|
Sep 28 |
Google Imposters still aroundTagged Under : Google scam, matchmaker, scam, Sphere Marketing, Storm Media, Top Spot Marketing, Zenith MarketingPosted in Matchmaker Marketing by Sian |
Another update on Matchmaker Marketing and their aliases.
Last week I had an email from a friend, Finnella Naughton at Barter It and Babymoments, letting me know she’d heard from a company in the UK who could get her on the first page of Google. Was it a scam? Is it ever!! Finnella forwarded on their email – they are using the Google Ireland logo as though they have some sort of affiliation with Google – they don’t. It is so easy to see how people fall for their spiel and then the email looking like it’s Google too.
Today Ronan O’Brien mentioned he’d been contacted by them aswell. He let me know on Twitter and has written on his blog about them.
I spoke to a company on our directory today and he said he was being contacted constantly by these companies and now he won’t entertain their calls at all but he could see how people are fooled as at first he thought he was talking to Google.
I am still receiving emails weekly about these companies – even one from France last week that had read my comments somewhere and she’d paid them and couldn’t get her money back.
Originally (from when I first heard about it in May 2009) they were calling themselves Matchmaker Marketing. Now they are calling themselves Top Spot Marketing - coincidence that we sell Top Spots on our directory and they use Whatswhat for their call list!! Other names they use are Storm Media, Sphere Marketing, Apex Media and Zenith Marketing. That we know of. Please let me know if you have heard of them using other names. Storm Media are based in Spain but can track them back to where the rest are based in Cheshire, UK and their number starts with 0161 (0044 161 in Ireland). Just type Matchmaker Marketing Scam into Google and see the results that come up.
Matchmaker Marketing had to remove their Google logo and Google adwords accreditation from their website as they were using them without permission. So now they set up as another company, rake in the money before being caught again and change names again. Despicable.
Google gave me their statement today to add to this:-
Please read my previous blog post for more details.
If you can let as many people know about this as possible that would really help. Unfortunately it’s people that don’t read blogs that are more than likely to be caught by this.
Beware and be safe from scams
Sian
We’ve had these guys on to us as well.
Good link to Googles reseller programmer
Have read the blog, and ZENITH have a base here in Suffolk. They foolishly did not use a Number Bar so I was able to retrace the calls.
Sian, this is BIG! I recommend that you also send the details to the BBC Watchdog Programme and encourage all other users to do the same… This is a very big scam that is hitting world wide.
I have made my own reports to them before, but when there is only ONE they do not really give it any notice… Now Whatswhat are blogging about it – we may be able to get some interest
This drives me nuts – I run a SEO company here in Dublin and my clients get these calls all the time and then phone me saying “just had x on the phone, they say they can get us…” add the rest yourself – but it all crazy promises.
To quote Mork from years ago shasbat!! we have been done by these guys too, they are good – very convincing posted us the glossy wallet type brochure and all. One of your other contributors is right this needs high level exposure RTE or TV3 be it radio or tv show warning about this scam. I would not have known about it till I read your blog.. with that sinking feeling.
Good work keep it up.
Brian.
Hi ,i know the feeling ..i took it they were affiliated with google when i signed up..when your new to business you get hooked in very easily by somone promising you the world..As the saying goes..YOU LEARN BY YOUR MISTAKES..
another company to watch out for with shite advertising is the community network offering you tv advertising in shops..when you sign up for a year it turns out to be 2 years,,,CHECK THE VERY CONFUSING SMALL PRINT AND THE SMALL BOXES WITH THE TICKS THE SALES REP DOES AFTER YOU SIGN…if you were in a shop would you stop and look at the tv for 20 seconds,,and if you miss the end of the add would you wait an hour to see it again…i didnt think so…just shows you how many people will actually look at the add in a year..1200 a year turns into 2400 for 2years…
I have been caught out by Top Spot Marketing and am all over taking court procedings to get my money back!
I have been done by Storm Media and have tried to cancel my payment which they won’t allow. Card cancelled and told them to whistle for it. Have thankfully emailed them all the links associated to their scam. Usually on the ball but must have had a very weak moment when they called!?
Ya, Apex media got me. But I was able to at least charge back some of the money they conned out of me. Apex Media (apexmedia.biz) are based in Altrincham, their site looks like it was built by a four year old. They are scum and I’m sure it will catch up with them. They threatening to send a debt collector after me who’ll claim 200% interest. I had to laugh at that one, but it shows they will do anything to con people even after they have been caught out.
Got caught by apex media. biz myself back in may claimed I would be on page 1 for my removal service, not so. Cancelled credit card back in june before another payment was made to them. Got letter this morning it was going to debt collecting company who will claim the balance will exceed 200% the of the original amount. I emailed a James Ireland who was adamant I owed him €170 but would accept £85 to cancel account I emailed him back telling him what to do with himself looking forward to hearing from his debt collecter. it is hard enough to make a honest dollar these days without these scumbags on your case