Real Secrets Trick of the Month Club...

Richard Kaufman · Postby **Richard Kaufman** » February 23rd, 2012, 9:21 pm

Tom, I went to "My Money" on PayPal and was able to cancel the recurring payment option with no problem.

Tom Stone · Postby **Tom Stone** » February 23rd, 2012, 9:24 pm

Max Maven wrote:Given that my name has been included in some of the promotion, I will confirm that this is a legitimate enterprise, which I think will make subscribers very happy.

Thanks Max, that's good to know! :)

In general terms, without going into specific details, do you know why do the publisher doesn't want to be associated with the project? Is it just a marketing ploy?
What I'm saying, basically, is that I don't get it.

Edward Pungot · Postby **Edward Pungot** » February 23rd, 2012, 9:27 pm

Sounds exciting. Probably will go platinum so I can get my decoder ring...Or better yet (keeping my fingers crossed) maybe Weber will tip his nail/board/teacups routine. At any rate, having something sent every month with props and a promise to keep things under the radar and subrosa about it is too cool to pass up.

Tom Stone · Postby **Tom Stone** » February 23rd, 2012, 9:38 pm

Richard Kaufman wrote:Tom, I went to "My Money" on PayPal and was able to cancel the recurring payment option with no problem.

I don't think that the page PayPal serves me in Sweden looks the same as the page you see. I just managed to cancel the automatic payment, but it was far from obvious how to do it.

Richard Kaufman · Postby **Richard Kaufman** » February 23rd, 2012, 10:06 pm

It wasn't obvious to me how to get to the "My Money" page, but once I found it, I was able to dope out the rest.

It's pretty funny--we're sending money and have pretty much no idea what we're getting other than vague promises of tricks by names we know.

ChrisS · Postby **ChrisS** » February 24th, 2012, 1:33 am

I also signed up.

mrgoat · Postby **mrgoat** » February 24th, 2012, 7:51 am

The fact that Brooks is repeatedly spamming about it is enough to put me of.

IrishMagicNews · Postby **IrishMagicNews** » February 24th, 2012, 8:13 am

Michael Webber was selling this at Blackpool as far as I know.

Ian Kendall · Postby **Ian Kendall** » February 24th, 2012, 8:22 am

I talked to Tim Trono and Mike Weber about this on the weekend. They seemed genuinely excited about it, and I've signed up for the quarterly option. It will be interesting to see what arrives in April.

Certainly the names attached to the project look impressive (but if Steve Brooks' contribution is a Silver Shifter I may call foul...)

Richard Kaufman · Postby **Richard Kaufman** » February 24th, 2012, 11:02 am

I think I know what this project is now, something which Tim Trono has been mentioning to me for several months, but under a different name. He's been working on it for quite a while.

Looking forward to it!

PickaCard · Postby **PickaCard** » February 24th, 2012, 12:44 pm

Richard,

I signed up for a Platinum membership based on your recommendation.

You better be right :)

J-Mac · Postby **J-Mac** » February 24th, 2012, 1:29 pm

I subscribed to the Platinum service - $144 USD late last night - or early this morning actually.

Why do magicians have the worst and most annoying marketing skills in the world?!

I guess that's what happens when the desire to sell (and sell and sell again!) overcomes the desire to keep one's creations "secret". You try hard to devise ways to put out a product and make as much money as you can, and yet also keep your creation as "secret" as possible.

No easy way around it though.

Jim

Richard Kaufman · Postby **Richard Kaufman** » February 24th, 2012, 1:59 pm

I'm not one of those people who like to keep things mysterious when I'm trying to sell something. My ads always give a full description of what a book contains, our Genii convention ads show all the performers we've booked so far, etc.

So, the entire marketing of Real Secrets is the opposite of what I do, however it is a valid way of proceeding that sometimes works very well.

I'm just wondering: my number was 105. Does anyone have a higher number"? It's probably not assigning numbers randomly, so my "105" could mean I'm customer 10, or 5, or 15, or 105.

What are your numbers? You'll find it on your PayPal receipt.

