Pluggle Review: 6 Reasons Why I doubt Pluggle and Why I'm Not Joining

First thing first, I am not concluding that this Pluggle is a scam because as per my observation and as far as my knowledge is concerned, people including my close friends seems profiting from this scheme and got the money they invested into it in a short period of time, and with profit (although I'm sure the return of investment they got was paid by the people they invited and not from the company itself).

I think there's no doubt as to their legitimacy because, YES they are legitimate and are registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission of the Philippines as PLUGGLE INC.

Are they scam? "Scam" is defined as a "dishonest scheme or a fraud", are they being dishonest? I think no because they intend to do what they say. Are they "fraudulent"? Fraud is defined as "wrongful or criminal deception intended  to result in financial or personal gain"? This is also vague but I think I was struck by the last part of the definition because there's a big possibility that this scheme is "intended to result in financial or personal gain" of the owner of Pluggle.

Anyhow, here are some of my observations as to why I'm doubtful about Pluggle and why I won't yet join this scheme, at least for now unless Pluggle will provide more information on these things.

For complete FAQs directly from Pluggle, you can read their publicly posted FAQs in Pluggle's Facebook page here and learn more about their compensation scheme

1. Pluggle's Logo is Kind of a rip off-of Google's

Pluggle's logo seem very similar to Google's logo. I don't know what's the purpose of the owner why they made their logo look similar to Google (as for their color) whatever the reasons be it seems a deliberate act to easily market this product by making their logo similar to an established online behemoth like Google. Here's something in relation to this first issue, a review from a foreginer.

"There are a number of things I really don’t like about this opportunity. For starters they are trying to give the impression with their logo that they have something to do with Google. This is not the case at all" ~ Jeremy Smith Blog

2. No Terms of Use and Privacy Policy

Although they did made an effort to put link on their website of their Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, clicking them won't take you somewhere but just their homepage. They even had state "by clicking get started, I agree to Pluggle's Terms of Use" with link on the words "Terms of Use" but takes you nowhere plus you can't even see where the hell is that "Get Started" button or link you are supposed to click? I hope they just remove that wordings because it's useless, how can you agree on nothing? Eh?

3. Social Media Partners includes Google, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, Vimeo

In Pluggle's website, they listed these online behemoths as their "social media partners" Well this is interesting. I don't know how they define the words "partners" in their statement that these big platforms are their partners. I think in partnerships, both parties needs to agree on something, if so can Pluggle show documents or something regarding this partnerships and how does each help Pluggle? Or I'm right on assuming that they're just using these as an excuse and doesn't really do something on their business model (they are just users of this platforms like everyone of us) and the "partnership" is non-existent.

4. They claim to be an Advertising website but don't Display Ads or Sell Ads?

"Ito ay isang unique online marketing and advertising concept na kung saan araw araw ay binibisita, ginagamit at minomonitor ng mga members o users ang website kaya padami ng padami at pabigat ng pabigat ang traffic na na ce-create at ito naman ang dahilan kayat padami ng padami din ang mga advertisers" ~ from Pluggle's FAQs, posted in Facebook

Boasting about being a "unique marketing and advertising concept" I couldn't really understand what's unique with them because showing ads on your website has been used by many site owners and content providers long before. Like Google, they have their Adsense program where site owners can apply and be their partner to show Google Ads and in return, Google pays them a percentage like per ad clicks. This is one of the most popular way to earn online if you boast a heavy traffic on your site daily, same with YouTube, Adsense is also the program behind YouTube but in Facebook I am not really sure if they have the same program where they pay page owners? I don't think so.

While this specific model is a possible business model, this seems to be not what Pluggle is doing. Based on that statement, I expected that they are displaying Google Adsense Ads on their website but their website is so neat and clean, you can't see any ads displaying.

I really doubt where are their "advertisers"? I might just be wrong thinking that way but I hope they can expand more on this so people will better understand their business model in the advertising space.

5. Login to Earn. Fastest way to make Money?

This feature, according to a friend I talked to works only if your account is already activated, which means you've already bought an activation code from someone (a member). But according to a review I read from alrenpages.com, the maximum amount you can get from this so-called Personal and Group Logins is 1,300.

So it means if you have paid 1,000 for the code and activated your account and completed the 12 day login, your Pluggle Dashboard now has 1,200 for login bonus and 100 for sign up bonus with a total of 1,300 pesos.

So can you call that an income already? I think that isn't an income yet because remember you can't convert that to cash yet because the minimum cash-out is 2,500 pesos which means you must keep working to invite people, and that boils down to the fact that the so-called earnings ARE JUST NUMBERS IN PLUGGLE'S DATABASE and never an earning to you unless you can withdraw that right? This login to earn isn't really what it is because you can never withdraw this "earnings" yet unless you invite more people to join.

Read this entry on their FAQ (kind of vague explanation):

"PAANO NAKAKABAYAD NG 30 TO 100% ANG PLUGGLE SA MGA MEMBERS O USERS NG WEBSITE"
"Ang buhay ng ADS ay ang tinatawag na traffic. Magkakaroon ng mabigat na traffic kung maraming visitors ang website. Nagbabayad ang mga client advertisers sa advertising website at ito naman ang ibinabalik sa mga members o user" ~ from Pluggle's FAQs, posted in Facebook

I am not really sure what to call the "life of an ad" ("buhay ng ADS") in a website but I'm sure it's not traffic. I guess traffic is/are people visiting a website? The last sentence of the statement boils down back to my reason number 4 because I supposed they are paying back their visitors/users from the money they earned from their so-called non-existent advertiser based on my observation (or if they really do display ads kindly let me know because I haven't really seen ads on their site)

6. They are based in Malaysia and has already existed more than 5 years

According to the promotional/informational video I saw from one of its members, Pluggle is based in Selangor, Malaysia and has existed more than 5 years already, but the pluggle.com.ph has just started last April, 9, 2017. While they have provided their SEC registration certificate, I can't find any supporting documents on the claim that they are a legitimate entity in Malaysia so that's a question for now, I hope they can also provide a document from Malaysian Government regarding their claim.

Also, if Pluggle has really existed more than 5 years ago, why Google can't provide data of Pluggle before April of 2017 the date it said Pluggle expanded to the Philippines?

Search term "Pluggle" in Google Trends

The Verdict

This is actually quite familiar in the Philippines and a lot of my friends have joined it and they can prove this works because the money they already got back the money they invested plus a profit.

Even though a thousand pesos is not too much and is a tolerable amount to loose in an investment, I won't still join this scheme because, there's so much things to be doubtful of except for the money-back guarantee but still not worth to invest in. If the there's no change on and these observations and if they are still unclear of their place in advertising industry and profits only just by inviting someone to join, very soon this Pluggle might just collapse and get away with the money they get from people, and the so-called investors who've joined will get back to the persons who invited them in, that's what I'm thinking of for myself now if I join.

"Great job preying on people looking for a quick buck, in what is probably the absolute last nation in the world to need a pyramiding scheme like this. A "business" practically designed to collapse in on itself, with everything to promise and everyone to fool. The people who are currently earning from this unsustainable "business" "opportunity" may be ready to leap to your defense, but when this stops making money for them, watch them become the first ones to gnash their teeth and want to wring your neck for this. Brilliant work, "Alexis Palma." I wonder how you can sleep soundly at night, if you even do" ~ FB Review written by someone named Mikael Francisco

You can also read this good review about pluggle from WebTrafficLounge.COM