Lead generation is dead as a business model.

Recently we posted an account of trying to shop for a credit card processor on buyerzone and a video of the buyerzone process.  It wasn’t a very good experience and its easy to understand why customers are upset, since BZ promises comparison shopping and really just sells your information as a “lead”.

It turns out that it’s not a particularly good experience for service providers either. There are quite a few negative reviews on sites such as the Ripoff Report.

We know a lot of current and former Buyerzone employees.  They are not bad people, or trying to rip anyone off.  But their business model of lead generation is one that is fundamentally dissatisfying.

Shoppers don’t want their information sold, they want straightforward options with all the benefits and disadvantages fully disclosed.

Service providers don’t want phone calls.  They want customers.