Dodgy SEO phone calls

[Steve G Griggs]

Just had a phone call from an unknown SEO agency pretending to be Google
"Good morning I'm Callum from Google, I can get you No1 in the natural search listings".
That one's still doing the rounds then!

[cbarling]

The SEO field does seem to have more than its fair share of snake oil sales people. I guess it's because quite a few people see it as a bit of a black art.

Did you ask for their contact details?

Chris

[Darren B]

I find its always good to have some fun with them if you have the time.

The other telesales im getting recently is Golf - amazing one day offer with 36 holes only £450 - ermm NO

[TraceyHand]

The other telesales im getting recently is Golf - amazing one day offer with 36 holes only £450 - ermm NO

LOL
They clearly know you're earning too much money!
I know a good place for golf...

[chris ashdown]

I can get you a better deal mate, 36 hole Great yarmouth pitch and put £15.00 or on the African theme grazy golf £5.00 per round

[Mike Hughes]

grazy golf £5.00 per round

£5.00 per round for crazy golf? That really is snake oil selling. I'm sure I only paid £3.00 in the summer.

Never thought I'd have to negotiate for a round of crazy golf. "Sorry, I've only got £10, can you let the three of us play for that? Ah go on...."

Mike

[fergusw]

Never thought I'd have to negotiate for a round of crazy golf.

It's not called crazy for nothing you know!!

Regarding the OP:
I seem to recall a ground swell of action against a particular company last year (or earlier) who were the main perpetrators of this technique. I seem to recall the OFT was involved as well.
I hope they haven't "moved on" to pastures new to start the same tactic again under a new name!

Edit: Lavora marketing was their name!

[Steve G Griggs]

I don't know the name of the company,but they got a short but polite answer.. been aware of the I represent Google scam for some time. I thought they got into serious trouble.
In reply to Chris, didn't have the patience to get a company name, get pestered by too many SEO cold sales calls, most of whom work on the assumption that the person they are speaking to knows nothing about SEO.
If I have the time I do like to wind them up a bit though.

[Steve G Griggs]

Darren-

Golf - amazing one day offer with 36 holes only £450 - ermm NO

Why ever not?

[guccij]

Just had a call from possibly the thickest and least convincing guy ever, asking if we were interested in having a Snorestore iPhone app ...

Guess where they were from?

DNS: no-dns-yet.demon.co.uk
IP Address: 212.240.171.34
Started: 09/02/2011 14:50:24
Location: United Kingdom Manchester
Organization: Directory Technologies
Visit Number: 3 Of 0
Alert: Google
Search Engine: Google.co.uk
Referrer: http://www.google.co.uk/search?sourc...=UTF-8&q=snore store#
Keywords: Snore Store#
First Referrer: 1899-12-30 00:00:00
Op System: Windows XP (Chrome 9.0)
Contact Name:: 0
Company Name:: Directory Technologies
No Time Status Page
1 14:50:24 200.0 www.snorestore.co.uk/


Directory Technologies are *the* people to avoid. Along with Lavora Marketing of course.

[Darren B]

LOL
They clearly know you're earning too much money!
I know a good place for golf...

Really were is that?

[Darren B]

I can get you a better deal mate, 36 hole Great yarmouth pitch and put £15.00 or on the African theme grazy golf £5.00 per round

I have played the african theme one with my boy, he loves crazy golf

[saucysal]

People ringing "on behalf of"

We get a number of calls, not just pretending to be Google, but also trying to give the impression of being a business they are not, such ringing on behalf of BT, but are in fact a rival to BT, or likewise British Gas, or ringing on behalf of the Department of Health, or some other Government body, when really they are just trying to get advertising for a publication. I had one this afternoon making out they wanted to interview me on ITN News, but as soon as it becomes apparent that they want me to pay them a fee, I knew that it wasn't quite as they said, having previously been on BBC News 24 genuinely, where I paid nothing and the BBC sent a chaffeur car to collect and return me.

We also get ones where they ask to speak to the business MD or owner, but when I ask them for the name of the business they are ringing, they don't know. End of conversation.

Sarah

[jont]

the African theme grazy golf £5.00 per round

If they have a hungry hippo hole I am there

[jont]

We get a number of calls, not just pretending to be Google, but also trying to give the impression of being a business they are not, such ringing on behalf of BT, but are in fact a rival to BT, or likewise British Gas

When I get these and they ask what deal I am on I tell them we are on the "Blue Package" ..... they have no idea what it is and I tell them I am not sure but it is the Blue Package and keep going around in circles with them until they hang up