Google Just Changed the Game: High-Ticket Coaching Schemes Are About to Face Reality. This is long overdue and a welcome change to launches
Post by Peter Hanley coachhanley.com
The day has finally come—and honestly, it was only a matter of time.
If you’ve ever clicked on an ad promising a “free masterclass” or a “$7 course,” only to find yourself on the receiving end of a $5,000+ upsell pitch, you know exactly what I’m talking about. That sinking feeling when you realize the “opportunity” wasn’t quite what was advertised? Yeah, that’s about to become a lot less common.
Google has just dropped a policy bomb that’s going to shake up the entire high-ticket coaching industry, and I’m here for it.
What’s Been Happening in the Coaching World
For years, the formula has been painfully predictable:
The bait: A webinar for $7. A “free” training. A low-cost workshop that promises to change your life.
The switch: Once you’re inside, the real pitch begins. Suddenly, you “need” the $3,000 mastermind. The $10,000 coaching package. The monthly subscription fees that were conveniently never mentioned in the ad.
Many people feel misled—and rightfully so. The full costs, the added commitments, and the actual results are often worlds apart from what was promised on that initial landing page.
Google’s New Transparency Rules: What You Need to Know
Starting October 28, 2025, Google is enforcing major changes to its Misrepresentation and Dishonest Pricing policies. Here’s what advertisers will now be required to do:
- Clearly disclose the full payment model before and after purchase—not just the entry price
- Reveal all costs upfront, including upsells, hidden fees, and recurring charges
- Stop bait-and-switch tactics that advertise something cheap or free with no intention of delivering as promised
- Be transparent about free trials, including trial periods and automatic billing
Violators will get a 7-day warning before facing serious penalties like account suspensions. Google isn’t playing around anymore.
You can check out Google’s full policy on Dishonest Pricing Practices for all the details.
Why High-Ticket Coaching Schemes Should Be Worried
Let’s be real: many programs in the coaching, personal development, and business opportunity spaces have built their entire model on this approach. And it’s worked—at least for them.
Here’s the typical funnel:
Step 1: Low-cost entry point designed to build trust and get people “in the door”
2: Back-office upsells that suddenly reveal the true cost—often thousands of dollars
3: Monthly subscriptions, renewals, or additional hidden costs buried in the fine print
The problem? When the initial marketing deliberately hides or downplays those higher costs, people feel trapped and deceived once they’re already invested.
Google is essentially saying: that ends now.
This isn’t Google’s first rodeo with cleaning up shady advertising practices. They’ve been cracking down on misleading representation, phishing-like tactics, and exaggerated claims for a while now. And you can bet that other platforms like Facebook will follow suit.
How Wealthy Affiliate Has Been Ahead of the Curve
At Wealthy Affiliate, we’ve been calling out these unethical practices for years. In fact, I wrote about this exact issue in a previous post: “The Coaching Scam is Alive and Well.”
The writing was on the wall then, and it’s even clearer now that Google has taken action.
We’ve always believed in putting customers first, and we’ve watched countless scams come and go in our industry. The “high-ticket” scheme has been one we’ve vocally opposed—and even fought against in court, winning a high-profile defamation lawsuit in the process.
The 4 Pillars of Ethical Business Practices
Any ethical company worth its salt knows that trust is built on four fundamental pillars:
PILLAR #1: Transparency in Pricing All costs are clear and upfront—including renewal fees, recurring charges, and exactly what services and tools are included. No surprises, no fine print tricks.
PILLAR #2: Value Over Hype We reject the overnight-riches narrative. No exaggerated returns, no guaranteed success with minimal effort. Just honest, realistic expectations.
PILLAR #3: Education and Empowerment Instead of hiding behind “guru mystique,” we focus on real education. Building a genuine business requires time, skill, and consistency—and yes, you’ll face failures and setbacks along the way.
PILLAR #4: Long-Term, Sustainable Relationships Our model helps people gradually grow their business and skills. No pressure tactics, no forcing big purchases without proven value.
Because of these principles, Wealthy Affiliate is perfectly aligned with where Google is heading. And honestly? We believe these changes will create a healthier, more trustworthy online marketing ecosystem for everyone.
What This Means for the Future of Online Marketing
Here’s the bottom line: more rules mean fewer shady players in the market.
Is that a bad thing? Absolutely not.
For legitimate businesses that have always operated with integrity, these policy changes are actually good news. They level the playing field and make it harder for scammers to compete using deceptive tactics.
For consumers? This is a massive win. More transparency means better-informed decisions and fewer people getting trapped in expensive programs that don’t deliver on their promises.
For the high-ticket coaching world? It’s time to adapt or get left behind.
The Takeaway
Google’s new pricing transparency policy isn’t just a minor update—it’s a statement about the future of digital advertising. The era of hiding costs, pressuring customers, and using bait-and-switch tactics is coming to an end.
And frankly, it’s about time.
If you’re building a business online, now is the moment to double down on transparency, authenticity, and genuine value. The shortcuts are closing, and the businesses that thrive will be the ones that have been doing things right all along.
The high-ticket coaching scam had a good run. But October 2025 marks the beginning of a new era—one where honesty and transparency aren’t just nice-to-haves, they’re requirements.
