Here is the latest telemarketing scam that is crossing America and costing Americans millions of dollars. This is what has happened to me, so far, and it is unfortunately the norm rather than the exception.
Close-Up TV News contacted me via telephone and led me to believe that I was contracting for interviews on Close-UP TV News. The paperwork I later received referred to Close-Up Talk Radio. Never did anything or anyone refer to or use “blog talk radio”. I actually did not know until about two minutes before the interview, when I called-in for the interview, that the interview was being conducted under “blog talk radio”, NOT Close-Up TV News or Close-Up TV News Radio. That was extremely misleading and a misrepresentation on their part.
In my case, the services Close-Up TV News provided were, and are not in dispute:
The 4 interviews
The 30 second promotions
The DVD recordings
Press release with photo or video distribution to major news outlets - there was nothing personalized about this. The release was distributed through a random newspaper clipping service.
The services not provided were: Close-Up TV continues to not address these services.
The email list - Anthony Holmes required that I agree to clear my calendar to be available to accept requests for public speaking engagements and be able to travel after he sent requests to the Fortune 500 companies urging them to schedule me. According to Holmes, “If we tell a Fortune 500 company to hire someone, they do”. I agreed.
Press release with photo or video distribution to media publications
Press release with photo or video distribution to networks - Anthony Holmes required that I agree to clear my calendar to be available to accept requests for interviews and be able to travel after he sent requests to the networks and radio and television talk shows urging they schedule me. I agreed.
Promotional campaign for products, services, books, etc.
Provide company visibility on the major search engines
Professionally scripted interviews
Live streaming from website (Holmes insisted this feature be added to my website)
Podcast of interview series (Holmes insisted this feature be added to my website)
Stats on live callers to show
Stats on listeners
Detailed year long media campaign
Under the second contract dated 1/17 the same applies. Close-Up TV continues to not address these services.
Provided:
Website design – Close-Up TV News did not redesign page 1 however I do not dispute that Kevin Rocke recommended that a pix be relocated, and I did that. Rocke also answered a question re the legality of using the guest book feature. Rocke made no changes on page 2 and there was no input, suggestions or recommendations for page 3; though Rocke did compliment me on a job well done.
The website was actually an existing working website that had been designed and maintained by me. The redesign had been demanded of Close-Up TV News (Anthony Holmes and Louis Ceparano) and the work was to be completed prior to the release of the press release or the first interview. I felt I had no choice but to agree – a contract was never signed.
Not Provided: Close-Up TV continues to not address these services.
Website tech support – Questions were asked and not answered. The banner was changed without authorization or approval. I asked that those changes be removed – they were not. While I liked the visual affect, it was not usable because it was not layered.
Website design completion – There was no input on pages 2 or 3; unauthorized changes were not undone.
The third contract which was signed on 3/20 was for services to be provided starting 4/26. That contract was cancelled on 4/4. ABSOLUTELY NOTHING WAS PROVIDED ON THAT CONTRACT! Close-Up TV claims the terms of this contract were met when it had not even begun. This contract was contingent upon the completion of Contracts 1 and 2. Holmes assured me Ceparano was putting in the mail all the documentation I requested. After two weeks when there was nothing further done on Contracts 1 and 2, Contract 3 was cancelled by me.
This is not a small thing! This I believe, and from the feedback I have gotten from others, is a major telemarketing scam – and a company that is not even licensed in Florida, where I am.
0 comments