ComplaintsforPHMG

• Initial Complaint

  09/11/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  After a great sales call, I signed up with PHMG on a 3 year contract. A couple weeks later they sent the initial script for my review. It looked like it was written by a 5th grader. I was sold on the concept that professional writers, professional composers and professional voice artists would be used. I expressed my displeasure and inquired about the cancellation policy, since I had lost all confidence in PHMG's ability to provide a working product. I was informed that if we were to cancel, that PHMG would charge the full contract amount of $395/mo. x 36 months, for a total of $14,220, even though they were unable to provide a single working deliverable. So rather than push the issue and get legal involved, I decided to move forward to the next step. I discarded their scripts, wrote our own and sent them over to my account **** The account *** then sent me a zoom meeting invite with his "head of creative." Well, the so called head of creative completely blew me off and was a no call/no show to our first meeting. Having little to no confidence in this company, I emailed my account *** again, expressed my displeasure and asked a clear question about PHMG's contractual obligation to their customers. My account *** responded with a deflection claiming that a different colleague of his, who I'd never heard of was waiting for me in a different meeting room, that I was never provided a link to. Additionally, my question about PHMG's contractual obligation to their customers, was completely ignored. Based on my early observations, this company seems to profit by locking their customers into a non-cancellable contract with zero warranty to the quality or timeline of their deliverables. If you inform them of your intent to cancel, they will charge your bank account for the full amount of your contract and stop doing all work. They literally get free money when you cancel. This company is deceitful, predatory, unethical and should be sued into bankruptcy.

  

  Business response

  09/24/2024

  Hi *******,

  
  Thank you for taking the time to leave feedback were sorry to hear your experience with PHMG wasnt to the standard we strive for. Our contract terms are set out to ensure you have continuity in your productions and include full details of the cancellation terms therein. Upon reviewing your account I can see that you have an established dialogue with one of our Client Success Directors, who is best placed at the company to come to an amicable solution to this issue. 

  I hope we will be able to find a way of working together to demonstrate the excellent creative talent we have here at PHMG. 

   Please know all feedback is taken seriously and applied to help improve our service.

  Thank you. 

• Initial Complaint

  08/27/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Exercise a high level of caution when dealing with PHMG. The lack of professionalism is evident both in their templated responses and in other reviews and only confirms our experience with them. We signed a 3-year contract in 2021, which initially went smoothly and had a good working relationship between the two entities. As the contract neared its end, we informed them well in advance that we did not wish to renew, knowing they had an automatic renewal policy. Following our notice, we observed an immediate decline in their service quality, a lack of professionalism, and persistent pressure to renew. Their contracts prohibit the use of any of the audio files/assets after the contract end date, with penalties for breach of contract. Aware of this, we offered them the opportunity to review our system before the contract's end to ensure compliance. They stopped responding to our communications, but after the contract expired, they contacted us by email to notify us of a breach of contract, charging us and saying the contract is renewed till 2027. The punch line is they identified the breach using a recording we sourced locally that was not even from them. We suspected they would try to lock us in a contract but to use the excuse of an audio file that is not theirs is beyond comprehension. It is important to highlight that we are a non-for-profit national organization, yet PHMG persisted without hesitation in pressuring us for renewal and attempted to enforce the automatic renewal despite the ample notice we provided.

  

  Business response

  09/10/2024

  Hi ****, 

  Thank you for taking the time to leave feedback - we are sorry to hear your experience with PHMG has not been to the standard we strive for. 

  Our contract terms are set out to ensure you have continuity in your productions and include full details of the cancellation terms therein. I can see you have been in contact with our Client Support Team who are offering to find an amicable solution. Please do return this contact as they are best placed to resolve this issue for all parties. 

  Please know all feedback is taken seriously and applied to improve our service. 

  Thank you. 

