- Report: #129566
Complaint Review: Qwest Dex Media - West Des Moines Iowa
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Qwest Dex Media
4201 Westtown Pkwy West Des Moines, 50266 Iowa, U.S.A.
Phone:
515-365 7100
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Qwest Dex Media High pressure Misleading Sales Tactics Ripoff West Des Moines Iowa
My dealings with Qwest Dex was about a year and a half ago. I was invited to a Dex advertising meeting on the premise that I could learn about advertising in the telephone directory.
I did attend the meeting. The meeting consisted of a motivational speaker. The Dex speaker went thru the entire meeting touting figures and facts about failed businesses and how they "under advertised " in the phone directory. While all the time using this scare as a way to get you to buy a bigger ad in the DEX directory.
He was big on promising the high quality and
good results that would occur by using the Qwest Dex directory to advertise in. He would also use value reassurance statements like "we want you as a customer for life"
I was definatly worried by the end of the meeting that my planned budjet wasnt going to be enough. Needless to say I spent a large sum of money on the DEX ad.
I fortunatly also advertised in the Yellow Book directory (please note YELLOW BOOK is NOT affiliated with DEX). The following year I noticed a huge differance between the results the ads were getting. The lower priced Yellow Book Ad was kicking the crap out of the DEX ad. I polled every customer on what directory they used in finding my phone number, it was upper 90 per cent Yellow Book.
The yellow book ad cost me about 25% what the DEX ad costed. and yellow book out performed DEX by a huge amount. I feel RIPPED off by QWEST DEX. BEWARE of the selling tactics they use. If you are thinking about telephone directory advertising. Check and see what other directorys are used in your area.
The yellow book directory was easy to use the DEX directory was cluttered with oversized ads making it harder to use. Even with the large amount of money I spent on DEX it made NO difference.
This last year I went exclusive with the yellow book directory and doubled what I spent on them last year (this is still under half what i spent the year before on DEX). I am not disappointed in the least with the results, this year my phone is busier then ever with customer calls.
BEWARE OF QWEST DEX. I would like to see the IOWA Attorney generals office investigate QWEST DEX on the rates they are charging and the tactics they use when selling their advertising.
Steve
Des Moines, Iowa
U.S.A.
I did attend the meeting. The meeting consisted of a motivational speaker. The Dex speaker went thru the entire meeting touting figures and facts about failed businesses and how they "under advertised " in the phone directory. While all the time using this scare as a way to get you to buy a bigger ad in the DEX directory.
He was big on promising the high quality and
good results that would occur by using the Qwest Dex directory to advertise in. He would also use value reassurance statements like "we want you as a customer for life"
I was definatly worried by the end of the meeting that my planned budjet wasnt going to be enough. Needless to say I spent a large sum of money on the DEX ad.
I fortunatly also advertised in the Yellow Book directory (please note YELLOW BOOK is NOT affiliated with DEX). The following year I noticed a huge differance between the results the ads were getting. The lower priced Yellow Book Ad was kicking the crap out of the DEX ad. I polled every customer on what directory they used in finding my phone number, it was upper 90 per cent Yellow Book.
The yellow book ad cost me about 25% what the DEX ad costed. and yellow book out performed DEX by a huge amount. I feel RIPPED off by QWEST DEX. BEWARE of the selling tactics they use. If you are thinking about telephone directory advertising. Check and see what other directorys are used in your area.
The yellow book directory was easy to use the DEX directory was cluttered with oversized ads making it harder to use. Even with the large amount of money I spent on DEX it made NO difference.
This last year I went exclusive with the yellow book directory and doubled what I spent on them last year (this is still under half what i spent the year before on DEX). I am not disappointed in the least with the results, this year my phone is busier then ever with customer calls.
BEWARE OF QWEST DEX. I would like to see the IOWA Attorney generals office investigate QWEST DEX on the rates they are charging and the tactics they use when selling their advertising.
Steve
Des Moines, Iowa
U.S.A.
3 Updates & Rebuttals
Logical
Billings,Montana,
U.S.A.
Well...logically, if you spend less and get more...That is a better ROI
#2Consumer Suggestion
Wed, December 10, 2008
People like to make this whole yellow pages battle between Dex & Yellowbook confusing. But, if a full page ad in Dex cost as much as 2 full pages in yellowbook....which is twice the advertising, which book is going to get more calls? Advertisers don't care about satistics they want results. So if yellowbook can put you in more classifications for less money...the chances of you getting calls is far greater than just one classification. And if you really want to know who uses what more. Go to www.quantcast.com you can type in both yellowbook.com & dexknows.com and this third party quantifyable web site tracks the traffic to each internet yellow page site. It is pretty much 3 to 1 yellowbook. Nice thing about yellowbook is that they will justify the means, without scaring you and present a reasonable expectation on your return.
Desiree
Rochester,Minnesota,
U.S.A.
Check your figures again
#3UPDATE EX-employee responds
Thu, June 15, 2006
I was wondering if the ad you placed with Yellow Book was the same size as the one you placed in Dex? It is not easy to imagine a larger ad in one phone book getting more calls than a smaller ad in Dex. You said your Dex book was clutter with large ads. Don't you think those people who spend the money on the larger ads realize their return on investment? There is a reson why the book is "cluttered" with ads. These people know the value of being in the book and spending the money to get the better placement. Of course you will get more business paying for a big ad in a book that few are advertising in because you will get the majority of the calls from those who use that book. Dex is more expensive but then again, you get what you pay for. I am a former employee who started a business and placed an ad in Dex and in YellowBook. The same size ad. The Dex ad beats the heck out of Yellowbook. Why? Because the consumers use DEX more. If I were to place a small ad in Dex and a large one in Yellow book, I'd get the same results you did.
Shambhu
Shakopee,Minnesota,
U.S.A.
Dex Had same issues with our business in Minnesota
#4Consumer Suggestion
Wed, March 02, 2005
We got the same kind of sale tectics in Minnesota promising the moon for our mortgage business. We could hardly wait to stop paying high cost( kind of rip off) then they came up with their secret weapon. They can extend the charges beyond 12 months if they are not able to come up with new directory in time. I do not know if this is legal but they have it in contract. I will check with the office of Minensota attorney General to see if they can put such clause in contract.
