Boomertowne.com = Ghost Town?

A while back the Monetizer gave a review of the fun-filled website known as Boomertowne.com. It was a website aimed at the Boomer generations where games could be played, chats could be had, recipes and jokes could be shared and prizes could be scored. The site rewarded members as they racked up point totals, by sending out gift cards and other prizes like iPods, video game systems and more. It now appears that Boomertowne has become a virtual Ghost town...

In recent times, members of the site began to complain about the fact that gift cards were not arriving within 2 months as Boomertowne had promised. The Monetizer received 2 gift cards during the time of membership; a $75 Visa gift card and a $25 Target gift card. Both worked fine online and elsewhere for their total amounts. However, the fact remains that Boomertowne was not addressing the concerns of members asking "Where the heck are our gift cards??!" Complaint after complain had been logged, with some members going as far as writing to the Better Business Bureau. No responses, and now a visit to the site produces the mysterious "error, site not found message". Boomertowne has seemingly vanished.

**UPDATE: The following info about Boomertowne was obtained from comparerewards.com:

Update, 9/20: The BoomerTowne.com website is now down. The Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions shows Concierge Web LLC is still a valid corporation, so they haven't filed for bankruptcy (or if they have, WI hasn't updated their records to reflect it). The timing of this, just two days after their PR firm disavowed any knowledge of the company's owner's whereabouts, certainly sounds final. Feel free to submit your claims to the Better Business Bureau here - Concierge Web LLC is incorporated in Wisconsin but is listed with the BBB as www.Boomertowne.com, with this address: 100 North Corporate Dr Suite 170, Brookfield, WI 53045

I won't be too quick to judge as CashCrate.com was down for several days as well. But BT may be just another example of how not to conduct your online business. Customer service is key whether you own a sales site, social media, or even a blog. Boomertowne needs to start issuing statements, to prove themselves a worthy company. After all, the people who make the biggest "impressions" for your site are the ones you need to keep satisfied most.

On that note, the Monetizer previously mentioned Ximmy not paying up as well. About 2-3 weeks ago, The Monetizer sent a personally typed letter to Ximmy headquarters in California, but have yet to receive a response. The next step will most likely be informing Better Business Bureau in CA. It's unfortunate, but now we see two shining examples of poor online customer service. If your company runs a website with a large number of members or subscribers, you simply can't ignore those people. Shame on both sites for not delivering as promised.

Cash Crate Crash & Customer Service

For the longest time, the Monetizer has been promoting the popular "Get-Paid-To" survey site known as Cash Crate. Personally I've earned at least 5 checks from them sent via US mail as promised and found their company to be reliable. Unfortunately for at least a month now, my attempts to use the Cash Crate site have been met with:

"You tried to access the address http://www.cashcrate.com/, which is currently unavailable. Please make sure that the Web address (URL) is correctly spelled and punctuated, then try reloading the page."

It appears the wonderful and reliable paying site has officially crashed, with no mention. At least you'd think the company would have some sort of announcement on the site, but there is none. It could be a sign of the times, but it's definitely a sign of inadequate service.

When I add this in with my recent experiences with Ximmy.com (they've yet to pay Monetizer for referrals, and aren't responding to emails about it), it goes to show that these days any online business must be serious about its customer service. Even if you're a blogger, you have a duty to respond to emails of your "customers" so that they realize their importance to your brand and or business. For some reason Ximmy and Cash Crate don't have this aspect handled, and there's plenty of other websites out there that make it pretty impossible to get a question answered. Amazon.com seems like one, as it doesn't offer a good email or online communications system.

The lesson to be taken from all of this is the concept of valuing your readers, site visitors and customers. Keep these considerations in mind with your own blog or website and avoid the trap of becoming a site that ignores its customer base...

Waiting for Ximmy to Show Me the Money..

The Monetizer is patient, but when it comes to websites paying up, I like to see them do so as their FAQ state. In fact if it's money we earned through our efforts, it should be payed to us in a timely manner. After all, bill companies don't let us decide when to pay, or else we are assessed fees. Some affiliate sites online are iffy when it comes to payments, so I want to share this cautionary tale. For example, Ximmy, a site like Digg that pays, offers the following for affiliates:

When do I get paid?


You get paid once you generate $25 worth of commissions. Payments are made once per month (the 1st of the month) for the previous month.

Simple enough right? The Monetizer has hit the threshhold for a payout in May, but has yet to see it come through. The 1st of June was of course a Sunday, and many businesses don't operate then. That's all fine and dandy, but you'd think that payment would show up the very next business day, Monday. No show from Ximmy. This is just a minor rant here, as it's only a small $30 payout.. but it's good to be aware that some sites take their time in paying you, so keep on them about it! I don't want to completely trash Ximmy as a site, so I've emailed them and pending response and payment, I'll gladly inform everyone here that Ximmy is an honest payer (just that they don't always pay on the 1st).

You can give Ximmy a try yourself, as they also offer payment based on points for commenting on content at the site, or for getting content you submit onto their front page. Be careful of course that you don't expend too much time, because as of yet I'm not sure of the reliability of payments. If anyone else has seen a payment from Ximmy come through, let me know about your experiences as well.

Getting Paid with Ximmy...

Soon The Monetizer will see another affiliate check for the Ximmy.com site!

What I like most is that just having friends and family sign up for the free social network/news site, you get payed. The site is alot like Digg, except for just one thing: Digg takes your time, while Ximmy gives you money for your time and effort.

Albeit just 50 cents a head, you still profit from this site just by getting referrals to sign up. You also profit by being a member who comments and submits content to Ximmy.

I'd recommend all online moneymakers give this site a try, otherwise you're leaving money on the table!

Ximmy guarantees you get paid once you hit $25 and it goes to your Paypal immediately on the first of the following month!

So don't leave money on the online table...Sign up at XIMMY -Get Paid!

Ximmy & Minimum Payouts

A newer website the Monetizer has been promoting is called Ximmy.com. With this site you earn $10 per every 1000 points you earn as a member there. Points are earned by commenting (1pt) on submitted URL news or if a URL item you submit earns front page status (15 pts), making it very similar to Digg. Digg doesn't offer up any money to its users though which is why I'd prefer spending time giving Ximmy comments. Some people may say "who cares about $10?" but money for website participation is always nice.

Another aspect of Ximmy is if you become an affiliate of their site, you earn 50 cents per member you refer to join. Ximmy states that you'll receive payout once you've earned $25, and they start you with $5 for being an affiliate. Be forewarned with this, you will need to earn $25 in referrals "in addition" to the $5 you start with. So basically, refer 50 members, you'll be payed $30 the 1st of the following month.

Keep this in mind with most of the online earning programs. They may give an initial reward, like Widgetbucks or Shopping Ads both do, but then you will need to earn the minimum threshold amount "in addition" to what you start with. Either way, free money is free money!

If interested, check out the Ximmy site here.