• Initial Complaint

  08/15/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  As you can see by the MANY complaints from MANY unsatisfied customers, this is consistent with this company. We (Tried) to sign up in September of 2023. The implementation process was a joke. Although they began charging us, it took 3 months for them to finally get it going. Also during this process, they told us we had to purchase extra options from our current phone provider. Which understood and did. We were satisfied after 3 months, the product was working. However, here we are, almost a year later, and it's not working. I have been passed from *** to ***, all of them telling me they are the "Service Manager". When I notified them it wasn't working, they got me on another call with another ***. This *** told me we now have to purchase an additional $269 a month worth of options to make the product work. I asked him how it worked before (I personally checked it) and he said he had no clue. I said, Ok, so what you are telling me is we haven't had service in almost a year and you guys have said nothing? Which means you never finished the implementation process? He said the same thing the last *** said which was "I can assure you that we will make sure you are our top priority and we will resolve this." He then went to tell me the best solution was for us to cancel with our current phone company and go with another one that they use. Which would be thousands of dollars. This company has been a disaster since day one. At this point, please do not "auto copy and paste" your resolution about a client success manager, or the other one about "continuity" in our product. The last thing I want at this point is continuity. We have 3 companies that we signed up with these guys, and all three haven't had service. There is a reason they lock you into 3 years. And it's not for continuity. It's because they know they will not be able to provide the service, and they are ready to hold you to your 3 years. Buyer BEWARE!!!!

  

  Business response

  08/28/2024

  Hi ****,

  Thank you for taking the time to share your experience of working with PHMG - Sorry to hear it has not been to the standard we strive for. 

  I can assure you we have taken the time to look through the history of your account, and can see you have been escalated to our Client Success Director. The reason why we emphasise the importance of contacting your Director is that they are the best suited in the company to sort these kind of issues for you. That is why I ask that you return their contact in order to resolve this issue. 

  Please know that all feedback is taken seriously to help improve our service.

  Thank you. 

• Initial Complaint

  07/31/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I was contacted by PHMG through a man from ********** that described his product for advertising and wanted to send a salesman by to demo the product. The salesman was very polished and stated he was one of two owners of the company. I have since learned that is not true. We talked about the product and the price and I told him I was not comfortable with a three year commitment. That was not a problem he assured me. You can cancel anytime with a 30 day notice once the creative department had finished the ads. We could cancel anytime before they started work. This addressed my concerns and he filled out a form and I signed. He was supposed to send me the contract and I would then supply him with payment information. Nothing came. Their creative department called and I informed them that I was canceling the service. They said very little and things went quiet for about a month. Suddenly I get threatening calls for collection I have since done the research and found PHMG's their track record to be horrible with over 60 complaints in three years. Many of them with the same complaints and false promises that I received. After reading these complaints I would never allow them to have any access to my bank accounts. This companies practices for sales are based on deceit. This is not an accident. They are too well rehearsed and the complaints are all the same. I would like to mention that this company claimed to have support of my franchise home office. This too was a lie and they do not endorse this company.I am exercising my right to cancel as verbally expressed by the PHMG representative. I am demanding a copy of the contract and I am demanding they honor their representative's verbal commitment and release the my company from the contract.

  

  Business response

  08/09/2024

  Hi *****. 

  Thank you for taking the time to leave feedback. We are sorry to hear your experience with PHMG is not to the standard we strive for. 

  I can see you have been in regular contact with your Client Success Director. He is best placed to help find a resolution to this issue, I hope your upcoming call can address your concerns. 

  Please know all client feedback is taken seriously and applied to help us improve our services in the future. 

  Thanks again. 

• Initial Complaint

  07/23/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Because of errors they made to our phone lines, our clients could not get through to our lines and their calls got dropped. We lost all those calls and clients. It has been weeks since the problems occured and caused us 100K + revenue loss. We are having to close our office because our schedule which normally filled for a month is now empty and will have to shut down if they dont stop their services (they are refusing to do this and keep saying they are trying to fix it) and return everything to the initial setting so we can get the phone calls from our clients. They even started charging us the moment we signed the contract when their messages went up weeks after that. The messages/recording services that screwed our phone lines and caused revenue/business loss we request the immediate cancellation so we don't go bankrupt

  

  Business response

  07/26/2024

  Hi there,

  Thank you for taking the time to leave feedback - we're sorry to hear your experience with PHMG wasn't to the standard we strive for. 

