The Lounge • The Mark Fiasco...FULLY EXPOSING MARK HOWSON...Gig is up...
I would like to thank giltinan for giving me a partial title as to what has become a real sad state of affairs in the mac community. For those who don't know who Mark Howson is [dear God, who has not heard of that man??? Good Grief!!!!!], you can read this thread and some of my very very VERY scathing comments here, here, here and here.
"I just can't believe this guy is doing this again and again without some serious consequences. He is a fraud, and a liar, and a crook."~~tmilovan
chwebb1 wrote:
I recommend contacting Mark's hosting company for 20MacApps, Rackspace, abuse center. There has to be some way we can have him taken down.
Here is the contact info:
Phone:
800-961-2888
+1-210-312-4000
Fax:
210-312-4100
Email:
abuse@rackspace.com
He has TheMacPak hosted with MediaTemple. Here is their contact info:
(mt) Media Temple, Inc.
Corporate Headquarters
8520 National Blvd.
Building A
Culver City , CA , 90232 USA
24/7 Toll-Free: 877-578-4000
General FAX: +1-310-564-2007
You can also use the form on this site:
http://www.mediatemple.net/company/contact_us/
EDIT: To reflect that TheMacPak is hosted with MT, and to add their contact info.
For those of you who bought the bundle at 20macapps.com, you are being STRONGLY ADVISED to file a complaint with paypal and get your money back. Do not, do not, DO NOT waste your breath in contacting Howson. You will get nowhere. FILE the complaint with paypal. Don't state on the complaint form that it's tangible goods, digital delivery or download. Because if you state it as one of the three, you WON'T get your money back from paypal. I speak from experience with filing complaints with paypal in the past against other vendors. Just state on the complaint form that it's plain software.
For any developer out there reading this, if you are thinking about dealing with Mark Howson, DON'T. This is NOT the first time he's displayed VERY BAD business ethics. If you think The Mac Pak, Mac App A Day, Waste A Weekend and 20 Mac Apps are all the sites/projects he has, you're in for a shock. The following is a list of domains in Mark Howson's possession [nevermind future projects. God forbid!! Let's not even go there with "future"]:
20macapps.com
macvids.tv
22ndcenturybook.com
buzzvault.info
cashboxapp.com
dazzleset.com
howson.us
leopardpro.net
macademy.tv
macappaday.com
macgamebox.com
macgamesbox.com
maclive.biz
maclotto.net
namenetwork.info
namenetworkhosting.com
pointinline.info
pointinline.org
stevenotelive.com
swordpedia.info
swordpedia.org
theipodsurgeon.com
themacnurse.com
themacpages.com
themacpak.com
themacweblog.com
usfcaonline.org
vistagamebox.com
wasteaweekend.com
windowsgamebox.com
As to how I found out that Howson owns these domains? If you REALLY know how to use the internet well, you can find ANYTHING you want and leave it at that.
[Apologies in advance for modifying the actual quote] "Someone should turn these guys in to the authorities. They are repeating these ripoffs like it's their business model. It seems that they will not stop until someone closes their business."~~tmilovan
There have been questions as to how old Mark Howson is. According to the horses mouth [Mark], he's 13 years old:
http://markhowson999.stumbleupon.com/
Now IF that is the case [a very BIG if], he's in violation of TOS [terms of service] for paypal. You have to be 18 in order to use paypal. They say so right here. What am I talking about?! Howson was ALREADY in violation of TOS for paypal for VERY BAD business ethics. As to why paypal STILL allows Howson to use their services, that is a very good question. He is also in violation of TOS for ebay as well. Again you have to be 18 to use ebay or any of ebay's country sites. Right here is one of several pages of their TOS.
You can view the wares Howson peddles on ebay [and don't forget to read the feedback comments] here:
http://myworld.ebay.co.uk/namenetwork/
Most of you probably don't know this, but Mark Howson is also a "freelancer". This is just one of the freelancing sites he slithers around at, taking up time and space away from those who really deserve to make money:
http://www.joomlancers.com/profile.php?u=mhowson
Howson brags about how he's a "voice talent". You can read and puke at these two sites about his "voice":
http://voice123.com/markhowson
http://markhowson.voices.com/
This is his address [From his voice talent site http://markhowson.voices.com/ for those who feel the need to send him a little "something"]:
23 Newby Farm Crescent
Scarborough North Yorkshire
YO12 6UW
United Kingdom
Phone: +1-408-540-6221 or +44-7854-231412
If you google "markhowson999" [with or without quotes], you will find the other forum boards Howson slithers around at. And if you possibly google "mhowson", you will probably find other sites that he terrorizes with his "freelancing" lies.
