Need Help? Forget 1-800-CASH-OUT.com, Buy-and-Sell-House-Fast.com
We know this economy is making a lot of people desperate. Enough to try to sell their homes? Sure. What else would explain the presence of a site like 1-800-CASH-OUT.com at the top of Google's organic (not paid ad or "sponsored") listings for typing in the search terms "sell house fast." One good thing about this site, though, is that it's fairly easy to spot. Here's how.
First, dialing 1-800-CASH-OUT (227-8688) doesn't work -- no connection. There's your first red flag.
Second, all it says on the about us page is: "Click here to sell your property within 24 hours or call us at 1-800-Cash-Out." The problem is, clicking that link or just about any other link on the site promising information takes you to an information form that asks for your name, phone number, house address and e-mail address, along with some other information. When we tried entering information in this form, we got some sort of complicated database error message.
Next, a WHOIS search of the site's domain ownership reveals a private registration by proxy. In other words, the owner is hiding his or her identity. Never a good sign for a business. However, the site's URL has some history.
At best, this is probably an out-of-the-box "lead generation" or affiliate marketing Web site. It does have a Better Business Bureau record in Jacksonville, Fla., with a positive rating, but that's based on a single complaint with a single resolution, which wouldn't be that hard to fake. Plus, the BBB record point of contact phone number just happens to be (800) 227-8688, which spells CASH OUT.
Then there's also Buy-and-Sell-House-Fast.com, which has a little less of a "site out of the box" feeling, including some purportedly expert advice -- though no indication who the advice is coming from, what their qualifications are to be giving it, and no real way to reach a real person (the "about us" page provides no physical address or phone number, only an e-mail form, which for practical purposes could rout your e-mail to someone in Romania). The site also reads as if its author's first language is not English, often another red flag.
Really, Buy-and-Sell-House-Fast.com doesn't offer much more than a link farm (which is probably what it is), with click-throughs to LendingTree.com, to services that purport to sell insiders' guides to the foreclosure market, and of course a strip of Google ads. And, finally, a WHOIS search reveals the site is registered to an Andrew Loh of Singapore. Nothing against that wonderful Asian city-state of beautiful skyscrapers, Raffles Hotel and really killer noodles, but it's probably better to get help selling your home from someone a bit more local.
These are the numbers one and three organic search results on Google, so take even more caution if you decide to click on any of the paid listings.
Comments
This article isn't based on facts and certainly only the opinion of a 2nd rate reporter attempting to make a name for himself. Right now a lot of homeowners are in trouble and need a solution for their real estate problems. Most of the real estate investors our out of the business because of the market, and the government is continuing to give free money with no accountability to the banks. Unless you have a solution for this, leave the real estate investors alone that are continuing to make a difference and figure out a way to criticize a government that's continuing to take care of their executive friends in exchange for donations. I'm sure you're too scared to take on the deceptive practices of Countrywide, Citifinancial or Wells Fargo. You should use your National Enquirer based reporting skills to do something positive for the community and not spread lies and hatred about honest small businessmen.
Posted by: Dan | January 21, 2009 09:22 AM