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Flattery, Fees, and Fake Features: The Bait-and-Switch We Don’t Tolerate

Kalil Rahime | June 6th, 2025

There’s a certain kind of email that hits your inbox and instantly smells off.

It starts with flattery. Praises your company. Tells you you’ve been “selected” for a special editorial feature. Mentions how your business stands out. How you're doing something truly innovative. And then, right when you're halfway through feeling kind of proud...

Boom.

There it is: the hidden price tag.

“This is an editorial feature, but we do require a publishing fee of $199 USD + tax to support final placement.”

And just like that, the entire interaction goes from professional interest to one giant bait-and-switch.

A2Z Solutions Doesn’t Play That Game

We built A2Z Solutions on the backbone of real value, real service, and real partnerships. That means we operate with a clear code of ethics:

We don’t sugar-coat. We don’t sell dreams. We deliver results.
We don’t do fluff pieces for the sake of vanity metrics.
And we definitely don’t pay to be praised by organizations that misrepresent themselves from the jump.

If your business model requires you to lure companies in under the guise of "editorial recognition" just to slip in a quiet invoice later? You’re not showcasing innovation. You’re selling credibility by the pound...

And we’re not buying.

The Problem With These Vanity "Features"

Let’s call it what it is: a low-grade scam. These types of publishers prey on small businesses who are working their asses off to build something meaningful.

They inflate egos. Then they slide in fees. And they try to mask it as "standard practice."

Nope!

If you’re a legitimate outlet? Be upfront. If you believe a business deserves to be highlighted? Highlight them. Don’t dangle recognition in one hand while the other’s digging through their wallet.

Integrity Is Non-Negotiable

At A2Z Solutions, we’re not here to play status games. We don’t need vanity metrics to prove our worth. Our track record speaks for itself — and so does our recently earned BBB Accreditation.

If we’re being featured, it’s because we earned it. If we’re promoting someone, it’s because we trust them. And if someone tries to bait our team with a half-baked PR stunt disguised as a "spotlight opportunity," they get the door.

Our Advice to Fellow Founders?

Read the fine print.
Don’t let your ego write checks your brand reputation has to cash.
And if it feels off, it probably is.

We’re not naming names here. But we’re not staying silent either. This post is a reminder that your brand’s integrity is worth defending.

You don’t need to pay for respect. You need to demand honesty.

And if you're building something worth talking about?

Trust us: people will talk.

Kalil Rahime

Founder & CEO, A2Z Solutions

www.a2zs.net

Ready To Elevate Your Business?

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