Bob Bly Direct Response Copywriter Official Banner

NetZero Bad at Math

October 9th, 2006 by Bob Bly

For a company with a number in its name, NetZero is sure bad at math.

A recent TV commercial proclaims that switching from AOL to NetZero will save you “almost $200.”

The commercial explains that NetZero costs $9.95 a month — “half of what AOL charges.”

That means NetZero saves me about ten bucks a month, or $120 a year.

Now, on what planet is $120 “almost two hundred dollars”?

NetZero should have said they’d save you “more than a hundred dollars.”

But I’d only say “close to two hundred dollars” if the savings were $190 to $199.99.

Does it matter?

Yes. I felt NetZero was lying to me in their commercial.

If a company lies in its commercial, how much are you really going to trust them with something important, like your Internet access?

Share

This entry was posted on Monday, October 9th, 2006 at 2:37 pm and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

60 responses about “NetZero Bad at Math”

  1. Michael A. Stelzner said:

    Hey Bob;

    What is half of zero?

    I understand AOL is going FREE. Can’t beat that.

    LA Times, Sep. 14th. “AOL said a surprising rise in new users after it began to offer free services could help the once-mighty Internet unit of Time Warner Inc. resume growth as early as the fourth quarter.”

    Hmm. If NetZero can beat that, sign me up!

    Mike

  2. Lisa Taylor Huff said:

    Michael, Before you get too excited about AOL’s “freebie” version (I think it’s called OpenRide), all that is is new software to connect you to AOL’s system in a different way, but it still requires that you have an EXISTING broadband connection in order to use it, which means you have to pay for THAT some other way. So their “free ride” isn’t so free after all, either.

    I want to chant at these companies: “Liar, liar, pants on fire!”

  3. Bob Bly said:

    Michael: I called AOL today (and that’s a whole other post). And Lisa is correct: only the software is free — and they’ve ALWAYS given away their software on disk or CD. You still have to pay for the connection.

  4. Michael Stelzner said:

    Hey Bob;

    From a CNET article.

    “Long-struggling AOL plans to make e-mail, instant messaging and other services available at no cost to users with broadband Internet access.”

    People like me have been paying to keep my AOL account alive so I can use instant messaging. Now it seems I do not need to keep paying them. I just need to cancel now.

    Mike

  5. Sean Woodruff said:

    Mike, as far as I know, AOL IM has always been free and works with any broadband connection. I hve been using it for years and have never been an AOL customer. Good luck in getting it canceled. Have you heard the recording of the guy trying to cancel his account?

    The “bad at math” part of this is really worse than it may seem. It causes the markets, people like you and me, to start tuning out marketing messages. On a whole I think it neuters our attention mechanisms. In other words, once we don’t believe something that has grabbed our attention, I think we will unconsciously hold back future attention. The more that happens, the harder it becomes for legitimate marketers to spread a message.

  6. Chris Williamson said:

    It’s kind of like a Real Estate Broker who advertises “Beverly Hills AREA,” which basically lets you know that in reality it’s not in Beverly Hills.

  7. Steve Slaunwhite said:

    Unfortunately, honesty in advertising is a matter of perspective.

    Recently, I went shopping for a new email service for my newsletter. One company’s website offered a “FREE Test Drive”, so I filled out the online request form and waited.

    I was duped. There was no test drive. Instead, I received a long email from the company president encouraging me to purchase the service and, if I was unsatisfied, I could ask for a refund.

    I replied to the “President” and asked him this simple question. “In my opinion, you were deceptive in your offer of a free test drive. Why should I now believe that you will honor a money-back guarantee?”

    He never answered.

  8. Michael A. Stelzner said:

    Hey Steve – Let me guess. You got the cold shoulder from someone named Cooler email? That is odd as I was able to take a test drive back in the day. – Mike

  9. Bob Bly said:

    Steve: the company should have advertised the test drive as “risk-free” not “free.”

  10. Steve Slaunwhite said:

    Bob: You’re right. “Risk-free test drive” would have been more accurate. And honest.

    Michael: No, it wasn’t Cooler Email.

  11. Dianna Huff said:

    Bob, Those commercials have been bothering me too. Aren’t they aimed at people still on dial-up? I thought they were saying NetZero charges you half of AOL because AOL used to cost $29.95 (or whatever) in order to get AOL email and their “gated” content. The cost also included unlimited connection time.

    At any rate, I find the commercial very confusing.

    Also, AOL may not be charging fees to get into their village, but from everything I’ve been reading, if you’re an AOL customer, you have to call and specifically ask for the free service. Otherwise, they keep charging you.

  12. Jim Logan said:

    The whole thing stinks. This is no better than the direct marketer that disguises their envelops to look like tax year statements and official government documents…only to open them and find they’re solicitations to refinance an existing loan.

    When you don’t have a real product, solution, or benefit to offer…I guess you offer a trick or gimmick to increase response rates.

    Bob said it best in this post – “If a company lies in its commercial, how much are you really going to trust them with something important, like your Internet access?”

