Got scammed for $1000 by HuffingtonPost author

[Jack Torrance]

Hey guys,

So I paid a writer 1000 dollars to put up an article with a link back to me, thought I'd get some nice traffic etc... So anyway they put up the article and now they have removed the link and blocked my e-mail. I am now down 1K with nothing to show for it.

 

[jamesbelaugh]

Report him as a scam to paypal or your CC company and try to get your money back.

 

[LostConnection]

Good job.

Could have gone to SkyrocketSEO here on BHW, instead of risking your money like that.

 

[Hawkster]

It wasn't SkyrocketSEO was it? Highly doubt it given his rep on here but he has recently started charging $1,000 for that service.

Thats some bad luck my friend.

 

[LostConnection]

It wasn't SkyrocketSEO was it? Highly doubt it given his rep on here but he has recently started charging $1,000 for that service.

I think OP would have shitlisted Skyrocket if it was, so I'd say it wasn't. Now to wait for his sarcastic remark.

 

[Jack Torrance]

Good job.

Could have gone to SkyrocketSEO here on BHW, instead of risking your money like that.

Wtf? What are you even talking about? Firstly there's no guarantee that I would even KNOW about him or his service, and secondly I did ask him but he said it wasn't suitable as he mainly works with start-ups. So yes I had to seek my own access point instead... Don't see the need for snide remarks.

 

[Jack Torrance]

Report him as a scam to paypal or your CC company and try to get your money back.

Yes I could try going through my credit card company, though there may be a chance that my PayPal account gets limited... Not that I even really use it for much. PayPal won't do anything.

 

[LostConnection]

Wtf? What are you even talking about? Firstly there's no guarantee that I would even KNOW about him or his service, and secondly I did ask him but he said it wasn't suitable as he mainly works with start-ups. So yes I had to seek my own access point instead...

If you can read then you know what I am talking about. And I said COULD have, no need to get agitated. Depending on how you paid him you can try to do a charge back, and at least you could email HuffPo and tell them about the guy if you feel like dragging him down (maybe, not sure they'll do anything though).

 

[netmoney1]

You sure you even paid the actual author? No author I know from HuffPo takes payments directly. They all have "front men" so they don't get pinched. This leads to a lot of people claiming they can get your links...they take your $$$ disappear and just send you a random HuffPo author link claiming they are them. You need to have a personal in...not a broker chain....people get burned daily...

 

[Jack Torrance]

You sure you even paid the actual author? No author I know from HuffPo takes payments directly. They all have "front men" so they don't get pinched. This leads to a lot of people claiming they can get your links...they take your $$$ disappear and just send you a random HuffPo author link claiming they are them. You need to have a personal in...not a broker chain....people get burned daily...

Yeah it was the real author, we spoke through her e-mail which is on her own official website and the article was actually placed. It's just that the link was taken down after a couple of days and she appears to have blocked my e-mail address. I responded to your PM about it with the author's name and the article.

 

[Etranger]

I'm certain there are a number of legal remedies for it. Maybe even a small claims case?

 

[pike222]

Well there are all sorts of things you can do..If you have paid by paypal just make a claim for refund..Also if she i really an author for Huff. why dont you just contact other newspapers with this story..Im sure many of them would be interested to report how authors from huff sell links to webmasters and even more then they scam them..In this case author has much more to lose than you are and i just cant believe how stupid can she be..

And the last , like Etranger said , you should consult a lawyer ...Anyway good luck i hope you will get your money back

 

[SkyrocketSEO]

Things like this happen, no one can guarantee that link will stay there. I am sure editors noticed that link does not match with what they usually link to and they deleted the link. I lost a couple of 1000s on links that got deleted and never chased authors, it is a risk.

You risked and you lost.

All this "contact lawyer" bullshit advice's are from people that pay $5 for a link.

Move on, stop wasting your time on one link. I know how you feel because I was there, but editors have final word, and this happens in a lot of cases.

 

[jamie3000]

Go on linkedin then message her and threaten to tell her boss unless she refunds you your money. Add a few of her colleagues first so she can see you're serious.

 

[somedevil]

What would Tony Soprano do?

Sorry this happened to you mate.

 

[beaglejuice]

You seem to have a good command of the English language but have a difficult time distinguishing gender.

Wtf? What are you even talking about? Firstly there's no guarantee that I would even KNOW about him or his service, and secondly I did ask him but he said it wasn't suitable as he mainly works with start-ups. So yes I had to seek my own access point instead... Don't see the need for snide remarks.

Yeah it was the real author, we spoke through her e-mail which is on her own official website and the article was actually placed. It's just that the link was taken down after a couple of days and she appears to have blocked my e-mail address. I responded to your PM about it with the author's name and the article.

 

[lejolasho]

Things like this happen, no one can guarantee that link will stay there. I am sure editors noticed that link does not match with what they usually link to and they deleted the link. I lost a couple of 1000s on links that got deleted and never chased authors, it is a risk.

You risked and you lost.

All this "contact lawyer" bullshit advice's are from people that pay $5 for a link.

Move on, stop wasting your time on one link. I know how you feel because I was there, but editors have final word, and this happens in a lot of cases.

You are posting from the point of view of the link seller. I think, that the seller must take responsibility for this kind of risk at least partially.

 

[tact89mark]

You seem to have a good command of the English language but have a difficult time distinguishing gender.

He doesnt have a difficult time distinguishing gender...I think you may have a difficult time following a conversation (no offense)

In the first quote you posted he was talking about skyrocketseo (who is a male)

and in the second quote you posted he was referring the the actual person he bought the link through (who is a female)

Two different people of two different genders. Maybe be sure you know what youre talking about next time before you jump in a thread and leave a snarky pointless remark to a guy who just lost 1000$

 

[netcelal]

this happened to me too with an article

 

[Ricky Roma]

Things like this happen, no one can guarantee that link will stay there. I am sure editors noticed that link does not match with what they usually link to and they deleted the link. I lost a couple of 1000s on links that got deleted and never chased authors, it is a risk.

You risked and you lost.

All this "contact lawyer" bullshit advice's are from people that pay $5 for a link.

Move on, stop wasting your time on one link. I know how you feel because I was there, but editors have final word, and this happens in a lot of cases.

If someone offers 1000 comments/likes/views/web2.0 service, then he better delivers it . No, 950 is not 1000 and his accounts getting banned is not my problem. So he better load more proxies in his bot and dont stop till there is 4 digit number on my counter. When I pay for 1000 I expect nothing less. If seller doesnt make it from the first time, then he should try again until succeeds or issue partial refund.
If you offer something - deliver it. Its as simple as that. Im sure she wasnt offering "link on HuffPo for 3 days" service.

"..but editors have final word, and this happens in a lot of cases. "
Thats like saying "but Google has final word", after failing to rank site on first page and seller offered "1st page on Google" service.
Customer satisfaction is seller's problem and not 3rd party's.