Print the value of index0
Wordstream word stream, wordstream, wordstream ppc, wordstream inc Wordstream: PPC software wrecked my campaigns - then won't let me out of 1 year contract. Boston Massachusetts
Wordstream has a very attractive and freindly sales pitch on the front end. However, this organization is deadly to the PPC account and to the small business owner. Beware of the contract! Under no circumstances should you enter into a contract with wordstream. The reason why is because they will not negotiate or reason with you if you find yourself in very dire circumstances like I did. I mean let's face it, guys like this run around beating their chest saying "entrepreneur" etc, etc, etc, when they don't know what it's really like to bootstrap because their boosted with captial and investors..
The rest of America outside Boston and Silicon Valley have to dig deep and truely bootstrap @ 80 hrs per week for 5 years to see anything. So stop trying to be a real bootstrapper. I am a business man myself. I've been successfully doing my thing for over 4 years and decided to give this company a try since my lifeblood is PPC. The problem is, almost all of my revenue comes from PPC ads and this company's software claims to do a better job at managing those ads and ultimately save / make more revenue on PPC; and it turned out to be the demise of my campaigns and my revenue and ultimately my personal income.
Now after 5 months of use, my campaigns suddently wreck like never before in 5 years of running these campaigns.. Very suspicious to me... So it's so bad that I'm literally on the verge of shutting down my company and looking for a job, etc.. So I call them to ask for help and hopefully get some sympathy... After all, their software is what I believe wrecked my company (but I never suggest that to them out of politeness). They tell me that I cannot get out of the contract!!!! What!!! I'm not new to business! This is a very aggressive policy that ultimately hurts entrepreneurs. This company had no sympathy to the fact that I wont have a meal next week, much less an adwords campaign and I just literally cancelled my family's health insurance because things are so desparate. But no sympathy from wordstream. none at all.
I really wish to be honest in this complaint and i realize that not every buisness who deals with wordstream will experience this because alot of you have capital that you can miss. However, if you are a "small" business, this is a risky choice since you never know what could happen next week and this company is uncomprimising when you really need them to be there for you.
There is also the matter of the actual software itself. In my case, it's beginning to look like their software had some initial positive results but after month 3 it was all downhill from there.. I believe wordstream contributed if not caused the demise of my PPC campaigns and ulimately my company. i realize that other factors could be in play here and that they may not be entirely at fault. However, it's important to realize that this company's aggressively strict contract and policies hurt small businesses and their lack of compassion for a real business who's fallen on hard times is heard loud and clear. I don't tream my clients like this. If my client falls, I'll give him a break and maybe even help him get back on his feet..
I wish I could talk to you owners of this organization; Lary Kim or the CEO but you're not easily reached..
Yes, I signed a contract. But the fact remains that my campaigns died while using your software and you are unwilling to compromise or work with me on the initial contract we signed. This company has very big and sharp teeth that BITE!! Don't fall for the happy sweet nice little cartoony website and and all of the fake cute smiling faces, that's just a front to hook you. This company will slam you when you need them the most.
2 Updates & Rebuttals
Executive at Wordstream
Boston,Massachusetts,
Two side to every story
#3UPDATE Employee
Fri, October 18, 2013
There are two sides to every story and parties cannot always agree. So, we would like to explain our side of the story.
We understand the customer is going through some stressful times. We only hope they consider removing this report and reach out to their Customer Success Specialist. We would like to be the solution to the problem.
Wordstream Victim
San Diego,California,
WORDSTREAM REVIEWS | Multiple Solutions or Compromises?
#3Author of original report
Thu, October 17, 2013
WORDSTREAM REVIEWS:
Thank you for the reply and I appreciate your participation in this but unfortunately the only thing you've offered is a buyout for a small fortune or the PIP program which I cannot participate in if I'm shutting down my adwords accounts and possibly my entire business!! These are not "multiple" options and compromises. I'd like to think of them as "multiple" "give me my money" options.
Let me give you an example: If the rule is: I have to pay the bank or an auto insurance company or any other organziation a fee for the services they provide to me. What if I dont' have any money to put in the bank or an automobile to insure anymore? Does the bank or the insurance company still charge me for banking services or insuring an auto I don't have? Of course not... The same even goes for the IRS. Let's use some common sense here. You're not offering a service, it's software and I'm not on a managed plan!
But let's realize it IS a contract that I agreed to after all right? Yes. I'm giving you that. In the same way that I believe it's a contract for me to go to work every weekday for my employer if I have a job. But what if I've used all of my PTO days for the year and my wife has an emergency? Or my daughter breaks her leg? Does the employer still make me go to work that day when I should be taking my wife or daughter to the hospital? It's called being human... My claim is that wordstream is not human.. Just a robot with a policy to enforce.
The reason you have to enforce this is because your software is not good enough to keep customers around any other way. You have to force your customers to stay with you. How many businesses operate this way in 2013?
