Worldwide Marketing Solutions / Worldwideems con? Beware!

A question about : Worldwide Marketing Solutions / Worldwideems con? Beware!

Just to let you know that I know of someone who has just started her own small business and was called by a member of the Worldwide Marketing Solutions sales team. Apparently they claim to BE Google, and thereafter employ aggressive sales technique to quickly part you from Ј120 for a Google advert which, at the time of writing, hasn't yet materialised. She did try to cancel the advert about an hour after the initial sales call, suspecting that she had been conned, but they point blank refused saying she had no rights. I would recommend avoiding them like the plague. Their website is at worldwidems.co.uk.

Best answers:

• I also got conned by this lot into thinking I was dealing direct with Google, and got abuse when I phoned to complained. They've failed to answer any of my letters so far.
  I'm now waiting to hear back from Trading Standards in Oldham and my credit card company before putting in a claim at the Small Claims Court. If I get this far, would anyone be prepared to contact me off forum to provide further evidence to back up my case? I will do likewise for anyone that asks.
  If you Google them (fitting somehow, for a company that poses as Google!), you'll find that numerous people have succumbed to exactly the same tactics. E.g. look up these phone numbers on whocallsme dot com :
  0161-633-6003, 0161-425-8171, 0161-637-2238, 0161-637-2239, 0161-637-2241, 0161-637-2243, 0161-637-2246, 0161-637-2247, 0161-637-2248
  jonadams66, did you ever get any reply to the letter which you sent them?
  I strongly urge anyone that's been scammed by Worldwide Marketing Solutions Ltd to log a complaint with:
• The Consumer Direct helpline on 08454 040506. This is the easiest way to get complaints passed through to Trading Standards, and they will advise you on what action to take.
• Oldham Trading Standards on 0161-770-3000 (main switchboard number, so ask to be put through to Trading Stds).
• Your credit/debit card company/bank. Say you want to dispute the payment.
• Greater Manchester Police on 0161-872-5050.

If all else fails, if you Google "moneyclaim online" it lists the place to lodge a claim under the small claims procedure/small claims court.
If we stick together we CAN beat companies like this.
Simon

