Yellow Page Advertisers

[Bill G. Martin]

Don't we all wish we could pull up to a custy's door a year later and say...Were here to clean your carpets this year...same as last year, but oh wait, there might be a slight rate creep...ya know a little increase in the price....now move out of the door way, I'm gonna get started....

AT&T is the worst for this ploy, especially when you have done everything you think like a certified letter saying not to renew...

But your name will be dropped from our book and our special Internet section....Whoopie...ever see those plastic bags in yards with phone company book delivered by hand? Sure they maybe wet and moldy around the edges or no one has lived in that home for over a year... and your name on the internet with FIVE other selected carpet cleaners listed on the net

This is our last YP ad and I feel like I am dealing with "Big Mo" and the Thugs that follow him around...

"But you did not notify us in x days on the full moon two months ago......
Sad part is I would tell them to take a flying leap, but they have control over our number....same one for past 20 years..

Newby's and everyone else...words of wisdom...stay away fro the YP advertisers.....Go Internet with some one Like Brian Robison....Much better results in the long run......

Bill in Central Florida

 

[Chris A]

Same thing here Bill, we told AT+T to go fly a kite, and the rep came back with "well we can discontinue the one but the other is on an auto renew and now your SOL. Worst customer service of any company we've dealt with as a business. I would NEVER even give a thought to any other advertising with them. I imagine between the phone book and land lines going the way of the dinosaurs they are probably hurting.

 

[Connor]

Unless you've got some special screwed contract, you own your number and can port it anywhere.

 

[Ken Snow]

Re: Re: Yellow Page Advertisers

Unless you've got some special screwed contract, you own your number and can port it anywhere.

X2

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk

 

[Royal Man]

I got out of the phonebook over 5 years ago. Best move I ever made.

 

[Bucey]

This will be my last year in it, I hate dealing with these people. This will be my third year in business and should be a good growth year.

 

[Bucey]

Well it's not a large victory but, I sent my yellow page rep out the door with no contract after I vented about their sales tactics. He calls me four days later with a drop in increase of 5%. These days are over for me.

 

[Brian R]

I agree...Horrible service in all aspects of the word.

After paying thousands per month for years......And to be honest I made money....It was still a super scam...They had the market and it was the only way to go for years.

They jumped into internet marketing but I think they will lose hard there....The great equalizer.

I was spending $1500 per month with their internet super stuff with website and all the goodies....Plus the book of course.

AND I did make money...But I still had to make the money...and I didn't have to make as much money to make as much money doing my own thing....Funny how that works.

If Bill has a "tracking" number...Then I can see how they have control over it.

They make it sound like a good ideas so you can see who's calling from the ad....But it's not a good idea...I never did it.


Bill, take the money you save from the book and contact your customer base to let them know of your new number....It's a pain....But it DOES give a reason to contact them.

If you can afford it, send a magnet to them....Or at least the top 20%.

Good luck....YP is the Debil before ConnOr was the Debil.

 

[Royal Man]

Bill,

Why would you lose your number?

Just have your current phone number converted to your cell number.

Since 2003 the FCC has mandated that phone numbers have to have portability or be able to be converted from land line to cell numbers.

It's not legal for your yellow pages to have control of your number. It's YOUR number to control.

I converted my land line to my cell number 5 or 6 years ago(maybe longer) when I dropped the Yellow Pages.

Just go to your cell phone provider and switch your business phone number to your cell today.


Even for those not dropping the Yellow Pages . It may be a good idea for you to switch your business number to a cell number. It will give YOU control of your number and save you from call forwarding.

 

[Connor]

Good luck....YP is the Debil before ConnOr was the Debil.

I totally agree. When my locksmith told me he is dating a YP rep. I said,"Oh, she works for the devil".

 

[bob vawter]

i won my court case wit the YP many years ago..........you DO know that you can STOP paying them and they CAN'T shut yor number off as long as you pay the regular phone bill.........they can't run out and confiscate all the books out there............the secret IS: you sue THEM...heheheheheheh..small claims and then THEY will file a motion to be moved to circuit court..........thinking that you will no show........they will NOT pay the suits to show up at circuit court!

 

[Connor]

Most attorneys around here won't touch a YP case, unless you're paying cash.

 

[Connor]

Ma Bell has a thing called the GAP ad, it has a different phone number and it is supposed to give you a guaranteed number of calls per month. My attorney sued them for his own ad that didn't perform. He tracked his calls and most of them were wrong numbers.

Those are the only time I know that the phone company keeps the rights to the numbers.

