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The good, the bad, and the ugly - discover what customers are saying about Island Media Advertising

Welcome to our customer reviews and complaints page for Island Media Advertising. We understand that making informed decisions about where to invest your time and money can be challenging, which is why we've created this platform for our community to share their honest feedback about their experiences with Island Media Advertising.

On this page, you'll find a comprehensive collection of reviews and complaints from real customers who have used Island Media Advertising's products or services. Our reviews are authentic and unbiased, providing you with a complete picture of the company, its products or services, and their customer service.

Whether you're considering doing business with Island Media Advertising, or you've already had an experience with them, our community's reviews and complaints will give you a valuable perspective on what to expect. Our goal is to help you make informed decisions about where to invest your time and money, and we hope that our platform will be a valuable resource for you.

Please feel free to browse our reviews and complaints and share your own experience with Island Media Advertising. Your feedback is an important part of our community and will help others make informed decisions.

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12:16 pm EDT

Island Media Advertising Thieves

When hired by these scam artists I was made to sign a 'sign on bonus clause'. It stated that after 30 days of employment I would recieve a $1, 200.00 bonus consisting of $300.00 cash, a cruise valued at $600.00, and $300.00 worth of training. After signing the required documents (1099, sign on bonus clause, non-compete, etc), we were ushered into the 'phone room', where we listened to a sales rep for approx. 1 1/2 hours, then were told to get on the phones and sell on- line yellow page ads. Needless to say, I was worried about their tactics. After 6 days of 6 1/2 hour shifts, I decided that this place was not for me. I called and quit. According to the documents I signed my pay would be reduced from $8.50 an hour to minimum wage, but I accepted that. They informed me that my pay check would be mailed. 6 days later and no paycheck. I called to see what the problem was and was told that $300.00 worth of 'training' was deducted from my pay, leaving me NOTHING. According to them I breached the contract I signed (sign on bonus) when I quit. I contend that THEY breached the contract when they did not provide training. They hire you as an independent contractor, but according to the IRS, you are not. So, I have turned them into the IRS, hired a lawyer, and plan to sue, not for money, but for principle. I, unlike most of their employees, did not need to work. I was a bored housewife that has the money to make their lives miserable, and I plan to do just that. Never should somebody work a total of 39 hours and not be paid. Captain Dave and his Cohorts (Jennifer Ferguson) are scammers and need to be shut down. Quite frankly, I don't know how they sleep at night abusing the law with 'loop-holes'.

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AvonMan
, US
Feb 01, 2012 4:27 pm EST
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

Please look at the other complaints and read AvonMan's comments. See the phone numbers to the Hour and Wage Commision locally and note the Fair Trade Commission. When you talk to your lawyers, ensure they are aware of the collection tactics that they use to try to muscle poor folks in the islands. It's really a crime that passes international waters and they should be liable for what they say. I took a script that stated that their fictitous legal firm would enable the Caribbean Courts to come take money from their registers, freeze their assets and sell off everything to pay the debts, and more. It's criminal!

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10:29 am EST
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Island Media Advertising No payment/Unfair practices

The storm is coming for David Phillips, JR, Mark Wilson and the others in this scam based company. I was an employee for a day and a half and walked out after a day of telling people I was from a fictitious legal firm, (Stone, Thomas and Goldberg) and was going to send someone from the courts to take money as it comes in, before they get it in their registers. The people in the islands have a voice here.

Dave Phillips and the gang don't think there are any legal ramifications for what they are doing...they are wrong. They have been reported to the Fair Trade Commission which has transfered that file to Tampa, FL's office of the Wage and Hour Division.

If you are an employee who has been financially taken by these clowns, feel free to join the impending investigation by calling the U.S. Wage and Hour Division locally at [protected], press option 7, then hit (star) *8771. You will talk to an indiviual that will tell you that there is a large file on this company and investigators are ready to start the work on attacking Island Media...add your name to the list of employees. You WILL get paid, regardless of how little or large you are owed.

Trust me...legal action is quickly pending!

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Louisa Barry-Showers
Hempstead, US
Jul 12, 2010 1:45 pm EDT

I am on the recieving end of the company: Note dialogue I had with company personel

Nice to meet you too!
You are so interesting " Bible Trivia. LOL. Wow so comical..The devil knows scripture too.
Psalms 37: 12, 13 The wicked make plans against good people. ...But the Lord laughs at the wicked. He sees their day coming. As a matter of fact kindly read the whole chapter. Bermuda Yellow pages has informed him not to send you any more money.. Your verbal contract will not hold up in court. I have also called the Western Union in Bermuda and reported my concerns. They will refuse to send fund to David Phillip in the future. I guess you will have to use another name.

