Complaint Review: Web Local Marketing

I own an architectural firm in California and I have had a few experiences with these so called publications. A few years ago I was contacted by County Cub Life (www.countryclublife.com) . I signed up with the company and ran a full page ad in their magazine. I figured what harm could it do? A few months passed and I never received my promised edition of the magazine. I called them on numerous occasions and complained and I was told that they were late getting the magazine out. I finally received a copy 8 months later, well after the summer golf season. It was nothing likewhat I had been told it would be. I was a small booklet filled with old plagiarized articles and 80 percent of it was ads, in sum it was a coupon book. I went to the clubs on the list they gave me armed with my booklet and what I found was even more astonishing. The affluent clubs on the list stated that they “never” accept free publications like what I had shown them. Only one public club confirmed that they had received a box of magazines similar to my example and it had “maybe 50 copies” Not the thousand that was promised to every club. I attempted to reverse the charges on my credit card but the six month deadline had passed so I was scammed out of my $800.

The reason I am writing this is I am committed to informing the public about these scams.  I do this because just the other week I was contacted by “The Country Club Magazine”, www.clubadvertising.com.  The pitch sounded familiar so I looked at the website. It was exactly the same as the previous website that I was scammed from (see above). The same magazine as well. Apparently they ran into legal problems, changed the name of the website and started up again. Do a search for scams and rip-off reports for the countyrclublife.com and you will find what you are looking for. During my search I also found that they are also scamming people with Google adwords and adsense at http://weblocalmarketing.com/  All three websites listed this address as their headquarters: 401 East Las Olas Boulevard, Suite 130-238, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301. Who know what else they are into. I did notice that their website says they are the exclusive publishers of “Reaching the Green” magazine. I will look into that as well and inform you in my next update.

It upsets me greatly that these companies are allowed to continue just by changing the name of their website. I will continue to pursue this until they are closed for business!!!