COMPLAINT FILED UNDER:: GENERAL CONSUMER PRODUCTS / AVANGATE MEDIA CRAWLER
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Avangate Media Crawler
Complaint 149547 Details

  • Date Occurred: 08/22/2014
  • Reported Damages: $49.95

The complaint is against an online dating profile

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The company or person contact no longer exists

International boundaries

I can't believe what I encountered when searching for a manual in PDF format. I had a need to locate an original owner's manual for a device that I have to support at work. I was looking for a source for an original owner's manual for a Thermo-Ramsey model 10-301 belt scale integrator and in the Google results there was a website listed near the top of the search results "firstclass-downloads.com" showing a result for the manual that I needed. I followed the links and when I reached the download page I was prompted to pay a subscription to the website in order to gain access to the manual. Since I really wanted to have a copy of the original owner's manual I input my credit card information on the secure purchase page and to my surprise I was re-directed to a download page for Media Crawler at media-crawler.com. I thought I was purchasing from firstclass-downloads.com but instead I had purchased a piece of software that supposedbly would allow me to now search for media files when I thought I was purchasing a subscription so that I could gain access to the manual that firstclass-downloads.com showed me in their results page and indicated that it was available to download through their member's area.

All of this exercise that I just described to you is a shady marketing system either operated by media crawler or an affiliate of media crawler to direct unsuspecting users to purchase their software. I think it is deplorable and deceptive. It is typical of "bait and switch" tactics that are used elsewhere on the world wide web. Apparently the credit card processor for Media Crawler is Avangate at www.avangate.com. They are refusing refunds in behalf of Media Crawler. This is also an unacceptable and unlawful practice on the part of Avangate. They should, if they are a reputable company, drop the Media Crawler software from it's processing list including all so-called affiliates.

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Comments

  • MediaCrawler
  • MediaCrawler SBID #31515ad401
  • Posted 09/06/2014
  • I'm a support team member of Media Crawler and want to inform you that
    we are always acting according to the Terms.
    Please check on it as every customer is to accept our TOS before
    purchasing the service:

    http://www.media-crawler.com/en/tos.html

    It was your resposnisibility to read them beforehand and to see what kind of service we provide. There it's clearly stated that we provide a software to search for the files.

    As you can see on our web site there no files to be downloaded as we
    do not store or sell them.

    The service is about providing direct access to get downloads
    located all over the Internet.
    Thus if relevant file downloads are available in the Net, you will get
    them.

    Also we are always ready to help our customers to resolve any issues
    occurred while using our software:

    http://www.media-crawler.com/en/cc.html

    By following this link you will be able to contact us directly and get
    replied in nearest time.
    • Was this helpful?
  • CJnUS
  • CJnUS SBID #c48c27f397
  • Posted 09/09/2014
  • The issue is how your affiliates re-direct users to a purchase page that is not very well marked as media-crawler but is splashed with Avangate the card processor's name. It is really unclear what the user is purchasing. The affiliate lures the purchaser into believing that they are purchasing access to their website to download a document that they show as available on their search results page. It is a questionable and deceptive "bait and switch" marketing ploy that a reputable credit processor would not allow. My position is still the same, I know what I saw and experienced. Media-Crawler and it's affiliate marketing partners should review their procedures. If you have a good product you don't need to hide it in behind covert marketing.
    • Was this helpful?
  • CJnUS
  • CJnUS SBID #c48c27f397
  • Posted 09/09/2014
  • Furthermore...the website which I came to this situation is no longer active...first-classdownloads.com has vanished. Hmmm makes one wonder what happened there?
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  • MediaCrawler
  • MediaCrawler SBID #31515ad401
  • Posted 09/14/2014
  • Dear Customer,

    Please be informed that web site is active. But please mind that on our web site there is no hidden info regarding additional charges or false advertisement.

    http://www.media-crawler.com/en/tos.html

    As you can see it's clearly stated what kind of service we provide and payment policies are also mentioned here. Please note that we require our customer' s to accept the TOS to proceed with the purchase so it's customer's responsibility to read it before approving.

