Agency Access

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[redacted]  [redacted]   Dear [redacted]:   On October *, 2015, our sales department...

contacted [redacted] to discuss her interest in our services as she was a former member of ADBASE, a competitor that we acquired in 2011.  She expressed an interest to purchase three of our Broadcast databases, 12,000 Email Credit package and a FoundFolios Basic online portfolio as noted on the attached invoice that was sent to her.  The products purchased allowed her access to our databases, email credits and a FoundFolio online gallery to showcase her work.  [redacted] provided her credit card number authorizing us to process the invoice for the products she agreed to purchase.  An invoice is emailed to the customer and her account becomes active.  Once a customer logs into our system, they must review our terms and conditions and agree to them before proceeding.  A copy of our terms and conditions are attached, as well as, the date the customer agreed to them in their account.   Additionally, the sales person explains to the customer that this is a one year contract and there are no refunds or cancellations.    On October **, 2015, [redacted] contacted our Customer Support department regarding her stated issue with the test email that was sent to her friends with images not showing up.  Our Customer Support Representative explained to the customer that this was not an issue with our email service, but rather an issue that an email recipient has in their settings.  The other issue of sending test emails is a common one whereas, gmail will almost always mark it as Spam, if you put the word “test” in the email subject line.  This could have been resolved by a simple setting fix and doing a live demo on this which the customer refused to do and/or adjust.  The Customer Support Representative logged a note regarding the conversation, see attached.    [redacted] was contacted several times after this issue with no further mention of it.  Please see the call logs attached.  On February *, 2016, [redacted] was contacted by the Finance department regarding her monthly payment as being declined.  After several attempts and no response, a final collections notice was emailed and mailed to the client on March *, 2016.  These letters were to notify her that the account would be sent to a 3rd party collection agency if we did not hear back from her by March **, 2016.  On March **, 2016, this account was sent to collections.  On April *, 2016, [redacted] contacted the Finance department regarding her issue that she had wanted to resolve with us and not with the collections agency.  Our Finance representative replied, see attached logged note, and no further response was ever received by [redacted] until now.   We make every attempt to find out why a customer is unhappy and come up with solutions to resolve the issue. [redacted] did not respond back to try to resolve the issue or accept that this issue does not lie within our email service.  If that were the case, we would not be an email service provider with over 3000 customers.   It is our policy to try to resolve these matters that both parties can mutually agree on.  If the customer fails to communicate with us to resolve these issues, it leaves us no other choice but to turn their account over to our collection agency.    Sincerely,   [redacted]
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Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# [redacted], and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

I appreciate Agency Access last response in regards to refunding e-mail credits, however, I still wish to fully cancel my account with no remaining payments due.  I do not want to continue using their services.  
Sincerely,
[redacted]

Review: This company make promises to generate traffic to your website and does not deliver. I was conned into a year contract with them. After advertising with them for 6 months I found that they were generating about 6 clicks a month. I tried to cancel my membership and they wouldn't allow me to even though they were not delivering. I called my credit card company and asked them to deny the automatic charges. They called and emailed me threatening and the finally I got a letter from a collection service. Owning a small business I get scam call like this all the time and I'm simply fed up and tired with these con artist taking advantage of people.Desired Settlement: They should have to pay me back for all the advertising I've done with them.

Business

Response:

On 4/**/13, the customer provided her credit card

information to purchase a 1 year membership to our FoundFolios Basic

Portfolio. As noted on the bottom of the

customer receipt, it states that there are no cancellations and all payments are

mandatory. A link to the Terms and

Conditions are also provided. On

1/**/14, the customer called in wanting to cancel the membership. Our no cancellation policy was explained, and

an offer to assist in reviewing the account and product purchased was

denied. This case was escalated to our

[redacted] who attempted to resolve the issue without

response. On 1/**/14, the customers account

was declined and was notified via email.

