Complaint Review: Advertising Services - Chatsworth California

It all started when Mr. Carl Winslow the Austrailian scam artist approached me at my office one day in August 2017.   He said he was a represenative for Menu Express and they could market my new small dealership in the area and get us alot of potential customers. He further explained that we could create an ad ourselves or the company he's represenating could create an ad to place in the menu at Thurmans Cafe located in Columbus Ohio and showed us an example of what it would like.  He said Thurmans Cafe customers would be able to see our adveritsment while visiting the restaurant with their families or friends while dining at the restaurant.  He also stated we would be able to create a different ad for each month if we'd like and that basically we could update our ad at any point if we wish to do so. 

The only stipulation was we needed to have it in to them by the first of the month for the following month to print.  He originally told us that the initial " PRODUCTION FEE" was $199.00 and that was to cover the ad layout, necessary design and copy changes.  By the end of the time spent with him, it ended up costing me $299.00 for this "PRODUCTION FEE" instead of the $199.00 he originally quoted and he said he preferred if I would pay with a check.  I can't remember what the additional $100 was for exactly but it was something along the lines of us getting more printing room on the page.  He was pretty persiatant I pay him with a check but I told him I don't have checks available at the moment so it would have to be a card or nothing. 

At this point I should have went with my gut feeling and said NO because looking back now, I see a lot of RED FLAGS that I initially didn't see that day. He charged my card using STRIPE which is now called Point Of Sale for the amount of $299.00. He was unable to provide me with a receipt for the transaction on spot and said he would have his corporate office mail it to me. Well here we are in FEBRUARY 2018 and I have yet to receive a reciept for the transaction that occured that day in August 2017.  A promised receipt isn't the only thing I have yet to receive from them, they never so much as return ANY of my calls or any of my emails.  I can not get ahold of anyone from this company and I'm still being charged on a monthly basis.  The contract I signed stated very clearly in 14 point font that I was to pay $308.00 per month for FOUR CONSECUTIVE MONTHS. 

I have now been paying this scam operation since September 2017.  Would you like to know what I have recieved from them so far? ONE advertisement in the TAKE OUT menu in Thurmans Cafe. I have emailed them a print ad in a timely manner (every month) as they requested and I still didn't get what I was promised. I am out ALOT of money and I have had only ONE tiny advertisement in a TAKE OUT MENU that people don't even know exists unless they request one from their server. I have learned this company operates under several different ficticious names and has several different banks accounts in various states.  If you try to look them up, you will find several different comapnies generated by google.  I was unable to find the company just by googling them, I actually looked my bank account from each month they stole money from me and googled the name followed by a series of numbers and that's how I was able to find out the real deal on this company (or companies they DBA).  I am currently in a ferocious battle with my bank trying to get some of (if not all of) my money back.  I have documented proof showing this company stole money from me and they don't stand by their part of the deal.  They are out to prey on small business owners like myself so please be ware when it comes to someone trying to "HELP" you market your business.  Trust me, this is just a short version of what I've been dealing with since I was introduced to this nightmare!