RWS awarded judgment in full from the scam marketing firm Multiview

Some of us get scammed. It happens to the best of us. The following is a story of why you shouldn't feel too bad about it and what to do if it happens to you.

In 2016 I was in between flights at Atlanta's Hartsfield Jackson International airport. As I stepped off the tram between terminals, my phone rang. I wouldn't usually answer it, I prefer text just due to the volume of communication I'm involved in but it was a 972 area code and I do quite a bit of business in that area (have staff there as well) and my ear buds were in so I answered it. The guy on the other side of the line had my number and name and company info, said he was calling about the ASHI newsletter and advertising in it. "ASHI" is a home inspection membership organization we've been a pretty active part of and we always like to be supportive of our industry, so when he said (very officially) that he was ready to put us in the banner position and get us front and center I asked a simple question: "How much?" The damage would come out to around $1000 per month, which honestly is a fraction of a percent of our annual marketing budget, so I said "Sure thing, sign me up." The gentleman calling was from a company called "Multiview" and called from a Texas number. Even had a fairly legitimate looking website ( https://www.multiview.com/ ). But I assure you - this is a scam in every sense of the word.

Little did I know this had nothing to do with ASHI really - it was a scam and while I don't know exactly where it stems from or what the relationship is, the only link I can find between the two is from ousted Executive Director Jeff Arnold (see http://www.ashireporter.org/HomeInspection/Articles/An-Update-From-Your-Executive-Director/2042 ). ASHI has an email they send out - their current staff have put stuff from us in it as recently as a few months ago and it was fine and performed as expected. Other groups in the industry have emails they send out too - I advertise not once but 5 TIMES in the InterNACHI newsletter which goes to not just members but interested parties and we're talking 60,000+ people the last time I knew the number. It's a pretty good return on investment. I see the number of opens, the number of clicks, the results in real time just like I do for my own closely held list of 10,000+ inspectors we know (and just over half of which we work with).

BUT THIS WAS A SCAM. (and a good one...at least that's what I'm telling myself as I don't want to feel too dumb)

See attached letter from my attorney to Multiview prior to filing the lawsuit and receiving a full judgment as well (also attached). Within it you will find that over a month's time being in the "banner ad" position and supposedly going out as "ASHI's Newsletter" we received a total of 3 clicks. (For those of you not familiar...3 clicks is equivalent to negative ZERO. A nothing burger.) The bottom line based on those results is that either A. This newsletter didn't go out. B. It's blacklisted spam in every email box it attempts. or C. It is going to a list that isn't accurate.

I called Multiview with my concerns. They informed me basically that I could log in and see results and they'd really teach me how to "analyze the data in their system" (thank you, no), and that I was on a 12 month contract. There would be no return of the roughly $1000 per month for the next 11 months. It should be noted that I am on every newsletter list in this industry and even I didn't see the newsletter. To this day, still haven't had a single one noticed anywhere or forwarded to me (even by Multiview). I asked a few hundred inspectors that are ASHI members...they didn't see it either. I told Multiview exactly what I had on them - irrefutable proof that what they sold me was at the very least completely ineffective, very much misrepresented, and almost certainly a scam. I demanded to talk to a supervisor or someone who could cancel my contract. I offered to let them keep the $1000 for the first month and we will let it go.

Instead, a "supervisor" got on the phone. Told me they had a contract from me and would do nothing for me. I asked to see the alleged contract. They refused to provide it. I asked again that they reconsider their position before I would pursue it with every available legal recourse. Their response was shocking to me. In so many words, they said and I'm paraphrasing, "Even though we call you from Texas and are representing a non for profit in Chicago, we are in Canada and good luck suing us here over $12,000. We have a contract and we don't care if you get zero results from the money you spend - we have attorneys and we make sure everyone pays even if the value is nothing."

So for those of you reading this considering doing any business with Multiview...don't. I'm not just some dude on Yelp either. I have 2 attorneys in the building, 3 on staff, an outside counsel team of around a dozen around the country, tens of thousands of clients throughout the U.S. and Canada and nearly 200 associates that work for my business I've been busting my ass for nearly 2 decades building and delivering value to clients daily in order to get it done right. I don't put out there what we do as a private company, but suffice it to say we are in the tens of millions in revenue and every single day we earn it - out of principle allowing a company to take nearly $11,000.00 and deliver zero value from not just my business but countless like mine is not something I'm okay with so we pursued it. I'm not the kind of guy that complains about my food at the restaurant and I don't think I've ever not tipped my waiter or waitress...so don't take this as one of those illegitimate 1 star reviews on the internet. This is an absolute warning and for those of you who may consider working with this company or whom have been scammed by this illegitimate operation a guide to stopping the madness. Print off the attachments, give them to an attorney, tell him or her to use it as a template with my permission if you find yourself in a similar position as I did.

Feel free to ask questions or post your stories right here.

Here's some information on Multiview, hoping this comes up in Google searches for them:

972-402-7070 is their phone number.

Here's some more information from their website. By the way, our legal team disagreed with their assertion that we would have to sue them in Canada. Here's the bio for the CEO Scott Bedford of Multiview from their website:

Our Chairman and CEO Scott Bedford co-founded MultiView and has grown the company into what it is today – the leader in digital solutions for B2B.

Scott has worked in the technology industry for more than 30 years. Before he founded MultiView with Dan Maitland in 2000, Scott showed his sharp eye for technological innovation and advancement when he co-founded Source Media in 1988. That company forever revolutionized interactive electronic advertising, specializing in providing tech and ad sales services to major newspaper publishers across the country, and later became listed on the NASDAQ.

Scott is a Dallas native who holds a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from Texas A&M as well as an M.B.A. from Southern Methodist University. He regularly gives out handshakes and sparks conversations with all of his employees at MultiView.

Good for RWS on the award. We took the bait as well maybe 7 or so years ago to promote conferences. I never could get the newsletters delivered to my email so I could see one, and zero return. Probably blew 3K or so on them before pulling the plug on them.

Mike Casey wrote:Good for RWS on the award. We took the bait as well maybe 7 or so years ago to promote conferences. I never could get the newsletters delivered to my email so I could see one, and zero return. Probably blew 3K or so on them before pulling the plug on them.

You too?!? Unbelievable.

Could have warned a guy with a really candid forum post.

Nice work Nathan!

nice