Aspire Magazine???

[nattynetty]

Has anyone heard of Aspire Magazine? I had a lady trying to sell me advertising - they saw my ad in Crafts Beautiful and want the same ad in their mag as they are doing a feature on handmade crafts. She said it was an A4 glossy mag that's free in supermarkets, hotels, tourist information etc but I've never heard of it.

My instinct says no as she wanted an answer there and then (which I never do) but agreed to call me back in a few hours IF they had any space left...only 2 spaces left blah blah blah.

Any opinions or advice or has anyone else been approached by them?

[candles by lisa]

Sorry never heard of them - but that's not saying much!!

Cheers.

Lisa

:D

[nattynetty]

Sorry never heard of them - but that's not saying much!!

:D

Me neither and she seemed real pushy, so unless someone says yes it's a fantastic mag it'll be a no when (oops sorry I mean if) she rings back.

[Pauline@weddingtreasures]

Have to say that I've never heard of it either.

I had an email last week from somebody offering me a space in their wedding directory that they were handing out at a wedding fayre.

Said they could offer me at a knock down price and I had to reply within the day as they were going to print. I never even replied!

Pauline :b:

[candles by lisa]

I have been getting bombared lately with people trying to sell advertising - like I say to them I will come looking for you when I want it!!

Cheers.

Lisa

:mad:

[indri]

The only A4 slightly glossy thing I've seen called Aspire is a brochure of classes on at a (poor) FE college in a nearby town. It won't be them looking for your advert. I'd stick to magazines you know!

[beadsbydesign]

Stear clear! I'll tell you why later when I get a mo!

[candles by lisa]

Me too please - you know me really nosey!!!

Hehe.

Lisa

:D

[nattynetty]

Well she's just phoned back - no more gushing about my 'fabulous ad' as I told her no! I used the excuse in the initial call that I had to check with my partner before agreeing any advertising - he'd love to think he had such power :p

Apparently the 2 spaces disappeared so quickly that they're now taking bookings for next months...yeah right! Also this time she told me they were a crafts mag whereas last time I was told they were just doing a feature on crafts. In truth I NEVER agree to anything when I'm told I need to make a decision there and then...after all if they're so popular why haven't we all heard of them.

Can't wait to hear from BBD, get the impression she may have encountered them before :horse:

[Tip Top]

If you've not heard of it then it can't be much cop and I'd be worried about the change of direction of the mag...:o

Yep, you did right - ignore!

Just want to hear what BBD has to say....;)

[indri]

We're all on the edge of our seats waiting to hear what BBD has to say!!

[candles by lisa]

Still waiting with baited breath!!!

Cheers.

Lisa

:mf:

[beadsbydesign]

Right, I am beginning to see daylight over the orders that arrived whilst I was on holiday, so I will put you all out of your misery!