J-Mac · Postby **J-Mac** » February 24th, 2012, 2:27 pm

I'm number 120, RK.

Jim

FRA · Postby **FRA** » February 24th, 2012, 2:31 pm

Mine is 132

Francis

bagelsandlox · Postby **bagelsandlox** » February 24th, 2012, 3:06 pm

Seems like a bloody good project, sans the mysterious owner. Maybe we'll all be invited to an old house on an island, like in Agatha Christie's "And Then There Were None".

Good show! I'm in.

Ian Kendall · Postby **Ian Kendall** » February 24th, 2012, 3:17 pm

I'm 104, so it's prolly order order, if you see what I mean. Either that, or a general coolness index...

Richard Kaufman · Postby **Richard Kaufman** » February 24th, 2012, 3:34 pm

I think they've unwittingly given us a way to see exactly how many subscribers they have! Considering the high cost and how little information has been provided, they're doing pretty well.

Ian Kendall · Postby **Ian Kendall** » February 24th, 2012, 3:38 pm

Nope, I think it's a coolness index. The lower, the cooler, obviously...

Pete McCabe · Postby **Pete McCabe** » February 24th, 2012, 4:05 pm

From the web page:
"You understand and agree that you cannot share your membership number with anyone else."

I hope you don't all get bounced before the first miracle arrives.

Ian Kendall · Postby **Ian Kendall** » February 24th, 2012, 4:12 pm

Oops...

Isn't that because it's the login for the site? As in, you cannot let anyone use your login to get to the site?

I hope that's it...

Pete McCabe · Postby **Pete McCabe** » February 24th, 2012, 4:23 pm

"Naught naught naught, naught naught, naught naught naught two. Damn Roosevelt!"
C. Montgomery Burns

Richard Kaufman · Postby **Richard Kaufman** » February 24th, 2012, 5:27 pm

My PayPal receipt says it's my order number, not my membership number. They wouldn't have a membership number that's just a few digits because it would be so easy to figure out.

RobertAllen · Postby **RobertAllen** » February 25th, 2012, 12:57 am

Smurf wrote:[size:11pt] We can tell you that it is people you know and trust. People like Steve Brooks....[/size]

Well there's a marketing faux pas.

Pete McCabe · Postby **Pete McCabe** » February 25th, 2012, 4:08 am

"Who are you?"
"I am number 2."
"Who is number 1?"
"You are number 6."
"I am not a number. I am a free man!!!"

(I'm 143.)

Judah Vee · Postby **Judah Vee** » February 25th, 2012, 4:51 am

I guess I jumped on the wagon early.... I have a pretty low number, and seeing how high the numbers have gotten here, Seems that a decent amount of people have no issue taking a chance. I like a little feeling of wonder, as I lost alot of it over the years of learning magic. I always felt that was the worst part of being a magician....

-J-

Matthew Field · Postby **Matthew Field** » February 25th, 2012, 6:20 am

I broke down and placed my order (No. 144). And cancelled the automatic renewal, as I do with virually all automatic renewals. It's my birthday present (birthday is in June!). The people involved are too wonderful not to give it a shot.

When I was a kid, my parents bought me a sub to something called "Things of Science." Each month a blue box would arrive with stuff for some sort of experiment. I loved it.

While I'm afraid lots of the Real Secrets stuff will wind up in my ever-expanding magic drawer, I'm an old git and can play if I want to (in between practicing card magic and writing). The only thing I know of that's at all similar are the packages of magic which Karl Fulves sends out to accompany his periodicals, and I love those.

Matt Field

J-Mac · Postby **J-Mac** » February 25th, 2012, 11:16 am

Nice, Pete! "The Prisoner" - I have the entire series on DVD. :)

Jim

Pete McCabe wrote:"Who are you?"
"I am number 2."
"Who is number 1?"
"You are number 6."
"I am not a number. I am a free man!!!"

(I'm 143.)

erdnasephile · Postby **erdnasephile** » February 25th, 2012, 12:20 pm

Does anyone know if the creators named actually own or invest in the enterprise in question, or are they hired by the actual publisher?