  I am happy to see you have been able to speak to your Client Success Director and we have found a solution to allow us to continue working together. Please know all feedback is taken seriously and applied to help us improve services in the future. 

  Thank you. 

• Initial Complaint

  07/10/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  A very pushy sales man came in a talked me into using their services and told me it was a month to month contract and the rate would come down for every referral I provided. The next day the company called me to get started and explained I was in 36 minimum term contract. At that point I said I do not want to continue. I would like to cancel. He then got me in touch with another person and I cancelled. (or at least I thought I did) Then more guys showed up to install their hardware and I turned them away and let them know I cancelled. Then I had to have another call with another person and I cancelled with him. Now today 2 months later I have been called saying that I have not cancelled and there is no way to cancel since they have my signature. I will now be charged $9000.00 for services I never received.

  

  Business response

  07/15/2024

  Hi *****, 

  Thank you for taking the time to leave feedback - we're sorry to hear your experience with PHMG wasn't to the standard we strive for. I can see you've been in touch with our Client Success Team, and Im pleased to see we've been able to find a solution that allows us to continue working together.

  Please know that all client feedback is taken seriously and applied to help us improve our services in the future. 

   Thanks again. 

  Customer response

  07/16/2024

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********************

• Initial Complaint

  07/09/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  This company has unethical business practices. To charge us a monthly fee for services that were never rendered because we never made it through the implementation phase and cancelled prior to the monthly charge is erroneous. I would like a full refund for the service charge that should have never been deducted from our account. No one will get back to you about billing. Not ***************** the ****** Services Director or ************* Credit Operations Executive who I reached out to multiple times about this issue. I have emailed *********************** and ***************************** to get this resolved. I would like a response.

  

  Business response

  07/23/2024

  Hi *****, 

  Thank you for taking the time to leave feedback - were sorry to hear your experience with PHMG wasnt to the standard we strive for.   
  Our contract terms are set out to ensure you have continuity in your productions and include full details of the cancellation terms therein. I can see your Client Success Director has been trying to reach you in order to resolve this. I hope you can return this contact in order to find a resolution. 

  Please know all client feedback is taken seriously and applied to help us improve services in the future. 

  Thank you. 

  Customer response

  07/24/2024

   
  Complaint: 21963912
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  Thank you for your message, but you are incorrect. I have not had your Client Success Director try to get a hold of me. He has my email and direct phone number. I have not had any resolution in this matter. 

  We would like a refund of the services you did not provide. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

  

  Business response

  07/26/2024

  Hi *****, 

  I am happy to now see you have had contact from your Client Success Director. I hope this contact can help resolve your issues.

  Thank you. 

  Customer response

  07/26/2024

   
  Complaint: 21963912
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  I spoke with ***** who did not provide a solution to the request. He did not send the contract, he did not accept the fact that I emailed to cancel the contract before production was sent. 

  I clearly asked to cancel this service a month from the day you charged our bank account. No refund was offered. I want this cancelled. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

• Initial Complaint

  07/03/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We signed up for PHMG back in 2021. We signed a 3 year contract. I cantacted **** of the company back in December of 2023 about how we have switched phone services that doesn't require the messages to be played. The phone system we have uses text messaging instead of being on hold, which my client like so much more. ****, who is no longer with them said that it wouldn't be any problem to cancel. I guess it is my fault for not remembering that the contract auto renews. This should've been brought up when we spoke on the phone. Our contract expired 5/2024. We saw that a withdrawel from our account was made, so I sent an email on 6/1/2024. During which we have a potential buyer for our company. I then get a call from ******* on Father's *** Weekend that all he wanted to do was to argue with me that we signed a contract. I was trying to enjoy my vacation. Never did he want to be compassionate about the situation. All he did was say that we are liable for the term of the contract. I would understand if I was months past the contract expiration. But I started the coversation months before contract expiration. Now we are going to be stuck with paying for a contract on something that we don't even use. This company is shady by not going over the contract with clients when it's coming up for renewal or even calling to see how things are going. Stay far away from them.