Again, DO NOT deal with that man. Dealing with him is like dealing with the devil. 999....666....
I should have said SON of the devil when talking about "dealing with the devil".
Anyone who still defends Mark Howson after reading this, please stick your head in the toilet and pull on the flush handle a dozen times. Deception is everywhere. If you don't do your homework, you deserve to be deceived.
Last edited by mybagofjems (January 13, 2008 6:26 pm)
Look, mybagofgems, I think Mark is a first-rate arsehole who needs to at least be taken to business court or sued in a civil suit...but posting his address and phone number? No offense, but that's just not cool.
The best way to deal with him is through the proper channels - the banks and credit card companies through which you made your purchases.
Last edited by rampancy (January 11, 2008 5:42 pm)
Marathon Forever.
AppShelf: MacHeist 3 Loot
AppShelf: nanoBundle 1
Check Reciept Page for nanoBundle 2 AppShelf Files.
He has it listed on his voice talent site. So it's public domain and that is HIS problem.
rampancy wrote:
but posting his address and phone number? No offense, but that's just not cool.
mybagofjems wrote:
He has it listed on his voice talent site. So it's public domain and that is HIS problem.
I'll grant you that (wow, it's not a very smart idea to do that AT ALL) but my other statement stands - I don't think that terrorizing Mark will get anyone back their money or their software licenses.
Marathon Forever.
AppShelf: MacHeist 3 Loot
AppShelf: nanoBundle 1
Check Reciept Page for nanoBundle 2 AppShelf Files.
mybagofjems wrote:
[Apologies in advance for modifying the actual quote]
) You are welcome as long as you don't change the meaning of it.
English is not my native language and when I'm writing about them I always get too excited and hence, careless about how I'm writing... I should be more careful next time )
▛▞▞▟ http://www.mackorisnik.com ▙▚▚▜
OMG people are actually handing this guy ideas that he states outright the will use to fleece people later:
"App Ideas
Forum Topics Posts Last post
I'd like an app that...
We reserve the right to develop these ideas for this or future 20MacApps bundles. We'll offer you a small sales commission (at least 2%) if we do. Post only if you accept this."
And it just doesn't stop!
"The recent bolt-on announcement about unlimited upgrades for $30"
Not only did this guy get $50 (or $55 to pay $5 for Beta participation) out of some people now he's offering them an additional "deal" for stuff added to the 20 potential vaporware apps for another $30. Yikes.
Seriously, what good are unlimited upgrades to unknown apps that will take 40 weeks (if ever) to find out what you actually paid for in the first place. All this "up front money" gives me the shivers.
He's the human version of email spam!
Last edited by jennsbl (January 11, 2008 8:35 pm)
From the moment I saw the website (a while ago), I though the dude who created it was mentally challenged. Do you really think that you can sell something without telling people what they are buying?
Also, he needs to get better at designing websites if he wants to fool people.
Your comment is so funny 
jennsbl wrote:
He's the human version of email spam!
Sadly yes. There are many gullible individuals out there.
Maxinater wrote:
Do you really think that you can sell something without telling people what they are buying?
Not to mention what I call the "Shark Tale" effect. I cringe every time I hear someone confuse it with Finding Nemo and think that mediocre movie is by Pixar. And I've seen this happen with Howson bundles and MacHeist...
I have put in my 2¢ about this in other threads here... but I wanted to comment in this thread as well.
I have ichatted with this fellow before during the demise of MacAppADay.
He was starting up WasteAWeekend. In fact there were MacHeads from MAAD and MH that played a small 'hoodwinked' part in the early days of WAW in the forum sections. Back then he has some street cred. Why did he have some cred? Because MAAD wasn't all bad. It had it's issues who hasn't but all in all they delivered until the very end. Then things fell apart.
From what I remember I thought he was 14 or 15 yrs. old. He wanted me to help sell spots in WAW to Devs. When I found out about his age and how he was going about his ideas I broke off my dealings with him.
