411 Local users please respond

[BradFenstermaker]

House cleaner that refer's us gave 411 Local our info. Sales rep has called wanting our no contract business.

Questionable guarantee of first page organic Google listing. SEO of website, Facebook, Twitter maintained. 5 keywords for multiple listings.

I have 1st page in my State but need 1st page in neighboring State. 411 says they can guarantee this.

Anyone have success with these guys?? Or experience?? Please share.

They are based in California but somehow the calls come in from a local number to us. Guy is still in Cali

There pretty pushy for the $99 a mth and want Credit Card number.

Thanks

 

[Desk Jockey]

Tell them you want a couple of months FREE to see if its worth it. If it is you'll sign up, surely they will risk a few months if their product is that good.

 

[Newman]

Just say "Put my web page on the first page of google where I want it, then I will pay you." simple enough.

The only way they can guarantee a first page google listing is with pay per click advertising, you do not need them for that.

Check out ripoff report http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/specific_search/411+Local

This came from here http://blumenthals.com/blog/2012/02/06/411-locals-back-in-the-news/

411 Locals has been implicated in widespread Places listing sabotage and accused of threatening an SMB. Well they are back in the forums with this recent report of their widespread spam. You can’t keep a good black hat down.

Poster HoskinsRick noted a range of examples of spamming that shared a number of features; keyword laden business names, either superpages or keyword focused domains, Place Page updates that referenced the address or domain name, plenty of fake reviews, royalty free photos and spot-on centroid locations:

I can not say with 100% assurance that all of these are from 411 Locals but I called the first 4 or 5 on the list. Most of those forwarded to the same unanswered cell phone message. The one that didn’t was clearly not located where the business listing indicated. And LAWYERPLACENTIACA.INFO (and several of the other domains of the domains did but no longer do) resolved to 411 Locals.
411 Locals is no small actor and they are rumored to use a number of “dirty” tactics including closing competitive listings and changing descriptions just before month end with keyword heavy focus so that they showed a higher temporary ranking in client. I have spoken with several of their ex-clients (those that would speak with me as a number refused any comment) and they reported overly aggressive and threatening tactics. It is speculated that they have worked on 16,000 business listings and could have as many as 8000 active clients. While Google is certainly aware of them and has implemented some changes at scale to mitigate their efforts, clearly they are still active.
Have you run into them in any way? Have you seen their listings or spoken with previous clients?

 

[Bruce Humphrey]

I could have sworn that someone just posted about using this company and they screwed things up , I can't find the post.

 

[renegade_cowboy]

I could have sworn that someone just posted about using this company and they screwed things up , I can't find the post.

Same here, I don't remember if it was this forum or another one.

 

[Vivers]

Here's the thing with 99% of SEO companies. They will do stuff that Google frowns on and drop your position into never never land. Specifically link farms and stuff like that to game the system. Don't do it!

 

[Shane Deubell]

http://mikeysboard.com/forum/showthread.php?269687-SEO-Warning!

^^^^^^

 

[GCCLee]

Here's how ya handle them fookers

Yup : ) Happened earlier today!

 

[BradFenstermaker]

Thanks this is eggzactly what I was looking for. I made the right decision to say no thanks. Guy was a real arse to my wife, too bad he is California and not down the street.

 

[Russ T.]

I could have sworn that someone just posted about using this company and they screwed things up , I can't find the post.

It was me. STAY AWAY!!!!!!!!! Read the post from a couple days ago. They had created multiple listings for us in different neighboring towns with different addresses and phone numbers, only changing our biz name slightly. One address our biz was tied to was a condemned Burger King and another was a house in Foreclosure in another town. I fired them almost a year ago and they are STILL holding me hostage by not releasing the rights to these Google listings so I can take them down. I finally spoke directly with Google Places directly on Friday and he is helping us. There is a 2 week period though, until he can give me control of these ads. He has contacted them directly because they WOULD NOT HELP ME get control of MY BUSINESS INFO being represented on Google. I have a wife and 2 kids and am the sole financial provider for us. I just about came unglued on these people on Friday after BEGGING them to give me control of my info.
To have long term success on Google you have to play by Google's rules. No shortcuts. I had no idea what they were doing but I have learned a lot. I was foolish to trust this company. Please spare yourself the aggravation and thousands of dollars you will miss out on when you try to fire them.


The Clean Machine

 

[Royal Man]

It was me. STAY AWAY!!!!!!!!! Read the post from a couple days ago. They had created multiple listings for us in different neighboring towns with different addresses and phone numbers, only changing our biz name slightly. One address our biz was tied to was a condemned Burger King and another was a house in Foreclosure in another town. I fired them almost a year ago and they are STILL holding me hostage by not releasing the rights to these Google listings so I can take them down. I finally spoke directly with Google Places directly on Friday and he is helping us. There is a 2 week period though, until he can give me control of these ads. He has constacted them directly because they WOULD NOT HELP ME get control of MY BUSINESS INFO being represented on Google. I have a wife and 2 kids and am the sole financial provider for us. I just about came unglued on these people on Friday after BEGGING them to give me control of my info.
To have long term success on Google you have to play by Google's rules. No shortcuts. I had no idea what they were doing but I have learned a lot. I was foolish to trust this company. Please spare yourself the aggravation and thousands of dollars you will miss out on when you try to fire them.


The Clean Machine

I haven't ever seen 411 do the above things. Are you sure it was them. I dropped Service magic because of all the listing with their phone number

 

[Russ T.]

411 Locals. I thought they were out of. Las Vegas but maybe it was California. That is DEFINITELY the name of the company. When you live in IA, Vegas and Cali are the same place ;-)


The Clean Machine