"Temporary Interruption" [Archive] - SEO Best Practices Search Engine Forums

tlacaelel

23-04-2002, 17:23/05:23PM

MsSearch said:I never received a 'Temporary Interruption' email and didn't realize i had reached my limit until i signed into my account...Oops! Bad move.

I must apologize since in prior posts elsewhere on this and other forums I indicated my belief that logging in to your account did not constitute activating your account, which involves separate steps requiring you to accept their agreement and authorize a credit card and budget.

While that is technically correct, there is something more ominous going on. It appears, given the information available to me at this time and my assessment thereof (legal disclaimer), that there are at least four possible states for all existing looksmart customer accounts. That state for each customer accounts identifies the customer's awareness of the product upgrade changes which are taking place, and the customer's level of participation in the new program. I believe (my opinion only, YMMV) that these are the states:[list=1] Unnotified. The customer is unreachable at email address on file, emails bounce.
Notified without acknowledgement or further contact. Customer is reachable at email address on file (message didn't bounce), but has not logged in to their account.
Notified and logged in, but card not authorized. Customer received emails, and has logged in, but has not accepted terms or authorized card.
Fully upgraded. Customer received emails, logged in, accepted terms, and authorized card and set some budget.
[/list=1]Now the bad part. I believe (my opinion only) that when you reach step 3, once you have logged in at least once, LookSmart considers your account to be "pre-activated" and aligned with their new CPC product, and that your listing will now be subject to budgeted appearance only. Once your budget is exhausted your listing will be suppressed and you will no longer appear, e.g. on MSN, in the "FEATURED LISTINGS" or "WEB DIRECTORY" results. You will no longer appear period. Your only hope (for MSN) is that you have a good rank in Inktomi for the search query, and that you will appear in the first page or two of "WEB PAGES" results.

Why do I believe this? Because I am responsible for multiple listings in the old LookSmart directory, purchased using their "Submit" product offering, and those listings are now behaving differently depending upon what actions I have or have not taken with respect to the LookSmart "upgrade" email notifications which I have received. My analysis (opinion) above is based upon my assessment of those observations.

MSN is still returning "WEB DIRECTORY SITES" for most queries. So why are those sites (presumably from L$) still appearing? Perhaps it is because they haven't logged in to their account. Or perhaps I am wrong, and those sites simply havent exhausted their automatic free credit click budgets in the given month. Who knows? We can't really be certain about any of this since LookSmart is being so secretive about everything.

It boggles the mind that a vendor would treat its customers so poorly and presumably believe that those customers will stick around, and cave in to the aggressive "upgrade" and new exorbitant fees (my opinion).

So given everthying to date, I suggest to my customers that that Stop doing any business with LookSmart. Let L$ join the F%$@^DCOMPANY.COM Deadpool if this is they way they treat the customers that have given them business in the past and enabled L$ to survive the 2000 dotcom crash. I hope they don't survive this colossal marketing blunder.

Since the only L$ partner I care about is MSN, I will suggest to MSN that they resume Overture, and more importantly, I will work to better utilize Inktomi Index Submit to ensure that my results rank high enough in WEB PAGES to compensate for the loss of my LookLarcenous LookListings from the "WEB DIRECTORY" results. If MSN resumes Overture, I will gladly pay CPC to Overture for FEATURED LISTINGS.

But it will be a cold day in hell before I ever give any more money to LookStupid. They have lost my respect and trust. I won't do business with them any more.

Visit www.actdumb.com (http://www.actdumb.com) for a laugh. Make sure to click on the banner bar to see satire of hypothetical L$ slogans.

ihelpyou

23-04-2002, 17:39/05:39PM

Yes. It is even worse than I had thought. LS says you have to activate your account before anything starts, but that AIN'T true. All I ever did was LOG IN one time. That is it. I did not click anything else. They auto activated me and now have shut me off. NO activation by us is necessary. If you simply log in you are activated.

Their spin is a lie.

robwatts

23-04-2002, 17:46/05:46PM

I think lookdumb have taken the view that many site owners will be panicked into upgrading for fear of loss of traffic.

I know that i get a hell of a lot of traffic via the L$ MSN feed.

If my paid subscribers see a big drop off in traffic then they usually receive, then I will of course ,find it harder to convince them that we are worth their investment.

Im really mad at them, I think they have behaved outrageously but suspect that they probably couldnt give two hoots. Emails that Ive sent expressing my dissatisfaction have been answered with scripted parroted "As a looksmart customer..blah blah blah..Zzzzz we dont really care heres our standard answer etc etc"

As everyone else on here I seriously hope that MSN and the other L$ content providers take on board whats happening here and feck them off out of it.

My fear is that either way Ill see a big down turn in traffic which im going to have to redress via google or overture.

Like others i signed up 16 months ago and paid about $199 US on the understanding that it was a one off fee.

I would have begrudgingly accepted a new model if it enhanced what i already get at a reasonable cost. 2 days of receiving their "we are pleased to inform you that youve been upgraded to balh blah" I get an email telling me that ive used my 100 clicks and that im advised to deposit $300 per month to maintain my current levels!!

They suck, theyve dropped a big clanger, and they need to fix it..and quick.

unfortunately, the person/s who made this decision wont back down that quickly as they want to keep their jobs, so will probably fight their corner and ask their 'colleagues' to bear with them saying things like 'a degree of backlash was inevitable' and 'things will simmer down' then 'watch as the revenues rise'

I just hope that someone in that silly comapny has the balls to grab the issue by the throat and put it right.

rob

MsSearch

23-04-2002, 18:08/06:08PM

:hi: robwatts..welcome to the forums

All email accounts I have used for LS accounts in the past are still up and running and am currently receiving emails to those accounts...

I did not activate any of my LS accounts but have logged in previously to see what this new 'upgrade' cr-p was all about so I guess they automatically activated my accounts. I have not verified credit cards for any accounts.

However, as I said before, my 'temporary interruption' websites are still appearing in MSN under the Web Directory results with the LS redirect...but i have also noticed that on searches where there were 100's of results there are now only a few results listed ahead of the Web Page results...

As i do not agree with the automatic activation upon logging into my accounts, I will not argue or complain about my sites still appearing in the MSN (Web Directory) search results especially since my listings all appear in the first three results out of 10-30 possible listings ... and LS is not authorized to charge my credit card per click as I have not increased the limit on my sites beyond what they gave me in the upgrade...

oh well...keep on LookingDumb.....

ihelpyou

23-04-2002, 18:37/06:37PM

Welcome to the forums Rob! :hi:

Yep. It's a bad situation. I feel very sad that a directory I use to love has stooped this low.

tlacaelel

23-04-2002, 18:38/06:38PM

MsSearch: However, as I said before, my 'temporary interruption' websites are still appearing in MSN under the Web Directory resultsFor the moment, but I suspect they won't be there for long.I will not argue or complain about my sites still appearing in the MSN (Web Directory) search results especially since my listings all appear in the first three results out of 10-30But for how long. LookSmart leaves us all in the dark.

