when you had little competition. By all means, refer to how many alleged happy customers you think you have and at all cost, avoid publishing any information about the many who caught on to you and went elsewhere.

From the Consignpro Website:

Totally unsubstantiated and equally as unlikely to be proven.

Exaggerate!

Point out to potential customers that the cost of computerizing their businesses might be in the neighborhood of $2,595

From the Consignpro Website:

Then, as ridiculous as it may sound, suggest that your wonderful software will “pay for itself in as little as a month”! Someone might actually fall for it!

From the Consignpro Website:

Exaggeration is key to duping potential buyers.

Hide Kickbacks

Your customers may buy products related to your business so why not make a buck by referring them to high-priced vendors like yourself and get a piece of the action? Be sure to avoid disclosing your kickbacks. That might reveal your true motivation for making the recommendations.

From the Consignpro Website:

You profit every time someone rings up a credit-card sale, right?

Consignpro gets UNDISCLOSED kickbacks from FormsPlus and TGTBT. ‘X-Charge’ pays a portion of each of your credit-card fees to Consignpro. None of these ‘arrangements’ are known to users before they 'use'.

Encourage Dishonesty in Others

You deceive your customers so encourage your customers to deceive their customers. ‘Stealing’ is the illegal taking of another person's property without that person's freely-given consent so include a feature in your program that allows your customers to steal from their customers, just like you do!

From the Consignpro Website:

“None of our reports reflect this 'surcharge' so the appearance [to consignors] is that they are receiving the correct split percentage.”

“The consignor is unaware...” In other words, you're cheating him or her.

Make Unsubstantiated Claims

You’ve been lying on the Internet for 10 years. How many times has someone actually pressed you to prove anything that you’ve said?  So say what sounds good. Even though you have no idea how many times your competitors updated their software programs last year, claim that you updated more often that they did. Sounds good!

Looking at your updates page and listening first hand to your users' complaints, it appears most of your 'updates' are fixes to an inferior program. You're quick to point out in your sales speels that your competitors don't update as often. Could be they just don't have as many bugs as you do.

From the Consignpro Website:

It could be that your lack the programming skills necessary to produce a good commercial product.

Attack Your Competitors

Project your own fate onto your competitors. The fact that this is your only source of income in an environment of increased competition and decreased sales significantly increases the probability that you'll be next.

From the Consignpro Website:

The same will be true of Consignpro users when Consignpro goes under.

Always Leave the Back Door Open

Spin away. Take things out of context. Interpret to best suit your needs. Misquote. Use outdated information and outright lie if it serves your purpose. Repeat things that you haven’t substantiated – even those things you know aren’t true. Work it all to your presumed advantage then always leave yourself a way out (you hope) by qualifying your misguiding statements with cop outs like:

From the Consignpro Website http://www.consignpro.com/compare.htm dated 6/2/2007:

2005? You've got to be joking.

Make Lemonade out of Lemons

Turn all those complaints about you and your software around and point them at your competitors. So what if the people you fool catch on later? The money-back period will be over by then.

Your competitors hear these complaints about Consignpro on a daily basis.

Run the Shell Game!

Tell 'em it's free - then make them pay.

Nothing like the word 'free' to get people's attention, eh Sport? Tell them updates are free then deny support (along with your 'free updates') if you don't get paid. You are so good at what you do, "they won't know what hit them"!

From the Consignpro Website:

“Duh... If I have to pay for 'service' to get updates, how are 'updates' 'free'? I'm confused. Was that the objective?

Play Charades

Offer a benefit then make it nearly impossible to obtain it.

For example, say that your software license may be transferred to a new store owner for $50, but require that the new store owner meet several unlikely conditions or pay full price to use your software:

From the Consignpro Website:

Now really, just how many times in 10 years have all those conditions been met?

Bait and Switch

An Oldie but a Goodie, so make it work for you!

On your order page, quote a price of $9.95 for your 'Online Account Access Feature' then tack on $120 a year if your users want to add back the features you stripped out to devise your trap. Clever? or obvious?

From the Consignpro Website:

And when you're done there, throw a sucker punch. What's 3 months 'free' if it lands another perpetual source of revenue, and oh, be sure to throw in that deadline that forever rolls forward.

Plant Money-Making Surprises

No doubt without some heads up from you, people will assume they are purchasing your software as they purchase most other software – with the right to resell it at a later date.

