Bait & Switch
Complaint
Tired of the Scams
Country: United States
This is a classic bait and switch scam. The sales rep, Michael Warren, called my company up a month back and promised that we would be at the top of Google 24 hours a day. Now, A month later I received a call saying that my campaign was costing too much money and that they needed more money from me to stay there or they would cancel me. This is true bait and switch, they offered me placement and then when they couldn't perform as promised asked for more money. Don't get fooled!
Comments
https://complaintwire.org/Complaint.aspx/WbhWX6afrACJIgjLdxnpzg
Here is easy to use complaint link:
https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/FTC_Wizard.aspx?Lang=en
Just report the SPAM there. The company information is as follows:
PBH LLC dba Performance Media Placement
Owners - Carl Perkins and Duane Brinson
150 El Camino Real Suite 220. Tustin, CA 92780
Seriously, each of you who get this SPAM should be reporting every instance so you can put an end to their illegal practices.
https://adwords.google.com/support/select/pro ... n&answer=152979
According to Google, it is a violation of their terms to do the following:
Selling AdWords as 'listings', implying permanence
Guaranteeing certain ad placement, or that ads will appear at all times
It's in the link above, read it. As is selling first page placement, charging a flat fee for bulk keywords, etc.
As you can find within this post and on many other complaint posts this company violates many of Googles policies and laws:
Cold Calling and automated calls that are illegal in many states:
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-949-859-2301
https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-888-243-2488
Spam:
https://complaintwire.org/Complaint.aspx/Ch3MAZF-YgAJSgjKWaIeRg/3
http://www.mail-archive.com/cygwin@cygwin.com/msg27204.html
http://www.mail-archive.com/cygwin@cygwin.com/msg28532.html
http://www.jimcarroll.com/2003/10/the-lengths-theyll-go-to
As you can see Google is against the main selling points of this company and what the employees "guarantee":
* "Deceptive or non-transparent pricing...discounts on keywords, exception to the auction (don't have to pay by CPC, etc.), ability to purchase keywords in bulk..." - This company promises unlimited keywords and clicks at a flat monthly fee. How many PMP customers receive expense or click reports that show the Adwords budgeting?
* "Selling AdWords as 'listings', implying permanence" - This is in many of their resellers names and in the name of the site that carries the Google qualification.
* "Guaranteeing certain ad placement, or that ads will appear at all times" - As you can read in the replies, company sites, employee profile pages and fake testimonials from ignorant PMP employees, the main selling points are statements such as this: "We DO get our clients on the first page of Google in the sponsored link section 24/7 with unlimited clicks..." Please Marianne, check the TRUE attrition rate for this company.
For any current customers that want to see if this guarantee of 24/7 first page placement is being upheld ask for an "Impression Share Report". This report will tell you the percentage of time the ads were shown during a specific time period. Every keyword and ad should show 100%; if not, the first page 24/7 guarantee has been broken which is a violation of their own contract and grounds for a 100% refund. Request to receive this report directly from Google to avoid any possible manipulation from any employees of this company. The best bet would be to request Report Access to the account. Then you will be able see the data directly from the Google Adwords website.
More deceit from the company is the use of the qualification logo as can be seen here:
https://adwords.google.com/support/select/pro ... rc=cb&lev=index
http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/AdWords ... c25f02a43&hl=en
Below are some resources to report any wrong doings you may feel this company may be performing:
http://adwords.google.com/support/aw/bin/requ ... plaint&hl=en_US
https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/
http://www.sec.gov/complaint.shtml
http://www.ic3.gov/default.aspx
https://odr.bbb.org/odrweb/public/getstarted.aspx
http://www.onguardonline.gov/file-complaint.aspx
http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/coldcall.htm
http://www.complaintsboard.com/complaints/performance-local-listings-c220883.html
https://complaintwire.org/Complaint.aspx/WbhWX6afrACJIgjLdxnpzg/3
https://complaintwire.org/Complaint.aspx/PPI6MohK6QDT9QjMbb8e8A
http://www.ripoffreport.com/internet-marketing-companies/performance-media-pl/performance-media-placement-ri-8534e.htm
https://complaintwire.org/Complaint.aspx/hac6JzG8VgDULgjLZl0dog
As you can see, there is a big difference in what PMP discusses on this page, http://www.performancemediaplacement.com/Legitimate.asp, and the qualification they hold.