We don't know exactly what is happening. LookSmart is being very opaque in the information they provide. Mostly it's propoganda like "We're pleased to upgrade you," "Our customer feedback has been extremely positive," "Our customers asked for this product," "You are our valued customer." Yeah right. Do they think we are idiots? How about "We're pleased to have this opportunity to insult your intelligence."

We're accustomed to managing (or attempting to manage) our search results appearance for our sites. At the very least, this would involve ensuring decent-performance (keywords) directory listings and sometimes revisiting site construction/content to make legitimate (or not-so-legitimate) modifications for the indexers. And more recently this has extended into paid-inclusion indexing and cost-per-click premium listings.

I'm sure most would have given fair consideration to any new optional CPC product from LookSmart. And that we would begrudgingly accepted the introduction of an annual $99 fee for our LookSmart Directory listings. But that's not what happened. LookSmart clearly knows so much more than everyone else in the industry. They decide to launch this stupid descriptions/keywords CPC product and force it down our throats. Virtually the only control the product gives us is how much money are we able/willing to pay them. They now expect to be paid for every click and every listing change. That's such a total change, to the opposite end of the gamut, from their prior product offerings.

I like Doug's comparison of LookSmart to an advertising agency. That's funny as hell. Here we thought these past years we were buying directory listings and all of sudden LookSmart decides they're not our directory any more, they're our advertising agency.

Sure L$ can evolve their product line. But LookSmart has decided to brutally DELETE the only product we've ever bought from them (DIRECTORY) and replace it with a compulsory upgrade to this extremely expensive COST-PER-CLICK Perform-for-payment scheme. They're talking bull$hit if they say "we're committed to directory." LookSmart is no longer a directory if our listings only perform-for-payment. How's that for turning "pay-for-performance" on its ear?

I like the way that sounds ... "LookSmart, your perform-for-payment directory. (My opinion only, YMMV).

They're so abusing their position as a directory provider in doing this. They wouldn't even be around today if hundreds of thousands of listings had not been purchased by us and other members of the SEO, siteowner/mgr and webdeveloper communities. Don't you remember how many different directories there were? Do they really think we would chosen them and paid them the money 3 months ago, or especially a year or two ago, if they had told us about their secret plans to rob us blind in April 2002? I doubt it. We would have let them die a long time ago.

DISCLAIMER: These are only my opinions. Decide for yourself.

kalew

23-04-2002, 19:07/07:07PM

I received my "account traffic interruption" e-mail on 04/17/02. A few days prior to that date, I logged onto my account, but did not activate anything. As of three minutes ago, my site is still active in MSn, L$, and partners. One strange thing I noticed: I seem to be getting a LOT more visitors from L$ - L$ seems to account for about 27% of my traffic, when just prior to this crappy new PPC scam, L$ gave me only about 2% of my traffic. Hmmm...my suspicious mind is working overtime...

sanity

23-04-2002, 21:13/09:13PM

Hey guys guess what I, just got the temporary intreruption for a client's site and I haven't logged into the account - EVER.

I was concerned that logging in may have been construed as activating the account so I didn't. I figured I had until 11 July to do this... And somehow this account has still been activated.

I really find this utterly outrageous. How on earth do you tell your clients this?

Kal

23-04-2002, 22:17/10:17PM

Hey guys - I have it on good authority that Looksmart is paying very close attention to these forums at the moment. Just wanted to let you know :cheers:

sanity

23-04-2002, 22:25/10:25PM

Well perhaps they could tell me how my account has been activated when I haven't ever logged into it. And they said we have to 11 July, yeah right. :rolleyes:

tlacaelel

23-04-2002, 23:14/11:14PM

Hi Kal! Hey guys - I have it on good authority that Looksmart is paying very close attention to these forums at the moment. Just wanted to let you knowWe can only hope that their activity is more constructive than lurking and private whining in preparation for revisions to their PR.

[The following is solely my personal opinion and is not to be construed as fact.]

Unless LookSmart can admit to themselves how wrongly this has been conceived and handled, they don't stand a chance. If they don't take prompt and decisive actions to fix the product and provide fair options to the very customers who have made their existence and survival possible, then they don't stand a chance. They have clearly lost the trust, confidence, and respect of a substantial number of their customers.

Any corporate marketing culture that could have conceived such a blatantly unfair, customer-unfriendly, incompatible yet compulsory product upgrade doesn't inspire any confidence in me that they would be capable of introspection and objective reform.

LookSmart has clearly demonstrated that they don't see things from the customer's point of view. LookSmart's "marketing communications" by email to their customers over the last month have been appalling, presumptive, heavy-handed and insulting to the intelligence of any customer who doesn't agree with their self-serving conclusions about this incompatible product upgrade. Their website FAQs and marketing materials are equally ignorant of the point of view of many existing customers.

I'm still really astounded that they could have done this and not seen what would result. These guys managed to survive (barely) the dotcom meltdown and this is how they squander their new lease on life?

A new product introduction should have been interesting and innovative, not infuriating and incompatible. And surely not compulsory.

Here's just one example: About one year ago I registered a customer's listing with $99 basic submit. They were paid money for a directory listing for an individual's personal website. Now a year later, they've "ceased traffic" to the site!!! LookSmart recommends you select $150 as your monthly budget. For God's sake this is an individual's website! They were paid for this listing! This individual reluctantly budgets the $20 monthly hosting fee for a site which has probably never generated a dime in direct compensation for him, it's solely for individual PR. But now LookSmart's tells him he needs to spend $1800 per year to keep his traffic uninterrupted! They are out to freaking lunch! (We don't need to get into technical debates about Zeal possibilities. There are already Zealot reports about conflicts with pre-existing LookSmart site listings and attempted Zeal re-listings etc).

There are certainly tens of thousands of small business sites and "minimally-commercial" small sites who purchased paid LookSmart directory listings and for whom any new monthly LookSmart fees resulting in annual expenditure of hundreds or even thousands of dollars would be unjustifiable, unfeasible and outrageous.

