There has been a few claims that have surfaced over the past weeks regarding a web hosting service committing scams to internet users. This web hosting company, Powweb Hosting, which caters to small businesses worldwide, claims that they are offering a 50% discount for an Unlimited Hosting Solution.

Furthermore, Powweb Hosting also claims that they offer the following with their $3.88/month hosting solution:

• FREE Domain
• UNLIMITED Storage & Bandwidth
• $125 in Google Adwords, Yahoo! Search and Facebook Ad credits
• Free Yellowpages.com Listing
• MySQL, PHP, CGI
• Point & Click WYSIWYG Site Builder
• 30 Day Money Back Guarantee

The offer sounds Too Good to be True doesn’t it?

Well the verdict is…. IT IS TRUE! POWWEB HOSTING is NOT A SCAM!

I had a small project designing a website for a client just recently, and decided to give Powweb Hosting a try given their great deals & freebies, and found out that their claims for superior service is a fact, NOT A SCAM!

Not only that, their customer service is top notch, especially with the option to contact them via Live Chat. They were available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, even when I contacted them once at 1pm (Malaysian time, GMT +8), and again at 3.30am. Seems that although they are in the USA, there is no problem to contact them be it during the day, or late in the wee hours of the morning, in any time zone!

So if your small business needs a good hosting, I can tell you that Powweb Hosting is well worth the money. Their $3.88/month Unlimited Hosting Solution package with free domains is one of the best in the market, if not the best.

Moo!… a pretty catchy, fun going way of branding a web hosting service.

To be real honest, I was so attracted to Fatcow’s  brand name that I decided to host this blog with them. To me, the layout of their site is “relaxing” to the eye, and it was a “fun” brand to buy from. Below is their landing page.While I do not have the exact numbers, I bet they are doing well selling their web hosting packages.

Other than that, Fatcow offers Unlimited Storage & Bandwidth, definitely helpful to store my files and handle millions of visitors (will get there someday).

So that’s a lesson to be learned – when marketing products, you don’t have to be serious or formal all the time. Sometimes a tinge of humor will go a long way in helping you bring in the sales (and of course, a “Beefy” discount will also help… lol).

So if you’re interested to join the herd, checkout Fatcow’s 50% discount offer. They’re even giving away a Smart ForTwo car, so don’t miss out.

Maybank Visa Debit Card

A visitor emailed me the other day asking about the spending limits for the Maybank Visa Debit Card. They have also asked how can they change/increase the spending limits of the card.

By default, Maybank has set the spending limit for the Maybank Visa Debit Card to RM500 per day. The spending limit includes purchases made online or offline.

You can change the spending limit to a maximum of RM5,000 per day, however you cannot do it online. The spending limit (along with withdrawal limit) for the Maybank Visa Debit Card can ONLY be changed at the Maybank ATM. I have called the Maybank customer service line, and they did confirm this, and that the spending limit cannot be changed online.

Do hope this helps! Please do email me at info [at] mrcuz [dot] com if you have questions, and I’ll do my best to answer them for you

The scammers are at it again!

Of late, there has been many emails “supposedly” from CIMB claiming that your CIMB Clicks account needs re-verification and such, and requires you to login at on a link that they provide.

DO NOT FALL FOR THIS CIMB CLICKS PHISHING SCAM!

Ignore the email, and do not click on the link that they give in the email.

This is the most recent CIMB Clicks email phishing that I received (links removed of course)

We noticed several unsuccessful login attempts on your CIMB Clicks online bank account. Therefore your account has been suspended as part of our security precaution.

You are therefore required to re-confirm your account details on file with us in order to prove that you are the legitimate owner of the account.

This is a 2 step authentication process, which must be completed.

Confirm Your Details [link to the phishing site]

Note: You are requested to have your mobile phone close to you

You will be requesed to enter a Transaction Authorisation Code (TAC) in other to restore your account access.

You shall receive the Transaction Authorisation Code (TAC) on your mobile phone during the step 2 of the account restoration process

Failure to provide the Transaction Authorisation Code (TAC) which you will receive on your mobile phone shall lead to permanent closure of your online banking account

You are advised to adhere strictly to the instructions provided in this email.

Thank you,
CIMB Clicks Team.

Phishing scam (pronounced as ‘fishing’), is an act of masquerading to acquire your sensitive information such as bank account numbers, passwords etc. Phishing scammers will usually send emails to unsuspecting victims, posing as a bank officials requesting you to update your information, confirm your details and more. Phishing scam is a major financial threat, and in the UK, an estimated total of £23.2 million has been lost to phishing scam in 2005 (source: Association for Payment Clearing Services, APACS. Click here for article).

So be very careful guys! Always remember to login from cimbclicks.com.my if you want to check your CIMB account, and never use any of the email links to login!

Always wanted to advertise online but a little skeptic of its results?

Google Adwords is now offering RM200 worth of advertising, on the house!

