Received this email on MySpace...

[Poker99]

From : Ryan Beatty / Social Media

 

Hey I am interested in possibly working with you. I have clients such as Underoath, Initials:(The Color Fred, Taking Back Sunday) Fireworks, Hit The Lights, Settle The Sky, Bleeding Star Clothing as well as a lot of smaller up and coming independent acts who are now blowing up because of my services. I have also provided my service labels and management such as Triple Crown Records, Redlight management, Hollywood records and more. My page is www.myspace.com/rb2891 check it out and if your interested get back to me. There are plenty of testimonials and blogs to backup the quality and integrity of what i do. p.s If anyone offers you a service or software saying they use to work with me please proceed with caution. No one has ever worked with me. Just a heads up. Hope to hear from you

 

Ever heard of the guy?

[daddymack]

nope...never worked with him

[Guitarmonkey55]

two big problems

 

1) spelling and grammar

 

2) "...please proceed with caution. No one has ever worked with me. Just a heads up" wtf does that mean?

[Poker99]

 

2) "...please proceed with caution. No one has ever worked with me. Just a heads up" wtf does that mean?

 

 

He means those who say they worked with him... He works alone.

[Guitarmonkey55]

oh yeah youre right i guess i misread that and got confused.

 

still sounds really fishy to me though.

[Giorgi]

The myspace page is impressive nevertheless.

 

I'd contact him and check what he offers... and discuss stuff instead of pondering here on a forum where people see scams everywhere.

[Poker99]

 

The myspace page is impressive nevertheless. I'd contact him and check what he offers... and discuss stuff instead of pondering here on a forum where people see scams everywhere.

 

 

I responded to him, I'll see what he proposes.

 

but I understand why people see scams everywhere. Its because they are.

[Kramerguy]

 

I responded to him, I'll see what he proposes. but I understand why people see scams everywhere. Its because they are.

 

 

My biggest issue is that his contact (read: business) email is a gmail account. Combined with the myspace 'business' page.

 

I use gmail for a lot of things, and the calendar and open document features are invaluable to bands..

 

But when you are running a business, you really need to have a real website and domain, business license (tax ID #), and other items that at least suggest a hint of credibility. Those references to bands.. I don't know those bands from a hole in the wall, nor did I see any references to his services on their myspace pages.

 

Maybe he is legit, but there's a considerable amount of red flags on this.

 

And when it comes to red flags, any time I've ever seen more than one (in ANY situation), it's always been a FAIL. Every time.

 

Good luck. Proceed with extreme caution.

[slight-return]

I think the guys bring up some very good points about various warning flags

(and, as Kramer pointed out - there are quite a few of em)

 

Another thing to consider is he may be "legit" in terms of operating in good faith, but could still be underprepared and ineffectual

 

According to the myspace, he has been at it, for 6 or so years ("since 2003") and is 24 years of age - so how much pull he has, how much of the experience was 'casual', etc is a concern (not a knock on younger guys at all and not damning, just less time in the saddle )

 

The "I've never worked with anyone" -- does strike me as

1) inappropriate for an introductory letter

2) inconsistent in usage

(literal)

"Hey I am interested in possibly working with you."

"No one has ever worked with me."

(implied)

"I have clients...I have also provided my service" (these are people you've worked with)

 

It makes me wonder -- JUST SPECULATION/MUSING -- if he had a falling out with a fellow "junior music mogul" or web marketer or what-have-you and they are having a bit of a turfwar or something.

 

 

Advertising style note :

(and this is COMPLETELY subjective and I don't think is a reliable indicator of anything - but it is an impression I get and he IS talking about, essentially, marketing so I figure it's fair game)

 

the choice of myspace profile photos - posing in front of a bright yellow mid-level sportscar , smacks of an infomercial "YOU can live your dream" approach (and strikes ME as cheesy - YMMV). It tends to make me think it's more about selling services than building a solid book of business

It's totally a gut response, it's probably unfair, but if the guy wants to promote MY services, a neat first test is how well he can promote his services to ME

 

 

So, as others have already said, proceed with caution - but I'd just like to add keep the caution up past the "he's a scammer/he's legit" like making sure that you've got graceful ways (at-will employment, etc) of terminating any biz relationship you set up with him, a compensation schedule that doesn't leave you hanging in the wind - etc

[Matximus]

 

From : Ryan Beatty / Social Media Ever heard of the guy?

 

 

Yeah. Youbeen Spammed.

[Johnny-Boy]

"No one has ever worked with me. Just a heads up"

 

Gives me the signal there may be some bad PR out there about this guy. Try Googling. Where there's smoke, there can be fire.

 

John

[boxorox]

Generally this is not how a professonal does business. That's been covered before. So things that trouble me are the "You will find lot's of (positive) testemonials..." Doesn't look like you're finding much of anything. And the P.S. reads like a surgeon general's warning. Since he doesn't seem to have a tack record of note, I interpret it to say "There are a lot of pissed off people out there who will slag me. Ignore them. Check him out. When he asks for money for materials, to set up a recording session, whatever, just hang this one up. One thing he says that I fully endorse: "Proceed with caution".