If you query "wordstream reviews" you'll find other people who feel the same way. Here is what they're saying:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
WORDSTREAM REVIEWS: NUMBER 1
"Biggest SCAM company I have yet worked with. STAY AWAY!"
Version: WordStream for SEO 2.1.13
Pros
The software does loosely what it says its going too... Gives suggestions for keywords, etc.
Cons
The company is a joke... probably 5-10 employees who's only focus is on selling you their contract (Even if you disregard this review... do yourself a favor and DO NOT buy a contract)!
I got pitched by their sales force right after starting my first company... the offer sounded great. Help with PPC advertising for $300 a month. Plus Perry Marshall a personal hero of mine put his name next to them (no clue why at this point...).
I tried out their software and it wasn't doing much if anything for me (perhaps I was too much a niche I'm not sure).
I called to cancel my account (forgetting that the sales lady had talked me into a year long contract) and now they want $1,000 more to "buy out" the rest of my contract...
No option to freeze account...
No empathy...
Worst company I have found in the last 5 years hands down. The smallest company that exemplifies everything I hate about big business!
Please do not fall into this trap!
Summary
STAY AWAY from WORDSTREAM!
Save your sanity and $$$!
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
WORDSTREAM REVIEWS: NUMBER 2
"True - word stream only after the money"
Version: WordStream for SEO 2.1.13
Pros
very professional to start
Cons
too much hype about the software, word stream staff not helpful
Summary
absolutely other review are true....... word stream only after the money - think 1000 times before sign up...software not that great ...i have used this software for 6 months..no good ..no improvements..no reduction in the cost... world stream staff gives too much hype about the software...money waste, time waste....i need to wait 6 months to cancel the software
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
WORDSTREAM REVIEWS: NUMBER 3
"only after the money !"
Version: WordStream for SEO 2.1.13
Pros
the begining is ok ...
Cons
... the rest not quite ... read bellow :
Summary
until you begin paying they are very nice, but they know why : because after you become a bit addicted and think that you have discovered the world you are theirs ...
after few payments you optimize some costs but the results are not coming as expected (maybe for the very big clients they do ...) - they say it needs 6 months ...
you cannot pause or interrupt the account - you are forced to pay even if you don't use; and even of you say this they are just saying pay pay pay ...
i have not ever see a subscription that you cannot interrupt or pause for a while, so be very carefull because once you start paying the there is no turning back - you either pay and have some results or you stop and then you are kicked no matter how many thousands of usd you gave them ...
my performance grader (their calculation) is above 97% - so i have scored better then most of their graded adwords accounts - and this wasn't coming from their software because I used it only 1-2 days a month when I had time.
the account was allready optimized before I got to them and I really thought it will help me do more ... it didn't and I wasted lots of money ... and I could use only QUERRYSTREAM because all the other tools are not working in my native language ...
as a conclusion, if your website is in english, maybe using all their tools it will be worthy ... but if you don't, then stay away !!
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
WORDSTREAM REVIEWS: NUMBER 4
either they gave you all for free, or they gave you a lot of money - no offence !
in hours of support and few days/month using it I haven't got all what you are saying, but instead here it is my experience with them:
until you begin paying they are very nice, but they know why : because after you become a bit addicted and think that you have discovered the world you are theirs ...
after few payments you optimize some costs but the results are not coming as expected (maybe for the very big clients they do ...) - they say it needs 6 months ...
you cannot pause or interrupt the account - you are forced to pay even if you don't use; and even of you say this they are just saying pay pay pay ...
i have not ever see a subscription that you cannot interrupt or pause for a while, so be very carefull because once you start paying the there is no turning back - you either pay and have some results or you stop and then you are kicked no matter how many thousands of usd you gave them ...
my performance grader (their calculation) is above 97% - so i have scored better then most of their graded adwords accounts - and this wasn't coming from their software because I used it only 1-2 days a month when I had time.
the account was allready optimized before I got to them and I really thought it will help me do more ... it didn't and I wasted lots of money ... and I could use only QUERRYSTREAM because all the other tools are not working in my native language ...
as a conclusion, if your website is in english, maybe using all their tools it will be worthy ... but if you don't, then stay away
!!
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Again, I just think it's right for people to know that while this company has not done anything illegal, it still does not take into account unique circumstances of its' customers, therefore, it cannot possibly deliver the type of service it charges for. If you are interested in working with your customer on this issue, you know how to reach me. I am really trying hard to make this work and I really want to use the PIP option if I can save my campaigns and business. But if I can't, then I have no options but to pay you for a service that I'm not recieving. I'll happily notate this report that you honored a request from your customer to consider his hardships if you would only do so. However, if you're not willing then this report must stand so that others may know that entering into contracts with wordstream is not wise. Especially for very small businesses.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
WORDSTREAM REVIEWS,
WORDSTREAM REVIEWS,
WORDSTREAM REVIEWS,
WORDSTREAM REVIEWS