----- Original Message -----
From:
To: "lshower"
Sent: Thursday, July 01, 2010 5:05 PM
Subject: Re: Stone Thomas & Goldberg

> Nice to meet you Mrs. Showers.
> I have spoken with your husband on several occasions.. He is contractually obligated to this debt. This contract has nothing to do with you thank you. Ma'm Lets not play the bible trivia game.
>
> Psalms 37:21
> The wicked borrows but does not pay back, but the righteous is generous
> and gives;
>
>
> My Husband sent money in the amount of $100.00 to via western union. This is an ilegal transaction. I will report you to the police.
>> God is not pleased. Stop this trickery earn your money the honest way.
>> L Showers
>> Wife
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From:
>> To:
>> Sent: Thursday, July 01, 2010 10:07 AM
>> Subject: Stone Thomas & Goldberg
>>
>>
>>> Hello Mr. Showers,
>>> As stated earlier here is my contact info so that you may reach me once
>>> you make payments on you Island Yellow Pages account.
>>>
>>> Thanks,
>>> Janay Allen
>>> Stone Thomas & Goldberg
>>> [protected]
mployee of this company

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2:17 pm EST
Resolved
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.

Island Media Advertising Fired For speaking my mind

This company is nothing but a scam. I worked there and when I spoke up about the company charging cards without auth i was fired for "not fitting in with the company." I REALLY hope this con gets what he deserves. Dave Phillips i hope you get what is coming to you.

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Cameron Mendoza
, US
May 20, 2016 1:15 pm EDT

This is funny. I see the last post was about 4 years ago but could not help myself to comment. I currently reside in Iowa and am a sales rep for a very credible company, H&H Ventures. I was just explaining to my coworker that is sitting next to me at this very moment about a job I worked in Tampa, FL about 8 years ago...one of my first jobs. When hired I was excited, was one of my first jobs, at that time thought a corporate job. Then I arrived to the building...somewhat...dirty. It was a job that paid 9/hr with the potential to move up to maybe 15-16/hr hourly depending on your collections for that week. Problem was...what were we collecting for? Supposedly, these Carribean owned companys thought they were getting exposure for customers in their county (hence the name of the company Island Media Advertising). Island Media Advertising's way of collecting money was by a verbal agreement to have the customer state their name and that was supposed to be the customers way of signature. Funny that every customer I had called had no idea that they owed us money yet alone even really know who we were. Did I mention there was a fake lawyer in his own office threatening the customers that if they did not pay it would go to court? While I was there for one week they had already went through two lawyers indicating the one before must have quit. Would be even funnier if this company is still is business.

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jimmybones
Tampa, US
Jun 13, 2012 11:11 am EDT

In December 2007 I worked for the company and I noticed the unfair treatment of the potential clients. After my dismissal I had to sue them for not paying me.

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AvonMan
, US
Apr 30, 2010 2:31 pm EDT
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

Well...I finally got paid by Island Media Advertising. It took the U.S. Wage and Hour Department to take action and apparently they did. Granted the monies were ultimately minimum wage pay for the 10 hours I was there, but hey...it's the principle, not the amount. So, if you haven't got paid by them, look up their local office here in Tampa. You will get paid!

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AvonMan
, US
Apr 15, 2010 8:58 am EDT
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

What great is that the Department of Labor is now investigating them. I know this because I actually got contacted on my claim that they never paid me for the time I was there. So, even though the pay is converted to minimum wage, it's the principle that now they will be under the microscope. I hope that my call to the Fair Trade Comission will net simliar action.

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TheAvonGuy
Riverview, US
Jan 07, 2010 10:30 am EST
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

The storm is coming for David Phillips, JR, Mark Wilson and the others in this scam based company. I was an employee for a day and a half and walked out after a day of telling people I was from a fictitious legal firm, (Stone, Thomas and Goldberg) and was going to send someone from the courts to take money as it comes in, before they get it in their registers. The people in the islands have a voice here.

Dave Phillips and the gang don't think there are any legal ramifications for what they are doing...they are wrong. They have been reported to the Fair Trade Commission which has transfered that file to Tampa, FL's office of the Wage and Hour Division.

