Complaint / Review
Backpage.com, Oc Weekly
Discrimination

I placed an ad with Backpage.com after looking through their site and noticing several other websites like my own listed. The ad ran for ONE day. I will say the actual response was wonderful, but what happened was not.

The next morning I got up to zero website hits, I waited an hour or so thinking maybe people were asleep, still nothing, so I then checked the links to my ads. When I did this it said they were "NOT FOUND" and to contact support.

I immediately did so and received a response that it was against their terms of service to place the same ad in different categories. I cited that my ad was applicable Nationwide and was told it would be reviewed by the support manager.

While waiting for an answer I compiled a list of all the different ads in the different states and cities comparable to mine. I listed the actual links for them and showed that MY site was exactly the same as the ones listed, only smaller. I then sent this to Backpage.com figuring it would automatically clear up the issue.

Wrong. I received this answer in response:

I heard back from the support manager.

"We aren't taking any new sites like this.

We may open this up in the future, but those ads will have to run in Phone & Websites.

We have some traffic deals with some sites that will eventually expire (like the ads you outlined below).

I have to leave the decision up to them as Iam too nice sometimes.

You should see the money back on your card today.

Good luck in promoting your website.

Check back in a couple of months and I'll let you know if we're good to acceptthose again.

Best,

[email protected]"

I feel that the site should have to state this OPENLY and BEFORE any payment is accepted. It is completely unfair of them to accept advertising from one site and NOT from another, especially when it is stated NO WHERE in their Terms of Service or on the site that they will not. I feel this is a clear cut case of "discrimination".

This has tied up my advertising $ and my credit card company says it will be so for at least 10 days.

There is NOTHING right with the entire situation and I feel the company is simply "selectively" choosing their advertisers under the guise of not accepting any further sites such as mine.