How could LookSmart not have understood this? Sure, a good e-store with referral tracking and decent profitability and the ability to analyze ROI could likely justify a CPC solution at $0.05 or $0.25 or $0.95 or who knows. But that class of directory listing customer is probably less than 5% of the directory listings. Yet LookSmart has decided to $crew the other 95%+ into a CPC solution at potentially great expense!

At the most, LookSmart should have compelled existing directory customers into an annual fee. If they wanted to be fair, they should have had a multi-tiered fee. Listings for individual, strictly non-commercial, and small business sites (under $25K in online revenue), could be $50 per year. Listings for all other sites could be $150 or $300, depending upon business size (break at $50,000 in online revenue or $500,000 in offline revenue). They could have the right to change your listing category if your clicks exceed some very substantial number.

And LookSmart should have launched a CPC product. But not a mandatory one. That new CPC product should win or lose in the marketplace on its own merits and value/ROI proposition, not because if was forced upon tens or hundreds of thousands of existing customers.

</annoyance>

The new LookSmart isn't a pay-for-performance CPC solution for premium listings buys. LookSmart is now a ridiculously overpriced, perform-for-payment directory.

Make sure to check out this website -->

ihelpyou

23-04-2002, 23:19/11:19PM

You can count on the fact that LS is keeping an eye in here. If they do anything about it remains to be seen. If nothing else, I hope they learn something from this fiasco. Maybe about to be a 'professional'?

kalew

25-04-2002, 14:15/02:15PM

Well, I am now out of MSN and Looksmart. I don't really give a crap about L$...I paid for a specific service, got it for a while, then they changed the service mid-stream. As stated many times within this forum, this is a terrible way to conduct business. If I paid L$ with the intention of following their new scheme, then that is a different story. The simple fact is: I am not now getting what I paid for.

I wonder if MSN realizes the mistake of doing business with L$. Like I said, I could care less about L$, but the Inktomi results MSN pulls in for several of my key words/phrases are so far after the L$ listings...my traffic is half what it was two days ago.

Hope

25-04-2002, 16:40/04:40PM

This whole L$ stuff is a mess. I have a client asking questions about it and I really have no answers.

L$ is making all of us SEO look like idiots. This is horrible and just great for business.

I really hope that L$ gets their act together quickly so we can all get on with our clients.

Advisor

25-04-2002, 20:20/08:20PM

From what I understand from what I heard at the London SES conference, L$ has no intention of changing anything (this according to the thoughts of a *very* reputable source). So I am going to base my decisions on that. Which means, total boycott of them. I will set my sites for 100 clicks a month, and never submit another site to them, nor give them another cent.

Jill

Great-1

29-04-2002, 10:46/10:46AM

I Got my "Temporary Interuption" email late Friday night, and read it first thing this morning. I'm still on L$ and MSN. And, ironically, my traffic has gone up since I was apparently taken off L$.

I'm gonna side with Jill - You may take off our listings, but you'll never take our freedom!!!!!!

ooops,

You may take off our listings, but you'll never take our money!!!!!

Advisor

29-04-2002, 10:59/10:59AM

Yep! They're basically dead to me. Even if they do a total reversal, I won't do business with them any more. We should have all done this when they first partnered with the scumware.

Jill

kalew

29-04-2002, 14:32/02:32PM

Contrary to what I though last week, I just did an analysis of my traffic via my log stats, and the combined L$ / MSN traffic I was receiving on a daily basis was only about 1% overall. So...my site being removed from L$, MSN and partners really isn't as bad as I thought. Aside from being scummed out of the $199.00 I paid to be listed in L$ 16 months ago, I'm not really losing much. This L$ crap only makes me a stronger optimizer for all the other SE.

Let the boycotting begin !!!

Matt B

29-04-2002, 17:03/05:03PM

I wonder if L$ is going to send me a bill for all of these overclicks and massive traffic jumps that my sites seem to be going through. God knows they aren't going to get my credit card #.

I am still waiting for my telemarketing call . . .

Advisor

29-04-2002, 18:34/06:34PM

You know, they have NOT started any new billing period. Not on my account. My sites that accrued 100 are still stuck at 100, and others have just reached it. Not sure why some people's have started over. I seem to be on the same (first) billing period, and keep getting traffic interruption notices.

I really hate these guys. The are making me so sick. :barf+:

ihelpyou

29-04-2002, 18:53/06:53PM

LOL Maybe it has something to do with activating your account or not?

Advisor

29-04-2002, 20:32/08:32PM

Ok, those $hitheads have done it now. I decided to ask for a refund of my $299 for the site I submitted 2 freakin' hours before their first "upgrade" email, since it's clicks were used up in the first week, and that's absofrigginlutely NOT what I paid $299 for.

Of course, I asked them in a much nicer manner. Here's their lovely response:Hello,

Thank you for your email.

We have received your request for a refund for your LookSmart Submit order.

Unfortunately, the fee you paid for your Submit order is non-refundable. Fees associated with the Basic Submit and Express Submit offerings were charged for the expedited review and categorization of your Web site. Once your listing was created, a non-refundable fee was charged to your account.

However, since you are one of LookSmart's valued customers, the Web site you listed via our Submit service has been automatically upgraded to a Small Business Listing, at no additional cost to you. Your new Small Business Listing will ensure that your Web site continues to receive targeted traffic from the entire LookSmart Network, and also gives you improved account management and reporting functionality.

For each Small Business Listing you have with LookSmart, your account has been credited with $15 worth of free clicks per month. If you have activated your account, you will receive the $15 worth of clicks each month for 20 months, for a total value of $300 worth of free clicks. The $300 worth of clicks represents a value equal to or greater than the amount you originally paid to submit your listing. You can cancel at any time and your credit card will not be charged without your permission.

We are confident that you will find your new Small Business Listings account a valuable component of your online marketing efforts. For complete details of this service, please activate your account at http://listings.looksmart.com.

Regards,

The LookListings Small Business Team
Time to talk to my credit card company, perhaps?

:1:

sanity

29-04-2002, 20:37/08:37PM

However, since you are one of LookSmart's valued customers, the Web site you listed via our Submit service has been automatically upgraded to a Small Business Listing, at no additional cost to you. Your new Small Business Listing will ensure that your Web site continues to receive targeted traffic from the entire LookSmart Network, and also gives you improved account management and reporting functionality.

You must be kidding Jill. They seriously wrote that? Unbelievable and oh so bloody insulting to your intelligence. I'm going to be sick :barf+:

L$tupid - you are a disgrace!!!

