hibu Scam Tampa Florida

In May 2014, I was introduced to Google Ad word marketing by Paul (Scott) Hamas representing hibu. He suggested that I spend $2000 a month to drive traffic to my website for internet ecommerce sales. He commented on what a great product I had and showed it to his staff and said they said the same thing. I should see sales in the hundreds of thousand shortly and shared a testimonial of another company spending $40,000 a month in Google Adwords.

I "signed" up to have this company manage my add words and signed his laptop. Never saw the contract, never was given an opportunity to read the contract and never received the contract via email, I looked. He said they would charge my credit card the $2000 the day I started the campaign.They charged my account $2,000 the next day after signing up in May 2014. I complained and they returned the money, unbeknownst to me. Since Mr. Hamas (paid him $900 directly) was redesigning my webiste to make it more ecommerce friendly, I waited to start my campaign until it was up and running, August 14th, 2014.  

Once the campaign started, I was told they would bill my credit card again $2,000 after 20 days, to cover the Google charges they would incur to prevent companies from ditching their bills and hibu left with Google Ad Word fees to pay Google. Scott told me if I stopped it within 20 days that I would not get billed again. I stopped the campaign in less than 20 days because I had accumulated $842.44 in charges and only $31 in sales. I cancelled the credit card they had on file because I suspected they would try to charge that card again. Sure enough, they tried to charge that credit card again, although I had stopped the campaign.

I could see the campaign was a total failure. I was told it was because of a poor website design! (Remember it was redesigned my their employee). When I suspended my campaign, they said it was too early to have enough data. I didn't think so. I then got a bill for $3225.81 on 9/1/14, which I asked what it was for since I only spent $842.44? They said they had refunded my $2000 and I had to pay that again plus $1225.81. I sent them an email with a screen shot showing I spent $842.44 with Google Ad words. I didn't understand how $842.44 grew to $1225.81 and since I was not continuing my campaign, why it was neccessary to give them the upfront money of $2,000 until I decided whether or not I wanted to continue.

I sent several emails with Ad Word screen shot cost information. I now have a collection agency, Rauch-Milliken International, Inc. requesting $4383.37 and telling me to hire an attorney that they will be forwarding this to an attorney in my area to file a judgement against me.

So recap, billed $2000 5/30/14  to start campaign, but was refunded this fee. Billed 9/1/14 $3225.81 after campaign ran ($2000 deposit plus $1225.81 Google Ad Word usage), 10/12/14 I sent them a check for $842.44, then a new bill came 10/15/14 for $2000.00. Another bill 10/24/14 came for $2383.37 and a week later 11/4/14 $4383.37 from a collection agency.

The company now claims that what ever the account representative told me was superceded by a contract I have never seen or read. The same thing has happened to my neighbor in my office building. Google Ad Words should not allow such schemes to be in practice. They are a rip off. They lure you in with big promises then rob you for who knows for how long? No answers of emalis with explainations and/or answers. They just forwarded all my information to a collection agency, because that is probably what they do automatically.

Run, don't hire them. They will milk you until you are dry. I would like to file a class action suit against them with others that have had the same pathetic and poor attempt with their handling of this type of contract and service.