Work at Home Institute
Overall Score: 0/10
Founder: “Bobbie Robinson”
Price: $97, or $77, or $47
Website: wahrev.com, wahinstitute.net, wahedu.com (among others)
Hey there readers! It’s time for another Makki’s Marketing review, this time on Work at Home Institute. Will it actually let you work at home? Let’s find out!
What is Work at Home Institute?
Imagine a scam a that’s just… there. A scam that’s spread across multiple domains, with no mention of who made it, except for a vague “Bobbie Robinson.”
I’m talking about the Work at Home Institute, or WAH. WAH is a work at home program that, you guessed it, is “guaranteed” to make you rich through affiliate marketing and link posting. How many times have we heard that one before?
I’ve never seen a program quite like WAH. I’m not talking about the training (which is subpar), but the way it presents itself, which is more than enough to dismantle any credit it has.
As you’ll find out, WAH is an incredibly deceptive and shady program, built on lies and false promises.
The Work at Home Institute Website
I’m starting with the website, or I should say websites, just because there’s so many lies on it.
This seems to be the main one, wahinstitute.net. The others look just like it, except for the tagline at the top. It’s probably just in case a site gets taken down.
Anyway, there are many things wrong with this setup. First let’s take a look at the top. You’ll see that apparently WAH has been seen on various mainstream news networks:
Hmm… that’s quite the portfolio. You’d expect WAH to be a household name with that coverage. Too bad it’s a total lie.
Look closely and you’ll see that it says “work at home opportunities as seen on TV,” not WAH Institute. This is just saying that these networks have covered work at home jobs before! Which is surely true. But not about WAH!
You won’t find any record of ABC doing a report on WAH, that’s for sure.
Now, if you look under the logos, you’ll see that apparently, WAH was released today (August 16, date of writing this). I just…why would…huh? I have no words. Classic scam behavior.
Scroll down the page and you’ll see this gem, where you’ll need to divulge your zip code and email:
Yep, it looks like there’s a limited number of spots available! See how in-demand WAH is? It’s very exclusive. I’ll check my availability and see if I’m “lucky” enough to have a free spot:
Wow! I have a spot available! And I “unlocked” an extensive sales page!
If you couldn’t tell, the form was just there to collect your email address and give off a sense of exclusiveness. A list is extremely important, after all. But as you can see, it will accept anything.
More Work at Home Institute Deception
After you enter your information (or anything) you’ll get to watch a video about WAH’s supposed greatness.
Watch the minute-long video and you’ll see that it has nothing to do with WAH Institute, but rather with a mom working at home.
Also, although it looks like a “news report,” it’s a total fake. This is a cross between a news report and an advertisement. A quick search tells me they’re called advertorials. Yes, this thing was done with actors, which aren’t so hard to find. I’m pretty sure this is violating some law.
As you read the page, you’ll see the generic hype that “get rich quick” schemes love so much. You know, the personal sob story, the sudden success of the creator, the outrageous earnings… even the totally fake testimonials.
Luckily for WAH, many people don’t know these traits, and this is how the system can stay afloat.
So what’s actually in the training that will change your life?
The Training
WAH’s training covers a variety of topics, all based around internet marketing.
Now, despite the lies and deception, WAH’s training is not horrible. You could definitely learn a thing or two from the 100 HD videos provided.
In the excerpt above, you can see that there are many aspects covered. But the problem is, there are only 100 or so videos. How are you supposed to fit all that in that many?
These are more of the topics that these 100 HD videos are supposed to cover. Now, an experienced marketer will know that each of these topics are too much for 100 videos. At Wealthy Affiliate, there are hundreds of videos dedicated to SEO alone, among others.
Heck, around the internet there are thousands of articles, videos, podcasts and other media that explain social media and article marketing. It takes a very long time to know what you’re doing. There’s no way WAH can cover all that in 100 videos.
Even if it did (lol, try to imagine), there’s still the fact that paying $97 will only give you access to the training for 6 months. I’m not kidding.
The Obsession with Links
You wouldn’t have known what WAH does if you read the training page. All it does it tell you about how you can get rich posting links.
Considering that link-posting has nothing to do with internet marketing, it’s strange to have it in the program. Of course, it’s most probably a way to convince buyers of the money they’ll be getting.
I’m not gonna lie, posting links is a way to earn money online…but it is way less profitable than WAH makes it out to be.
Apparently simply posting links will make you a millionaire in no time flat. This exaggeration is done to lull you into a false sense of assurance that you’re gonna make some dough no matter what.
The truth is, posting links is a very low-earning source of income. And despite what WAH says, posting links is not a fun job.
You know those annoying “movie link” guys on Facebook? The ones that say you can watch new movies for free? Or how about the guys who pop in and say they’re earning $1000/week on random articles? Everyone hates them. Well guess what, those guys are link posters.