Several years ago I was thinking about advertising my business. I was very unaware of the advertising market etc. I had just begun to look at prices for magazines such as craft beautiful and placed my first add in to the magazine.
One afternoon I was working at the computer when I reecieved a phone call. It was a lady called Barbara. She was very enthusiastic and gushed about how her publication which she described as a "glossy magazine" were going to be doing a craft article and were looking for people to include, she went on to say that the only people they would consider had to look as classy and wonderful as my ad did. It was exactly the look they were going for, had I designed it myself, what was my background?
Interior design.... wow how amazing, hang on a moment Karen, I just need to speak to my editor..... she put me on hold for a while and then came back onto the phone...... Karen, I didn't want to say anything before, but i think it would be great to do a whole A4 article about your business. This is an amazing oportunity, but I have to get it sorted this afternoon because of deadlines. I've just checked and we have a journalist in the office right now who could inteview you and write it up. ..... she then quoted some exorbitant rate for the advertisment that would go at the side of the article, When I said no way she reduced the fee and then further reduced it to about £120.00 (i think) Anyway to cut a lons story short I decided that I'd do it. It sounded so wonderful, the glossy mag she described had a huge circulation and it sounded like a wonderful deal.
A little while later a journalist phoned and interviewed me. The journalist then wrote an article and I heard nothing until the invoice dropped through my door which like the good girl I am I paid imediatly.
The next thing that happened was Barbara rang again and said Karen I have some really really amazing news, you've won an award. My editor entered your advert into a design competition and you've won!!!!!!
I began to smell a fish. Teh timing did not add up. ..... we need to write another article about this we could manage the same low price you had last time but you really must realise what a huge acomplishment this is.
I told her i had yet to see the article I'd had written about me last time and my budget wouldn't stretch. Well we can do it even better if I reduce my fee etc....
I was told they'd send the magazine through... I was so upset when the glossy publication turned out to be two broadaheets of cheep newspaper.
I was utterly deflated and felt horrendous. I'd spent more money than I could realisticallly afford on it and been totally taken in. (the publication was called the buckinghamshire echo. That would be circulated around leicestershire etc etc.(sme area as aspire!) Luckily I hadn't agreed to the second ad. The journalist had lifted word for word from my web site and had misquoted that! journalist my a**e
Several weeks later I got a call from a lady who sounded very familier. I recognised the patter and voice although she wasn't called Barbara (was she ever?)
She was ringing from aspire magazine. I told her I had no advertising budget and she put the phone down, but she's rung in disguise several more times.... how many publications do these people have?
Once my sadness had become anger, I managed to find a site on the internet that detailed other peoples experience of the scam.
They recon that the magazines are the sort that are dumped at the entrences to carparks and cheep hotels etc. That there circulation figures were based on something like ten people reading each magazine!
I cannot guarantee 100% that aspire magazine is connected at all, but I have really strong suspicions that it could be. I am certain that the caller from there was exactly the same woman so I would advise that you stay clear!
I now advertise with quick and crafty and crafts beautiful who are reputable and I have to say I've never experienced anything other than professionalism from them!
So there you are... the most humiliating yucky experience of my business career!

[indri]

I can't believe they thought you'd do more "advertising" in another magazine. What an insult to your intelligence!

[Apple Tree Crafts]

How insulting is that! Next time they call, pretend to be interested, get as many details as you can, then tell them you are reporting them to Trading Standards.

Cheeky beggars!:mad:

Jules

[nattynetty]

It was a lady called Barbara.

OMG!!!!!! Spoke to Elaine origionally but can you believe Barbara has just now phoned me! She really really wants me in the mag, I'm just the sort of company they're after blah blah blah and she can reduce the rates for me cos she loves me so much gush gush gush.

I'm on the other end of the phone going 'mmmm that very nice of you' whilst thinking 'Barbara? I recognise that name from BBD's post!' Far too polite (and too busy) to enter into a discussion about what I may or may not think about them so simply said that my advertising budget is accounted for for the rest of the year and couldn't break that. When she pushed further I told her that we only advertise in magazines I've actually heard of.

Bloody nerve!!! :mad:

[beadsbydesign]

how long till she phones you again?

[Seahorse]

How insulting is that! Next time they call, pretend to be interested, get as many details as you can, then tell them you are reporting them to Trading Standards.

Cheeky beggars!:mad:

Jules


Mwohahahha, the ultimate in revenge!

[euston-74]

Thanks BBD for this salutorty lesson - what a con!
I guess the lesson is only go looking for advertising - don't let it come looking for you! Does anyone know any publications that do a really decent rate?
Mel

[Bea]

I got caught by them as well. :mad::mummy:

Their sales technique is very effective to say the least. They really caught me off guard as I only advertise in crafts magazine. What they did is make up an ad similar to what I place in the crafts mag. They wanted the money there and then, rushed me through the process with no time to think and read the small prints. The lady, Elaine Ellis, is extremely pushy and put the phone down on me when she tried to sell me another ad and I said no (after realising I had been a fool).

I did get a copy of the mag and it's not that bad, it's a free mag and it's glossy enough if you know what I mean. My partner was cynical enough to say maybe they just print the copies to send to the advertisers and they don't distribute the mag. If anyone in Northampshire has seen a mag called Aspire, then I'd like to know!!

What is odd is a lot (if not most) advertisers are not from that area. Now, this being a local free mag, you'd expect local businesses to be in there.
Anyway, they won't catch me again, that's for sure.

Unfortunately, I think any business at any time might fall into some trap. All we can do is learn and move on. I was going to do a chargeback but now I've seen my ad in the mag, I think, well, it has been printed, etc. The company seems legit as well (VAT reg and Ltd). I had called the Trading Standards but they couldn't do much to help as they couldn't see the company was actually doing anything wrong (my ad has been printed after all).

I still think this company is dodgy and something is not quite right, but I'm not wasting any more time on it.