Advisor

29-04-2002, 20:38/08:38PM

Dear LookSmart,

No, you don't understand me. I submitted my site 2 hours before you sent the first email and paid you $299 to have my site listed the whole month, each and every month. NOT 1 week out of each month. Is that any clearer? Please refund my $299 immediately or I shall have my credit card company take care of it for me, and then perhaps my attorney will have his say in the matter also.

Have you ever heard of unconsionable business practices? You may want to read up on it.

Please let me know once you have credited my credit card back the $299 as requested.

Thank you,

Jill Whalen

sanity

29-04-2002, 20:45/08:45PM

Good response Jill.

That previous email from them is almost deceptive. They made out that they upgraded you cause you weren't happy. What a load of cr*p.

Let us know what happens.

Sophie

Blue

29-04-2002, 22:39/10:39PM

Hey Jill,

This may be just smoke, but it seems to me that if you can use your logs to prove that they didn't perform their "expedited review and categorization of your Web site" within the two hours from the point in time of your submission/payment and the receipt of the email informing you of the change in contract, thereby negating the original contract you signed up under.

Grant

30-04-2002, 01:02/01:02AM

My request for a refund seemed a tad less friendly:

Hello,

Thank you for your email.

When you submitted your web site to the LookSmart directory, the fee you paid was assessed for our staff of professional editors to conduct a review of your site on an expedited basis. The fee was a guarantee of expedited review, not a guarantee that your listing would be included in the LookSmart directory at all or on a permanent basis. Our Terms of Service provide in part as follows: "LookSmart also reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to remove your site from the Directory, move the listing to a different category or subcategory, and change or remove any keywords, comments or annotations at any time, for any reason." All customers agreed to the Terms of Service prior to paying for the Submit service.

LookSmart has discontinued the Express Submit and Basic Submit products for commercial web sites, and has offered to replace these products with Small Business Listings, including a generous amount of free clicks to assist you in the transition. We hope that this email clarifies the questions raised in your email. We look forward to continuing our mutually beneficial business relationship and hope that you will take advantage of all the benefits offered by our new Small Business Listings service.

Regards,

The LookListings Small Business Team

The questions they are referring to:

1. How is this plan beneficial to me? and 2. When can expect a refund?

Grant :confused:

Advisor

30-04-2002, 01:20/01:20AM

Grant, how long ago did you submit the site you were requesting a refund for?

J

Grant

30-04-2002, 01:50/01:50AM

Originally posted by Advisor
Grant, how long ago did you submit the site you were requesting a refund for?

J

My order date:

Product: Basic Submit
Order date: 2002-04-04 16:48:07
Order total: $149.00

Then on Thu 4/11/2002 10:00 PM I receive this gem:

Important notice for LookSmart customers - ACTION REQUIRED

Dear Valued Customer:

Because you're a valued customer who submitted a listing before April 9, 2002, we've automatically upgraded you to Small Business Listings. Bla Bla Bla.......Give us money...

Then on Fri 4/19/2002 5:07 PM to my amazement:

*Account Traffic Interruption Email*

All this without ever logging into my so-called upgraded account. My site has a total of 48 Referrals in the month of April from Looksmart.

$15.00/.15 = 100 clicks right?..........RIGHT?!?!?

Grant :confused:

Advisor

30-04-2002, 01:54/01:54AM

Do those 48 referrals count any from MSN or any other supposed LS partners? (I'm sure we all get lots from Juno and Prodigy, et al!)

J

Grant

30-04-2002, 02:21/02:21AM

Originally posted by Advisor
Do those 48 referrals count any from MSN or any other supposed LS partners? (I'm sure we all get lots from Juno and Prodigy, et al!)

J

Thanks for your response Jill.

My site is VERY new. Launch date was March 1 of this year. No other referrals are from any LS partners (unless they are included in the 48 referrals). I was only listed on LS and MSN for 2 weeks total and only one week while part of this "Small Business Listing" before I received the Traffic Interruption notice.

*sigh*

Grant :confused:

tlacaelel

30-04-2002, 03:30/03:30AM

My state (Ohio) AG consumer protection hotline says a chargeback can be initiated for Charges for goods or services different from what was representedI'm not an authority on this, but I believe that your credit card company would side with you, and most likely would your State's AG. You should call both and ask.

LookSmart has a crafty contract: "Your purchase of a car from us in no way obligates us to deliver a car which will transport you from place to place in safety; if delivered, the car may cease to function for any duration at any time; and further, we may temporarily or permanently reclaim the car for any reason without advance notice, and in no way be obligated to return the car or refund any of the monies you paid for the car. What you purchased from us was the service of considering and examining the car, but you did not purchase the car itself."

I strongly advise that you call your credit card company right away and ask for how many days (from the date of the statement on which the charge appears) can you declare a charge as fraudulent. It should be 60 or 90 days. If you ultimately decide to initiate a chargeback, you should give L$ one last chance to grant your refund, before doing it (assuming you have the time left, make sure you don't miss the 60/90 deadline).

I assume that if you ultimately demand a refund on the grounds of Charges for goods or services different from what was represented that they will continue to recite like a broken record that you paid for a review, not a directory listing. Well I don't think that will hold water.

Regardless of LookSmart's under-handed contract, claiming that they have the right to change whatever, whenever, including delete the listing that you paid for (oh no, you paid for a review), the fact remains: YOU WOULD NOT HAVE MADE THE PURCHASE IF THEY HAD MADE A TRUTHFUL REPRESENTATION OF THE PRODUCT. IMMEDIATELY AFTER YOUR PURCHASE, THEY COMPLETELY CHANGED THE NATURE OF THE PRODUCT, AND CHANGED THE COST FROM A SINGLE-TIME FEE TO A SUBSTANTIAL RECURRING MONTHLY CHARGE.

Contract notwithstanding, anyone purchasing a LookSmart product understood that were the submission successful, they would enjoy a directory listing and the benefits it would bring in visitor traffic. LookSmart has now, mere weeks after your purchase, denied that to you, and relies on specious claims from the fine print contract nomenclature, that you really were paying them to Look at your site, not to put it into a directory. That's bull$hit.

Please call your credit card company and Consumer Protection hotline of your State's Attorney General. Please share the results of your inquiries.

I am also engaged in the same activity for a client right now. I will post the results as well.

Good luck.

Selected Actdumb slogan: "We Don't Care If You Paid For Directory, We Don't Do That Any More."

traveller

30-04-2002, 03:48/03:48AM

Curious if anyone else has seen this. I have a site for Phentermine which I have in Looksmart/have accepted their terms/have added money ( it works out for me)

BUT when one does a search for Phentermine in looksmart ( at least for the past 3 days)

EVERY listing goes to a page that says,

"Sorry, this page is temporarily unavailable
or no longer exists on our servers. "

yet I assume I am being charged for the clicks as is everyone??

whats with that??

seems looksmart is reallyu pulling a fast one.

