*notice..!! This ripoff has nothing to do with Google search engine - many rip-off businesses use the Google name to fool consumers.
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Recently, a representative contacted me claiming that he was from Google in an attempt to sell me Google sponsored links at a lower cost than what I currently pay Google for clicks. They said that their flat rate service would enable me to get a better price and greater return on investment than what I currently spend with Google. Through time and inquiry I came to learn that this person did not represent Google, but was representing Performance Media Placement - supposedly a Google Qualified Company. What that means is that 2 people in their company at some point passed an exam that enables them to put a link on their site to Google as follows: https://adwords. Google.com/professionals/profile/org? Id=05854057105210448874&hl=en_US This link shows (you'll have to copy and past it) that the company has managed a Google account for 90 days and had a couple of employees or owners pass the exam. You may also notice that the company listed is Premium Local Listings, not Performancemediaplacement.com (we'll get to that reason later). Being a Google Qualified individual myself, I understand the process well. Google does offer some small financial incentives to Google Qualified companies (I take advantage of them personally), but the click costs are exactly the same for every company or individual buying clicks from Google for Qualified and non-Qualified buyers alike. So the first 2 statements they made to me: 1. They called representing Google 2. They can get a better cost on my clicks Both are lies. Sure, there are some Quality Score nuances that can be optimized in sponsored link campaigns, but certainly not enough variance to really increase my return on investment while cutting them a slice of my budget - that's a fallacy. When I asked their representative if they could tell me how much of my budget was actually spent on Google, he couldn't give me a real explanation and just repeated the lie that their flat rate program would cost me less. This prompted some research - especially after noticing they had a different company name cited on their Google Qualified link (Premium Local Listings). I found they have changed their name almost constantly. Here is a list of company names they have used just in the last 2 years: premiumlocallistings.com performancelocallistings.com performancemediaplacement.com pl411.com pll411.com pll-orange.com premierlocallistings.com g2411.com nw411.com Then, I found the complaints of their victims:
Http://complaintwire.org/Complaint. Aspx/WbhWX6afrACJIgjLdxnpzg
One victim who actually measured results posted this comment about the nature of the scam (found in yet another link complaining about a representative named Mike Markman http://complaintwire.org/Complaint. Aspx/Ch3MAZF-YgAJSgjKWaIeRg/2):
"I was burned by Performance Media Placement when they told me they could get a better price on my clicks that I was buying using Google Adwords (lie). The fact is Performance Media Placement pays exactly what I pay for clicks directly from Google or other legitimate PPC management companies pay. Here's a simple fact - legit companies that do Pay Per Click management don't hide their actual spend on Google. For example, if I worked with say Jump Fly, a professional PPC management company, they disclose every penny they spend on clicks and also the percentage of my budget that they take a fee. That way, I know exactly how much I'm paying Google for clicks and how much they are charging me to manage my campaign. Don't take my word for it, just see http://complaintwire.org/awl/nb/r. Ashx? Ue=Qb0hmLn5Wajlmcw9SbvNmL5xmZw1Wdq5yd3d3LvoDc0RHa When I tracked the results, I wound up paying 6 times per click with Performance Media Placement's flat rate program than I was paying when I was managing it myself. There is a good reason why they don't disclose their actual spend on Google. If they did disclose the real cost of the campaigns they sell, people would run for the hills. So, Truth, when will Performance Media Placement give their clients cost transparency? The answer is 'never' if they plan on staying in business. What it boils down to is a horribly overpriced PPC management service that only serves to water down the real value of advertising on Google." As I suspected, it's a full blown con. These guys are preying on businesses and giving Google Adwords a bad name by diluting the value of a sponsored link campaign by masking their real spend with a flat rate illusion. I'm going to spare the sales person's name who lied to me over the phone, but the next time I get a call from these con artists, I'm publishing names here. It's likely I will because they just registered another domain name to mask all of the easy to find complaints. The new name is Performance Local Marketing (www.performancelocalmarketing.com). The scam is getting a new clean name to burn in time. All of these websites appear to be developed, owned and operated by PBH LLC (www.pbhllc.com). Needless to say, Buyer Beware.
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