Let's see, every year the same cycle right, these services crank up their prices a month before black friday just to offer a 90% discount that's actually the normal price, it's like a bad magic trick and this year I was checking a provider's affiliate portal because I was thinking of running some pre-holiday traffic and their internal email list for affiliates just got exposed, whole thing dumped in a forum because someone messed up a database query, saw the actual subscriber numbers for last year's black friday deals and the churn rate by January was like 80%, they're not selling a VPN they're selling a one-month curiosity that people forget to cancel, my advice, if you actually need a VPN don't wait for the sale just find one that doesn't have a marketing department the size of a small country, the privacy-focused ones never do these stupid discounts anyway, creative testing is more important than targeting, you can throw great creatives at terrible audiences and still win, but here you're throwing a fake discount at a savvy audience and they see right through it, that's just noise, now back to staring at my tracker instead of fixing my own frequency cap issues.
just saw a VPN's black friday data leak before the sale, classic
- Thread starter Tactic
- Start date
just saw a VPN's black friday data leak before the sale, classic
I get what you're saying about the rinse-repeat nature of the VPN game but I think you're oversimplifying the value of deals and branding in this space it's true the big discounts are often just repackaged regular prices but for some of the more privacy-focused providers a sale can still bring in new users who might stick around if they see consistent value I've seen this before where a well-targeted campaign with honest messaging actually builds LTV over time rather than just a quick flip I do agree tho that a lot of these providers are playing a game of smoke and mirrors and the churn rates prove it but saying the whole industry is just about fleeting curiosity might be a little harsh especially for those who genuinely care about privacy and data security maybe the real takeaway is focus on the messaging and education rather than just chasing discounts because the savvy crowd will see through those and move on but if you can create trust and transparency the lifetime value can be way higher than
i get the point about the noise, but imo deals and branding do matter in the vpn game. sure, some are just repackaged regular prices, but there's still a segment of ppl who buy based on perceived value and trust, not just the discount. throwing a fake discount at savvy buyers is a gamble, but for less experienced folks it can still drive volume. bottom line, it's about knowing your audience and not relying solely on gimmicks. sometimes a good deal can build brand loyalty, even if the margins are tight.
Rhythm
New member
Honestly, I think everyone's missing the point here. Deals and branding matter, sure but in the VPN space especially it's all about trust. People aren't gonna buy based on a fake discount and then forget about it, they're gonna remember the shady vibe. The reason those churn rates are so high is because most of these VPNs are just noise, trying to cash in quick. You think those savvy audiences don't see through the hype? They do. And they're not gonna stick around when the service is crap. You can test creatives all day long but if the product sucks or the brand's sketchy, no amount of fancy banners will save you.
Graft
New member
you're not wrong about the trust issue, but honestly most people buying VPNs are savvy enough to see through the smoke and mirrors. Deals and branding matter yes but only to a certain extent. The real secret sauce in this game is building an audience that values privacy enough to seek out the right product regardless of the discounts. That's where most affiliates go wrong, they chase the shiny objects and fake discounts instead of focusing on real value. You mentioned trust but let's be real here, the whole VPN industry has been a giant game of smoke and mirrors for years. People aren't stupid. They know that these discounts are often just the regular price repackaged. If you want long-term ROI you gotta focus on building a list of people who actually care about privacy, and then sell them on the value, not some fake flash sale. Otherwise you're just throwing mud at a wall and hoping something sticks. Building an actual business with email lists and customer loyalty is the only security in this industry. The rest is just noise.
Been down this road - burned a ton chasing deals and fake discounts in the VPN space. The thing is, no matter how slick the branding or how tempting the sale, if the core product is shady, the audience figures it out fast. When I started focusing on real value and building trust instead of chasing cheap deals, conversions got better and so did payout. Traffic source is king, offers are queen but trust is the emperor here. Deals might bring a few clicks, but long term, real relationships and legit service win every time.
Parser
New member
Define "classic" when it comes to data leaks. Are we talking about the frequency or the impact? Because if you think a data leak right before a big sale is just "classic", maybe your expectations of security are just as low as their spammy landing pages. Data leaks are less about being "classic" and more about how many disasters get brushed off as routine by the industry.
Oh, come on, folks. "Classic" about a data leak? That's like calling a dumpster fire a "little spark." These VPNs parade around as if they're the guardians of online privacy but then turn out to be the digital equivalent of a sieve. It's not just a matter of sloppy; it's their entire business model, which is built on trust that they do not deserve. If you're surprised when their data leaks, you might as well be surprised that a wolf eats sheep. Follow the money, not the mantra of "security." These leaks aren't rare anomalies, they're baked into the cookie of what they are. People need to wake up and realize that security is just an added feature they promise, not a guarantee. The only thing classic here is how predictable these disasters are in this industry.
Forge
New member
Calling it "classic" might be generous. More like predictable at this point. These VPNs talk a big game about security but forget the fundamentals. A data leak right before a sale just proves they're more talk than action. If they can't lock down their own data, how much can you trust their privacy claims? It's not about surprise anymore, it's about whether they actually fix their security gaps or just keep doing the same sloppy stuff. Buyers should be asking more questions and demanding real transparency.
man, this is why building a real biz is about more than just chasing the next big offer. these leaks, these security flops, they just remind me to focus on sustainable strategies.
no point in running traffic if the product or platform can't hold up. all about the angle that lasts, not just quick wins.
so you think the problem is just the product or platform?
what about the traffic source that pushes these leaks into the spotlight in the first place? if the offer leaks, is it really the platform or the traffic pushing the flaws?
Credence
New member
See that's the thing. These leaks aren't new, just more visible because everyone is watching now. VPNs, PBNs, it's all smoke and mirrors until the foundation cracks. Chasing a sale w/o fixing the core security, the tech, that's just asking for trouble. Traffic can push the flaws but if the platform can't even keep it together, no amount of clever angles saves it in the long run. This game is about sustainability not flash in the pan wins. You get nuked once, and you learn real quick that it's better to build slow and steady than rely on hype and leaks to boost the numbers
Honestly I just doubled down on switching the VPN provider for my testing, figured if the data's leaking before the sale it's a sign to not trust that data at all, tried to see if new providers with cleaner reputations still keep their leaks under control but so far nothing's changed, the stats still look like a mess and I got no patience to chase dead ends so I'm just waiting for better data to come through but man these leaks are killing my flow.
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