• I also have a problem with this company.
  I was assured of a full money back guarantee if I was at all unhappy with their service.
  They also told me that they had a deal with Google that could get me up to 6 times the hits for the same money.
  They took my money, and my hits dropped right off.
  When I asked for my money back, they refused point black, telling me that their salesman had lied to me and they would not issue me a refund.
  I cancelled my account, and they still used my cc details to take a further's month payment.
  Has anybody got anywhere with getting their money back? Has anyone found a good procedure for this?
  I'm happy to share detailed info about this.
• If something sounds too good to be true then it often is. Lots of companies promise front page of Google and claim to be Google..you can get yourself on the front page of Google without spending any money at all.
  Why not have a policy within your business not to buy anything over the phone, that way you are not going to be scammed.
• Blimey. 5 separate rants from brand new users. This crowd must be bad!
• unless you make glow in the dark cottage cheese, or you became famous over night you will not "instantly" hit the front page of google.com
  Many people who claim to be seo experts, "we will get you to no.1 spot or the front page of google in x day/weeks" is bending the truth.
  some tips for you guys and girls (or ladies and gents).
  *Targeted advertising is far more important.
  *branding your site outside of the internet - ie your stationary etc
  *single site advertising
  * correct content.
  *sites with flash correctly coded with hidden div with h2 content
  * any spend on adwords must be key-worded with your site correctly. Otherwise you will find your price per click goes up rapidly.
  * don't use a single advertising point, use multiple.
  * increase exposure.
• I too have been scammed by this company. They offered a no obligation trial said they would take the trial payment and would contact me at the end of the month's trial to discuss taking it further. Didn't get a call didn't even get an invoice for the extra payments they took. Couldn't get anyone to return my calls. Asked for their complaints department, they got really nasty. I asked to speak to someone in charge, they said someone would call back, never got a call. Called back and asked to speak to a Director, they wouldn't even give me a Director's name so that I could write a complaint. I got in touch with my credit card company who rang them whilst I was on the phone, they said they would call me straight away, still no call. Eventually I got hold of someone supposedly in charge there who refused to refund money and then kept spouting their terms at me over and over again. BUT I DIDN'T ENTER INTO A CONTRACT YOUR SALES GUY SAID IT WAS A NO OBLIGATION TRIAL FOR ONE MONTH. Please don't use this company, don't even listen to their sales talk just put the phone down. We must get businesses like this shut down they give other reputable companies a bad name. I feel so stupid for agreeing in the first place!
• Make that 7, not a very new account but 1st post.
  I have had so many calls from worlwide, nearly fell for it. I always type the number of any unknown company on google and 95% chance of finding out if there are any complaints about them.
• Further to my original post, I'm pursuing my own claim against Worldwide Marketing Solutions Ltd in Oldham, and will keep you all informed about how I get on. I'm also in touch with someone else that has already taken Worldwide to court and won, and is current awaiting payment. Again I'll keep you informed.
  In the meantime, I'm happy to provide anyone else with a written statement to support any claim you make, e.g. to your credit card company, small claims court, etc. Just send me a private message by clicking on SH7990 in the title of this message, and select the "Send a private message" option.
  Even if my claim is not successful, I'm just keen to help anyone else get their money back so that this company doesn't get away with it.
  Keep fighting,
  Simon
• I also have been scammed by them claiming to be Google. They told me after the first payment which was Ј198 i could freeze my ad at any time.
  After 30 days they would send me an email stating how many times my ad had been searched and call me to find out whether i wanted to pay for another 30 days.
  THEY NEVER DID EITHER.
  My ad is not on google or other engine searches. when i call they just fob me off with saying computers are down, they will ring back, manager is not available, the person who set up my account is new, anything to get out the call. The last time i called they got nasty and kept on about their terms.
  I have sent emails and a letter to cancel and have heard nothing. They have now taken another Ј175.08 from my account.
  The bank said they cannot help me as i gave wwms my details. My bank cancelled my card but i know ill never get my money back.
• I have also within the last two weeks been caught by this company. I got suspicious after checking for my front page links which aren't there. Rather than get straight onto the company, I have first done some searches, ending up here amongst many other places.
  From reading many posts, at this stage I think it is a waste of time writing to them. The main reason being, I don't think they actually exist at the contact address! They don't show in any directories that I have looked in so far, if you search postcodes on the Royal Mail site, Unit 18, Meridian Business Centre does not show up. I've even used Google Street View to have a look around the Centre & there is no sign or indication of this company.
  I have been in contact with my credit card company, not really to get a refund (Ј139) but to try and make sure they don't get any more. The credit card company was less than helpful, saying that even if I were to cancel my card & have a new one issued this still wouldn't stop them from taking a payment as a credit card is a guaranteed form of payment. They said I should write to the company first & then if they later try to take more money it can be claimed back. Not much help as I am pretty certain that this company is not at the address given !! I've now cleared my credit card balance & it looks like the only way to be sure is to now cancel my credit card account completely. I will write to them by registered post after I have sorted my card, I doubt it will get to them but at least I have tried & have evidence of postage.
  I am furious with myself for being taken in by this, I really do know better..........
• Come on, who is going to be number 10?
• i too have been conned by this company - to the tune of Ј1500! They took payments from my debit card and are threatening to take more. All of the above applies so I wont repeat it but I will be taking these nasty people to court to get the money back. Does anyone want to club together and provide each other statements??? If enough people are saying the same thing they surely cannot get away with it.