BTW I have written them and asked about this

Matt B

30-04-2002, 09:47/09:47AM

thanks tlacaelel,

We have already started a chargeback on one of the sites we submitted a week before the changeover. I'll keep everyone apraised of what happens.

At least I know that I'm a "valued" customer of Look$mart, . . . because they keep reminding me.

MsSearch

30-04-2002, 13:01/01:01PM

:hi: new kid--
I am not seeing listings that say "Sorry, this page is temporarily unavailable or no longer exists on our servers. " However, it may be pages that have reached their maximum click amount, but MSN hasn't updated their LS listings--if this is the case then that'll explain why i didn't see that message....just a thought....

...but i have been noticing many listings in the Web Directory results that do not have the r.lksm.com...redirect...go ZEAL!!

ZEAL will be taken advantage of, if this is the case...

Matt B

30-04-2002, 13:14/01:14PM

I am also noticing a lot of directory listings from Zeal on MSN.
Most of the time they are fairly high in the rankings.

Am I correct to assume that Look$mart has nothing to offer by way of relevant search results by the end of the month?

Ha ha. Nothing like a little justice for the greedy.

"You bastards!"
-Kyle from South Park, episode 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, . . .

Stephanie

30-04-2002, 16:33/04:33PM

Regarding:

Hello,

Thank you for your email.

We have received your request for a refund for your LookSmart Submit order.

Blah, blah, blah

However, since you are one of LookSmart's valued customers, the Web site you listed via our Submit service has been automatically upgraded to a Small Business Listing, at no additional cost to you. Your new Small Business Listing will ensure that your Web site continues to receive targeted traffic from the entire LookSmart Network, and also gives you improved account management and reporting functionality.

blah, ha, ha, ha

Hmmmmm..... this letter looks just like the one I received originally when they notified me about the change. The only difference is the first couple sentences about the denial of your refund. Seems like you got a form letter. You lucky devil you.

Time to sit back, relax and watch another bad business decision unfold.

Stephanie :drink:

ihelpyou

30-04-2002, 18:27/06:27PM

Welcome to the forums Stephanie! :hi:

traveller

30-04-2002, 22:20/10:20PM

Thanks MS:

BUT I have money in my account and still my site shows a temp interuption page. AND why would ALL url's for Phentermine go to a temp stop page??

I am confused as I am being charged everday for clicks that seem to go no where??

Advisor

01-05-2002, 00:03/12:03AM

New Kid, no one can put a temp page on your site but you or someone who has access to your site. I don't see how this has anything to do with LS, unless I'm misunderstanding what you're trying to tell us.

J

ginger

01-05-2002, 01:50/01:50AM

My listing disappeared, or should I say "was interrupted". I submitted through MSN / Looksmart. I was in the top 5 results in 6 categories. I'm very upset to see my listing gone! What can we do? Anything??

lurkerlady

01-05-2002, 02:22/02:22AM

Hello!

To the person complaining about Looksmart results for "phentermine" - what do you mean? I just got

Search Results for "phentermine"

Featured Listings

Phentermine - Guaranteed Lowest Prices!
Buy prescription phentermine online. Free consultations, US Physicians and Pharmacies.

Order phentermine online.
Order phentermine from US Physicians. Guaranteed lowest prices, free physician consultation!

Phentermine
Easy Online Ordering, Free US Physician Consultation. Safe, Discreet, Confidential

Phentermine - Click here to Buy!
Phentermine Guaranteed Lowest Prices! Safe, easy, secure online ordering, US physicians!

Directory Categories - Browse topics that match your search Submit a Site

Phentermine
Home > Personal > Health > Drugs & Medicines > Drugs A-Z > Drugs F > Fen-Phen > Phentermine

Fastin or Phentermine
Home > Personal > Health > Conditions & Illnesses > Nutrition & Metabolic > Obesity > Medications > Fastin

Reviewed Web Sites (Showing 1 - 9 of 128 results)

Phentermine - Phentermine-Online-Pharmacy-Diet-Pills.com
Read about, and place an order for, the appetite suppressant, Phentermine. Also find two other weight-loss medications, Adipex and Ionamin.
See also: Pharmacies Specializing in Weight Loss

Phentermine - MedicineNet
Browse informational articles about the drug phentermine, which is an appetite suppressant. Marketed as Adipex-P, Obenix and Oby-Trim.
See also: Phentermine

Phentermine - USARX.com
Features Phentermine, a diet pill used for weight loss. Find out about dosages and possible side effects, and place an order for Phentermine.
See also: Pharmacies Specializing in Weight Loss

Phentermine - Go Ask Alice
Columbia University-affiliated health program answers questions about the diet medication used to treat short-term obesity.
See also: Phentermine

Phentermine - RxList
Non-commercial factsheet on drug indicated for the treatment of exogenous obesity. Lists the brand names under which the drug is sold.
See also: Phentermine

Phentermine - iDietPills
Phentermine can be used by patients suffering from obesity. Order Phentermine online or learn about its properties.
See also: Pharmacies Specializing in Weight Loss

Phentermine - Phentermine-Now
Check out the prices and place an order for phentermine and other weight-loss medications from US physicians and pharmacies.
See also: Pharmacies Specializing in Weight Loss

Buy-Phentermine-Order-Phentermine-Online-MD
Online pharmacy specializes in prescription weight-loss medication. Purchase a one or three-month supply of Phentermine, Xenical, Meridia, and Adipex.
See also: Pharmacies Specializing in Weight Loss

Phentermine-Girls-Discount-Diet-Pills.com
Pharmacy sells the diet pill Phentermine at discounted prices. Get a prescription after consulting the pharmacy's physician and purchase a one or three-month supply.
See also: Pharmacies Specializing in Weight Loss

much better than most of the results I get from them. not sure if your site is there, but have to say it's not bad.

maybe your site was down? is it there now?

no longer just lurking . . . .

:cheers:

traveller

01-05-2002, 02:57/02:57AM

Yes, you get the results BUT for 3 days when you clicked on any of the urls it took you to a page that said this page is no longer available or....

seems after I wrote them yesterday ( after 3 dasy of no service) it was fixed as now you can view results.

lurkerlady

01-05-2002, 03:07/03:07AM

oh, I see. Weird. at least they fixed it! is your site there now?8)

sanity

01-05-2002, 03:18/03:18AM

Welcome to the forums lurkerlady :hi:

Nice to see you de-lurking. :D

ihelpyou

01-05-2002, 07:14/07:14AM

Welcome to the forums lurkerlady! :hi:

Matt B

01-05-2002, 12:38/12:38PM

welcome lurkerlady,

from a previous lurker, welcome. It's much more fun posting, isn't it?

