My views on Paid Tips Services (posted 4th March 2003, 9:59am)



This reply is not targeted specifically at any one paid tips website that surfaces in Soccermamak every once in a while. It is general comments that I hope will go out to those who intend to "advertise" such services here.

I am not against the idea of paying for tips - BUT I must get my money's worth.

By this, I'm not saying that all the tips provided must be si beh chun. I don't see it that way because in punting, there's up and down, and sometimes, luck can decisively change the outcome of a game.

What I mean is that if for those websites who want to charge for tips, then make sure your customers KNOW how the tips are derived. That means you give them reasons and explanations WHY take Villa, not Birmingham.

As a paying customer, I want to know what I am paying for. So even if the tip turn out to be a losing one (like in this instance), I am at least satisfied that the tip to take Villa was based on INFORMED reasons - not just a stupid SMS or a one-liner that says Take ASTON VILLA.

How come conclude Villa is the better bet? What are the plausible reasons that point to a Villa win? Is it backed by quantifiable evidence like trend, stats, percentages, ratios?

In other words, I am not paying for winning tips. I am paying for someone to do some homework, some analysis and then let me know what the conclusions are. I only have to decide whether the reasons are good enough or not.

So that at least when I bet, I can be comfortable knowing that I am betting based on logical reasons, so even if the pick(s) turn out to be losses, I cannot complain I am being conned.

But what I cannot stand is this type of reason (which is probably the only way they can sell their tips to unsuspecting punters): JUST FOLLOW, WE HAVE OUR SOURCES, INFORMERS, INSIDERS AND ALL OUR TIPS COME FROM HIGHLY SKILLED TIPSTERS WITH 20 YEARS EXPERIENCE etc etc and similar kind of PR bullshit.

I'd rather the website is upfront about it and say it is a tikam pick, or even if it is based on a simple fact-finding model, say 25 out of 30 tipsters websites that are known to be credible with their picks advocate Villa, so the advice is to also follow.

At least won't embarrass yourself because after all that koyok selling credentials, still can give losing pick and people end up with this damn tulan feeling that you bluff them.

So how to give customers a proper fact sheet that states the reasons? Not practical? Scared your customers know your *secrets* in analysing? Actually no reason at all, so better don't give?

Yeah yeah... there will be the usual excuses and reasons why cannot tell customers anything else. I don't have the solution, but if you want to be in the business of getting people to pay for something, then get this sorted out.

But then the question remains: SO WHAT ARE YOUR CUSTOMERS PAYING FOR - if the website doesn't guarantee a winning percentage, does not reveal information, have no track record to speak of, make unverifiable claims, has no refund policy?