• 11.
  My mother was conned by this scum (well that's an insult to scum) of a company back in Febuary this year, after getting off the phone to them she came to me and said she though she'd been conned.
  So she tried to get the Ј140 back from them but they kept on refusing, until she started going through the small claims court process, they offered her Ј79 to settle out of court, which she has tonight emailed them to accept the offer as she's in her 60s, recently recovering from a very bad accident and cannot take the stress of fighting the company anymore.
  They need to be shut down.
  Oh and they told her the person who originally called her and got her to sign up to their bogus service no longer works for them. Hah, yeah right, fat chance, as if.
• I also today got contacted by this company, and at first i thought i must have done something seriusly wrong, as they opened with 'hi, calling from google!'
  ....and they never call!!! (they arent needing to cold call i can assure you they are ok for cash!!)
  everything that people have written above was included in the pitch.
  when they went onto say.. 'we can get your site onto the 1st page of google' , i knew they were trying to pull a fast one, as i receive many calls like this... not so many claiming to be google though!! this was a 1st.
  I replied ' I am on the 1st page of google already',
  they then said ' yes, well this is a service to put you at the top of 1st page every time!'
  i asked for their real name and they reluctantly gave it- 'we are called worldwide marketing and are the uk seller for google'
  (i have a netbook with me at all times- so i prob wasnt their best hope of a sale)
  i said ' i have just searched, and you arent even well positioned on google'
  they said ' type in - worldwidems'
  i then said 'who on earth i going to be typing in that as a keyword search?'
  i explained to them that i was a marketing expert and there was no way they could improve my ranking, more likely ruin it.... but they were still persistent until i told them that i had too many clients if anything, and that i would be ok without them... I stated 'you found me through google, so my ranking cant be bad.'
  they then replied ' we didnt actually, we do a search on peoples visited addresses over 30 days..... blah blah blah'
  I interrupted them and said ' no thanks, have a good day!' and put phone down.
  basically nonsense.. they were winging it as soon as i started speaking back to them. Even after explaining true s.e.o. techniques that i use, (in attempt to let them know im clued up in this game)
  they still tried to waffle about mobile searches!!
  These types of !!!!! are always trying it with people who are visible on the net... TAKE IT THAT IF THEY FOUND YOU, YOU ARE ALREADY FINDABLE and dont need them.
  If you want a sofa, you buy it from the wholesaler/maker, not from someone calling you offering you one!- same thing here.
  I get mad when i see they have conned so many people, we should fight back!! I have found the most effective way to close down companies like this is using their own tactics against them!!!
  FOR EXAMPLE-
  1. Call them back, recording the phone call, 'hi Is this google, advertising team'
  im sure a high percentage will agree they are, giving you evidence to go to court with.
  2. call them - unrecorded this time- 'hi, is this google/' , ' we are calling to arrange a convenient timeslot to film an interview with you on location.. we work for a major Newspaper, tv channel, trading standards, watchdog.. what time would suit you for us to arrive today.'
  'if you dont give us a time we will print our own story on your false claims and unsavoury dealings'
  3. repeat above on daily basis, or ask friends to withhold numbers and do the same... the more different voices the better.
  (this may seem childish, but kids are innocent and so are you!- these scumbags are not. They will feel hot under the collar for sure and will eventually most likely move location and trade under new name, but when they that there is resistance, they may at least be more honest in their pitch or their future choice of Profession)
  also, you may feel, like myself, a bit better for venting it, and letting them know you are n to them. Im making my first phone call right now!
• Thanks for all the posts - so I'm not the only one. Signed up for some 'advertising' for my design company. Thought I'd been careful enough, and could tell a cowboy, but sadly no. Feels bad to be scammed. Signed up in May after sales call, cancelled before the 'free' period was up by e-mail, but then they didn't acknowledge reply, then didn't acknowledge 2 letters, until we sent one signed for. Then they did acknowledge reciept BUT still seem to be taking money for a service I stopped after 2 weeks. Last payment went out in August. Will probably have to cancel card, definitely reporting as fraud and will approach the Credit Card Company to see if they can pursue. Would be interested in any joint action to stop them trapping any-one else.
• ive just been conned out of 139 quid, as everyone else was conned after being told that they are GOOGLE and telling me that i will gets tons of work from the stie, and that i can freeze my account, ive had not one call from this site at all, im sick of ringing them and alls they do is !!!!!!!! me, ive rang then today telling then i will not be renewing, because im not happy with them, i told them its misrepresentation. i was told in return that they will take money from my card,if they cant get it they take me to court, and that i have to put it in writing that i wish to cancel. Then i just happened to come across this site, so ive just rang natwest and theyve told me they wont let anyone take anymore more money from there off my card, and the wont be getting a letter from me, so they,ll have to take me to court!!
• I just want to confirm all of the negative comments re. the above. I have had to cancel my debit card today to ensure they do not take any more out of my account. My 3 month "trial" has now been 5 months and they refuse to acknowledge letters or e-mail.
  I would certainly be prepared to join with others and try to do something about them.
• well as i expected theyve taken another 116 quid off my card without telling me, and for nothing,, so ive had my card blocked by natwest!!!! even i cant use it, they wont take anymore money from it. and on monday ive to ring a number to report FRAUD!!!!!!!!!!!! because thats what it is, so theyve had 260 quid off me for nothing, how can they be allowed to get away with they need stopping. Oh and im just waiting for the phone call asking me for money!!! SEE YOU IN COURT!!!