Complaint Review: James Desch and Text Ad Direct

On July 13, 2013, I came across Text Ad Direct through LinkedIn.  After going to their website, I noticed that their policies indicated that they would guarantee a certain amount of sales within a 60 day time frame.  If at all they did not deliver on their end, they would provide a full refund within 3 business days.  From day one, it has been an issue.  First off, James Desch tells you that in order to maximize returns he requires that you sign up through Yahoo.  He states that “Text Ad Direct” has a partnership with Yahoo Publishing and the only way the program will work is if you sign up through Yahoo.  (I have the emails to prove everything that I'm saying).  What you have to understand is that as soon as you sign up for Yahoo webhosting, James Desch gets paid from Yahoo for bringing in another customer, you.  Now the 60 day money back guarantee.  I went for the minimum where I paid $100 through PayPal for the services and if all went well afterwards, I would pay another $100.  However, if it did not go well, I would be provided a full refund.  Well from day one there had been no activity, I mean people weren't even clicking on the campaigns.  I continuously had conversations with James Desch.  I asked him if this type of response was normal.  He assured me every step of the way that this was normal and it was very early in the campaign.  He assured me that I needed to "have patience".  I gave it some time, and again, no activity. 

I contacted Text Ad Direct again, I got James, again.  James stated and I quote, “Some campaigns take off right away and some campaigns take a little more time. That's why we give ourselves 60 days to meet the goal.  I just spoke with the programmer handling your campaign, and he assured me your campaign is in good shape. What's he doing now for your campaign is building rotators that will run thru Facebook ads.  This will greatly help your traffic and sales... He has three rotators built thus far your campaign with 9 more to go.  What's more, we just spent $200,000 on a piece of new programming software that's currently in beta test.  The results have been nothing short of spectacular... We plan on having this software running in your campaign within 48 hours. This software basically places your website urls on the first page of google search engine within seconds... The conversions rates have been tremendous.  Please be a little more patient. Thx!”   

I gave it some time and again, no activity!  By this time, there was only 2 days left in the 60 day campaign.  I contacted “Text Ad Direct” again and got James again.  Now this is the response that I received from James.  “The programmers found a major flaw in your website seo... There was a major algorithm change in the search engines about two months ago and your websites did not have that update. They are currently working on fixing your websites as well as adding a piece of $200,000 piece of software we recently purchased and beta tested This software works on the principle of google adwords and will get your websites massive exposure in the google search engines... The programmers have much work to do on your campaigns to get them right…We anticipate this work to be completed by the close of business Friday next week.  In the meantime we are going to fund some marketing campaigns for your webstes in order to expedite traffic and sales.  Thank you for your patience.” 

By now I’m infuriated.  The entire time I’m being told that everything is going according to planned, the programmer confirmed everything is okay, etc…Now I’m being told that since day one basically there were problems that they overlooked.  ALL LIES.  I responded to James and stated that there would be no campaign extension, and they just needed to provide my refund the next day.  Now this is where s**t hits the fan.  Under the terms and conditions, I am supposed to be provided a full refund within 3 business days.  On September 13, 2013, I put in for my refund.  This fool, James Desch, tells me that he spoke with “accounting” and they said that I had to wait until September 28, 2013 for my refund.  I say “Hell No!”  Under terms and conditions, I am to be provided my refund within 3 business days.  I tell him that I want to speak to someone in accounting.  James Desch tells me he cannot transfer me to anyone, I tell him that I want to speak to a supervisor, James Desch tells me that he is the only one there, I tell him that I want to speak to anyone but him, I want him to transfer me to anyone else.  James Desch tells me that unfortunately no one is there but him.  He says that I should send an email to billing@textaddirect.com, so I do, till this day, I still have not received a response from “billing”.  The weekend goes by, I call “Text Ad Direct” I.E. James Desch, about my refund.  He says I spoke with accounting and they said that they will be processing your refund, I said okay.  A couple of days go by and I see no refund posted into my PayPal account.  I call again, I get James Desch again.  He says “oh I’m sorry you should have seen it reflected in your account already.  I will get on that right away.”  I hang up and I see the refund posted in my account within a day or two. 

Now PayPal, requires that there be a waiting period until the refund is processed.  Once that payment was processed on September 26, 2013, it was denied because the sender, which is not listed “Text Ad Direct” but James Desch, had insufficient funds in his bank account.  I am fuming at this point.  I call again, I get James Desch, again.  I told him I did not want to speak to him, I wanted to speak to someone else.  He went on and on how there was no one available but him.  I asked him how it was possible that a company could have insufficient funds in their business account.  I also questioned him about the fact that the person providing the refund was listed as “James Desch” not “Text Ad Direct”.  Nothing this guy said was making any sense.  PayPal tried again to process the refund on October 2, 2013.  Again the payment did not go through because of insufficient funds.  I contacted “Text Ad Direct” again, I got James Desch.  I was livid, I told him that the payment had failed again, I told him that this was complete B.S., I wanted my money and I wanted it A.S.A.P, and this man, hung up the phone on me.  I called back, he picked up the phone and then hung up.  I called again, he sent me to voice mail.  I called again and again and again, and the same things kept happening.  I checked my PayPal, and it said that the payment had been cancelled.  James Desch is “Text Ad Direct”.  Text Ad Direct is on Facebook, James Desch is advocating Text Ad Direct through reputable sites such as LinkedIn and Pinterest (jdesch1).  Stay away and I mean Stay Away from this guy and this fake a*s company.