    Also our support team is always ready to help with occurred problems so you can feel free to contact us anytime.
    • Was this helpful?
  • CJnUS
  • CJnUS SBID #c48c27f397
  • Posted 09/15/2014
  • This is a response I received after purchasing a membership to firstclass-download.com. I was complaining because I purchased a membership to their download area and instead was "baited and switched" to download Media-Crawler. I thought I was purchasing a download of the manual like I have found on sites such as the reputable HowToForge website. I instead got baited.

    Dear Customer,

    Thank you for contacting us.

    Please be advised that in order to find and download files
    you should use Media Crawler - a software provided by our partner,
    which can search and download files directly to your computer.
    It was offered to you after you have purchased the membership in our service. (Was not offered they furnished me with a "Thank you for purchasing download your software here by clicking this link")

    Please feel free to download the software:

    http://www.media-crawler.com/download.html?c=get&os=windows
    (compatible with Windows 7/Vista/XP/2000)

    http://www.media-crawler.com/download.html?c=get&os=mac
    (compatible with Mac OS X 10.6 and higher)

    All you need to do is log into the software using your e-mail and
    password which you have registered on the web site, type the name of
    the file into the search form of the Media Crawler and click 'search'
    or hit enter.

    Please do not hesitate to contact us should you require further assistance.

    Wednesday, August 22, 2012, 6:51:25 PM, you wrote:

    Domain: firstclass-download.com
    Priority: emerg
    Department: content

    I joined and paid for a year access to download a technical manual that your site said it had but now that I'm in the member's area it is not listed in your site. I want a refund.


    --
    Best regards,
    Jeff Peck
    Customer Support mailto:[email protected]

    • Was this helpful?
  • CJnUS
  • CJnUS SBID #ea3545e73c
  • Posted 09/17/2014
  • The above posted email that I received from firstclass-download.com just shows the validity of my statements. They advertised that they had the manual that I was looking for...I could download the manual if I paid them the 49.95 subscription fee ( which I did) and then I was presented with a download link for Media Crawler's software just as I described in my original statement. This is classic "Bait and Switch" by Media Crawler, Avangate, and firstclass-download the affiliate. It is deplorable and deceptive advertising and bordering on illegal. For a website (the affiliate) to show the file as available in their search results then bait the user to subscribe to their member's area to download the file only then to be directed to download a piece of software instead is the definition of "bait and switch".
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  • MediaCrawler
  • MediaCrawler SBID #31515ad401
  • Posted 10/30/2014
  • Dear Customer,

    Please be informed that you agreed to our TOS and it was your responsibility to read it before accepting. There it's informd what kind of service we provide and that there are no files to download or to sell on our web site.

    Kind regards,
    Leyla Ozsen
    Media Crawler Support Team
    • Was this helpful?
  • CJnUS
  • CJnUS SBID #ea3545e73c
  • Posted 10/31/2014
  • After funds were paid to the affiliate for membership to their site I was then presented with a download page to download your product which I declined to do. My complaint is the "bait and switch" marketing tactics that are considered "acceptable" by your affiliate firstclass-download.com. That is an agreed upon tactic between the affiliate, Avangate the processor, and Media Crawler the vendor of the software product that I did not want and was not allowed to "opt" out of buying...I was only allowed to "opt" out of downloading the software hence the "bait and switch". See the above response email from your affilate who states, "Please be advised that in order to find and download files you should use Media Crawler - a software provided by our partner, which can search and download files directly to your computer. It was offered to you after you have purchased the membership in our service." How much clearer can that be? Your company seems to overlook "bait and switch" tactics by your affiliates.
    • Was this helpful?
  • lisa
  • lisa SBID #7e3d7ac8aa
  • Posted 01/17/2014
  • Hello, I was wondering how you got your money back because I was in a similar situation and I have had no luck. Who did you email? I clearly sent an email cancelling the transaction, but I was still charged. Any help would be appreciated!!!
    • Was this helpful?

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Business Profile Summary

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Company Statistics

  • Complaint Against Avangate Media Crawler
  • Complaints Filed: 147
  • Reported Damages: $83,557.95
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