If you are an employee who has been financially taken by these clowns, feel free to join the impending investigation by calling the U.S. Wage and Hour Division locally at [protected], press option 7, then hit (star) *8771. You will talk to an indiviual that will tell you that there is a large file on this company and investigators are ready to start the work on attacking Island Media...add your name to the list of employees. You WILL get paid, regardless of how little or large you are owed.

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AvonMan
, US
Nov 17, 2009 1:18 pm EST
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

I worked for this company for only a day and a half and was hired as a 3rd party collector. It was near the end of my first day they even talked about collections in detail. During the 1st day when they mentioned collections, they said it with a sense of awe and importance like I was going to do something omonous. I spent the first day just sitting around a conference room hearing about their policies, then sitting in their dingy sales office.

It's an old building and the sales people have NO computers...just a phone and stacks of yellowpages from all of the Caribbean Islands. They talk so fast, it's easy to scam the prospect on the other end of the line. Let's be honest, they call 3rd world countries like Haiti, Bahamas, and other poor countries with small business that struggle more than we do. Many of the islanders are not well educated and easy to scam...that's who David Phillips and his team prey on. That is why they don't do what they do stateside...because the legal ramifications would be there. There really are no legal reprocussions from one country to the other (example: African Scams...they are run from Canada).

It was the 2nd day where they sat me with a female collector and she was MEAN. She threatened to seize their business if they didn't pay up. She raised her voice and it was a bit scary. They eventually got me to my desk, set my account up and away I went with a script, electronic phone/business records and the phone.

I made about 50 calls and all of them had no idea what I was calling about. I was supposed to sound official. J.R. said to speak like a Lawyer, but don't say you are a lawyer. I was told to even threaten to send someone to their business to remove money from their register. I felt for these people and know they had been had! I made my lunch and told the collections manager that I got a call from a previous employer offering my more money to return to the job.

I, to this day, have not received payment for the day and a half that I was there.

Rather than getting a real lawyer, I contacted the Wage and Earnings department of the Department of Labor. Apparently there is a HUGE investigation that is going to start since I wasn't the only one to report them. I can't wait to talk to their investigator.

What this company is doing is illegal, immoral and they will fall.

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ripoffwarrior
Orlando, US
Jul 01, 2009 1:06 pm EDT

I worked at that company around the beginning of the year and I completely agree with the last poster. You get promised the world by the "Skipper" (David) and "Marianne" (Jennifer) and when it comes time to do your job, you have no idea what the company is all about. My paycheck was never right and the commission structure was always being changed to not have to pay us what we earned. The labor board should be contacted. When you try to collect, all of the customers (or victims) claim they never agreed to have a listing on the bogus website. The listings have no link to the customer's website, contact information is inaccurate and the quality of the web listing is so poor my kids can put something together better than that. Most customers I contacted said they received no benefit and could not even find their listing online. All this for a charge of nearly $1000.00 for something that could be produced for nothing in less than an hour by a 12 year old. I was told to do anything to get David's money, which included being a part of a fake collection agency or law firm. I was also told by some customers that they thought they were buying an ad in the yellow pages (the one provided by the phone company). This company is a scam and engages in fraudulent practices to sell worthless services to small businesses and uses even further fraudulent practices to collect from its vicitms. The Skipper is engaged in wire fraud and mail fraud and should be put away. Stay away from this company!

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unknown
Tampa, US
Jun 17, 2009 3:12 pm EDT

I worked for this company and the Supervisor, Jennifer was not professional and a liar who manipulates about everything this company offers in the initial training. Lies were told about pay. Your paycheck is never what it should be and your hours are not as well. The receptionist (whatever his name is) is very rude & obnoxious. Not only are the people employed here as unprofessional as they come, the company is a complete SCAM. It's main goal is to rip-off as many people as possible. The company has been in business since 1994 and only have two employees who have been there for 8 months. They have a swinging door. You will work and not get paid so people are quitting on the regular. With the economy being as it is, I highly recommend that you DO NOT seek employment at Island Media Advertising unless you want to work for free! "The above comment had to be posted by the owner himself, hi David"

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Theone
Tampa, US
Feb 10, 2009 1:49 pm EST

This whole company is a scam! They are a rip off and do not care for the people they call there clients nor the employees they hire on. They go through many new employees every week. SCAM!

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whatthefundt
, US
Jan 20, 2009 6:38 am EST

I have worked for this compnay for 6 months, this is not the way the business is run. The only people who get terminated there are lazy people, and people who steal. So the person posting this probably didn't one or the other.

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