Bad to the Bone - Part 3

On Sunday, my colleague posted that putting the names of popular bot chains in their classified

messages was unethical and used by bad bots.

http://mtgolibrary.blogspot.com/2013/10/a-comprehensive-guide-for-aspiring_13.html

Simply putting the name of the competition in your advertising message so that your bot will show up in search results has been done since marketers realized they might be able to curtail the competition by using such strategies.

Bad bots however do far more than simply inserting the competition’s name so that their bot shows up in the results. 

• Saying that your bot will sell a card for X when the bot sells it for X+Y
• Saying that your bot will purchase a card for X when the bot will buy it for X-Y
• Saying that your bot will purchase X copies of a card when in reality it is set to only accept X-Y
• Saying that your bots are linked when in reality they are not.
• Saying that you have X cards in your collection when in reality the bot has significantly fewer cards.
• Posting an email address or a website which does not exist or gives the customer a way to contact the owners

These tactics may give the bot a little publicity and maybe even an up-tick in sales, but customers will notice and over time, such tactics are not successful.

Doubt me?  Look at your own life and your own purchases and the brands you trust.  Would you buy an eye-pad from a company named Aqqle?  If gasoline was listed at $4 a gallon on sign buy $5 on the pump, would you purchase gasoline there?  Would you go purchase it a second time?