Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

Has anyone heard of this company -- IntoStores http://www.intostores.com/index.php?

I got a marketing email from them claiming they could help me get into retail stores with my card game for couples -- www.StopandKissCardGame.com. I'm skeptical, especially as I can't seem to find any info about the company, so would appreciate any knowledge or experience with them that anyone happens to have. Thanks!

Lynn

i'm considering intostores also. It like the idea.  It makes sense. I operate a store also and was able to join as a buyer.  I contacted some of their members.  The feed back was pretty good.  Most had either inquires or  sales.   I'll probably give this one a shot.  I'll keep you posted.    

I also received an email from intostores.com just recently.  The verbiage used was alarmingly similar to another company that promised the same services and opportunities.  Unfortunately I can't remeber it off the top of my head and I have deleted my spam mail.  This other company was sending emails out consistently just about a year ago until approx. 3 months ago.  I'm the cautious type... I would keep searching for references and might even contact the D&B or Better Business Bureau in CA to see if they have any knowledge.

I checked the BBB and spoke with one of their reps.  Everything looks fine. I've just never sold to stores before so I don't know if this will work for me.  The cost is reasonable and I like the guarantee so if I sell a few pices this month I'll register

They remind me of a U.S. version of Alibaba.com  Wonder if they're owned by the same company.

I received a marketing email from there earlier today.  This is the only place I found with any discussion.  Here is the email I sent to their sales rep (after he responded that he couldn't waive the setup fee):

Hey Kevin,

So, here are the red flags that pop out at me:

1) There is no preview of your interface. I have no idea how complex it would be to list or search for products or how effective that would be.

2) Your population stats are a static jpg.

3) You claim retail sales of approximately 1/4 of the US GNP for 2008.

4) Your discounted signup fee just so happens to be ending today.  I would bet dollars to donuts that tomorrow the website will say it ends tomorrow.

5) The website that is accessible for those not a member is about six pages long.  All are very pretty and slick. They are not, however, an interface.

6) There is nothing that leads me to believe that my industry is represented on your site.

So, most any one of those would make me raise my eyebrow.  All of them combined make for a big red flag.  This begs the question, why am I spending the time to write you an email?  Well, the premise of the site is sound.  I want more assurance that it's more than a forum that you pay $175 to get access to.  So, give me some assurances, Kevin.  Make me a real sales pitch that's focused on me and my company, something more than your boilerplate email sent to customer service for any webstore you find.  Then we may be able to do business.

I'll let you guys know if I get a response to that one.  =)

I too received an e-mail from intostores today.  I sent Kevin an e-mail requesting a list of buyers in my product field.  If he responses I will let you know.

It sure would be nice if the site does really work.  Look forward to seeing if anyone else gets a viable response from them.

I received my second ad for this company today. The last time they solicited me they followed up with a phone call from Kevin. He sounded legitimate and I looked at the site briefly but did not sign up at the time. I checked it again later and the offer for $100. off was no longer valid so I went on with life. This time I looked at the Better Business Bureau, Consumer Reports and the Attorney Generals files and found nothing, Then I found this site and am glad to find this discussion. $175 is not a horrid amount to lose but I imagine they want a credit card to secure 6 months of membership. That will be my next thing to check. Has anyone tried looking them up as a corporation?

I just spoke with Greg from Intostores. They do have a secure credit card network so that is safe. It is the same one I use. They do not require more than one months payment so one doesn't have to worry about getting ripped off for 6 months payments. They seem legitimate so I am giving them a try. I hope I don't eat my words but it is very inexpensive marketing and seems like a good tool. Call and talk to them, they speak English, are in the USA and very helpful.

My experience with this company was not positve.

1) They just changed their name completely which is a red flag.  No mention of the name change on the website which could be interpreted as trying to get away from it. 

2) I joined last December and didn't get any inquiries for 6 months.  I contacted them about the guarenteed refund of my fee and got the run around for 2+ months.  I finally threatened that the next correspondence would be from my lawyer and they finally reimbursed me.  However, they did not include the month membership fee I was charged after requesting termination of my account.  I'm sure they figured if I got my $185 back (or whatever it was), I wouldn't bother about the last $30. 

3) During the numerous times I called them about the above issue, I always spoke with their answering service.  After half a dozen times, I concluded they are not as substantial an organization as they project. 

It's possible my products were not a great fit, which I can accept.  Wouldn't be the first time a advertisin/bus. dev/marketing initiative fell flat.  But their actions reflect more of a scam than a company. 

Good luck either way!