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Mass Marketing Inc. I wouldnt want to be accused of slander, so I will just share our emails and let you decide if these guys are worth doing business with. TO BE CLEAR There are more than one Mass Marketing Inc. out there... My experience is with the "national commercial mapmaker and advertising corporation" out of Fairfield, Ohio. To fully understand, please look over the following timeline...
August 15, 2007
I recieve a call from Mass Marketing Inc. requesting data and/or maps. As I was at another job, I asked them to please email me with a request for information and an idea of what it was they needed. Below is the email I recieved that same day: 
August 16, 2007 I looked over past invoices and sent them the following email. Worth noting is the fact that in this email, I already offer ways they can recieve what they need for free AND a way to avoid printing costs!:
August 16, 2007 I recieve a this response to my quote: 
August 16, 2007 Here is my reply... Note that Im already adjusting my rates to meet THEIR needs! How many places do you do business with that are so flexible as to drop OVER FIFTY PERCENT off a cost just because you said you cant afford it???
August 17, 2007 I got this back, it has no dialogue, its just here to be a complete timeline:
August 18, 2007 I am not going to pretend I recall the phone call when I called, but as you can see from the next email, I then sent a pilot project map to them to ensure that my product could be used and that it would meet their needs AND offer many other formats to send the maps in:
August 21, 2007 I thought they were in a hurry, so after three days of no response : 
August 21, 2007 I got this back... NOTE this is the FIRST time I was promised payment. It is AUGUST: 
August 23, 2007 I may be new to this stuff folks... so correct me if I am wrong... But as I read this email, Does'nt Mass Marketing Inc. do the following: 1. Admit that they can open the files 2. Admit that they can adequately read the labels 3. Request confirmation that missing labels from the pilot be added 4. Request address to submit payment 5. Agree to proceed Anyone else start to notice that they dont seem to be actually READING my emails to them? I said it was a quick map just to check workflows and ensure that my maps would suit their needs... 
August 26, 2007 I was stuck without email for three days, so here was my reply AND the requested maps! In this email 1. I AGAIN explain that the first map was only a pilot to check workflows. 2. I request additional information from them regarding POSSIBLE data errors (still have yet to find any) 3. I point out irreglarities between two layers that they hadn't noticed or commented on 4. I point out a railroad that is not immediately noticable until zoomed in to make sure they find it 5. I TELL THEM NOT TO PAY ME YET! I guess this is why lawyers are so nescessary nowadays 
August 27, 2007 I realized the finished maps had flaws, so I tried to make amends at NO EXTRA CHARGE and without being asked: I GAVE them another (this makes 6 maps now) map AND an excel spreadsheet of road names:
August 31, 2007 Last email from them had been August 23rd, so I check in: 
August 31, 2007 I get this back. The artist STILL hasn't looked at them yet??? And how is this MY problem?? Doesnt this email start to sound familiar with earlier ones? Notice they promise to send a check out next week: 
SEPTEMBER 12, 2007 Again, no check.... no word... so... I drop a hint... :
SEPTEMBER 19, 2007 A week later I get a reply STILL havent started????? Wasn't the check supposed to be here by now????? :
OCTOBER 4, 2007 Ok, I think I have been patient, huh??? 
I get a call in response... He apologizes for the delay. Then tells me his father just died and he has been away because of the funeral etc. I dont pretend to know if it was true or not, but can you imagine how I felt having just sent the above email??? I apologized and explained that I had no idea. I only knew I hadnt heard from them in weeks!
OCTOBER 8, 2007 Huh??? Ok, if THIS email makes sense to you, then I urge you to reread the email from them dated August 23rd 2007! You remember... the one where they said they could read it, could open it, could work with it, etc??? You recall that one? Ever see ANY request for an 11X17 inch??? Me either! Not good enough for you? What about that list of complete road names I compiled AND sent? Where did THAT go??? Still need more? Along with the excel street names, was another FREE map showing the Interstate, Highways, etc. Did he eat it???? We started this AUGUST 15th!!!! They JUST STARTED THE JOB???? Id HATE to be their customer! Again, a promise of a check "in the mail" 
OCTOBER 18, 2007 Ok, I wasnt even going to reply until I got this phantom check... dang sure wasnt doing any more work. So... after ten days without a check yet, I wrote...  OCTOBER 18, 2007 They call me to say of the four (I sent six) maps they ordered, they will only end up using one. So they will send me a check of $50.00 soon. Can you believe this crap??? He wanted to go into reasons, etc... citing that it took me "two weeks" to respond to their last email??? Ive been waiting two MONTHS on them! I finally ended by telling him... I am just a small business as he well knows... he is going to do what he is going to do and there is nothing I can do about it (except share my experience on the internet and tell ALL my friends!). There isnt any point in us arguing. I did what he asked, and more!
The good news is... by their reasoning, if you are a customer of Mass Marketing Inc., and you order (lets say) 12 cases of their maps, but you only use... 6 cases... apparently you only half to pay for the 6 you actually used. It doesn't matter how many you ordered, how many they had to make, etc. They believe if you dont actually "use" them, you dont have to pay for them. You dont even have to prove it!!! Let me know if I am missing something here folks.... and feel free to spread the word! |
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