Beware of these 9 sneaky VPN sales tactics
With so many VPNs out there, it can be challenging to know who to trust. Sometimes the only way to find out is to try – but you can save yourself some disappointment by avoiding VPN’s sneaky sales tactics.
1 Fake reviews
There are a lot of companies that use fake reviews to try to convince you to buy their products. You’ll see them in the App Store, Google Reviews, and review websites.
You may also see fake reviews in the form of biased affiliate reviews. In these cases, the user may not have actually tried the product; they just want to get a commission when they sign up. Fake affiliate reviews can also be overly positive without offering any downsides.
Fortunately, there are several ways you can identify fake reviews. They often look staged and usually offer generic feedback or go above and beyond. Many websites also allow you to see if purchases have been verified, allowing you to determine the legitimacy of the review.
2 “Free for X days” but hard to get a refund
Many VPNs offer a free trial or risk-free period. In the latter case, you can request a refund if you cancel your subscription within a certain number of days.
However, if the customer support team is difficult to work with, that’s a huge red flag. While it’s normal to receive incentives to try to get you to stay, some teams will go out of their way to prevent you from canceling (which of course makes cancellation more likely).
You can’t really know what a customer support team will be like until you deal with them. However, checking verified reviews is a good way to determine if you have this problem.
3 False promises
Every product and service naturally emphasizes its most unique selling points. This is not a problem in itself, but it becomes a problem when they start making false promises. It is very important to pay attention to unverified claims, such as whether a VPN adopts a no-logging policy.
Always double-check the claims VPNs make and don’t fall for the most common VPN myths. You should also know what VPNs can (and can’t) hide. Testing the service yourself can help verify these claims, but you should do so before committing to a long-term purchase.
Influencer marketing is a powerful tool and most of it – in my opinion – is legitimate. However, I’m getting suspicious when I see multiple creators promoting the same VPN within a short period of time.
My issue is not with the creator promoting a product or service. If you really believe in something you’re using, I think you’d be a fool not to recommend it to others – especially if you get paid a commission. But it’s very obvious when someone is talking about something they have no knowledge of, which I think is often the case here.
I wouldn’t avoid using a VPN just because a bunch of creators promote it. However, I would listen very carefully and decide for myself if they are genuine.
5 Spreading fear
No one likes to put up with bad results, so instilling fear into people is an effective (albeit highly manipulative) sales tactic. Some VPNs use fear mongering or exaggerated claims about how much danger you’re in to get you to sell.
While VPNs can be an excellent way to improve your online security and make you more anonymous, they are not a cure-all. If you’re still doing other things that put your security at risk, like downloading software from malicious sites, you’re still at risk (VPNs don’t protect you from malware).
Other cybersecurity tools, such as antivirus software, will use similar tactics. Before signing up, always take some time to see if you are making a rational decision.
6 “Limited time only” sale.
Creating a sense of urgency is one of the oldest marketing tactics, and again, it’s not a bad thing in and of itself. The problem comes when sales and offers aren’t actually “limited time only.”
In many cases, your time-limited offers will reset if you access the site from another device. If you’re not ready to subscribe yet, you shouldn’t be. Wait until you’re absolutely sure, even if that means—by the way—you’ll miss out on a limited-time offer.
7 Confusion with revenue models
When buying anything (including a VPN subscription) I always want to know how the company makes money. The revenue model is not a big deal to me as long as it is legal and legitimate; if i know they make money i know they won’t sell my data or do other things i’d rather them do.
It should be very obvious how they make money when you sign up for a VPN service. You should also know their parent companies and if they have any. If you still don’t know how a service generates revenue despite doing comprehensive research, look for an alternative. If you don’t want to pay for a subscription, it’s also important to know how free VPN providers make money.
8 It does not indicate in which regions they are not available
Despite what you might think, VPN providers are not always available in all regions. You probably won’t have any problems if you’re reading this from the UK, US or Canada, but it’s worth noting in other countries.
Most services identify the countries and regions in which they are available. This will probably be available in their help desk documents and in some cases you may be blocked from making a payment if the service is not available where you live.
You should also check that the VPN service is transparent about any VAT you will have to pay when signing up.
9 “Free” but not really free
Another sales tactic that I strongly dislike is claiming that a service is free when it isn’t. In my opinion, you should only use this message if you have a free level. If you bombard me with login prompts after downloading the app, I’ll happily delete it without a second thought.
Be very careful when VPNs claim to be free. Although you can often access a handful of servers without paying, you should also check how much you have to pay before signing up. A trusted service should publish this on their website.
If you want to use a free VPN, start with these completely free VPN services.
Although many large VPN providers are legitimate, you need to beware of deceptive sales tactics. Remember, they are ultimately trying to make money; that’s not a problem, but you should look critically at their messages. Knowing what to look out for will increase the likelihood that you will make the right purchase decision.