Complaint / Review
Qwest Dex Media
High pressure Misleading Sales Tactics Ripoff

My dealings with Qwest Dex was about a year and a half ago. I was invited to a Dex advertising meeting on the premise that I could learn about advertising in the telephone directory.

I did attend the meeting. The meeting consisted of a motivational speaker. The Dex speaker went thru the entire meeting touting figures and facts about failed businesses and how they "under advertised " in the phone directory. While all the time using this scare as a way to get you to buy a bigger ad in the DEX directory.

He was big on promising the high quality and
good results that would occur by using the Qwest Dex directory to advertise in. He would also use value reassurance statements like "we want you as a customer for life"

I was definatly worried by the end of the meeting that my planned budjet wasnt going to be enough. Needless to say I spent a large sum of money on the DEX ad.

I fortunatly also advertised in the Yellow Book directory (please note YELLOW BOOK is NOT affiliated with DEX). The following year I noticed a huge differance between the results the ads were getting. The lower priced Yellow Book Ad was kicking the crap out of the DEX ad. I polled every customer on what directory they used in finding my phone number, it was upper 90 per cent Yellow Book.

The yellow book ad cost me about 25% what the DEX ad costed. And yellow book out performed DEX by a huge amount. I feel RIPPED off by QWEST DEX. BEWARE of the selling tactics they use. If you are thinking about telephone directory advertising. Check and see what other directorys are used in your area.

The yellow book directory was easy to use the DEX directory was cluttered with oversized ads making it harder to use. Even with the large amount of money I spent on DEX it made NO difference.

This last year I went exclusive with the yellow book directory and doubled what I spent on them last year (this is still under half what i spent the year before on DEX). I am not disappointed in the least with the results, this year my phone is busier then ever with customer calls.

BEWARE OF QWEST DEX. I would like to see the IOWA Attorney generals office investigate QWEST DEX on the rates they are charging and the tactics they use when selling their advertising.