Google Adwords RM200 Coupon/Voucher Link

Call it a social responsibilty or a marketing move or what not, Google is offering an RM200 stimulus package for Malaysian Small & Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to advertise on the Google Adwords platform. Google Adwords is the world’s number Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising platform, and many businesses worldwide, from sole proprieties to Public Listed companies have advertised their products and services on Google Adwords.

For many affiliate marketers, Google Adwords is the primary source of traffic and conversions. So if you’re planning to start affiliate marketing through PPC advertising and you’re short of capital, take advantage of this offer.

Google did not state as to how long this offer will last, so Signup Now as they can (and always do) take it down anytime!

It has come to my attention of late that many Paypal users withdrawing to CIMB Bank (in Malaysia) is facing some problems, and most of their withdrawals were rejected and charged a fee of RM15 (for failed withdrawal).

This error is mainly due to incorrect MEPS routing code (SWIFT code).

Quick Info – the MEPS routing code or SWIFT Code is the bank’s identification code, which consists of alphabets and/or numbers. Some banks have all alphabets as their routing code, some others have a combination of alphabets and numbers.

The MEPS Routing code or SWIFT Code is required by most banks when making telegraphic transfers (or wire transfers), and is required by Paypal in order to withdraw funds to bank accounts.

Paypal incorrectly stated CIMB’s routing code as BSNAMYK1, which is actually Bank Simpanan Nasional’s routing code. CIMB’s correct MEPS Routing Code (SWIFT code) is CIBBMYKL.

So if you did experience this problem, please check your bank details with Paypal again. I’m sure 99% of cases of failed Paypal withdrawal to CIMB Bank is caused by this problem.

Apart from this problem, Malaysian Paypal users are “enjoying” the Paypal withdrawal to Malaysian bank facility as it has been a long awaited feature, and there hasn’t been any complaints. The fees are much lower  compared to withdrawing to a Visa debit card, and in most cases, faster (4 working days max).

So no more excuses not to sell online using Paypal for Malaysians

Paypal has added a new withdrawal options for users in Malaysia – straight to your Malaysian bank accounts. Finally, after all these years, this Paypal withdrawal method is available for Malaysians. No more fuss on opening a US bank account, finding the right debit card to withdraw your funds and NO MORE MISERY!

Accepting Paypal payments is a very critical “ingredient” when selling online and on eBay, and this news will certainly “rock” the Malaysian online sellers . When Paypal first opened its doors in Malaysia (back in 2003 or 2004), Malaysians can only withdraw their Paypal funds to a US bank account. So it was a tedious process, not to costly.

Later, in 2007, Paypal allows fund withdrawals to Visa debit cards (and credit cards), but it was still a hassle as there weren’t that many banks that offer a Visa debit card that can be used online.

So finally, October 2009, Paypal withdrawals in Malaysia can finally be made to a Malaysian bank account.

A few technical infos:

1. The Paypal withdrawal can be made to the following bank accounts:
   • Affin Bank
   • Alliance Bank
   • Ambank
   • Bank Islam Malaysia
   • Bank Kerjasama Rakyat (Bank Rakyat)
   • Bank Muamalat
   • Bank of America
   • Bank Simpanan Malaysia (BSN)
   • CIMB Bank
   • Citibank
   • Deutsche Bank
   • EON Bank
   • Hong Leong Bank
   • HSBC Bank Malaysia
   • Malayan Banking Berhad (Maybank)
   • OCBC Bank
   • Public Bank
   • RHB Bank
   • Standard Chartered Bank
   • The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS)
   • United Overseas Bank

   the major banks in Malaysia are in Bold
   
   

2. There is a fee for Paypal wihdrawal to a Malaysia bank account:
   • RM3.00 if withdrawal amount is LESS than RM400.00
   • FREE if withdrawal amount in MORE than RM400.00
3. The money will be deposited in your bank account in 2-3 working days (not including Saturday, Sunday and bank holidays). Much faster & cheaper than withdrawal to Visa debit card (or credit card) which takes 5-7 working days and costs RM20.
4. When adding your bank account to Paypal, a MEPS bank routing code is required. No worries, click on the link that says “Details” right next to the blank and a pop-up list of the bank routing code will appear.

With this news, there shouldn’t any more problems with accepting Paypal payments when selling online, for Malaysians especially

I received a few emails after posting about affiliate marketing being my primary source of income. A lot of the emails asked how they can take a dive into affiliate marketing, and is it worth it.

Let me answer the second question first – yes, it was worth it. I started affiliate marketing back in 2006, and while it was turbulent and challenging, it is rewarding me now with a stable income.

As for the first question, I found this post by a Super Affiliate Marketer Jonathan Volk. Check out the PPC Affiliate Marketing 101 in Jonathan’s blog. It lays down the ground work step by step for you to get started in affiliate marketing.

Bear in mind that just like any other business, there is money involved and time to be put in for affiliate marketing. It’s not just throwing $100 into the biz and expect for it to return back to you tenfold.