Richard Kaufman · Postby **Richard Kaufman** » February 25th, 2012, 1:20 pm

Everyone's mouth is wired shut on this one.

AJM · Postby **AJM** » February 25th, 2012, 2:10 pm

Maybe the reason for all the lack of information is hidden within the title and premise of the project...

I could be wrong though.

Cheers

Andrew

(Now, will I or won't I?)

Pete McCabe · Postby **Pete McCabe** » February 25th, 2012, 5:13 pm

Hey MattI'm 1 cooler than you. Ha ha!

Matthew Field · Postby **Matthew Field** » February 26th, 2012, 3:33 pm

Real Secrets threw a s#it fit about my cancelled automatic renewal. They said it was a condition of subscription. Now I've got to find out how to restore it on PayPal. Then remember to cancel at the proper time (or renew, at my option).

McCabe -- I always knew you were cooler.

AJM · Postby **AJM** » February 26th, 2012, 3:59 pm

Ok, I'm in.

But I'm not going to tell you my order number, cos it's a secret.

'I'm a member of Magic Circle, you know - in fact, I'm a member of the Secret Six.
It's so secret, I don't know who the other five are'
Tommy Cooper

Cheers

Andrew

P.S. I'll just have until next month to buy Mr Kendall's book. Incidentally, does anyone know if Kendall's on Kindle? (Boom boom)

erdnasephile · Postby **erdnasephile** » February 26th, 2012, 4:02 pm

Matthew Field wrote:Real Secrets threw a s#it fit about my cancelled automatic renewal. They said it was a condition of subscription. Now I've got to find out how to restore it on PayPal. Then remember to cancel at the proper time (or renew, at my option).

I'm sorry to hear that, but I'm glad you reported it, Matt.

I was on the fence--I've prepaid for far too many projects from magic legends that I liked and respected. They had the best of intentions and plans, yet props were never built, and subscriptions were never fulfilled--leaving me (and others) holding the proverbial bag.

Matt's report, along with the publisher's decision to remain anonymous finally tipped me to the wait and see side.

Yes, I'll miss out on the real secrets, but since I'm going to take that $$$ and buy the Pat Page book, I imagine I'll soon be privy to plenty of secrets to keep me busy for a long time. :)

Good luck, everybody!

PS: I wanted to make it clear that my comment on what has happened to me in the past in no way reflects my feelings/beliefs regarding the named magicians associated with the project under discussion (none of whom have ever ripped me off). I just wanted to cite my past experience with others to give context to my post.

Richard Kaufman · Postby **Richard Kaufman** » February 26th, 2012, 4:07 pm

Not a word to me about cancelling the automatic renewal, which I did immediately.

I don't think it's legal to force someone into not being able to cancel an auto-renew option as a condition of purchasing something.

Jeff Eline · Postby **Jeff Eline** » February 26th, 2012, 9:08 pm

I cancelled my automatic renewal and this is what I received:

We received notice that you cancelled the automatic payment feature of your application.

Membership is, in part, based upon this traditional recurring subscription structure.

You will not be billed until the appropriate time for renewal.

Please advise whether you would like to restore this mandatory feature or would prefer to have your application for membership and fee returned in full.

The Real Secrets Team

I think it's pretty [censored] to require mandatory automatic billing.

Bob Cunningham · Postby **Bob Cunningham** » February 26th, 2012, 9:35 pm

If a company engages in a business practice that I consider unethical then I do not do business with that company.

In my opinion, requiring annual automatic billing is at best "customer unfriendly" and at worst unethical. I gave some thought to signing up for this site, but not now.

Jeff Eline · Postby **Jeff Eline** » February 26th, 2012, 11:54 pm

I think it's funny that you Richard, didn't receive a similar email when you cancelled the automatic payment. Guess the adage "Never pick a fight with a guy that buys ink by the barrel" applies here.

Richard Kaufman · Postby **Richard Kaufman** » February 27th, 2012, 12:09 am

Not only do I suspect that the mandatory automatic rebilling might be illegal, but doing it selectively would certainly seem to be.