Let's cut to the chase: Ranktracker straight-up scammed a bunch of us with their "lifetime" deal.
They offered it on AppSumo back in 2021, raked in the cash, and now they're demanding an extra $99 a year for "support" just to let us use the damn thing (even though we already paid for it!).
Yep, you read that right.
Felix Rose-Collins can try to spin it however he wants, but we're calling BS. This smells of a shady cash grab, and as a part of the community, we feel the need to raise awareness about this fellow right here.
Who is Felix Rose-Collins, Anyway?
On the surface, Felix seems legit.
He studied Computing at Brockenhurst College and has a some background in SEO.
Before starting Ranktracker, he worked as an SEO Specialist at companies like SEMRocket and BookingBug (which is now JRNI, in case you were wondering).
It seemed like he was on the up-and-up with Ranktracker. He managed to grow the company and scored a deal with AppSumo. So yeah, from the outside looking in, Felix was steadily becoming a success story.
But What Happened? Why Is Felix Rose-Collins on Our Smelly List?
Look, we've all seen shady stuff in the LTD space, but this Ranktracker situation just feels dirty.
It's not just about the money and the greed, though that's a big part of it.
It's about the way Felix and his team went about it—the lack of transparency, the bait and switch. the silencing of criticism, the whole nine yards.
And the most frustrating part is he knew what he was doing.
They launched that AppSumo deal, promised us all the good SEO stuff, and then after the deal ends bam—surprise paywall. “Pay up again if you want to use our tool!”.
No email notifs beforehand about the sudden change as well.
They're claiming it's for "support," but come on, locking people out of their accounts unless they cough up more cash?
That's not support, that's extortion.
And the worst part?
Felix is acting like we're the unreasonable ones.
He's ignoring the complaints, deleting negative reviews, and hiding behind generic responses when asked or confronted about it.
He didn’t even respond to Appsumo when they reached out to him.
Oh, and did we mention that he tries so hard to silence blogs and articles that are calling him out? We won’t be surprised if he reads this and tries to take this one out too.
It's insulting. It's like he thinks we're stupid enough to fall for it.
We're not. We see you, Felix. And once again, we're calling you out.
Read more about the RankTracker review and feedback from his customers here.
Is Ranktracker Just the Tip of the Iceberg?
Right now, Ranktracker is the only project publicly linked to Felix Rose-Collins. Thank goodness, right?
It seems like he's poured his energy into building it up, and for a while, it seemed to be working.
But the recent AppSumo debacle has us wondering: is this a pattern of behavior?
Is it possible he's pulled similar stunts in the past, just under the radar?
We're keeping our eyes peeled. If you've encountered Felix Rose-Collins or any of his ventures before, especially in the LTD space, we want to hear about it.
Let's work together to expose any shady practices and protect the LTD community.
The Bottom Line: Steer Clear of Ranktracker (and Felix Rose-Collins)
We hate to say it, but the evidence speaks for itself (plus the many LTD users who had voiced out their complaints).
Felix (and by extension, Ranktracker) has shown a blatant disregard for their LTD customers. They scammed their customers, silenced critiques, fabricated positive reviews… their actions reek of a SaaS company more interested in profits than integrity.
Our advice? Steer clear of Ranktracker.
Don't be tempted by their promises, no matter how good the deal seems (Spoiler alert: some people have also called out the sub-par features of the tool itself as well).
And keep a close eye out for Felix Rose-Collins—if he'll be involved in a future project, it's probably best to proceed with extreme caution.
We’re not sure what the outcome will be regarding this issue, but we’ll keep you updated here at Smelly Tools.
With all of that said, the SaaS LTD industry can be a minefield. Sometimes, we’ll encounter BS like this, but we can navigate it together.
Stay informed, share your experiences, and let's hold these smelly founders accountable.
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