On 2/**/14, the customer was sent a final letter regarding the status of

her account and notified that it will be sent to collections, if there was no

response by 2/**/14. Again it was

mentioned to reach out to our [redacted] to discuss any issues

she was having. On 2/**/14, the customer

emailed the Finance Dept indicating that she felt she was defrauded and that

she did not want to receive any more emails from us. Her account was remitted to a 3rd

party collection agency. Since 1996, our

Company provides the tools and marketing plans needed to successfully market

our individual customer’s brand within the industry. We are not an employment agency nor do we

guarantee that we can provide work for our clients. Through a combination of talent and effort on

our clients part is what makes our customers successful.

Review: I signed up for Agency Access to help me find jobs or internships overseas. When I emailed them for a quote, they phoned me the next day to sign me up right away. When I went to go send emails out, every category (but magazine and book publishing - not my areas of interest at all, I was lead to believe I could access all the categories, that is why I signed up) was greyed out and I was only allowed to access Canada and the US. It is illegal to send spam emails like this in Canada, and I didn't want to work in the states. They don't even give you a chance to sample their service before they bind you into a year-long contract. They told me I couldn't cancel my subscription, which costs $60 dollars a month (I was also told it would be $500 for the year, they neglected to tell me it was in US dollars, and conversion would cost much more for me, I wouldn't have signed up if I knew this, I can't afford it). I have absolutely NO need for this service and now I am locked into a payment plan. I feel like this company takes advantage of these contracts. It is my money, and if the service doesn't meet my requirements, I should not be forced to pay them for absolutely nothing. I have already payed for two months, and haven't used the service once.Desired Settlement: Cancellation of services, and no further charges.

Business

Response:

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[redacted] Dear [redacted]: On 5/*/2015, the customer spoke with our SalesRepresentative and purchased a Student Bundle that includes our [redacted]

[redacted] Database, 6,000 Self Serve Email Credits and aOne-Hour Consultation by providing her credit card information. We are amarketing firm primarily for commercial photographers and illustrators thatprovide the tools and resources for these artists to promote themselves withinthe industry. All of our memberships area one year licensing fee that allows access to over 90,000+ creative art buyersin the industry. This database membership being specific to North America andonly those contacts that are listed under our Editorial criteria. We offer ourcustomers the option to make monthly periodic payments within 12 months for abudgetary convenience. A copy of theinvoice is attached of the products and services the customer purchased, aswell as, our Terms and Conditions that she agreed to. On 5/**/15, the customer called our Customer SupportDepartment and said she was given a database that includes US and Canadacontacts and said she needs contacts overseas. We offered to swap out the [redacted]Database for our [redacted] Database at no additionalcharge. In order to finalize swappingout of the memberships, we require the customer to sign a modification letterapproving this change. In following upon the signed letter, [redacted] expressed regret on signing up with the programand requested to cancel her account. Iexplained our policy regarding no cancellations and said someone from CustomerSupport would reach out to her to address her concerns further. Our [redacted] attempted toreach out to the client via telephone, as this is the preferred method to relayour non-cancellation policy and try to address and handle such a pertinentmatter. In addition, I had made anattempt to call the client. The only responses we received were via email and Iattempted to answer the customers questions the best I could in this format. A copy of our logged attempts to reach this customer isattached, as well as, the email correspondence. [redacted] has completed the One-Hour Consultation with our consultant,[redacted] and has only made 2 of her 12 payments on the account, totaling$92.63. If I had the opportunity tospeak with [redacted], I would have offered to cancel her Database and Emailcredits from her account, but she would be required to pay the fee for theOne-Hour Consultation that was completed at the normal rate of $295.00. Therefore, she would owe us $ 202.37. Thebundle price for the consultation requires a one year database membership. Upon receipt of this payment and a signedagreement that she would not use any of the contacts she may have downloadedfrom our database, since she will no longer be licensed to use it, we wouldcancel her account. Unfortunately, wewere not able to discuss this option. Sincerely, [redacted]

Note: I will send the Terms & Conditions separately, because of the large file.

