Star Position / Robert Sexton / Netguard Traffic Scam Ripoff

Don't get scammed like I did. How'd this happen? Read, learn and save yourself hundreds or thousands of dollars.

You will receive an unsolicited email like this.

Hello,

Our company represents an online community of over 36 million people,
most of which are located in the US and Canada. This advertising allows
us to present our online community with a first choice when they search for
anything on any of the major search engines.

We seek a preferred source to send our users on the major search engines
for online pharmacies in various markets.

Please feel free to contact me at your convenience. I’m in the office
Monday-Friday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM Pacific time.

Yours truly,

Dave Gorman
IP Analyst, SP Search
Phone: (888) 551-2801, ext. 1663

Unfortunately I didn't do a search for scam reports or ripoffs regarding Star Position and Netguard like I should have. I replied to Dave Gorman's email requesting more info.

Star Postion - Dave Gorman's reply:

We do search engine placement, better than most others do - because we put your website in it's own window, reaching the 36 million plus NetGuard platform online - so that when someone is looking for what you do, we get you seen first. Because, if you're seen first, chances are you're the one who people will call. To receive a visual of what we do, please visit WWW.xxxxxxxxx.COM.

( I would like to note that they don't actually give you any search engine placement on any search engines, they just stick your website in an I-Frame using there netguard toolbar. Remember - Their service does not place you in any position on any search engine.)

** As for cost we charge by the search phrase, and any search phrase you want is $699.00, so it's best to stay generic - search phrases denote the market you want to cover. We're currently running a promotion to where you get a year of placement or longer at the six month cost. This is with unlimited clickthroughs (no pay per click, EVER), a money back guarantee, guaranteed first placement as shown on our site, and 24/7 real time tracking. Our promotion goes through 06.30.11. **

Our placement is unique, and places your site in an I-Frame above the name of the search engines that we support (GOOGLE, YAHOO, BING etc.).

I made the mistake of taking them up on their offer. The terms of the (order form) contract is setup to favor Star Postion and Netguard NOT the customer. The order was for 13 months, beginning July 8/2011.

The money back guarantee on the order form is as follows:

MONEY BACK GUARANTEE: You will have exclusive use of the phrases listed on page 2 of this invoice. We guarantee you will receive real, verifiable traffic - with placement matching what you see on our site, for the term specified, or we will give you a full refund.The only instances where this does not apply is Acts of God, Your site going down, ....
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After I made payment by Moneybooker.com, Star Postion and Netguard gave me access to a website where I could see the amount of click throughs that my ad was receiving.

Since I had an account with another advertising company for pay per click ads, I had something with which to compare my star postion advertising with. I used the stats from my CPC advertising for the last 6 months. The click through conversion rate is 0.8% that is for about every 120 click throughs I was getting a sale.

In an email I sent to Dave Gorman on July 15/11 I said:
"As of today at 11:17 AM cst there has been 594 click throughs on my ad without one sale or even one sign up.

A week is more than enough time with 594 click throughs to produce a sale.

I appreciate your guys efforts in trying to get me more business but it hasn't happened.

I am requesting a refund for the $699.00. Please notify me when the refund has been issued."

I was now getting concerned about what kind of traffic I was actually getting.

Star Position - Dave Gorman Reply:

"Sir, your refund criteria are on your invoice you signed, we give refunds if any or all of those three criteria arent met. If you arent getting the response you want then you need to change your search phrase .. please visit netguardhistory.com to get search counts on those and we'll be happy to change your phrase at no charge per the agreement we have /w/ you."

My Reply:

Hi Dave,
I am convinced that a change in the keyword phrase would no make any difference in the results**. Please issue a refund.                ** I was later proven correct.

Star Position - Dave Gorman Reply:

"We're obligated to do a refund if one of three things happen and this is on the invoice you signed:

1. The service goes down for any reason other than an Act of God, you get a full refund.

2. If we generated any fake traffic, you'd get a full refund. I'd like to point out that each and every clickthrough is verifiable as a legitimate toolbar user through any number of publicly available IP search tools.

3. If we sold your search phrase to someone else, you'd get a full refund.

Now, none of these have actually happened, and I did tell you during our conversation that if you werent getting the response you wanted your option is to change your search phrase - that’s why we allow search phrase changes to begin with, for free, up to 12 times a year."

DSG

My Reply:

Hi Dave,
How can a customer prove that your generating fake traffic when you control all the information.

I have been with you a week and there should have been some results with 594+ clicks. I am convinced that your traffic is not legitimate.

From my other advertising traffic I am getting a sale for every 120 click throughs as well as sign ups.

