VANCOUVER — The Better Business Bureau Great West + Pacific has issued a consumer alert concerning Bridge City Firm, a digital marketing and SEO service company based in Vancouver, Wash.  

Managed by Mark Davis, the firm has faced scrutiny from former clients who have raised serious concerns about its telemarketing tactics, misleading advertising claims and unfulfilled promises, according to a statement from the BBB. 

Accredited by the BBB from May 10, 2021, until March 17, 2022, Bridge City Firm saw its status revoked due to its failure to meet the organization’s standards for transparency and verification. Since the revocation, the BBB has documented nine formal complaints and 17 negative reviews. 

Complaints against Bridge City Firm point to troubling practices, including misrepresentation and aggressive sales tactics. Customers reported receiving persistent calls from the company, often claiming to represent "Google Quality Control," and expressed frustration over their inability to have their information removed from call lists.  

Clients who purchased the firm’s services were led to believe they would achieve top three rankings in Google search results and were promised a specific number of leads — a pledge that, according to many reports, went unfulfilled. When clients sought refunds for services that did not meet expectations, their requests were reportedly denied. 

In March 2024, the BBB reached out to Bridge City Firm regarding potential violations of its Code of Advertising, particularly concerning unsubstantiated claims made on the firm's website. Advertisements included statements declaring "over $2.1 billion in revenue generated for clients" and "15+ years of Agency Expertise," but the firm failed to provide supporting evidence for these assertions. The BBB also questioned the legitimacy of testimonials displayed on the site, which suggested endorsements from well-known entities like Google, Facebook and Bing without proper verification.  

Although the company did respond to the BBB, it did not sufficiently address the concerns raised, according to the BBB statement.  

In light of these issues, the BBB advises consumers to exercise caution when selecting digital marketing services. Recommendations include researching businesses on BBB.org, carefully reviewing contracts, obtaining written guarantees for results, and reporting any misleading practices to both the BBB and the Washington State Attorney General's Office. 

“Swindlers will employ aggressive, high-pressure tactics to compel you to sign on the dotted line and hand over the payment,” Grant County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Kyle Foreman said. “Once signed, you can be locked into a contract that favors the swindler, and you may never get your money back.” 

Foreman recommends residents be mindful of any business they decide to do business with and do proper research before signing anything or exchanging money for service. If something looks too good to be true, it probably is, Foreman said. If a business seems shady, do not continue communication, block it and report it to local law enforcement and the BBB.  

Foreman also recommended people go to the National Do Not Call registry at donotcall.gov. Once your name is on the registry, commercial companies will no longer be able to call you to solicit business, which will cut down on the number of spam calls.