Stephanie

01-05-2002, 13:01/01:01PM

Personally, I've been lurking and learning :read: for a while now. Now that I'm posting, I can't seem to stop laughing :p (gotta love the smilies!) :hit:

Thank you to everyone who knows more than I do about this stuff. :scattered

Stephanie :nerd:

PS. I also love the fact that my Avatar looks just like me!:kisses:

Matt B

01-05-2002, 13:13/01:13PM

Welcome Stephanie,

BTW, hello to a fellow R-Islander. I'm originally from Newport, transplanted to the midwest. God, I miss the beach.

Stephanie

01-05-2002, 15:01/03:01PM

Wow, from beautiful Newport to Ohio?

I'll throw a rock at a seagull in your honor. :p

Maybe you should get one of those relaxation tapes ... waves breaking against the breachway, just close your eyes and you can feel the warm sun on your face, dig your toes into the toasty soft sand, breath deep, smell the salt water, listen to the water running up the beach and hear the damn seagulls squaking at you for some of your french fries.

Living happily by the beach,
Stephanie:cool:

Matt B

01-05-2002, 15:17/03:17PM

Wow, thanks a lot. You've really depressed me now.

I'll be thowing a rock or two at the gulls later this summer, I try to get out there 2-3 times a year. The tapes aren't a good substitute. However, I do have connections that provide fresh crabs and fried clams when I need a fix.

Matt B

01-05-2002, 15:18/03:18PM

BTW to all others,

apology for hijacking the thread. we'll eventually get back to business.

:cheers:

ihelpyou

01-05-2002, 15:44/03:44PM

Yes Steph, as I sit idly by the ocean down here soaking up the rays and tasting the salt. :) Oh, it's only 90 here today.

BTW, I am a transplant from Marion, OH. Not far from Canton at all. Geezee, I'm so glad I am here. :D

Matt B

01-05-2002, 15:53/03:53PM

Your not helping either, Doug. Thanks alot.

We might see 60 today in Canton.

Stephanie

01-05-2002, 17:01/05:01PM

Can't beat NE weather with a stick:

Last week, the highest temp we hit was 45 sizziling degrees.
The week before that we hit a high of 98 with pebble size hail a couple days later.
This week has been raining with a scorcing 50 as an average.

<sigh> Thank god I live with such interesting weather.
I guess this means global warming is not just a figment of anyone's imagination.

Coincidentally I think all the weather havoc started when Looksmart announced their "improvements" (how's that for getting back on track Doug?)

:cheers:
Stephanie (59 days until I vacation in a beautiful cottage lost in the wilds of Vermont) :D

Matt B

01-05-2002, 17:21/05:21PM

I think you've been getting Ohio weather after we're through with it.

:3:

ihelpyou

01-05-2002, 17:24/05:24PM

Okay Steph, I checked my appointments and in 59 days, I'm free, so I'll be there. :D

Stephanie

01-05-2002, 17:31/05:31PM

The first beer/glass of wine/margarita is on me! (My blender is definitly coming with me to VT)

:cheers:
Stephanie

Matt B

01-05-2002, 17:39/05:39PM

Count me in!

Advisor

01-05-2002, 19:34/07:34PM

Here's their reply to my second request for a refund:Hello again,

Yes, I do fully understand your situation.

When you submitted your web site to the LookSmart directory, the fee you paid was assessed for our staff of professional editors to conduct a review of your site on an expedited basis. The fee was a guarantee of expedited review, not a guarantee that your listing would be included in the LookSmart directory at all or on a permanent basis. Our Terms of Service provide in part as follows: "LookSmart also reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to remove your site from the Directory, move the listing to a different category or subcategory, and change or remove any keywords, comments or annotations at any time, for any reason." All customers agreed to the Terms of Service prior to paying for the Submit service. If you'd like, I would be happy to send you a copy of our previous TOS.

LookSmart has discontinued the Express Submit and Basic Submit products for commercial web sites, and has replaced these products with Small Business Listings, including a generous amount of free clicks to assist you in the transition.

Although I can't offer you a refund, I'd be happy to work with you to resolve your issues in other ways. As you didn't get a chance to suggest relevancy keywords for this site, I could add them to the listing for you at no additional cost (normally a $49 fee). Please get back to me and let me know if you'd like to do this.

Regards,

[Name Deleted]
LookListings Small Business Team
Oh goodie. Free keywords so I can rank high for even more words and use up my 100 clicks in 1 day instead of 2 next month. GOOD DEAL, JERKS. I hope they have fun reading all about themselves in today's Advisor that just went out.

Jill

Kal

01-05-2002, 19:44/07:44PM

Originally posted by Advisor
GOOD DEAL, JERKS. I hope they have fun reading all about themselves in today's Advisor that just went out.
Jill
Give'm hell babe! :D

Blue

01-05-2002, 20:25/08:25PM

Although I can't offer you a refund, I'd be happy to work with you to resolve your issues in other ways. Read: Open wallet - take out credit card - supply CC number to Lno$ - watch bank account deplete - say thank you (as Lno$ reps smirk at you for wearing that "I'm not WITH stupid, I AM stupid" T-shirt)!

Where did they hire these guys?

And do you think that Lno$ lawyers MUST be working secretly for Google?

Gene Schallert

01-05-2002, 20:46/08:46PM

Yes Lookdumb time is short. I had 23 accounts with them and started paring them down to only 3 as 5/1/02. After reading Jill's newsletter, which was delightful :D by the way! I am going to cancel all my Looksmart accounts. I spent an hour talking to one client who wanted to organize a mass boycott against Looksmart.

The AOL /Google news should be the dead blow to Lookdumb. Just imagine what would happen to a regular business like yours or mine if we operated like Lookdumb, shortchanging of customers in word and deed might work for few months but words spreading fast of things that stink.

I propose that everyone cancel and boycott what's left of Looksmart, so what if we lose a few lousy crumbs of traffic. Spend the money at Overture at least they don't cheat you!

Advisor

01-05-2002, 20:54/08:54PM

Thanks, Gene!

I agree totally with a boycott, but seems to me we might as well keep the few measly clicks they're throwing at us at least until they run out. So what if we're only in the directory 1 day of the month...I guess it's better than nothing. :rolleyes:

Jill

MsSearch

01-05-2002, 20:56/08:56PM

welcome to the forums Gene :hi:

I'll take my free clicks but not give them another cent....

