JetSmarter Tried to Extort the Verge for Positive Coverage ⇥ theverge.com

T.C. Sottek, the Verge:

We’ve seen plenty of aggressive requests from companies that want positive coverage, but perhaps none as absurd as what we just got from JetSmarter — a startup that’s been called the “Uber for private jets.” In exchange for a demonstration of the service (a round-trip flight in the US), JetSmarter sent us an agreement that demands an uncritical puff piece.

The rub? JetSmarter wanted the credit card number of a Verge reporter, so that it could charge them $2,000 if they didn’t publish a positive story “within 5 business days.”

It’s almost as though one can’t create an on-demand luxury services startup without falling into massive ethical quandaries.