 

[PCCN]

Agree with previous post. Unless you have an arrangement with a metered number through YP or YB, they do not own your number and cannot take it from you.

Our YP and YB reps became mad when I told them we would not be running the same "dollar bill" ad we have for the last few years because of the prices. Of course they both said how we would not get calls. Hmmm, somehow the phone still rings.

In the Nashville area our Yellow Pages have decreased OVER 100 pages per year for the last four years, yet the ad rates increased. Some nationwide franchises used to run double full pages or full or half page ads, ALL descreased substantially this year. They are even tired of the scam.

Only because we have a customer who is a YP salesman did I put in a small 1" column listing this year at a cost of $29/month. When I told the Yellow Book sales rep I would do the same with him for the same price - he freaked! He tried to get $119 for the exact same ad. Needless to say he didn't get a commission sale from us.

If all YP/YB customers would stick together and stop paying thier rediculous rates, they wouldn't have a choice but to become reasonable in them.

 

[Connor]

If all YP/YB customers would stick together and stop paying thier rediculous rates, they wouldn't have a choice but to become reasonable in them.

I'd rather we just let them fade away and suffer for their sins.

Whenever I meet somebody in advertising, I always, always, always preclude that they are liars, even I haven't caught them in a lie. They've lied to somebody for an easy sale.

g]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDW_Hj2K0wog]

 

[Royal Man]

I was just wondering if anybody uses the phone book here?

I haven't for years and with cheap computers, smart phones and all kinds of other electronic devices in my hands through out the day. Why would I want to search for the phonebook( I don't have a clue where mine is or if I have one), pick it up and then flip through pages when a Google search is so much easier and more informative.

 

[Connor]

I agree...Horrible service in all aspects of the word.

After paying thousands per month for years......And to be honest I made money....It was still a super scam...They had the market and it was the only way to go for years.

They jumped into internet marketing but I think they will lose hard there....The great equalizer.

I was spending $1500 per month with their internet super stuff with website and all the goodies....Plus the book of course.

What do you spend on internet now, Brian?

 

[Brian R]

I agree...Horrible service in all aspects of the word.

After paying thousands per month for years......And to be honest I made money....It was still a super scam...They had the market and it was the only way to go for years.

They jumped into internet marketing but I think they will lose hard there....The great equalizer.

I was spending $1500 per month with their internet super stuff with website and all the goodies....Plus the book of course.

What do you spend on internet now, Brian?

$10 per year for every domain name
$10 or less per month for hosting each website
$50 or so per month on Constant Contact....If that counts (email blasting)

That's about it.


If you haven't heard...Google is "free".

 

[Connor]

$10 per year for every domain name
$10 or less per month for hosting each website
$50 or so per month on Constant Contact....If that counts (email blasting)

That's about it.


If you haven't heard...Google is "free".

"scuse me, Captain Shortpants, but how many of each is that 'zactly. Got a grand sum and all that.

 

[Brian R]

I was just sayin

 

[daniel@procarpet]

I would think yp are starving for business and you could name your price.

I know the book has faded fast, but nothing made my phone ring like the yp did.

But it's all about solving problems for people in a hurry for the best possible price.

 

[sam miller]

i won my court case wit the YP many years ago..........you DO know that you can STOP paying them and they CAN'T shut yor number off as long as you pay the regular phone bill.........they can't run out and confiscate all the books out there............the secret IS: you sue THEM...heheheheheheh..small claims and then THEY will file a motion to be moved to circuit court..........thinking that you will no show........they will NOT pay the suits to show up at circuit court!

True but it might affect your credit!

 

[sam miller]

I was dropping one book and another ATT called me and offered me a full page for $374.00 I used to pat $550 for 1/2 page a few years ago.

So I decided to let it roll, they're Internet along with Superpages can get You on the first page of google as an off link. for carpet cleaners they list.

I get most of my calls off google they claim to get You backlinks and help Your webpage rank better also.

The att book is losing me money at 350 per month go figure and I'm second in the book.

They good thing is I was able to negotiate a much better deal with Verizon supermedia. Still a great seo'd website with all the smart phones is all

You need if your in an area were mobil devices are popular.

 

[bob vawter]

[quote="jeff healey":2x54beoy]i won my court case wit the YP many years ago..........you DO know that you can STOP paying them and they CAN'T shut yor number off as long as you pay the regular phone bill.........they can't run out and confiscate all the books out there............the secret IS: you sue THEM...heheheheheheh..small claims and then THEY will file a motion to be moved to circuit court..........thinking that you will no show........they will NOT pay the suits to show up at circuit court!

True but it might affect your credit![/quote:2x54beoy]
not if you win the case!