Gene Schallert

01-05-2002, 21:01/09:01PM

They promised me over 3,500 free clicks because of the accounts I used to host there. As soon as I select 100 clicks per account the free one's grew wings got up and flew away… Imagine that?

ihelpyou

01-05-2002, 22:22/10:22PM

Welcome to the forums Gene! :hi:

Matt B

02-05-2002, 09:45/09:45AM

Excellent newsletter Jill,
I am glad to see L$ reps really working hard to satisfy the customer. That's what it is all about, going the extra mile for customer service. Idiots.

Good points, stinging commentary. I loved the list of offenses. Do you mind if I quote you in our client newsletter?

Thanks,

Stephanie

02-05-2002, 09:45/09:45AM

Is there some hidden agenda that none of us know about? I hesitate to jump on the "let's watch them burn" band wagon if only for the simple reason that I tend to be naive and believe the best in people, until they really screw up. Yes, I do agree that this has major potential for a "screw up" label, once all the facts are out.

This LookSmart situation almost reminds me of when Coke changed it's product. People hated the change and wouldn't buy the product. Coke lost a ton of money but they were big enough to cover their butts and recover from the mayhem.

Granted, LookSmart is not Coca-Cola but they are in business to make money. Are they adjusting their product or are they trying to "stream-line" their customer base (as someone else in one of these threads suggested)? If so, I agree that they went about it in the wrong way, but is all the information out? What is their Company goals/mission for the coming year? Is there anyone watching this forum that has any answers, not just frustrations?

I'm sure that I am in the minority when I say that this won't effect my company all that much so I'm not nearly as aggravated as most of you. I would like more answers from LookSmart before I tell the owner of my company that we have been "hosed". I think, for LookSmart, this is their feeling out period. Who knows what they will do come their "deadline"?

Note: I am not an expert in SEO. This is only my opinion and my way of learning the facts so please don't take offense if I don't jump on the band wagon right away. :D

Ps. Yes, our account has miraculously reached the click limit in a fraction of the time it should have. All I can see, in my head, is a little man with Coke bottle glasses, sitting at a computer clicking on my link 100 times and laughing a little nerd laugh, complete with the nasal snort. :nerd:

Stephanie (reformed nerd)

ihelpyou

02-05-2002, 09:52/09:52AM

Is there some hidden agenda that none of us know about

lol. Well, if there is, L$ has been very good at keeping it VERY hidden from us and from their stockholders as there are many opinions floating all over the place. :)

If something is hidden that is yet to be revealed, I would call that a very stupid move in and of itself. Anything we all should know about this should be very much on the table right now. As we can see, the stock is tanking big-time with no end in the immediate future as Google nabbed the AOL account and Overture signed on with Yahoo for awhile. The prospects for L$ do not look good.

As I said previously, it's possible that someone like Google or MSN might snatch up the assets as Zeal and the WiseNut technology might be worth it.

Matt B

02-05-2002, 09:58/09:58AM

Stephanie,

It is not so much as the new business model as it was the changeover. When Yahoo instituted it's annual charge, people complained, they always do, but there was value and rewards to those who invested in Yahoo early. If your new website could produce more than $300 in business from Yahoo a year, it's a no-brainer.

What L$ has done and the arrogance they are displaying is just bad business, period. They are reserving the right to change our service and payment at anytime. Then they tell us that we are valued customers because they are going to make more money.

The companies I choose to do business with respect their agreements, do not force products on me that I didn't buy, and deliever what they promise. Look$mart is guilty of all these things.

I choose not to be a "valued" customer of L$.

Stephanie

02-05-2002, 10:02/10:02AM

Jill,

I too just read your newsletter and I am, at this time, bowing to your superior knowledge. I have been subscribed for a few months now (even through your "change") and I have found it to be invaluable to me. Thank you. Keep them coming.

Regards,
Stephanie

Advisor

02-05-2002, 10:06/10:06AM

Originally posted by SEO Guy
Excellent newsletter Jill,
I am glad to see L$ reps really working hard to satisfy the customer. That's what it is all about, going the extra mile for customer service. Idiots.

Good points, stinging commentary. I loved the list of offenses. Do you mind if I quote you in our client newsletter?
Hey Matt,

Thanks! Feel free to quote me. Would be great if you'd link to it also if possible. The Looks Like Hoodlums part is archived here: http://www.highrankings.com/issue008.htm#seonews3 for anyone that wants to link to it.

You know what's funny? I was telling the whole sordid LS tale to my 9 year old son yesterday, and even at his age, he was totally appalled at what they are doing. He was wondering if this was something that any company could just do. I explained to him how I've never seen any other company ever be quite so obviously outrageous before...but that I'm sure many have been. It truly bothered him that they could act so "criminally" (as he perceived it to be). Right before I was saying goodnight to him he made up the slogan, "LookSmart ***** - they steal your bucks!" (Perhaps a new banner for ActDumb?)

Jill

P.S. Thanks Stephanie! (No superior knowledge when it comes to the LookSmart stuff...just stating what they've apparently done. Doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that it's simply not right!)

Matt B

02-05-2002, 10:17/10:17AM

Jill, do you still have the pink brain I gave you in Boston? Just wanted to say hi!

Stephanie

02-05-2002, 10:21/10:21AM

SEO Guy,

I agree with you but one side of the coin is the fact that sometimes you have to sleep with the enemy, if you can aford to. (On a personal note, I wouldn't sleep with someone I didn't like :D )

Take Microsoft as an example. Depending on your dependence of Microsoft software, they own you. They changed their licenses and terms so drastically that many of their customers are abosultly furious (myself included). According to their new licensing and terms of serivce, I have to spend well over $150,000 to get any future upgrades for my company. I can't even have just one version of XP for one PC if that PC uses a remote access software package. In that case M$ wants two licenses of XP for that machine.

I see similarities. It all depends on your needs and what you are willing to do/spend to fulfill those needs. My Companies owner has decided that M$ can kiss our butts (for now). We may have to adjust our entire infrastructure to avoid their changes. Is it cost justified? It depends on your company.

If I just went on how honest my vendors were, we would not be in business or we would not be using any form of technology (software/internet/computers). Don't get me going on my latest Toshiba debacle...

I absolutly see the side of every irate or discouraged person on this forum. I only offer a little devils advocate look, from another angle.