Please issue a refund.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The emails continue to go back and forth. It's August 2/11 and still there are no results ( 26 days). I allowed them to change the I -frame window size and the keyword phrase as they suggested.

The contract is for 13 months or 56 weeks. I knew after the first week ( July 8 - 15) that it wasn't working. I ask for a refund. Most reputable companies that had a customer for a week that wasn't satisfied with the service, would refund the customer.

Star position and netgaurd toolbar hadn't even sold me anything tangible. The term was for 13 month (56 weeks) I used 1/56 of the term.

From July 8 - 25 12:26 pm cst there was 1414 click throughs and not 1 sale or membership sign up. I continued to ask for a refund, making my appeal based on normal business priciples and ethics.

On July 15 I received an email from Dave Gorman:

I spoke to the owner here, who actually makes the refund decisions here (as opposed to myself, who does not make those decisions.).

He's reviewed both the invoice you signed and your account history. He's willing to do a refund but he asks that you do the following:

1. Try at least two different search phrases for a period of 30 days each. **

2. Consider either using a landing page, or having us increase the size of the window in which your site resides. ***

If both those options fail, he's already indicated to me he would have no problem doing a refund in full - ( Big Lie) even though it's over and above what was promised to you. He also mentioned something about a 'TrustLink' entry you did - and he asks that you rescind the entry as well.

Please bear in mind that this email constitutes our agreement in writing to do a refund but we want to do some basic troubleshooting (choosing a different phrase etc) first.

Please advise

**( I Accepted a 2nd phrase) *** (I had them increase the window size)
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

(Aug 2/11) 26 days after signing up with Star Position and Netguard toolbar for advertising.

From July 8 - to Aug 2 - 10:05 am there has been 1885 click throughs on my ad. I haven't had one sale or one free membership sign up. This is absoluteIy pathetic. Especially since I know from other paid advertising the my conversion rate is 1 in every 120 click throughs per sale.

I requested a refund after my first week (and many times after that). Most reputable companies that had a customer for a week that wasn't satisfied with the service, would refund the customer, just out of good business practices. Star position doesn't even sell tangible goods. I do refunds in my business for tangible goods and sometimes the customer keeps the goods.

With the concern about traffic fraud we as internet business owners need to realize that it's risky doing business with a company that sells traffic and controls all the information about the traffic they sell.

I have no real way of varifying the legitimacy or quality of the traffic Star Position and Netguard Toolbar is giving me other than results (sales & sign ups). There is software that can produce fraudulent clicks and shows the clicks as actual IP addresses.

There are numerous way for unscrupulous companies to generate fraudulent traffic and stats. I am concerned that I am being scammed by Star Position and Netguard, which I can't prove and you can see why I can't, since they control all the information.

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(Sept 27/11) Over 3 months of advertising and more than 4280 hits to my website and no sales.

Today again I requested a refund after having made the changes they said I would need to do before a refund would be issued.

They reneged on the refund. They added yet another condition for the refund to be issued. Get this. They demanded that I give them all my sales records over the last 3 months.

I told them that there's no way I'm going to give them my sales information, which contains confidential information like credit card numbers and client addresses and emails.

During this process I filed a complaint with the BBB of Los Angeles. Unfortunately they were unable to help.

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If you've been ripped of by Star Position.com, Robert Sexton and Netguard toolbar, please contact Moneybookers.com and inform them of these scammers. Ask them to stop processing credit cards for Star Position and Robert Sexton.

I NEED YOUR HELP! If you've had dealings with Star Position and Netguard toolbar and feel that you were ripped off, please contact me. There are lawyers that specialize in prosecuting internet businesses that sell paid traffic and scam people.

If we can get enough people together, we might be able to take some legal action.

I am continuing to email Star Position and Netguard after I check out my traffic stats, I'm still asking for a refund.

Please Do Not Lose Your Hard Earned Money With Star Position, Robert Sexton and Netguard. Stay Away From Them.

Fight Back

If you receive an unsolicited email (spam) from Star position or netguard associates, please report them to the FTC - http://www.spamlaws.com/reporting-spam.html

Also contact the Better Business Bureau and tell them about Star positions spam actviities - http://www.la.bbb.org/ComplaintSingle.aspx

I can't imagine why after what I've said here anyone would want to advertise with Star Postion and Netguard toolbar. If for some strange reason you are considering trying them out, make sure you get the contract changed to say, " If for any reason, at any time, the customer is not satisfied with their purchase or with Star Position's and Netguard's service, the customer may request and receive a full refund."

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Thank You For Reading The Info On This Website!

Bruce