So you’re basically gonna be spamming social media, forums, and blogs getting people to click your link, all the while being moderated and banned.
One more thing, although WAH says the minimum your link can earn is $10 per link posted, the truth is those “link guys” are often foreigners working for a very low wage. There’s no way you’ll be paid more than them, especially for a job as simple as posting links.
The Price(s) of WAH
One thing’s for sure: WAH costs $97. That’s all the sales page can talk about.
So apparently you could be on the way to riches in 5 minutes just for $97. But what if you don’t want to spend that much? Well, you could leave by pressing “back” or closing the tab. But then a popup comes up, telling you to say on the page.
If you stay on the page, guess what happens?
That’s right, you just made the price $77! Just for being “interested” in the product! A whole 20% off just for trying NOT to buy something!
Whoops, I better go buy it before my 90 seconds ends. Oh wait, that won’t happen. I could stay on that page for a year and it wouldn’t expire.
With that in mind, I’ll just close the tab and…wait, another popup! Let’s stay on the page one more time.
Surprise, surprise, another discount, just for being so lovingly “stubborn.” This time you’re given a 5 minute time limit to accept the offer. No points for guessing what happens at the end.
All right, I have to say it. Nothing happens. It gets to 0 and nothing changes. Just another marketing tactic. See the language they use? They’re almost pleading with you to buy the program.
Yep, now it’s $47, a far cry (well, a half cry) from the $97. But come on, it’s still not worth it. They’re so desperate for you to buy it they’re willing to cut the price twice.
If you wanted to buy a $60 video game, and you backed down at the checkout, what would you do if the cashier cut the price to $50 on the spot? Then again to $35 after you insist on not buying it? You’d suspect there’s something wrong with the game.
“Limited positions” and “one-time offers” are classic scam tactics.
I should also mention that according to the terms and conditions, no matter what price you pay, you’ll only be able to access the product for six months. That should seal the deal… NOT!
Shady Shenanigans! The Work at Home Verdict
Work at Home feels like every scam stereotype rolled into one: misleading marketing, changing promises, multiple domains, outlandish promises, and of course, ‘get rich quick.’
While I concede WAH’s training offers, well, something, it’s not very useful to other paid programs, or even free ones.
But WAH doesn’t believe in its training anyway. It sells itself on link posting, which isn’t a very good online business.
So would I call it a scam? Eh, not quite. It does give you training, although it’s outdated, and it does actually give you links to post, even if you’re paid in peanuts. And it does last a full six months…
Lol, what am I saying? Of course it’s a scam! You’d have to be crazy to buy Work at Home Institute after seeing how deceptive and unethical it is. These guys are so desperate they give you half off when you refuse to buy their product!
Don’t waste your money with WAH. You can’t just start a business. You need a website, and hosting, and SEO and all that. There are better ways to start an online business, you know.
And if you ask me, the best of these ways is no doubt my #1 Super Program, Wealthy Affiliate.
See, I used to chase marketing scams like WAH because the promise of quick riches was too good. I spent a lot of money trying to find the magic bullet, the secret sauce, the silk road… you get the point.
But then I found WA, which told me straight up that I wasn’t gonna get rich easy. Couple that with the free membership and the 2 free websites you get, and I joined immediately.
Check Out My Super Program Here!
The best part is, you can try it out for free, with no credit card needed. In fact, if you, for some reason, refuse to upgrade to the paid membership, you can stay free as long as you want.
What do you think about Work at Home Institute? Do you agree with my assessment? Have any questions or concerns? Leave an answer in the comment section below!
Your director in downsells,
-Makki
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Great Review! I think these scammers really go all out to trap people into parting with their hard earned money, and they don’t care how they do it! There should be some kind of blacklist in search engines for these scammers…..?
I agree 100% George. These scammers are good at what they do. It’s their job, so they have to go all out. I don’t think there’s a blacklist in search engines, because scams like these often have multiple websites. You take one down and another survives. It just wouldn’t work.
Great post and so true! I was suspicious of WAH at first, but your review confirmed my doubts. It looks like another get rich quick scam. It is so unfortunate that there are so many scams out there.
It’s really too bad programs like this are so common, but that’s just how the industry is at this point. Thanks for commenting Rachel!
Hi Makki, this Work at Home Institute is a terrible scam! They like to turn the process of making money online into a very easy and profitable one. Come on, who is going to pay that much for spamming all over the internet? Such links are not profitable for those who buy them, so of course they will pay very little.
Anyway, that’s not the right business model if one wants to make a living online. I prefer to create my own business inside Wealthy Affiliate and see my commissions growing as I add value to the internet community.
Thanks for warning people about this fraudulent website
All the best
Stefan
That’s exactly right Stefan! Links are one of the least lucrative ways to get paid online, yet WAH makes it seem like a goldmine, I’m pretty sure that if spamming could earn you $5000, more people would be doing it. It’s not even a business. Just manual labor.
