Is this market research illegal?

britboy4321 · 28 Oct 2011 at 16:16

Thinking of doing this ...

You have an idea for the product, but it's going to take £50K to develop.

You are not sure of the market take-up, but you reckon it would be pretty high but don't want to gamble 50K on your gut-feel .. time for some market research. Questionnaires are notoriously inaccuate -- people say they'd buy, then when push comes to shove they kinda change their minds etc ... very annoying ..

You have a brainwave - and set up a website pretending the product already exists - the site looks perfect and goes right the way through to TAKING credit card details for orders, to see how many sales you'd get if you made the thing exist (and better than a pants questionnaire .. these people have proven they would actually part with their cash by typing in their card details).

After this the website just says (more formally than this) 'Sorry, your item is out of stock, no money has been taken from your card'.

After a few weeks/month you can think 'Well, I would have made 123 sales each week on average if the thing existed' - and you can make an accurate guess as to whether it's worth creating the thing.

You keep the amount of people that typed in their details (your market research), but destroy their actual credit card numbers and any personal data they gave you (delivery address) - this was only requested by the site to prove they were actually prepared to go 'all the way' to get your product. The 'disappointed customers' should never know it was just a 'test site' to see the potential take-up before the product existed at all ...

Question - is this dodgy market research illegal, or legal, albeit questionable, entrepreneurial method?

TommyV · 28 Oct 2011 at 16:19

You are the most highly educated troll I've met britboy, I sincerely enjoy your posts(seriously).

numatic.nathan · 28 Oct 2011 at 16:19

I'd say it may be illegal if you never had the item in stock, why not just have the register interest box like some websites?

Rroff · 28 Oct 2011 at 16:19

Uh even if they were interested in the first place after you mess them around like that they are gonna be a whole lot less interested in the product second time around, so a complete waste of time.

antijoke · 28 Oct 2011 at 16:20

lolbritboy.

Sunbed · 28 Oct 2011 at 16:23

If you have a patent and a business plan you could go on something like dragons de-

wait a minute

gatzi · 28 Oct 2011 at 16:29

Rroff said:
Uh even if they were interested in the first place after you mess them around like that they are gonna be a whole lot less interested in the product second time around, so a complete waste of time.

NathWraith · 28 Oct 2011 at 16:30

Totally illegal as soon as the money/details are taken.

TommyV · 28 Oct 2011 at 16:32

If you setup a website similar, but with no payment taking and saying you'll inform them when the product is in (thus gauging prior interest) with full intention of stocking/selling, I'm sure there is no harm in that. Lots and lots of websites do it.

The Dread Pirate · 28 Oct 2011 at 16:33

False advertising is illegal full stop be it an Item that doesn't do whats advertised or a concept being sold thats not yet been created.

Deiwos · 28 Oct 2011 at 16:35

Rather than taking payment details why not just have it so they add the item and then it tells them its out of stock?

I'm not saying this is a good idea as it sounds awful to be honest but that way seems better than actually taking details off them.

Also, how are people going to know your product exists if you don't do market research/advertising?

reflux · 28 Oct 2011 at 16:36

Lol......

matthab · 28 Oct 2011 at 16:38

Again, another britboy thread. *sigh*

Pestilence · 28 Oct 2011 at 16:39

Sundance said:
If you have a patent and a business plan you could go on something like dragons de-

wait a minute

LOL

britboy4321 · 28 Oct 2011 at 16:40

matthab said:
Again, another britboy thread. *sigh*

Yet you still click on in.... ???

Cosimo · 28 Oct 2011 at 16:41

reflux said:
Lol......

That's what they said in Dragons Den.

Vonhelmet · 28 Oct 2011 at 16:41

You are talking about yourself in the second person. You are confused about your identity. You may have disocciative personality disorder.

G|mp · 28 Oct 2011 at 16:42

You come across as quite intelligent and I remember you came up with an idea that got you in front of the Dragons on Dragons Den.

Yet you think that you can harvest credit card details for an imaginary product and it wouldn't be illegal?

GTFO.

I really am amazed that you can still post this kind of crap in here when other people are Mod'ed out of here sharpish.

lolbritboy.

Tibbz2 · 28 Oct 2011 at 16:42

Yeah, my guess is illegal, cause you're taking the details of their cards...

King Damager · 28 Oct 2011 at 16:44

Rroff said:
Uh even if they were interested in the first place after you mess them around like that they are gonna be a whole lot less interested in the product second time around, so a complete waste of time.

This was my thought to be honest. You'll likely be alienating your consumer base, and the people having realised what a good idea this is may look into trying to get the product elsewhere.

kd