Rip-Off Report--Advice on removing or combating

16 years ago

Always a bunch of whiners out there, they dont understand what they purchased, and it makes otherwise GOOD people look bad.
no personal accountability in this country anymore. its ALWAYS someone elses problem.

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Alexa Smith

Banned 16 years ago

[DELETED]

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Rezbi

16 years ago

Originally Posted by alexa_s

Which country would that be? (I thought this was an international forum).

Those sites like RipOffReport, although they're surely full of whingers and whiners and people who didn't read the fine print, as you say, can actually also serve some useful purposes too, by exposing some of the more blatant crooks in our industry, whose exposure and eventual removal is of real long-term benefit to all of us.

Alexa,

While you are correct, sites like these should only be set up by people who are willing to check up on complaints and ensure they are genuine.

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MizzCindy

16 years ago

Doesn't RipOffReport have a rebuttal section? At the very least, make sure your client posts a detailed and balanced response - keeping it professional and balanced no matter what the provocation may be to do otherwise.

Otherwise, it sounds like some heavy hitting, high PR backlinks are in order to push ROR off the first page.

Oh, check with ROR to see what the remedy is for fraudulant posts - or resoloved situations. There may be more options there.

One last thought...is the complaint valid? Does your client know who made it (in order to contact the client and resolve the issue that way)? If so, perhaps the client would be willing to post a positive follow up. It's a thought, anyway.

Cindy

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Robyn8243 16 years ago

I would suggest that your client use the rebuttal section to provide as much information as they can to support their position. If it is only 1-2 complaints...mention the fact that you have xxx satisfied customers, and how you have tried to resolve the specific complaints.

I think most people are smart enough to differentiate a company that makes a habit out
of scamming people, from the reality that nobody can satisfy every single person out there. Done correctly your client can come out sounding very customer service oriented.

Robyn
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TheRichJerksNet

16 years ago

Originally Posted by JJantzen

I have a client who has 2 false rip off report postings, because of the strength of the rip-off report's site, no matter what we do, they linger. We have attempted an aggressive PR campaign, they do not push it down--any advice is appreciated.

There is nothing you can do ... The owner moved his servers to turkey and tries to hide behind a fake dns. He did this because the site was ripped down once and he was sued. Since the server is in turkey it does have different laws and he has much more control over what he can do.

I suggest you speak with a lawyer but do not expect too much as I said the server is located is turkey and unless something has changed since I last looked it is still in turkey.

For those that say go for the rebuttal, that will help none.. A lawyer needs to handle this and have it taken care of. Sites like this should never be allowed online, as with any site like this 95% of the post are false...

James

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B3n

16 years ago

Edit edit edit

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TheRichJerksNet 16 years ago

Originally Posted by .Ben.

I would suggest that your client needs to address what he is doing wrong to prompt people to complain so much.

The exact reason why such sites should not exist, people judge without facts such as you just done. You assume his clients done something wrong because someone else may have possible valid complaints.

This is wrong to judge someone like this without real known facts.

Just as you did here others can do on scam sites like RipOffReport.. Anyone can create a account or create 17 accounts and make complaints. You do not have to prove who you are, you do not have to prove your complaint is valid, or anything else.. Just register and post.

James
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- newageprofits 16 years ago
  
  I was based in Phoenix for 12 years where Ed Magdeson is from. The reality about Rip-Off Report is that it is a means to the worst Extortion in this Industry.
  
  I worked for for some highly visible Infomercial guys running telemarketing rooms and Rip-Off Report was their bane. Now I'm not saying that the practices and sales tactics of the guys running the rooms was not questionable to say the least but I find it funny that the sames guys that Rip-Off Report slammed for years are now part of their Corporate Advocacy program.
  
  Did these companies somehow change their overall business model and start under promising and overdelivering. Highly unlikely!!! What happened was is that they paid a good sum of money to Ed Magdeson to be apart of it.
  
  I mean for God's sake..... John Beck, Jeff Paul and Mentors of America had countless Rip Off Reports and all of sudden they are now part of the Corporate Advocacy Program. John Beck and those guys are under investigation by the FTC and Rip-Off Report is Advertising for them on their home page as "Rip-Off Report Verified" Thats Irony at its best LOL
  
  I guess my whole point to his post is that Rip Off Report is not the end all to anybodys business. Have your client contact the owner and see what his chances are of becoming part of their Corporate Advocacy Program LOL
  
  As far as any other options to removing posts.... It aint going to happen. Have your client explain his side of the story to future customers. Also let those customers know about the Owner of Rip-Off Report. All they have to do is do a Google Search on "Ed Magdeson" and discredit the overall information on the website and share with them that anyone can post unsubstantiated claims without fear of getting caught.
  