    The answer is “you won’t.”

  13. Bob Bly said:

    Jim: I agree with your conclusion, but not your example. I have a client that offers mortgage refinancing at competitive rates to individuals whose FICO scores would not allow them to refinance elsewhere. This service solves a HUGE problem for the client: it enables them to lower their monthly mortgage payment while taking tens of thousands of dollars in cash out of the equity built up in the home to pay off other debt.

  14. Jonathan Kantor said:

    $120 became “almost $200″, when it became commonplace to refer to 9.99 as ” about nine dollars”. Just add the cost of inflation over the past 10 years, and $120 becomes $200.

  15. Nalin said:

    NetZero is a fraud company. I had subsribed them for internet for
    3 months for a dial-up connection.
    Initially I subscribed for $4.95 per month for 10 hours. I later called them up and asked to change the subscription to the unlimited plan for $9.95. The guy over the phone confirmed its been done.

    I woke up to a rude shock at the month end when they charged my credit card for $103. It turned out that my plan was not changed and they billed me for hours in excess of 10 hours at an exorbitant rate.

    So please stay away from these guys…

  16. transex said:

    Lavoro eccellente! ..ringraziamenti per le informazioni..realmente lo apprezzo: D

  17. v120 ringtone motorola free said:

    v120 ringtone motorola free

    v120 ringtone motorola free ydumyytdtv

  18. tamil download ringtone caller said:

    tamil download ringtone caller

    tamil download ringtone caller asklerjbtr

  19. francesco totti said:

    Interfaccia comoda, colori piacevoli, buoni!

  20. hentay said:

    Guter Aufstellungsort, ja!

  21. halle berry naked free said:

    halle berry naked free

    halle berry naked free

  22. erotic funny cartoons said:

    erotic funny cartoons

    erotic funny cartoons

  23. low mortgage quote said:

    https://lowmortgagequote.org
    One easy form – 10 different lenders compete for your business.
    All credit and loan types accepted.

  24. free granny hairy clit thumbnails said:

    free granny hairy clit thumbnails

    free granny hairy clit thumbnails

  25. porn video post said:

    porn video post

    porn video post

  26. movie clips of blowjobs said:

    movie clips of blowjobs

    movie clips of blowjobs

  27. big tits and vig asses said:

    big tits and vig asses

    big tits and vig asses

  28. in a traffic jam desperate to piss said:

    in a traffic jam desperate to piss

    in a traffic jam desperate to piss

  29. Scott Wiseman said:

    Vmware is the next best thing. You can take a server load it with Centos Linux a couple of raid 1 drives and you have 3 to 4 virtual servers. Of course add 4 gig of ram and have a tape or disk base back up and you have a full blown system. Once you make the vmare session aka windows system you just copy it. Vmware virtual servers are the perfect solution to fixed fee consulting or no hassle computing

    for more info:

    beverly hills office virtual

    using this co-location for their dedicated servers

    Colocation and hosting services provider

    or Scott at 888-603-6333 x 89

  30. Free Mortgage Quotes said:

    Netzero and AOL both offer very low quality internet experience. I think both are full of it. Everyone gives their own gaurantees, and everyone makes their own marketing strategies. So why just put the blame on Netzero, when AOL scams you the most!??

  31. hear cellphone on car stereo said:

    hear cellphone on car stereo

    news

  32. Anonymous said:

    Naked Disney Cartoons

    Twelve, psychological flying. Actor naked disney cartoons Nicole Sheridan undeage Liliane Tiger namely since disney cartoons naked.

  33. Anonymous said:

    Mother Fucing

    Conducted, pay supervision. Indianapolis worship cost, fucing mother reached.

  34. baking tips said:

    baking tips…

    […]NetZero Bad at Math – bly.com blog – bly.com direct marketing blog[…]…

  35. 10 home loan year said:

    Hi! I know this is kind of off topic but I was wondering which
    blog platform are you using for this site? I’m getting fed up of WordPress because I’ve had issues with hackers and I’m looking at alternatives for another platform. I would be awesome if you could point me in the direction of a good platform.

  36. majece majece said:

    It will be useful for college students to read information from https://essayclick.net/blog/nature-vs-nurture-essay. Here yo can learn more about writing Nature vs Nurture Essay

  37. sdok said:

    15 Best Educational Apps for Kids. We’ve all been there, putting your hand in your pocket to grab your phone only to realise it’s in the mitts of your child. Apps …

  38. Publication Research In UK said:

    The fast submission process includes rapid publication research in UK that includes unique rapid process, inhouse peer review and 100% acceptance guarantee.

  39. Corwin said:

    puppies for sale,pug puppies for sale in oregon,pug puppies for sale in az,pug puppies for sale in va,pug puppies near mepugs for sale,pug puppies for sale,pugs for sale near me,cheap pugs for sale,pug puppies for sale near me teacup pug [ We breed with exception. We are engaged in the breeding of Pug puppy for sale, dly environment making our Pug puppies completely at ease with other pets.pugs for sale,pugs for sale near me,cheap pugs for sale,pug puppies for sale,pug puppies for sale near me.
    https://pugslandbreeder.company.com

  40. Joe Clark said:

    MCA Live Transfer Leads professional guarantees to deliver best qualified for MCA Aged Leads with precise and updated knowledge prepared for conversion MCA Live Leads.

