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Beware of Google AdWords Cold Callers: It's Not Google

A Google Groups member reports that he has recently gotten a call from a company called Wisdek that promised to deliver high-quality ads for a fee. He wasn't interested, but they proceed to show him that they could deliver. After asking for a few short keywords and ad copy, he checked Google for the terms a few hours later and was surprised to see that his ad was actually up there on the top of the search results. Is this tactic a scam? By seeing the top rankings, why wouldn't you want to sign up with them?

AdWordsPro informs the member to be skeptical of this tactic. And you shouldn't go with the company simply because they can deliver top rankings immediately. As another member says:

Google will often give a new advertiser a boost while they determine the quality score of the ads. Until the Adwords mechanism for calculating quality score kicks in (after it gets enough information to work) this can happen.

The lesson is that you can never guarantee top placement anywhere. AdWordsPro says:

Here's a rule that you can count on: any person or company that promises you any particular position, whether in the unpaid search results or within AdWords ad, is misleading you.

Forum discussion continues at Google Groups.



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posted Tamar Weinberg in Google AdWords at January 15, 2008 9:50 AM Comments (10)

Comments

Had a few of them now.. Simple way to find out is just asking "are you from google"

As we have a a/c manager its is to tell..

 

I would loke to know if you it a lies that wisdek rank you in long term or not.
They put a condition that they will pay you back if you are not rank on the top 3 in the middle page.
That there technic is it legal?

 

Wisdek took us for a ride. They put a few ads with your key words on Google on the first page to reel you in, then as time goes by you are no longer showing on top if at all. They sneak in clause in their contract which they try to use to their advantage. Be very careful, make sure you have money to throw away.

 

wisdek took me for a ride also and when I caught on and tried to axess some of the key words two months later I couldn't get thru to my websiote using the key words, they told me that I couldn't axess them from my computer. they told me to try on another computer not on the same server so I went home and tried at Home and I still couldn't connect I was very angrey so I canceled the cc account with them. They called me up and and said that if I wanted to stop the account with them that I would have to stop it in writting and fax it to them when I did they told my that the reason I couldn't axess the key words was because I was trying from my computer and I had to do it from another computer not from my IP address. I told them that
I tried from my home on the other side of town. They tried to tell me that google new that it was my computer and so it wouldn't make false statements about how many clicks it made it wouldn't let me thru. Then they told me that the contract I signed with them stated that I have to give them a 30 day notice & I would have to pay one extra month. I told him to jump in a lake and hung up. About three weeks have past and I get a call from a Patric Kennedy and he tells me that I now owe wisdek $477.82 plus collection fees totaling over $550. plus to wisdek. I am in a delema now I don't want my credit wrecked, What do I do?

 

I had simular probems with Wisdek Long story short is the scruded me an d now want to have a collection company charge me $55.00 and wreck my credit. I am at a loss as what to do with this

 

This company has used similar tactics with several customers. the seochat.com website has a huge thread on these guys. We cancelled our service but they kept billing our credit card for seven months. They said our customer service person Chester Troy no longer worked there and thus our account was not cancelled. Of course they refused a refund.

 

Just got a call from Wisdek. These guys seem like scam artists. The sales guy tried to sell me on Google local listings and said they work with closely Google engineers as they have a relationship seeing they are adwords certified, to guarantee top placement. I told him I've been working in SEO for about 7 years and have never heard of such a thing I played dumb for a while then he went in saying they are the largest adwords reseller in North America! After that claim, I lost it. I asked how they gauge largest and he said they manage over $150 million a year in spend. I then asked for a client list (which is nowhere on their site) and he changed the subject.
He then transferred me to a manager to answer my questions as he was new there. I kept pressing the manager how they "work" with Google engineers to guarantee top placement and he kept explaining because of their relationship with them. I told him that goes against all ethics of how Google operates and he didn't really have an answer. I quickly ended the call and called Google right away. I told the rep there the situation and to look into these guys. I hope their reseller status gets pulled. That leaves a bad impressions for the rest of agencies out there.

 

Yeap it's all true, Wisdek will promise the earth and deliver nothing! They market themselves as the biggest thing since Ben Hur, but I can ashore you they are mendacious prevaricators! Shout yourselves a nice holiday and save the pain of wasting your hard earned money.

 

Just call your credit card company and recall the money. its that simple.

 

Cowboys.

 

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