From what I can tell and as I am sure everyone else knows that reads these posts here is the very simple fact that the three best sites for things of these natures are: MacZot! (They are very polished. Very professional, They do not usually give away free apps but they give either great discounts or cool bundles) MacUpdate (From time to time they do a great job of putting together bundled apps) and of course MacHeist. These three folks do a great job for Devs. and can be trusted to give your $$$ money too. Of course MacHeist allows us to play spy games to get free apps but it does lead to bundles.
Now can anyone explain the upcoming MacHive and whoa re involved? Is this another Howson or a legit group getting their act together? And what ever happened to the Safe Deposit Devs?
atticusrex wrote:
Now can anyone explain the upcoming MacHive and whoa re involved? Is this another Howson or a legit group getting their act together?
I am not sure if Howson is behind machive. But whoever is behind machive also owns these domains:
agreementwizard.com
alamocasket.com
alamocaskets.com
appletuna.com
arrant-grimes.com
cobrabyte.com
linhive.com
machive.mobi
machiver.com
mactuna.com
mactuna.info
mactuna.net
pennymaker.com
pityfool.net
tunamac.com
winhive.com
winhive.mobi
Didn't Mark Howson sell macappaday?
http://macrecon.com/interview-mark-hows … themacpak/
Howson can insist as much as he likes on any of his "promises". His very bad business ethics speak volumes.
Xiren wrote:
Didn't Mark Howson sell macappaday?
http://macrecon.com/interview-mark-hows … themacpak/
MacAppADay wasn't all that bad, in my experience at least. I thought it was clever, and I wish someone would arrange something similar again sometime.
But aside from that, everything else involving him was just terrible. That's all I have to say. Terrible.
Xiren wrote:
Didn't Mark Howson sell macappaday?
http://macrecon.com/interview-mark-hows … themacpak/
Yeah, I think so. It's gone nowhere since.
mybagofjems wrote:
There have been questions as to how old Mark Howson is. According to the horses mouth [Mark], he's 13 years old:
http://markhowson999.stumbleupon.com/
I'm guessing based on other stuff he can't manage to keep up with that he probably never updated this. The earliest date is Oct 2005 so perhaps he's 15 by now. d-;
phillryu wrote:
Not to mention what I call the "Shark Tale" effect. I cringe every time I hear someone confuse it with Finding Nemo and think that mediocre movie is by Pixar. And I've seen this happen with Howson bundles and MacHeist...
We actually get support emails asking why we haven't given out serials for his promos.
johnred wrote:
We actually get support emails asking why we haven't given out serials for his promos.
That is quite sad. Confusing MacHeist with anything he's done. I think that shows he is working off MacHeist's reputation and to some (minor) degree dragging MH and the Mac community down somewhat.
phillryu wrote:
Not to mention what I call the "Shark Tale" effect. I cringe every time I hear someone confuse it with Finding Nemo and think that mediocre movie is by Pixar. And I've seen this happen with Howson bundles and MacHeist...
You've had your share of fiascos too. Remember last year's "last heist"?
Maybe I hate everything. Or maybe I just hate you.
And wow, isn't this a wonderful deal for the devs:
"You can choose how much commission to give us anywhere between 30% and 70% for us."
http://www.idevapps.com/forum/archive/i … -6203.html
No wonder TheMacPak is on hiatus. Choose to give "them" 70% of sales of their app? Utterly insane.
Why isn't anyone with "net presence" slamming this kind of deal? Unreal.
Last edited by jennsbl (January 11, 2008 11:04 pm)
The only way to put a stop to this would be to go on every mac forum and WARN LOUDLY.
jennsbl wrote:
Why isn't anyone with "net presence" slamming this kind of deal? Unreal.
You're funny. Howson made too many "friends" [sarcasm].
Person1229 wrote:
Now that is just ridiculous. Maybe someone should call his parents...
mybagofjems wrote:
The only way to put a stop to this would be to go on every mac forum and WARN LOUDLY.
jennsbl wrote:
Why isn't anyone with "net presence" slamming this kind of deal? Unreal.
Seriously though, some [*cough* Gruber *cough*] called into question the deals for devs with other bundles and sites. How on earth has this kids' scams flown so low under blogging luminaries radar?
Just running that simple Google search on his username produced pages of forums that included stuff promoting sites that are now just parked URLs.
I did okay by MacAppaDay and I think that may have been the only one he was doing marketing for that might have included a larger group of people behind the scenes.
No way to do I buy that this kid is "just the marketing face" for all these failed scams. Not with his name all over various forums and all the URL's linked directly to him.
Last edited by jennsbl (January 11, 2008 11:13 pm)