Good Luck!

It is hard when you meet friends & family, and they ask you “What do you do now?” or “What type of business are you running?” When I give them a single answer – “I have an online business, it’s called affiliate marketing”, most of them would give me ‘the look’, and then starts talking about how cloudy (or sunny) the sky is.

No, it's not this easy, but I wished it was

You see in Malaysia, working online or working at home is a pretty new concept, and you’re a champion and the most eligible bachelor if people see you up at 7am, dressed in a workshirt and a tie, warming up your car to head to your regular 9-5 jobs. If neighbors were to see you at home during work hours, they would come to a conclusion that you are up to no good.

To add salt to the wound, especially if you’re married, your wife drives out to work in the morning, and you’re at home (presumably doing nothing at all). “Blasted husband! Wife goes out to work while you are uselessly getting fat at home…”

Now, the real story is, I do work from home, and my income is earned (mainly) through affiliate marketing. This is the Wiki on affiliate marketing

Affiliate Marketing is an Internet-based marketing practice in which a business rewards one or more affiliates for each visitor or customer brought about by the affiliate’s marketing efforts. It is an application of crowdsourcing.

Sounds catchy and exciting doesn’t it. My definition is much much more informal and downright dumb.

Affiliate Marketing is when I promote other people’s products online and get a commission for every sale.

I dunno. I guess that’s why I get weird stares when I tell them that is what I do

There are 2 types of affiliate marketing:

1. Cost Per Action (CPA) – You get paid when the customer “does something” that the advertiser wants. Example email, subscribes to service, signup for offers etc. Also known as Pay Per Action (PPA)
2. Cost Per Sale (CPS) – Revenue sharing. Advertiser pays you a certain percentage when you refer people to buy from them (or their website). Example, you refer a customer from your blog or website to nike.com, and they buy a pair of sneakers. You get a percentage from the sale of that sneaker.

My business model is mainly on CPS. The offers pay more, and I guess being the fact that I love sports and I do know how to promote sneakers, that’s why I’m converting better on CPS offers compared to CPA.

How do I promote my websites? Aha, that’s a story for another day.

I hope that now people know what I do

Earlier this year, I can’t recall the exact date, Maybank has upgraded their Visa Debit Card, enabling it to be used for online shopping. Good thing is, once Maybank Visa Debit card can be used online, it can be used for making payments through Paypal.

Here’s a step by step guide on how to add your Maybank Visa Debit card to your Paypal account. Before proceeding, please ensure that you have around RM20-RM30 in your Maybank account, this is for the verification process. Paypal will not charge the full RM20-RM30, but it’s better to be safe (and causes less headaches later on):

Step 1
Complete the Maybankard Secure Online Shopping enrollment. Detailed steps can be found in my previous post.

Step 2
Login to your Paypal account, hover your mouse pointer to “Profile”, and click on “Add/Edit Credit Card”.

Step 2 - Click on Add/Edit Credit card

Step 3
Fill up the online form with your Maybank Visa Debit card credentials. Once you have completed all the fields, click on “Save and Continue”

Step 3 - Complete the online form

Step 4
You will come across this screen, which confirms that your card has been added to your Paypal account, and that Paypal has charged $1.95 to your card. This charge is part of their verification process, which is important so that you can lift your spending & withdrawal limit.

Step 4 - Confirmation screen that your card has been added to Paypal

Step 5
Give it 2-3 working days, and check your Maybank2u online account under “Debit Card History”. Look for the Paypal Expanded Use Number (4 digit number) – it should be labeled as “Expuse”. Remember or write the number down.

Here’s a snapshot from my Maybank2u online account statement showing Expanded Use number (labeled as “EXPUSE”)

Snapshot of the Paypal Expanded Use number

Step 6
Login to your Paypal account again, and look for the “Enter Expanded Use Number” link. Enter the 4 digit number that you’ve found earlier in your Maybank2u online statement. Once done, your Paypal account is verified, and your sending limit is lifted (from $500 to unlimited), and your withdrawal limit is increased to $500 per withdrawal.

There you have it. Does look like a tedious process, but definitely worth it once you have added your card and verified your Paypal account.

Bear in mind that the default amount that you can spend (online or at retail shops) with your Maybank Visa Debit Card is set at RM500, so if you’re planning on spending more, head over to the nearest Maybank ATM to increase your “Purchase Limit”. Purchase Limit is the maximum amount that you can spend per day with your Maybank Visa Debit card (does not include ATM cash withdrawal, only when you swipe your card to pay for purchases)

I would also recommend to increase your card’s “Purchase Limit” if you plan on receiving a Paypal withdrawal worth more than RM500. Paypal allows US$500 (RM1750) per withdrawal, so if you’re withdrawing US$500, increase your Purchase Limit to cater for the Paypal withdrawal.  This is to be on the safe side.

Really do hope this helps! Leave a comment if you need any help or if you have any questions!