This is a LONG story. And this is mostly a copy of a letter I sent to my credit card company. I added some things to explain in the body and at the end, to tell you how things ended up.
This MESS started in APRIL and it is SEPTEMBER and I STILL have this company on my back with their FRAUDULENT charges! Anyhow. Here is my story: (* and if you are a company out there looking for MORE exposure on the internet... DO NOT CHOOSE CITYSEARCH!)
Somewhere around the middle of April, approximately April 15th I was contacted by a sales representative named Charles Alston of Atlanta, GA employed by the Internet search engine 'Citysearch' in regards to adding our small local 4 bay automotive repair business to their 'paying' search engine for a fee.
Mr. Charles Alston the sales rep from Atlanta advised me that my fee would be $9.95 per month and 30 cents per click when a prospective customer found my link online and actually clicked on the link to my 'Citysearch' page.
He also told me that there would be a 'cap' on the account so I could never go over my advertising budget. He recommended a cap of $400. I immediately told Mr. Alston that our budget was EXTREMELY tight and that I could not agree to a cap of that amount, so it would HAVE to be a no go. He kept reassuring me that at 30 cents per click on a small auto repair facilityI would have NO worries about coming in ANYwhere NEAR the $400 cap he set. He said my clicks would be minimal at first, then would probably pick up with time and more internet exposure. But he kept REPEATEDLY assuring me I had NOTHING to fear with that $400 cap that they put on the accounts... I wouldn't come anywhere NEAR that after I over and over and over told him I could DEFINITELY not afford that amount in my advertising budget.
Let me reiterate that We are a small 4 bay independent and family owned general auto repair shop. Mr. Alston was a smooth and kind gentleman who totally convinced me I had NOTHING to fear. I trusted him. I mean to run up over 1000 clicks and run the bill up to $400 at 30 cents per click in LESS than 30 days??? Doesn't sound likely, does it?
WELL, low and beholdmy Credit card monthly statement arrives with a Citysearch charge..
$400 PLUS $9.95 monthly service fee. They are CLAIMING that we MAXED out our 'clicks' at 30 cents per click in UNDER ONE months time!!! We didn't even BEGIN to advertise with them until mid/late April! When I called to 'investigate' my $409.95 charge they proceeded to tell me I was already over owing $200 in the NEXT billing period! I proceed to tell them that this was TOTALLY unacceptable and I told them to immediately cancel my account. I then called the dispute department at the credit card company to file a dispute. I totally feel I was 'taken' by this company. Charles seemed so honest and all, and I don't blame him as a salesman. I do believe someone BEHIND the scenes is having fun clicking on new accounts to max them out from different internet ip addresses and different internet providers, and I totally intend to take this to the Connecticut States Attorney general AND retain a lawyer if necessary to get to the bottom of this.
On one of the dates on file, they CLAIM we had over 250 hits! That is totally ludicrous!
I emailed and then called Charles, my sales rep directly, who at first did NOT return my calls or answer my emails for a few days.
I then spoke to customer service, who promised to get back to me. They didn't.
I then called Charles again, and finally got through to him. He said he had been out of work when I first tried to contact him.
Next, I get a sarcastic phone message from 'customer service' saying they will definitely NOT credit my credit card, that I agreed to the $400 cap, and I hit it, and they were sorry, but they wouldn't give me ANY credit at all.
When I talked to Charles, he seemed VERY understanding. He PROMISED to look into it, he promised to talk to his managers, and his managers promised me reports and he told me HE never expected me to hit anywhere near the max hits and that 'in his opinion' many of the days did indeed look 'high' for daily hits and that he would get his supervisors to run a report to see where the hits had all come from.
On June 6 Charles emailed me that he was still waiting on the reports. And I to this date in September, NEVER received the illusive "reports"
The bottom line is, I was 'taken' in. Yes, I verbally agreed to the $400 cap. I have to admit that. But, even with that said I was told over and over and over and over (and if they tape their sales conversations. It will be on tape) by Charles that I wouldn't come NEAR that amount and I told HIM over and over and over (and that would be on tape too!).. I definitely could NOT afford $400 in advertising. I even received an email where Charles ADMITS to telling me that I wouldn't come so close to that high amount. So, I feel I was swindled, then set up and tricked via the internet to sign up for a 'per click' service that is totally TAMPERED with.
I was THEN charged an additional amount of $363.70 for the NEXT month for a GRAND total of $773.65 in LESS that SIXTY DAYS! Ridiculous! I also want to again reiterate how I did receive a MEAN, and OBNOXIOUS call from a Los Angeles number following my initial complaint stating I had 'agreed' to their program and NO credit AT ALL would be issued. The rep was totally RUDE.
I received an email from Charles Alston, my rep. On July 2nd stating that I would receive a $69 credit (what a JOKE!)— which I NEVER received AT ALLanyways and I wrote him and TOLD him that was totally UNACCEPTABLE— and they NEVER issued me the credit anyhow.
I filed a dispute w / my credit card company. I just got word that Citysearch NEVER responded to the dispute inquiry, so the case was found in my favor and I would not be charged on my credit Credit card. WELL! Guess what I just got! A COLLECTIONS letter from CitySearch saying they have sent my account to a COLLECTIONS agency to get me to pay my 'outstanding' balance of $773.65.
I have been told by my attorney that this is in violation of the 'Fair Trade Credit act' — to pursue collecting a debt that was found fraudulent by a credit card Company.
Anyhow..
My advice..
Do not agree to any adversting with citysearch. Do not use their service for searches. It is a scam.
Also, as a side note, I tried to call Mr. Charles Alston, my sales rep when I received this most recent collections letter, AND Tried to send him an email. The email was returned Undeliverable! AND his phone number is no longer VALID. Either he was fired for telling me a LIE about the 'cap' I would NEVER hit, or he came to his senses and got another job in Atlanta for a reputable company.
Againavoid citysearch!!!
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