Below are links to the minimum requirements that any company should hold to manage Adwords accounts in my opinion.
http://www.google.com/intl/en/adwords/reseller
http://adwords.google.com/support/select/prof ... en&answer=12272
https://adwords.google.com/support/select/pro ... en&answer=18572
Any company selling Adwords shouldn't violate Googles polices:
http://www.adwords.google.com/support/select/ ... n&answer=152979
You can search for "Google Certified Partners" on Googles website here: https://adwords.google.com/professionals/search/
Good Luck!
Here are some tips that could be followed:
* Request everything any sales person tells you on the phone or in person in writing and/or get permission to record the phone call for your records. This is extremely important as "guarantees" are made by certain sales people that Google employees "...have no problem saying that all of these claims are completely false." As you can read here: http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/AdWords ... 79abadae6&hl=en
* Request, in writing, how much of your monthly fee will be spent on Adwords and/or the other PPC providers.
* Request "Read Only Access" to your Google Adwords campaign. You will be able to view the account to inspect keywords, ads, check the pricing and other valuable statistics like the amount of clicks and overall cost. You wont have the ability to make changes, but having access to this information to print out for your records is EXTREMELY important.
* If report access is refused or you just want to receive the reports, ask them to set up a regular schedule and send you these reports: Overall Campaign report showing pricing and all keywords and ads being used, Search Query Performance report, Impression Share Report, Keyword Performance Report, Ad Performance Report and Geographic Performance Report. These reports should come directly from Googles email: adwords-noreply@google.com.
* Check the placement of your ads regularly both in Google and using this tool:
https://adwords.google.com/select/AdTargetingPreviewTool. If your ad cannot be found take and save screenshots for your records.
If you look over all this information and you feel the performance is not as expected, talk to the company first to maybe gain a better understanding of the information and/or see what adjustments can be made to coincide with the promises made by the sales person. If there is a refusal to stick to the "guarantees" made by the company all the information above could be given to your bank to review your dispute. If you have not been directed to read and/or sign a contract, ensure to emphasize this point to your bank. Below are links showing some guarantees made by the company and the promise of "NO CONTRACTS":
http://www.ocgoogleguy.com/Businesses/OC_Google_Guy_Trabuco_Canyon_CA.htm
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/kurt-steinhebel/1a/10b/13b
http://www.listown.com/writing-editing-translation/oc/201002/143116.htm
http://www.searchterms.com/blog/local-search/ ... -be-successful/
These can be printed out and sent to the bank as well.
Another thing, why does PMP list that they advertise for people on sites like Yelp, Facebook, Merchant Circle, AOL, etc. as shown on every homepage of their "resellers"? Where are the terms non-existent for these listings in the PMP "contract" that many sales people, IN WRITING, say do not exist?
Another point, the FAQ on the PMP site states that every client get access to Google Analytics and phone tracking from kall8.com, yet this code can not be found on the landing pages. Why is that? If there is an extra fee for these programs I would imagine it would be stated somewhere within the site, yet it is not.
Are these examples of "Bait and Switch"? That is left up to interpretation, but here is what the FTC has to say: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/guides/baitads-gd.htm
-Begin Quote-
"Sec. 238.0 Bait advertising defined.1
Bait advertising is an alluring but insincere offer to sell a product or service which the advertiser in truth does not intend or want to sell. Its purpose is to switch consumers from buying the advertised merchandise, in order to sell something else, usually at a higher price or on a basis more advantageous to the advertiser. The primary aim of a bait advertisement is to obtain leads as to persons interested in buying merchandise of the type so advertised.
Sec. 238.1 Bait advertisement.
No advertisement containing an offer to sell a product should be published when the offer is not a bona fide effort to sell the advertised product. [Guide 1]
Sec. 238.2 Initial offer.
(a) No statement or illustration should be used in any advertisement which creates a false impression of the grade, quality, make, value, currency of model, size, color, usability, or origin of the product offered, or which may otherwise misrepresent the product in such a manner that later, on disclosure of the true facts, the purchaser may be switched from the advertised product to another.
(b) Even though the true facts are subsequently made known to the buyer, the law is violated if the first contact or interview is secured by deception."
-End Quote-
Please "Marianne", answer relevant questions about the company practices and other points brought up as opposed to performing "Reputation Management" the company talks about within their many sites.
Here are just a couple of the many URL's the company uses:
premiumlocallistings.com
performancelocallistings.com
performancemediaplacement.com
pl411.com
pll411.com
pll-orange.com
premierlocallistings.com
g2411.com
nw411.com
Also, Superior Local is a newer name. Typically, they hide the text of their web sites so as not to be found and connected.