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Comment by georgemcbay | Hacker News Reader

I have something of a litmus test for companies where I just assume any company that advertises a lot via "live reads" on radio/podcasts is not to be trusted. Lumosity, LifeLock, etc.

There are outliers for which I wouldn't quite say "not to be trusted" like Dollar Shave Club and Blue Apron, but even in those cases you are, IMO, overpaying for a vanishingly small amount of convenience.

I think it holds up pretty well though that putting a lot of effort into advertising via "live reads" on radio and podcasts is a negative indicator as to how much you can trust a company.

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So I take it you don't aren't munching on your Naturebox and mailing the government (using your Stamps.com scale) your application to start a business (that you created on LegalZoom) making websites via Squarespace, all while listening to an audiobook you got from Audible, before dozing off on your Casper mattress wearing nothing but your "Me Undies"?

...I listen to too many podcasts.

Ugh. I know it's just an example, but stamps.com is one of those "borderline legal frauds", a step away from phone slamming. Opt-in renewal, online signup and "you have to call us to unsubscribe".

Now I think of stamps.com as the literal devil -- it might be possible to get a good deal, but you really better know what you've agreed to.

http://darkpatterns.org/stamps-com-october-2013/

Don't forget to use MailChimp.

Obviously I do too. That was funny :).

I am not in the states and I can't get most of the services. I wish they would at least do regional podcasting advertising. A startup opportunity :)

Is it weird that I do business with none of those companies BECAUSE of their annoying advertising? I do not want to be advertised by those companies nor be advertised at invasively as they do, and any business I do with them will be rewarding that unwanted behavior.

I munch on bacon, send mail using normal stamps, have my lawyer do my complex legal work for me, do my websites myself in vim, read books the physical paper way, and sleep on a mattress that is of a major brand (and will be probably replaced with either a memory foam or natural latex from one of the smaller manufacturers that aren't Casper), and I wear underwear like Fruit of the Loom or Hanes.

I also know no one that does business with ANY of those companies. I'm pretty sure I'm also not in some sort of minority bubble.

Who exactly is the market for these businesses? Is this some sort of gigantic Dot-Bomb 2.0 and within the next 5 years none of these companies will still or can exist?

Just curious how you would view Dollar Shave Club as "overpaying".

It is mostly a marketing/shipping shell on top of Dorco brand razors, cheaper to buy direct from Dorco.

Granted, "overpay" is somewhat relative and DSC is still better than paying for Gillette or whatever.

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