I can't believe what I encountered when searching for a manual in PDF format. I had a need to locate an original owner's manual for a device that I have to support at work. I was looking for a source for an original owner's manual for a Thermo-Ramsey model 10-301 belt scale integrator and in the Google results there was a website listed near the top of the search results "firstclass-downloads.com" showing a result for the manual that I needed. I followed the links and when I reached the download page I was prompted to pay a subscription to the website in order to gain access to the manual. Since I really wanted to have a copy of the original owner's manual I input my credit card information on the secure purchase page and to my surprise I was re-directed to a download page for Media Crawler at media-crawler.com. I thought I was purchasing from firstclass-downloads.com but instead I had purchased a piece of software that supposedbly would allow me to now search for media files when I thought I was purchasing a subscription so that I could gain access to the manual that firstclass-downloads.com showed me in their results page and indicated that it was available to download through their member's area.
All of this exercise that I just described to you is a shady marketing system either operated by media crawler or an affiliate of media crawler to direct unsuspecting users to purchase their software. I think it is deplorable and deceptive. It is typical of "bait and switch" tactics that are used elsewhere on the world wide web. Apparently the credit card processor for Media Crawler is Avangate at www.avangate.com. They are refusing refunds in behalf of Media Crawler. This is also an unacceptable and unlawful practice on the part of Avangate. They should, if they are a reputable company, drop the Media Crawler software from it's processing list including all so-called affiliates.
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