Review: I purchased a year subscription with Agency Access with the help of a sales associate where I was mislead into believing that Agency Access had thousands of leads for [redacted]. Instead I found only 90, to which some had wrong information. Agency Access did not take my complaints seriously and wouldn't refund my money or cancel my subscription...

Instead I have been called by a pretend lawyer trying to make a payment arrangement. I believe that they owe me for the 5 months of subscription.Desired Settlement: Apology, money back would be icing in the cake.

Business

Response:

Dear [redacted],

In response to the above –referenced complaint submitted by

[redacted], I have attached logged notes and calls referring to our

contact with him as well as his invoice.

The customer purchased a one year subscription to Agency

Access on 8/**/2013, see attached invoice.

At that time, 2 Welcome emails were sent to him. On 8/**/13, 8/**/13, 9/*/13, 3 voicemail messages

were left for the customer from our Customer Support department to review his

account and schedule a demo if he would like.

On 9/**/13, a phone call with no response and Check In email was sent

from our Customer Support department.

On 9/**/13, the customers’ monthly scheduled payment came up

declined and the Finance department emailed the customer requesting an updated credit

card. On 9/**/13, the customer called in

and spoke with our Customer Support department regarding concerns on the limited

number of contacts on the list that was built. He was explained that they did

not choose the settings correctly to select the contacts they had wanted. On 1/**/14, the customers’ monthly scheduled

payment came up declined and on 1/**/14 the Finance department received a

message from the customer that the data was not good and he wanted to cancel

the account. The Finance department

relayed our Company policy regarding cancellations. This is stated by the Sales Representative at

the close of the sale, indicated at the bottom of the invoice and indicated

when you agree to the Terms and Conditions on our website when the initial

log-in is created and at any time a list is downloaded from a customer’s

account. The customers’ email response

was relayed to our Customer Support department who attempted to reach out to

the customer between 1/**/14 – 2/**/14 to assist with his concerns but there

was no response. It is company policy to

send a 30 day collection notice to the customer notifying him that if we do not

hear back from him by a certain date, we will have no choice but to send his

account to our 3rd party collections agency. The email also referenced the fact that we

were unsuccessful in our attempts to contact him via email and phone by both

the Finance and Customer Support departments.

Thank you for reviewing this matter as I feel it would have

been resolved if he allowed our Customer Support department to assist him

promptly. This offer to do a demo and assist him in building the list he is looking for is extended if he

would like to get his account current with us so we can show him the value of

the database to his specifications.

Sincerely,

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# [redacted], and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

Review: For months I received emails and phone calls from Agency Access, trying to convince me to buy their email lists. [redacted], their sales rep. time after time told me that subscribing to the service will bring tons of people to my website and get me new jobs, and that it will be irresponsible not to sign in. He wrote and call again and again. It never did keep any of the promises he sold me. He was sneaky enough to never write any of the promises and my English was too weak to demand the write things in writing from him, but he always said it during our phone calls as well as in voice mail, and I just moved to reside in New York as an artist and was very naive. I paid $988.56 for getting the email lists and something called email credits - although I was explain I can use the list whenever, wherever, through any service. they still pushed my that extra nothing for hundreds of dollars more somehow. I started to using them upon Agency Access instructions. I used them and got maybe like 5 people coming to the website. When I called to ask for help I been told on the phone "Unforgettably this is how it is and most of the time unforgettably you won't get any results. But keep on sending and buy email credits until you start getting people to your site". I emailed Time to say I was really disappointment and his service completely doesn't work but never got any response. In the last few weeks Agency Access start calling me, email me and leaving me messages again saying they "might be able to maybe get some jobs for me". I want them to stop contacting me and return my money.Desired Settlement: Full refund of $988.56 and the company to stop harassing me.

Business

Response: