I own a small window cleaning company and had just started my yelp account. I had some customers write some yelp reviews and was starting to get a little work from something that took only minutes too set up. I was happy to find free online advertising. But then I got a call from yelp saying that I had awesome reviews and that they were going to offer me a really good deal on advertising that would forsure lead to more job's. Expecting a new born I was a little bit worried spending money on a risk. I told him that I was all good with the advertising I was doing and that it was out of budget. He came up with rebutle after rubtle untill I hung up the phone.
Two months passed and I had a little daughter. I got a couple of new reviews and was getting more and more work from yelp. Then I get a call from another sales guy from yelp. This time he had another offer that was a little more reasonable. Since I allready had some good results I was a little more interested. He played me a little video clip of another window cleaner that did really good by advertising with yelp. At the time I was working less and less because of the baby so I thought it was a no brainer. He told me that I shoud see a major boost in sales quick because it was instant not like google add words where it takes months. He said I would be right at the top when people searched for me.
I signed up and thats when it went down the tubes. Some how all my reviews got filtered and then nothing. I was so mad I couldn't beleive it. I just signed up for a six month $3,000 contract and now I have no reviews. I called my yelp rep just to be told he couldn't do anything that it was up to the robots that controlled the website. Which is funny because the sales guy told me that they were in full control of the website and that it wasn't like google add words. I was even more pissed when the yelp rep told me to do a yelp deal for fifty percent off. I didn't get on yelp to be doing cheap labor. I signed up so I charge more bassed on good reviews. So I cancelled and shelled out the $450 cancelation fee.in total I spent a little over a $1000 and saw no return.
Yelp is using its clean image to lure in small buisnesses in then make as much money off you intill you pay the fee to cancel. They control the reviews not some renagade cyborg computer troll. My recomondation is to stay away from anyone trying to sell you advertising over the phone. Even if they seem like there for a legit organization.
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