It’s good to see you’re using Wealthy Affiliate. While it’s certainly not the only way to build a legit business online, it’s by far the best. Keep at it Stefan! Despite what WAH says, it’s gonna take a while before something big happens! Thanks for reading!
Makki your review hits it on the head – this is a scam and one of the best ones out there. It would be easy to get caught up in the hype, even if not internet savvy such as yourself. You offer a much better solution to this get rich quick scheme. You know, if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is. I’ve seen other WAH reviews and I am glad that you are providing such an insightful, complete and honest review. Thank you and best of luck to you in your internet adventure!
Hey David! That’s a rule everyone should follow. It’s shocking how it’s also the rule that scams use to sell themselves. I can definitely see a rookie falling for this right away. Heck, I fell for my fair share, just because it looked so tempting. Thankfully I found WA. Thanks for sharing David! I appreciate it!
Hey Makki,
Great article, I’d like to thank you for the read and also thank you for pointing out another scam.
I have joined many programs like WAH in the past because I had a burning desire inside to own my own business and learn how to make a good living from the comfort of my home. They are all the same, promise the same things and lead you to believe that you can make boat loads of money in your first month.
They are all designed to take advantage of people who are looking for a different way of life and people who have decided they wanted to work for themselves instead of a 9 to 5.
I am a member of WA as well and I have never felt misguided. I have finally been promised an education and that is exactly what I am receiving unlike those get rich quick schemes!
Thanks again, great post!
Hey there Salvatore! We have the same goals, and unfortunately both of us fell for scams because of it. You’re right, if you’re just starting out you believe that these programs can actually make you rich, by playing to your dreams. WA doesn’t promise outlandish success, which makes it all the more appealing to anyone who knows that success takes time and hard work. Thanks for reading, and I wish you the best!
Makki,
I’m a fan of your post. I think your site is one place I get to know about scams with some light humour.
But seriously I’m totally put off when I sense some desperate price cutting to land a customer. I mean if that product is good and genuine, people would have come back to buy anyway. Maybe not today but a week or a months from now.
Judging from your review, I think it’s about forking out some dollars to start spamming links after going through some videos. I would have fallen for it a year back, when I know zero on online business.
Thank you for another great post + scam alert.
Kenny.
Thanks Kenny! The downsells are designed to get at least some money from the customer. I don’t think WAH cares about how people view these tactics. It can just take it’s money from others.
Your description is spot on. Even if you spent $47, which is still a waste of money, you would be posting spam all over the web for pennies. No one even likes spammers. Is that really a good way to earn? I also would have bought into WAH, if I had come across it when I was starting out. I did fall for other scams though. Thanks again for your feedback!
Hi, Makki
Thanks for sharing this important information. I will never try out this program that’s for sure. Is it a scam? Yes, I do think it is. I am fed up with people trying to fool me.
Your review was informative and detailed and you even said that we can learn something from the videos but later in the article, you said it was outdated. So I can’t find any positive about this program at all.
Tove
Yeah, even though the videos have some useful information, most of it is old and won’t work today. Having said that, it is indeed hard to find anything good about WAH. It’s frustrating how scams like this cheat so many people just trying to make money online.
Where do you find all these scams? I have never heard of many of the ones you write about but I do like learning about them. I would never be able to scope out what you have though. The fact that the company has credible images on their site from ABC and so on. Yes it looks like it has reviewed them, but as you pointed out, they reviewed work-at-home jobs in general. Same goes for the video. You would think its about WAH but it’s just about another work at home project. Really sneaky but good thing you catch those things and let other people be aware of them!
I get emails about them, or someone brings it to my attention on social media, or I just stumble across one! The logo trick can be very convincing, but of course the truth is in plain sight if you look closer. And the video is even worse. Anyone could it’s not talking about WAH. Thanks for sharing, Summerly!
Makki you sure know how to spot the BS brother! How many of these scams have you cut down now?
I like how they “checked for availability” which would make a lot of people actually fall for their implied shortage crisis. What a bunch of crap, it reminds me of SFM’s “application process” don’t you think?
Definitely will keep away from WAH thanks to your fantastic review man!
It sure does ring a few bells! Six Figure Mentors also created a sense of exclusivity with their lame application period. The only criteria you need to make you eligible is money. Thanks for commenting Ryan!
Your article on the Work at Home Institute is very informative. And very entertaining! Your article demonstrates how WAH Institute is using all the marketing tricks and techniques in a bad way. Limited time offers are not scams when used correctly. Afterall, legitimate marketers use limited time offers all the time. Black Friday sales are the classic example! For sure, the decreasing sales price is a desperate attempt to get the sale!
It’s not certainly not the idea of a sale that stings, it’s the activation of a sale when you refuse to buy that makes this a big lie. WAH follows the ‘get rich quick’ playbook to the letter. Thanks for sharing, Glen!