  Just my 2 cents
  
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Steven Carl Kelly 16 years ago

Originally Posted by .Ben.

I would suggest that your client needs to address what he is doing wrong to prompt people to complain so much.

How do you know that he's done anything wrong at all?
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webpromotions

16 years ago

If you think you're going to get Ed Magedson to back down with a few emails, online rebuttals, or even an 'agressive PR campaign', you are sadly mistaken.
This guy is ruthless...and unfortunately, he knows what he's doing.

This artle from a paper in his home town might shed a bit of light on your situation:

Phoenix News - The Real Rip-Off Report - page 1

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TheRichJerksNet

16 years ago

Originally Posted by Doug English

If you think you're going to get Ed Magedson to back down with a few emails, online rebuttals, or even an 'agressive PR campaign', you are sadly mistaken.
This guy is ruthless...and unfortunately, he knows what he's doing.

This artle from a paper in his home town might shed a bit of light on your situation:

Phoenix News - The Real Rip-Off Report - page 1

That article is rubbish - Facts are as I said anybody can register multiple accounts and file false complaints. If he was so good then he would not need to hide his server in turkey and he would also have a system that verifies accounts, such as Telesign | Telephone Verification system | Home to prove these are real people.

But he does not want that because if people actually had to verify who they are his website would go under because there would be very few false complaints. False complaints, lies, and etc is what fuels the fire for his site and the scam products he sells. This is why he would never go legit and force verifications and stop hiding his server in turkey.

James

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webpromotions

16 years ago

Originally Posted by TheRichJerksNet

That article is rubbish - Facts are as I said anybody can register multiple accounts and file false complaints. If he was so good then he would not need to hide his server in turkey and he would also have a system that verifies accounts, such as Telesign | Telephone Verification system | Home to prove these are real people.

But he does not want that because if people actually had to verify who they are his website would go under because there would be very few false complaints. False complaints, lies, and etc is what fuels the fire for his site and the scam products he sells. This is why he would never go legit and force verifications and stop hiding his server in turkey.

James

Lol...not sure how you misunderstood my post. I was actually agreeing with you.

The guy is a crook and a class-A scam artist...I was simply pointing out that he's very good at what he does....and if you actually read that article that I posted, it clearly points out that very fact.

However, I'll disagree that a lawyer is what you need to get a bad review removed - he's got himself protected even in that regard. Usually, the only thing that can get a post removed is cold hard cash.

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TheRichJerksNet

16 years ago

Originally Posted by Doug English

Lol...not sure how you misunderstood my post. I was actually agreeing with you.

The guy is a crook and a class-A scam artist...I was simply pointing out that he's very good at what he does....and if you actually read that article that I posted, it clearly points out that very fact.

However, I'll disagree that a lawyer is what you need to get a bad review removed - he's got himself protected even in that regard. Usually, the only thing that can get a post removed is cold hard cash.

Hey Doug,
LOL .. Sorry I was in disagreement with the article that said he was so good at what he does... I will admit that I read just the first part and after seeing the article uplift him I stopped reading..

James

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DennisM

16 years ago

Originally Posted by Doug English

If you think you're going to get Ed Magedson to back down with a few emails, online rebuttals, or even an 'agressive PR campaign', you are sadly mistaken.
This guy is ruthless...and unfortunately, he knows what he's doing.

This artle from a paper in his home town might shed a bit of light on your situation:

Phoenix News - The Real Rip-Off Report - page 1

Doug,

WOW, what a tool!

Dennis

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B3n

16 years ago

Edit edit edit

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Steven Carl Kelly

16 years ago

In the end, the dog is basically ignored, and Magedson doesn't even bring his laptop into the restaurant. (Yes, he parks in the handicapped spot. And, no, he's not disabled. He has a handicapped sticker, but it belonged to his late father. "I'm not perfect," he says.)

What a turd. I didn't need to read any further.

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kutitap

16 years ago

I wouldn't advise you to post your rebuttal on Rip-Off report because doing so will only make that page sticky in the SERP and rank higher. What you should do is optimize positive pages in the SERP. You can also create a blog for your client and fully optimize that. A short warning though, with the SERP stickiness of Ripoff Reports, you'll have to inform your client because this may take up to 6mos to outrank depending on how sticky the ROR post/s are. There will be instances when ROR would come back up after pulling it down the SERP.

I'm sharing this because I've worked on an ROR case and took me more than 4mos to outrank. And it took a lot of patience, tenacity and creativity to do so.