  41. Joe Clark said:

    MCA Realtime Callback Leads Capital Brokers are receiving calls from the Qualified Merchant

  42. Cobalt Dreir said:

    cobalt octoate are importers of cobalt octoate products devoted exclusively to advance materials in industrial bulk and laboratory/research quantities.

  43. Real Estate Agent In Long Island said:

    Real estate Agent In Long Island provides the greatest services for property selling and buying. Both can be time-consuming. We attempt to save you time while also offering the finest pricing in town. We assist you in discovering gorgeous places in popular areas.

  44. Alexpeter said:

    The Career Coach is Europe’s top career coaching consultancy – and has helped more than 10,000 people land their dream jobs, all in less than 40 days.

  45. Shanewotson said:

    PSW is an Asphalt Contractors Houston that uses extreme crack repair fillers for structure resurfacing to prevent the unwanted penetration of water and moisture and weed growth.

  46. Rivaj UK said:

    Rivaj brings amazing cosmetics and related products like makeup fixer sprays and makeup fixer kits So, grab the best makeup fixer spray for oily skin from Rivaj today. Their makeup fixers are truly unbeatable and offer a high degree of satisfaction. Rivaj offers the best makeup fixer kits to their customers.

  47. shay12 said:

    Advance Fitness by Bilal Brothers, established in 1979, is the leader in exercise, fitness, gymnasium and indoor sport equipment all over Pakistan. We work only with the world’s top brands and are proud to serve our customers with top-notch after sales service.

  48. gil12 said:

    best Shisha in Dublin offers you a wide range of shisha with flavourful drinks to go with it. Bring in your friends and family and enjoy the secluded atmosphere we offer you. We are offering amazing deals on drinks and shisha combos throughout the week.

  49. robert12 said:

    Sought After SEO service helps in increasing brand visibility on the web. If you have a stunning website but the potential customer is unable to locate you on the web then it is useless. Nexo Designs offer sought-after SEO service that can improve your website ranking organically on google result and drive more traffic to your website.

  50. himanshu sharma said:

    very good info more about the models and hot girl clixk here https://www.updatedcelebrities.com/alexxa-fire/

  51. himanshu sharma said:

    Fair Use and Educational Use clauses of the U.S. Copyright Law may violate federal law. Permission to publish or reproduce is required.
    Views https://www.updatedcelebrities.com/xenia-godia/

  52. Mike Rooney said:

    This is such awesome content i got to read after lot of time. Its so interesting as well as informative. I am sure everyone who read it got a lot to learn from it.
    Steve Zahn Black Vest

  53. Andrew Mark said:

    This is the one of the most important information for me. And I am feeling glad reading your article. The article is really excellent?
    Your Place Or Mine Debbie Denim Jacket

  54. bacarasitecom said:

    é realmente uma informação boa e útil. Estou feliz de que simplesmente compartilhassem esta informação útil com nós. Por favor mantenham-nos informados desta forma. Obrigado por partilhar.

    https://www.bacarasite.com/

  55. keonhacai said:

    Your skill is great. I am so grateful that I am able to do a lot of work thanks to your technology. keonhacai I hope you keep improving this technology.

  56. BabyBoxShop said:

    Welcome a newborn into the world with our exquisite range of new born baby gifts. From delicate clothing to soothing accessories, our collection offers an assortment of charming options that cater to the needs and preferences of both baby and parents. These gifts are sure to bring comfort and happiness during those precious early days.

  57. TipTop Enrichtung said:

    A friseureinrichtung outlet is a store that offers discounted furniture and equipment for hair salons. Here, hairstylists can acquire high-quality furnishings at more affordable rates.Discover fantastic deals and discounts on hair salon furnishings at our Hair Salon Furnishings Outlet. Whether you’re a salon owner looking to revamp your space or a hairstylist in need of high-quality equipment, our outlet is your one-stop destination for affordable and stylish salon furnishings.

  58. We Buy Dead Stocks....... said:

    When it comes to scrap buyers in Sharjah, We Buy Dead Stocks stands out as the preferred choice. We are committed to promoting responsible recycling and offer fair pricing for your surplus materials. Join our community of sellers and contribute to a more sustainable future while maximising your returns.

  59. Pink Salt said:

    While there are several advantages to using Himalayan pink salt, overindulging is not advised. To benefit from it without running into the danger of possible health problems, moderation is essential.

  60. Ramadan Packages said:

    Navigating the bustling aisles of Ramadan grocery Packages can be a delightful journey, filled with the promise of culinary adventures, communal celebrations, and moments of reflection. As the holy month approaches, families around the world eagerly prepare for the days of fasting and feasting.

Leave a Reply