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Refund?? ....Sorry, not likley to happen (by KC):

I have never heard of the particular upfront fee parasite company cited above. There are so many of these parasites that it's hard to keep track, a situation further complicated by the fact that they periodically return to their little holes in the ground, only to emerge again later under an entirely different name (and a clean BBB slate).

The unfortunate and sad truth is that these assorted upfront fee parasite companies are NOT in the business (or in the habit) of returning money. The only goal of their operation is to TAKE your money, not return it. Their goal was accomplished when you voluntarily chose to pay them a fee for (essentially worthless) "advertising and marketing", which was probably just a lame and overpriced ad on an unknown, obscure web site.

While I do not wish to be the prophet of doom, I am willing to bet that you do not have any form of documentation whatsoever which states in writing, under the signature of an authorized company representative, that you are guaranteed a refund under these circumstances. Absent any such "breached written contract", I dare say you are likely just plain out of luck unless you are willing to take the matter to court for a judge to sort out "who said what to whom".

You may opt to shoot the messenger, but I believe that your odds of seeing any money returned to you are somewhere between "too slim to quantify" and "none at all". I'd love to be wrong, but I don't believe that I am.

If you have the time, the geographic proximity to the parasites' physical location, and an accurate current address for the parasite company, you can initiate a civil case in small claims court. If properly summoned to appear in court, they might just choose to return your money instead. Chances are, however, that you and the parasites are far apart geographically, making that approach logistically difficult and expensive, since you have to file the case in the jurisdiction where THEY are located. If you are both in the same state, or within driving distance, it might be worth a shot. You'll spend most of the hearing day in court, representing lost work time for which you will not be reimbursed. If the parasite company wants to try to play games, they can show up and then promptly ask for a continuance for some contrived reason, even if YOU are ready and willing to present your case then and there. If the continuance is granted, you will have to undertake "trip number two" to court and spend "day number two" there. Such court proceedings are not matters which can be handled or heard "by mail".

I wish you luck, but for the assorted reasons outlined above, the odds for success are frankly against you.