BTW, good luck to you. I hope to hear positive update on this projrct of yours.

Thanks
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TheRichJerksNet

16 years ago

Originally Posted by kutitap

I wouldn't advise you to post your rebuttal on Rip-Off report because doing so will only make that page sticky in the SERP and rank higher. What you should do is optimize positive pages in the SERP. You can also create a blog for your client and fully optimize that. A short warning though, with the SERP stickiness of Ripoff Reports, you'll have to inform your client because this may take up to 6mos to outrank depending on how sticky the ROR post/s are. There will be instances when ROR would come back up after pulling it down the SERP.

I'm sharing this because I've worked on an ROR case and took me more than 4mos to outrank. And it took a lot of patience, tenacity and creativity to do so.

BTW, good luck to you. I hope to hear positive update on this projrct of yours.

Well just follow your plan there to optimize a site and pages and then just do a few thousand bookmarks on them.. Trust me ROR will drop fast ...lol It would not take months but only a matter of a few hours...

James

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JJantzen 16 years ago

Thanks everyone to your advise, esp. kutitaps and richjerk--progress so far, the PR campaign we've implemented w/backlinks, anchor text, etc...may be starting to work

There are 2 ROR posts and one of them has moved to the 2nd page, it occasionally pops back up to the first page, but I hope to start pushing the other also.

Yes, I agree with all that this guy is bad news and there's not a lot that can be done and we would never consider rebutting as we know the implications--it only adds fuel to the fire.

Jerks, if you're serious about the bookmarks suggestion, I would like to learn more.
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BrianMcLeod

16 years ago

From my WF blog:

Now all of a sudden these allegations come out, made by the same people who have complaints posted against them?

I wonder how your opinion might change if those same companies were to join the "Corporate Advocacy Program" to the tune of 5 figures and magically all of those terribly influential complaints were carefully rebutted by none other than the EDitor of ROR himself?

SEOmoz | The Anatomy of a RipOff Report Lawsuit

Hey, believe what you want. The truth is out there. The irony in this statement didn't miss me though:

Quote:
"It is "UGLIER than you can imagine.", but until the allegations are proven, I wouldn't be to quick to jump on the bandwagon."

If only people weren't so quick to use that reasoning to defend ROR while presuming anything posted there about a business is truth.

The reality of this situation is a little too frightening for many to swallow, and rightfully so. No reasonable person wants to believe that ROR would ever do what they absolutely do. That anyone has been allowed to get away with such tactics for so long boggles any fair mind.

Let me just say, I'm quite certain that there ARE legitimate gripes on ROR. However, I do know for a FACT that honest and legitimate clients of mine have been the subject of death threats, false and malicious complaints from people who've never even done business with the company and/or don't exist in their database, and worse. It's a real problem.

There is now an entire reputation management industry thriving in large part because of ROR, it's penetration and the mindshare it has captured as a result of the unexplainable love Google (and Google alone, btw) has for ROR.

Once you've seen first hand what this kind of weapon is like in the hands of an emotionally unstable person with an axe to grind and all the time in the world to grind it... Once you've been engaged to clean up after that mess while the client watches in horror as its profits tank and "done" deals disappear out of thin air as soon as the prospect Googles their name (where there's smoke, there must be fire, right?)... Once you've seen, up close and personal, the kind of potential abuse and damage that goes along with this reckless type of "consumer protection", you'll come to realize that the way ROR operates is not in the public's interest at all - at least not the interest of the public that purports to want the truth and fairness.

Sadly, for many companies, their only choices are to pay ROR to mitigate the damage that never should have been allowed in the first place or to spend a fortune tracking down and suing the original poster (which IS happening more and more) with no hope of ever recovering any judgment they might get. The only thing they get out of that type of litigation is the court record so they can reactively rebut the court of internet griping.

Here's a great comment from the post I linked to above that really nails it, IMO:

Quote:
Good article. Explains ground well-trod.

I have spoken with Magedson personally on behalf of a client regarding a negative (and totally false) post on ROR. He actually told me he would be willing to edit the TITLE of the post about my client. That could have taken him out of the exclusions of the CDA and subjected ROR to liability.

Unfortunately, it would have been too cost-prohibitive to take him down. And Magedson apparently makes enough money to fight.

In my opinion (to avoid libel), he's a nutjob, with entitlement mentality, and an "untouchability complex."

His site has suffered the same fate as, say, Marxism: a good idea in theory, but wholly corrupt in practice.

I don't necessarily want to see the site go down, but I would like to see the business model move toward something more vetted, and less extortionate. Like, a lot.

YES. Exactly.