Treeloot.com: Everything You Ever Wanted To Know, PLUS: What Those Monkeys Are Really Saying.
Written: Oct 23 '01 (Updated Oct 23 '01)
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The Bottom Line
The Tree is a scam. Don't listen to cartoon monkeys.
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| Full Review |
I've always wanted to share with the epinions community my views on this, the biggest scam on the net since Postage4Free.com. Unfortunately...there was one hitch:
Knowing it's been about two years since I played the "click the tree game", I decided that in order to write an accurate, up to date review, I would have to subject myself to an hour or two of torture in the name of helpfulness. Tonight, I did just that....in order to save all of you some valuable time, so you wouldn't have to subject yourselves to the pure evil that runs deep into the Tree's roots. Yes friends, I jumped on the grenade to save all of you. (You can thank me later!) ;o)
In a way, I'm glad I did check out what's been going on with Treeloot. The site has changed the way it works, so here's the dish on Treeloot.com...past, and present:
What is Treeloot.com?
Treeloot is a site that promises you big earnings in return for little effort. Basically, the backbone of the site is just a large graphic of a tree, which they have dubbed "The Money Tree" in which any poor sap dumb enough to visit the site, is urged to click their mouse at different points of the tree graphic in order to hopefully "click the right spot" in order to win big money. After each click, you are redirected to a screen where small icons of monkeys continue to pester you to continue clicking, promising you are only a few clicks away from infinate wealth.
What's the catch?
The amount of clickable pixels is in the thousands and thousands.....add the fact that the prizes continually rotate, and you have little to no chance of winning anything, except a handful of "banana bucks".
Banana Bucks??
Yes, banana bucks...
Banana Bucks are Treeloot's "booby prize". Think mypoints with a corny twist. Banana bucks are placed into your "account" to be redeemed for so-called prizes, which I will describe a little more extensively further in this review.
THE NEW VS.OLD:
Clicking the Tree:
In the old version of Treeloot, you would be directed to a second page after a few clicks that included the banner of a Treeloot sponsor. A monkey would urge you to visit the sponsor, and if you did but did not spend more than a few seconds at the sponsor's link, the monkey would give you a bigger chewing out than your 5th grade teacher would when you showed up without your homework. VERY ANNOYING.
In the new version of Treeloot, you are directed to a statistics page after every click where a monkey icon will urge you to click more, and after 5 clicks a pop-up advertisment of a Treeloot sponsor will appear. On the statistics page, you can check the "tree compass", a new addition to the game. The "tree compass" lets you know where prizes are located on the tree (vaguely, I might add) and tells you which direction to move since your last "click". Once you get close, the compass will dissapear. The older version had something similar, where one of the monkeys (Madame Banana Breath) would tell you that you are sooooooo close....and that you should continue clicking in that area to win that prize. Yeah.....sure. Also on the statistics page, there is a clickable link to allow you to view "Helpful Tips" from Treeloot. Funny enough, "Don't play Treeloot, you're just wasting your time." isn't one of the tips given. I guess that's where I come in. ;o) I guess the best way to describe how this game works these days is to tell you how tonight's experience went.
MY GAMING EXPERIENCE:
As the front page of Treeloot.com's site first loaded, I was greeted by these words:
"WE GUARANTEE YOU'LL WIN! IF YOU DON'T WIN SOMETHING WITHIN 5 MINUTES, WE'LL CUT YOU A CHECK FOR $100.00. GUARANTEED"
In order to begin playing, I had to enter an email address when prompted. Knowing what a spam-happy site Treeloot is, I happily gave them an email account that I specifically use for junk only. *grin*
First click: YOU HAVE WON $20.00!!! Continue playing for the next five minutes as a bonus....and add more to your account before cashing out!
"That sure was quick." I thought. I was very skeptical I'd see the money they were referring to, but I continued to play, making notes for this review.
I played for the next 5 minutes, and only got about 25 banana bucks. After my 5 minute "bonus" was over, I was prompted to "cash out" my winnings.
While attempting to cash out, I was directed to yet another fill-out form. "It is necessary to get this information so we can process your winnings" the form implied. What's on the form is what's equally disturbing.
On the form, you are asked to give every bit of personal information about yourself as possible. They want your name, your address, your birthdate, your HOME PHONE NUMBER. Not only that, but you are required to select from a listing of interests what you have an interest in. Oh, and you can't avoid this either....you must select at least 5 boxes, or you will not be allowed to continue to the next page so you can "cash out" your winnings. And, if you are a big enough sucker to provide you with your PERSONAL CELL PHONE number, you will be aptly rewarded with 100 banana bucks on the spot. Pfffffftttt...........
After filling out the we'll-spam-you-form with incorrect information *grin again*, I found my initial $20.00 winnings were actually $20.00 of...yes, banana bucks. Yet another scam. On the original winner's notification, the monkey does not inform you that your $20.00 win was in banana bucks, but it is worded to make you believe that it was actual cash. And why not....who would fill out a form of such personal information for crummy banana bucks, hmm?? They know exactly what deceptive dealings they are doing at Treeloot.com, but as long as they make money, they don't care about your personal rights.