Stephanie ;)

Advisor

02-05-2002, 10:36/10:36AM

Originally posted by SEO Guy
Jill, do you still have the pink brain I gave you in Boston? Just wanted to say hi! AHHHHH! You're the pink brain guy!!! :green: You know, come to think of it, I don't know where that brain is. I'm sure one of my kids has stolen it and/or lost it. It's most likely under one of the couches somewhere. I haven't seen it in awhile...sorry! (They especially liked that ball on a string that some company gave out, but I noticed that was broken the other day. You can't give my kids anything!)

J

Advisor

02-05-2002, 10:39/10:39AM

Stephanie,

The interesting thing about LookSmart, however, is that what they offered was not all that good in the first place! A LookSmart listing was never going to make or break an SEO campaign for the most part. For a few hundred, it didn't hurt to just pay it, even if it didn't have much ROI, but apparently LS had no clue. They thought they were the be all end all and that people would pay anything. The fact is, they were overcharging to begin with!

Now if Google was doing something like this it would be another story....shhh...don't tell them!

J

Matt B

02-05-2002, 10:40/10:40AM

I'll drop a couple in the mail, one for you, one for the kids. They seem to end up as kid and dog toys for some reason.

Advisor

02-05-2002, 10:45/10:45AM

Originally posted by SEO Guy
I'll drop a couple in the mail, one for you, one for the kids. They seem to end up as kid and dog toys for some reason. Well, there's really not much else you can do with 'em, Matt!

J

Matt B

02-05-2002, 10:45/10:45AM

Stephanie;
I appreciate the devil's advocate perspective - you're absolutely right. Known or unknown, we always do business with unethical companies. I think one sold me my last car!

In Micro$ofts' case, they are a monopoly, they can make moves like that. I don't think I'm going to trash my OS and learn Linux anytime soon, so I guess they have me by the . . .

Thanks for the smooth talking voice of reason.

Matt B

02-05-2002, 10:54/10:54AM

Jill,

They are stress balls, originally. But when you have 3,000 - 4,000 laying around the office, they become objects of inter-office warfare.

Stephanie

02-05-2002, 11:24/11:24AM

Ouuuuu, we have lots of toys around this place that help alleviate stress. They have all come from techie confrences of some sort or another. My favorite is a rainbow colored slinky, it's addictive. My other favoirte is a Koosh (sp?). When I throw it at someone, I know I won't maime them too much.

.... I don't seem to have a pink brain though.... :D

We had a velcro dart board at one point. I bet if someone came up with a dart board with L$s logo on it, it would be a big seller.

Stephanie

Stephanie

02-05-2002, 11:26/11:26AM

Think Macintosh

:p
Stephanie

Matt B

02-05-2002, 11:35/11:35AM

thought Crapintosh before, it has its good points. I actually started on a Mac back in the late 80's. I tried to go back, but it doesn't have the functionality I like in (God help me!) Windows.

If you want a pink brain stress thingy, just shoot me an email with your address, or register for our newsletter at www.thekarchergroup.com

Great-1

02-05-2002, 11:39/11:39AM

Originally posted by Stephanie
PS. I also love the fact that my Avatar looks just like me!:kisses:

Woah!! What are you doing tonight????? :D

My avatar doesn't look anything like me, so don't be put off by it :D

Anyway, back to the subject in hand.

5 days after my "Interuption" email, my site has indeed been removed from LookbloodyStupid results. But, I refuse to cry, A. because I'm far to masculine for that kind of thing :D , and B. My site is still at #6 on MSN.co.uk for the word "hotels".

So, once again, IN YOUR FACE LOOK$MART

Stephanie

02-05-2002, 11:42/11:42AM

Give OS X another 6 months or so and you will be impressed. I can't wait to get my paws on a machine to play with.

Just my humble opinion.

Stephanie :)

Stephanie

02-05-2002, 11:53/11:53AM

Oh Great-1 (I bet you're loving that),

We have a division in the UK and their website is just starting to go live. Do you have a different LookSmart situation in the UK that I should know about? Are the search engines with the .com extensions the same as the ones with the .co.uk names? Do they "share" the same databases within domain affiliates? Basically, if I submit to Yahoo.com or Lookbloodystupid.com (I love that one) would I then have to turn around and submit to the .co.uk names of those?

hmmmm, so you don't look like a flaming cow huh? That would be a good thing. :D

Stephanie

Great-1

02-05-2002, 12:00/12:00PM

Actually Steph (can I call you Steph?) the situation does appear to be different. I always thought that LookbloodyStupid.com and LookBloodyStupid.co.uk were the same databases, but I'm wrong. You can search just on sites in the UK, or you can search for them all over (.com database it would appear).

I think it works the same for Yahoo. To be honest I've never paid much attention to the UK search engine situation. We're a few years behind the States when it comes to the internet. I'm still running Windows 3.1 (joke).

Anyway, as long as my site is still on MSN.co.uk, LookBloodyStupid can go whistle :D

The flaming cow in no way symbolises the Foot and Mouth epidemic either :D

Stephanie

02-05-2002, 12:11/12:11PM

Don't you mean ... hoof in mouth :D

Stephanie (Steph, Step, Steponme & many others have been used in the past) :rolleyes:

Great-1

02-05-2002, 12:24/12:24PM

Originally posted by Stephanie
Stephanie (Steph, Step, Steponme & many others have been used in the past) :rolleyes:

Steponme?????

I've had some weird spellings of my name (my real name), but they've been somewhere near accurate :D

Advisor

03-05-2002, 02:20/02:20AM

I decided to reply back to LookSmart regarding them returning the money they took from me 2 hours before their new business model was rolled out. Here's the latest:Ms. Mills,

You are telling me this:

>When you submitted your web site to the LookSmart
> directory, the fee you paid was assessed for our staff of
> professional editors to conduct a review of your site on an
> expedited basis. The fee was a guarantee of expedited
> review, not a guarantee that your listing would be included
> in the LookSmart directory at all or on a permanent basis.

Yet in LookSmart's very own press release on their first quarter 2002 results here: http://www.shareholder.com/looksmart/news/20020429-79156.cfm

It says:

"During the quarter, more than 13,000 small business customers paid to be listed in LookSmart’s
directory for a one-time fee..."

EXACTLY! I was one of those 13,000 small business customers, and I didn't get what I paid for.

So once again, Ms. Mills, I ask you to please post a refund to my credit card for the $299 I paid for services not received. My listing was accepted by your reviewers, and now it's gone until I pay you more money. Will you be breaking my kneecaps next?

Please let me know when the refund credit will be appearing on my charge card statement.

Oh, and by the way, why in the world would I want free keywords added to my site? So it can use up its clicks in 1 day instead of two?

Thank you.

Jill Whalen