Surprise them! Avoid making it clear up front that your users are only renting your software and that you prohibit them from reselling it. Disclose this fact only in your 'Disclaimer' and on a sub-sub webpage to make fairly certain this fact will not be discovered until it's too late. By all means do not bring this little catch to prospects’ attention prior to sale. The truth might blow your scheme!

From the Consignpro Website:

But did you make sure this important provision was acknowledged prior to the sale?

Whitewash

Give the appearance of generosity by trumpeting a feature for 'FREE' (and be sure to put free in caps with bold lettering) but avoid disclosing that your patrons will pay more for the service so that you can get a kickback from the service you're pushing.

From the Consignpro Website:

Manipulate Situations for Double Fees

If a license is transferred to a new owner, require that the new owner prepay one year of service fees but make no mention of refunding the previous owner’s pro-rated fees. That way you can collect double fees for up to several months!

Insult People with Old Tricks

Get their email addresses and phone numbers. Harass them. Call you competitors’ customers and harass them. Use gimmicks like a ‘Hurry. Buy before (a date) and get a discount’ and change the date every day to the next day. (A visit to the website today will show tomorrow’s date.)

From the Consignpro Website:

So what is ‘Consignpro’?

Not a 'software company’ with “offices in Miami and New York” but an individual programmer operating out of a condo in Miami with an answering machine and an assistant.

As Wilson wrote in a recent spam email, "I developed ConsignPro for my mom's resale shop...".

How Dependable is Consignpro?

You decide. By his own admission Wilson is dependent solely on income from Consignpro (and a rare sale if ever of 'Pawnshoppro'). He repeatedly refers to the past when there was little competition and he offers 'debt-free' as a representation of Consignpro's financial status. The past is irrelevant. The present is much different so why not offer up something meaningful like a certified Profit/Loss Statement? Sales Year-to-Date?

The fact is there is no reassurance forthcoming other than conjecture that Consignpro will survive the new era. Over the past several months Wilson has attempted a price increase from $895 to $995, has added features hoping to garner monthly fees and has added new fees for things like printer support and database repair - in addition to increases in annual service fees.

Fees!     Fees!     Fees! Fee Fi Fo Fum. I smell early retire-um! Buy my software. Pay me fees! Cute.

All indications are that more money has to come from Consignpro users to subsidize the several hundred sales lost to new competition.

Consignpro (and Liberty) purposely avoid prominently disclosing all fees. Here's why:

Fees1	BCSS   10 Years	Liberty 5 Years	Liberty 10 Years	Consignpro 5 Years	Consignpro 10 Years
Initial Outlay	$ 595	$ 995	$ 995	$ 995	$ 995
Home Copy	free	295	295	free	free
Network 5 PCs	350	897	897	1,180	1,180
Support	free	1,800	3,600	1,250	2,500
QuickBooks	included	199	199	included	included
Data Conversion	free	200	200	200	200
Data Backup	free	?	?	357	714
Data Repair	free	free	free	345	690
Online Account Access	n/a	n/a	n/a	575	1,050
Printer Support	free	450	900	200	400
Scanner Support	free	110	210	?	?
Replacement Manual	free	25	25	25	25
Replacement CD	free	35	35	25	25
Tag Customization $75/hour	n/a	n/a	n/a	150	150
Transfer Fee2	free	500	500	50	50
Upgrades (not Updates)	free	200	400	400	800
X-Charge	n/a	245	245	included	included
Hardware Mark Ups	n/a	$297	$297	$767	$767
On-Site Training4	n/a			$2,500	$2,500
Hardware Shipping Fees	free	~+5%	~+5%	~+5%	~+5%
FedX Overcharges	n/a	n/a	n/a	25	25
Totals	$ 945	$ 6,581	$ 9,139	$ 9,139	$ 13,161
1 As of 3/17/2008 as best can be determined. Not all fees are listed in one place or prominently. Some are not listed at all. Amounts are based upon 5 users with printer support and database repairs once per year. 2The Liberty fee is $99 IF the software is being purchased with a business. Otherwise, the fee is "one-half the value of the software", so if Liberty determines the 'value' to be $1,000 and you sell it for $500, you get nothing. 3The Consignpro license can not be transferred a second time. A new purchase ($995) is required. 4 In Canada. $2,000 in the U.S. Restrictions apply.

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