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Report: #820315

Complaint Review: Local Splash - Santa Ana California

  • Submitted:
  • Updated:
  • Reported By: Concerned Small Business — Rancho Cucamonga California United States of America
  • Author Not Confirmed What's this?
  • Why?
  • Local Splash 3611 S. Harbor Blvd., #205 Santa Ana, California United States of America

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A Telemarketer called me and implied he was from Google.  He said that my business was a top-rated business by Google.  I asked how Google rates businesses, and he said by customer reviews, length of time in business, and web presence.  I told him that I couldn't be a top rated company because I've only been open for 3 months and didn't have any customers yet!  That stumped him a bit, but he continued to say that Google does this automatically and the good companies have a symbol next to their web listing.  As we talked, I looked it up and there was no symbol.  He explained that it was probably on another Google search site because they have many search engines.  He went on for 20 minutes trying to tell me how what he could do was much better than being listed in the yellow pages because nobody uses the yellow pages anymore.  I told him that I WAS advertising on Yellow Pages.com and then he admitted that he occassionally uses them too.  He directed me to his web site to check out the various services his company offers and this is when I found out he was from Local Splash.  I asked him where I could find prices on the web site and he said they didn't list the prices because everyone is different.  I told him I didn't trust people who didn't post prices, but what WERE his prices?  He told me that because I was a top-rated company, he could guarantee me first page placement on Google, Yahoo, Bing, etc.,  in a 30 mile radius for $199 a month and a $99 set up fee!  I'm paying less than that for an AD on YP.com for over a 100 mile radius!  I told him I'd think about it and get back to him tomorrow.  Then he talked to me like I was stupid for not grabbing this opportunity right now because he couldn't guantee that a first page spot would still be open tomorrow. 

Absolutely everything this guy said was a lie!  You can't pay to get listed on the front page of Google or any other search engine.  If I was really a top-rated company with Google, I'd already be on the first page!  SEO is very complex and no one can promise you results.

This report was posted on Ripoff Report on 01/09/2012 07:34 PM and is a permanent record located here: https://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/local-splash/santa-ana-california-/local-splash-deceptive-and-aggressive-santa-ana-california-820315. The posting time indicated is Arizona local time. Arizona does not observe daylight savings so the post time may be Mountain or Pacific depending on the time of year. Ripoff Report has an exclusive license to this report. It may not be copied without the written permission of Ripoff Report. READ: Foreign websites steal our content

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REBUTTALS & REPLIES:
1Author
3Consumer
0Employee/Owner

#4 Consumer Comment

Recorded calls?

AUTHOR: KLVS - (United States of America)

POSTED: Monday, March 19, 2012

#1 Employee you state that all calls are recorded.  We were also scammed by local Splash and asked to have a copy (at the insistence of our attorney) of the recording that Local Splash used to determine we were not scammed  We are still waiting for a response  which I am sure will never come.  For such an above board company there are a lot of displeased and unhappy people talking about you on a variety of websites.  i only wish i had done this research prior to giving you my credit card number.

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#3 UPDATE Employee

Facts

AUTHOR: Local Splash - (United States of America)

POSTED: Thursday, February 23, 2012

Local Splash was ranked as the 84th fastest growing company in America on the Inc. 500 list for 2011. We were also rated #39 on the Deloitte Technology Fast 500 list for 2011. Very reputable and verifiable.

We have over 10,000 satisfied clients

I do not wish to impugn the claimant's opinion , however; we would not enjoy these successes if we were an unethical company.

It is always wise for any business owner to research  internet marketing firms prior to hiring them. 

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#2 Author of original report

Hogwash

AUTHOR: Concerned Small Business - (United States of America)

POSTED: Wednesday, February 22, 2012
You may be an ethical employee of Local Splash, but the guy who called me sure wasn't!  He talked for 30 minutes like he was from Google before mentioning his web site.  As soon as I found out he was not from Google, I realized what a scam artist I had on the phone!  On and on he went about how Google had designated my business as a first-rate company by putting a symbol by my web listing.  When I called him on that because there was no symbol, he tried to tell me that the symbol must be on a different Google search engine!  How many are there?  When he put down the Yellow Pages by saying that nobody uses them anymore and I told him I was advertising there, he back-peddaled and admitted that he still uses the Yellow Pages sometimes.  This guy was a sneaky hard-sell all the way!  He ended the conversation by treating me like I was stupid for not grabbing this opportunity!  Is that part of the extensive training employees of Local Splash get?  If calls are really monitored, as you say, and Local Splash is such an ethical company, then this guy would have been fired! 

Don't try to tell me how ethical Local Splash is!  I know better!
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#1 UPDATE Employee

Clarity

AUTHOR: Local Splash - (United States of America)

POSTED: Wednesday, February 22, 2012

You state that the Local Splash sales person implied he was from Google and then took you to the Local Splash website? That's not only dishonest- it's pretty stupid. 

Google has very strict rules regarding misrepresentation and Local Splash adheres to these guidelines.

Local Splash does extensive training on our product and we record all phone calls. If we find any kind of misrepresentation by any of our staff, it is dealt with severely.

Claimant is correct in his statement that no one can guarantee front page placement on Google- not even Google can make such a claim, however; because of our 38 different proprietary attributes, and our 90% success rate; we do have what is called a "Performance Promise" which states that if we do not get a client on to the first page after 6 weeks, then we will suspend billing until they are found. 

We apologize for any misunderstanding and wish the claimant success.

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