So...how about those banana bucks?:
Well, after about one hour of play, I had accumulated about 180 banana bucks. I decided to view the prize page, to see what Treeloot.com is now offering in exchange for them. Most of the prizes are not really "prizes" at all, but merely the usual online offers you could get at the same rate without spending any time at Treeloot.com for. Columbia House ring a bell? Yep. You can get "blah blah blah" videos for only 47 cents when you join. Oh, and that only costs about 25 banana bucks. PUH-LEEEEZE! There is only two tangible prizes available at Treeloot.com A stuffed "Treeloot boxing monkey" and a "Treeloot watch".
The Treeloot watch is about the same quality watch you can pick up at any dollar store for a buck, however it costs 2,250 banana bucks to earn. I wouldn't be suprised if the winner is forced to pay an outrageous amount of postage for the cheap item. That's what Treeloot's reputation is like.
The monkey was a huge laugh for me, since I played the older version of the game. In the older version, you would be allowed to play the "Fight the Monkey" game after about an hour and a half of gameplay. In this mini-game, you were transported to a miniture boxing ring with a monkey for some fun that would make any PETA activist turn red. If you managed to knock the monkey senseless in the time allowed, you would be awarded this exact same stuffed monkey as a prize. (Hence the fact the toy is wearing boxing gloves and boxer shorts.) I guess giving out a few stuffed monkeys was just too generous for Treeloot.com, and now you must spend days on the site clicking in order to "earn" the coveted boxing beanie for 1,800 banana bucks. The "Fight the Monkey" game is still around, but now your prize is 50 banana bucks if you beat him. Excuse me while I hold back my excitement.
Every once in a while, you will be allowed to play "bonus round" games after every 80 clicks or so on the main game. These rounds allow you to click a "smaller" version of the tree 3 times. They claim that since the tree is smaller, your chances of winning are better. Don't wager on it.
So, basically, you end up in a loop....clicking away while the monkeys tell you how well you are doing....lining the pockets of Treeloot.com by supporting their sponsors and being bombarded by pop-up advertisements. Treeloot makes money, and you waste hours of your precious life away, listening to a cartoon monkey. Gee, what fun.
THE MONKEYS:
I'm not sure if the monkeys themselves have actual names, but in my boredom, I've named them myself. Here are the demonic primates that make Treeloot.com the scam success it is:
Madame Banana Breath: She's a monkey that's dressed in a gypsy/fortune teller's outfit who speaks in the worst sterotypical fashion. (Think Zsa Zsa Gabor on crack.) She's got her own mini-game, where you must choose a number card that "She's thinking of" while she gazes into her crystal ball. If you choose the correct card 1 through 9, you'll be allowed to play a click the mini-tree game for 3 clicks.
Professor Monkeystein: He's an Albert Einstein look-alike who provides you with statistics. He's the one who shows up every once in a while to let you know what a lucky dog you are for winning "so and so many" banana bucks, and alerts you to how long you have been playing.
Boxing Monkey Guy: He shows up once in a blue moon to let you know how many clicks you have left to get the honor of "fighting him in the ring" to win yourself some more, worthless banana bucks.
Robo-Monkey: A new addition to the game, this is the monkey you see most often. He is some sort of gruesome animal-testing experiment gone wrong. He looks like "The Terminator" where Arnie was a little beaten up. Complete with his mechanical tail, one robo-arm, and a single red laser eye, he is the most disturbing of the group. His job is to continue pushing you to play the game, promising over and over that the money is yours if you just keep playing.....
Monkey of the Occult: This monkey is also a new addition to the Treeloot primates. He's strangely dressed ala "Harry Potter", complete with pentagram wand and pet bat. He controls yet another "mini-tree-3-click" bonus round, but in this version, the tree is eerily dead. Hmmm...
WHAT THE MONKEY'S WILL TELL YOU (AND THE REAL TRANSLATION):
Just for fun, here are some examples of what lies these monkeys will try to use on you to continue playing. Luckily, my computer is equipped with a "fibbing monkey" translator. Here is the exact quotes, and what they are really saying:
Keep at it, Friend! You're doing great!
(That's right loser....keep clicking! We love the money you are making us!)
Winning is so easy here, Friend. All you have to do is click. Give it another shot!
(You don't have a chance of winning, but keep clicking you zombie!!!)
Give it another shot, Friend! The more you click, the better your chances of winning!
(Hahahaha....maybe greed will encourage you to do my bidding......)
Keep at it, Friend! The next click could make you rich!
(Click, you worthless moron! Do as I say or pay the price!)
What a cool game! Point, click and win! Keep clickin', you're doing great!
(Sad fool, I own you now! Point, click, and lose! Keep going, humanoid!)
Your wallet looks a little empty, Friend. Keep clicking and you can win... That'll really fatten your wallet up!
(You must be the most pathetic person I've ever met....surely you must be poor AND dumb to continue playing as long as you have! Fatten MY wallet, slave!)
FINAL THOUGHT:
One of the biggest spam-scams with a recipe for success, the main reason they are still in business. Treeloot is a bogus game, and you have no chance of winning. Please don't waste your time on this website. All you will do is subject yourself to frustration, wear out your mouse while Treeloot uses your personal information to make themselves rich via sponsors and other shady means.
Recommended:
No
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Epinions.com ID:
queenofallevil
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Reviews written: 29
Trusted by: 49 members
About Me:
I thought I was out....but they keep pulling me back in!
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