  

  Business response

  07/15/2024

  Hi *****,

  
  Thank you for taking the time to leave feedback were sorry to hear your experience with PHMG wasnt to the standard we strive for.   
  Our contract terms are set out to ensure you have continuity in your productions and include full details of the cancellation terms therein. I can see you are in touch with our Client Support Team, please continue to work with them as they are best placed to find a resolution.
  In addition, please know that all client feedback is taken seriously and applied to help us improve our services in the future.   
  Thanks again, 

  Customer response

  07/16/2024

   
  Complaint: 21936673
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***********************

  

  Business response

  07/23/2024

  Hi *****, 

  Thank you for your continued feedback.

  I am pleased to see that after your interactions with our Client Support Team, we've been able to find a solution that allows us to continue working together.  
  In addition, I wanted to let you know that all client feedback is taken seriously and applied to help us improve our services in the future. 

  
  Thanks again, 

• Initial Complaint

  06/18/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  This company illegally entered into an agreement between an employee of my company, and disregarded the *************** and bylaws restricting such agreements from being entered into. They refuse to cancel their services and are trying to extort money from my company. ************************* sends harassing emails and threats of legal action. My company is part of a larger group of companies, with a couple dozen using PHMG's expensive and inferior services. I am working on making sure these other companies do not renew their contracts with PHMG.

  

  Business response

  06/28/2024

  Hi ****, 

  Thank you for taking the time to leave feedback. We are sorry to hear your experience with PHMG has not been up to the standard we strive for. 

  Your *********** Director will be best placed to help resolve this issue. Should you have any supporting documentation that you feel will help with this matter, please do provide this. 

  Thanks, 

   

• Initial Complaint

  05/30/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  PHMG came into my business in 2021. A contract was signed to a 3 year term. Not only was it never discussed that it would renew without consent, ********************* "head of business development" specifically told me it would not. He also said that should it stop making business sense or business take a bad turn that we could cancel. In addition to these issues, PHMG has consistently raised prices every year without notice which breaches their contract. They do business in bad faith. My conversation with *****, and the conversation today with the customer service rep. for ******************** constitute willful misrepresentation. Auto renewal was specifically said to not happen. Nobody should use their services or do business with them. We want this situation remedied as soon as possible.

  

  Business response

  06/05/2024

  Hi *****,
  Thank you for taking the time to leave feedback were sorry to hear your experience with PHMG wasnt to the standard we strive for.   
  Our contract terms are set out to ensure you have continuity in your productions and include full details of the cancellation terms therein. I can see you are in touch with our Client Support Team, I hope we will be able to find a solution that allows us to continue working together.  
  In addition, I wanted to let you know that all client feedback is taken seriously and applied to help us improve our services in the future.

  Thanks again.

  Customer response

  06/05/2024

   
  Complaint: 21781652
  
  I am rejecting this response because: they aren't really trying to resolve anything.  Just template response copy and pasted. Notice every single complaint on here says the same thing. They intentionally misleading and hide things or act outside of the contract.  My preferred resolution would be to have you honor the things we were td by your authorized representative.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  *****************************

  

  Business response

  06/14/2024

  Hi *****, 

  Our *********** Director has been trying to establish a constructive dialogue with you. To resolve this matter, we would request that you please return this contact.

  Thank you.

  Customer response

  06/14/2024

   
  Complaint: 21781652
  
  I am rejecting this response because: They are not trying resolve anything. They keep stating that they want to work with me but then they won't actually try to come to any amicable resolution. The person contacting me so far has been incredibly snide and condescending. Completely unwilling to come to a fair compromise. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *****************************

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