Info On Yelp Ads
Like many reading this, when I heard Yelp a few things come to mind:
1. A huge online presence
2. Large Reputable Company
3. Probably a good place to use ads
So when my daughter who opened a retail store recently asked what I thought about getting Yelp ads, I said well it's probably a good thing to think about, though I didn't know for sure. She talked to them, was told: Yelp could help bring in customers, she had 30 days to cancel her contract and decided to sign up. I agreed that it was worth a try and to cancel if they didn't work out.
Well #1 is correct, as they do have a huge online presence, but I couldn't be more wrong about #2 and #3.
When I called to cancel her contract, I was told the sales person and her manager would reach out to my daughter to cancel her contract. My daughter rec'd the call that she didn't have 30 days because she signed up on the 11th of the month, not the 1st. What?!?! I was livid and my daughter devastated; their cancellation fee is $650!
We both went round and round with Yelp about this obvious mistake and then was told there was no 30 day cancellation in the contract. So what is it? You have 30 days to cancel, but only if you sign up on the 1st or you don't? Why would my daughter be told not to worry she had 30 days to cancel if she didn't like their service?
Yes I'm fully aware that the contract should've been read over carefully, perhaps even by an attorney. Yet Yelp isn't some fly by night company! One should be able to take them for their word…. Alas they are a company that will outright lie to get folks hooked. :(
Then I started researching Yelp and was shocked by what I found. Thousands of dissatisfied customers; many who felt ripped off by their ads and/or Yelp cost them business. While that was staggering to say the least, what I found on the BBB site was more so.
Yelp on BBB has this warning: ! There is an alert for this business ! Click on that and it tells you about a Government Action. And if that wasn't bad enough Yelp has "no rating" at all. Plus the complaints and reviews tell quite a story about Yelp.
While my kiddo is still battling with them and not sure what will come of it, I thought I'd pass this info along to help others make an informed decision if Yelp ads is right for them. I'm sure the ads work well for some, those with larger company's, but it's a rip off for small businesses. My daughter has spent near $500 on ads in 25 days with not 1 single customer coming in the store from Yelp. :(
Definitely better places to spend your advertising money….. Though it's up to you. If nothing else, please be sure you fully read all TOS / Contracts and understand what is within, before signing them!
~ Charly
