The Takeout Times, Milwaukie OR

This is a highly unethical business model. They collect a business owners money and have no guaranteed timeline of delivery. When the timeline goes 5+ months they tell me that there is a no refund policy regardless of an ad ever being printed. The sales team must be trained to say whatever they need to get the sale. I was told refunds were possible when timeline gets too long. I was also told that if the restaurant I was signing up to advertise in doesn't follow through that a refund would be possible should there not be a reasonable replacement I agree to.
Short story: If they call you trying to sell you an ad; hang up and save your money!

I was sold an ad space in the Take Out Times for the Dade City area 8 months ago and was told I would get a copy of this so called booklet that would get passed out at 3 local restaurants. 5 months ago I called to see where the booklet was and was told by Dan Coe that it was still in production (which when he sold it to me, it was going to be printed within a week). Communication was great at first with Dan until he got the $500. Now when I try and call, nothing but voicemail & hang ups. We are a small business and our marketing budget is small so this hurts. Before I wrote this email I called one of the local restaurants it was supposed to go to & they never heard of the Takeout Times or have any of these so called booklets. This is very unethical as one review reads, I couldn't agree more. I even tried to call the owner that responded so sincerely to the other one star review, but no response. I would like a full refund.

Very poor experience working with them! They still haven't delivered on an ad 5+ months later! And, they refuse to give a refund regardless of if they ever deliver an ad. Their legal team wrote the contract so they aren't required by law to ever give you anything for the money you give them. Save your money and stay clear of this company!

Awful service for my company! I'm not sure if I will ever get an ad placed (so far 6 months) or my money back. I guess we paid them for nothing! The contract states they aren't legally required to ever do anything for you really. You just got to trust they will eventually do something to fulfill their end of the deal.

*Update*
Despite a reply from "Daniel Wall" 6 days ago, we still have not received a refund. 1/22/24

Do not do business with this company unless you enjoy giving money away to scam artists. It has been 9 months since we paid the invoice and the menus still have not been distributed to the local restaurants, nor have we received the refund that Daniel Wall agreed to issue (within 24 hours) over a month ago. I contacted the local restaurants that we were told the menus would be distributed to and they had no idea what I was talking about! It does not matter which extension you select when you call their customer service number, you will always get Daniel Wall's voicemail. Your emails and voicemails will go unanswered. In the event you do make contact, you'll be given empty promises. This review will remain until we receive a full refund and you have called to verify receipt.
- Stacy Smith, COO
Karatinos Law, PLLC

ZERO STARS Awful! DO NOT FALL FOR THIS! Full of excuses, no return calls, multiple people saying the same thing about NO ADVERTISING DELIVERED FOR WHAT WE PRE -PAID FOR! COMPANY REPRESENTATIVE FULL OF APOLOGIES AND EXCUSES! Will be filing complaint with better business bureau

UPDATE after response from "Owner". You can read in my review that I cannot get a hold of anyone at ANY phone number listed for this company, so you telling me to contact you directly, tells me you didn't actually read my review. You would also like me to chat with the owner that lives in Molalla at the next chamber meeting. Why wouldn't the owner just get in touch with me since he knows that I'm a dissatisfied customer? I think it would be extremely inappropriate for me to bring this up with him/her at the next meeting full of local business owners. There was no confusion about this being the same company as the Table Times. I was not told this by any current or former employee. You are at the same address, with the same phone number, and the same business names, logos, website, etc. Any normal person can put 2 and 2 together to know that you're the same company. This could all be settled very easily by someone from your company answering the phone, and giving me my refund I was promised over a month ago. Treat your customers properly, and your dirty laundry wouldn't get aired on the internet.

I fell for it AGAIN! I was scammed by this company back in 2018, ended up spending MONTHS calling/emailing, etc to get my money back. Fast forward to June 2023. A family friend called and said he works there, it's under new ownership, the company is great, he grew up around here, and would never want to screw over people in his own backyared, etc. Ok great, I trusted him. Fast forward 6 months later, and the pamphlets never came out. I was promised a refund (in writing) from the "production manager", and weeks later, he is now ignoring my calls, voicemails, and emails. Every number that I can find online is either one I've left a message at, or has been disconnected. Even the family friend that signed me up has had his extension disconnected. YIKES. How do you get a hold of anyone? Perhaps I'll just head down to the office and see if their front doors are open?

***Update to prior review (1-3-24). It was a hassle, but I did receive a FULL refund. The communication side of things was a bit of a challenge, but I am raising the review from 1 star to 3 stars. I feel the communication was an issue, and frankly, if I hadn't have received the menu a year later, I may not have even known the transaction with the restaurant hadn't gone through. I felt that warranted a removal of a star (from 5), and finally the difficulty to get through to the Customer Service Team, or anyone was a headache. My only advice to Take Out Times is "Away messages" in your VM when out of the office sick or on vacation. It would have definitely have changed how I handled things in trying to get the refund completed. That's the other star I am holding back. All that said, they are NOT A SCAM, and everything ended up working out.

***Message below updated with information above on 1/3/24***

This place is a scam! I paid almost $1600.00 a year ago for a local restaurant, and found out that restaurant doesn't even use the menus I was sold. I guess they didn't count on my actually going to the restaurant. I have spoke to Daniel Wall (the Customer service manager) and was promised a refund over a week ago, and now he seems to have disappeared. From prior reviews, I am seeing this is not his first time conducting business this way. I spoke to Jared Abegg (art department), and was also promised this would be taken care of. Neither are returning calls, and now I am after Shawn Bonner, the General Manager for assistance. Funny thing is all phones divert to Daniel Wall, the "Customer Service Manager". Another sales person had the nerve to call and ask for me to re-up with them, and when I confronted her with this, she disappeared.

EDIT: This is in response to the company's reply. Your not-so-veiled attempt to threaten me with the term "legal" regarding my use of the word "scam" is yet another example of your unscrupulous business practices and lack of ethics. You are knowingly and purposefully defrauding small businesses. You can not continually use the excuse of "miscommunication" when it is absolutely clear that your organization has continually lied about partnering with popular and well known local establishments in order to manipulate and defraud hard working people. If this were not the case, there wouldn't be multiple complaints of the same nature and you would have made good on your promises to rectify the issues, stopped the practice causing the 'miscommunication', and/or issued refunds that were requested MONTHS ago. You're purposefully holding funds that you collected with false pretense. If you'd prefer I use a different word than scam, I will use deceitful, unethical, fraudulent, deceptive. I'll choose one of those words and replace the word you're concerned with.

Original post (with the word 'scam' replaced)

This business is a FRAUD. If you've been DEFRAUDED by this company, I encourage you to file a report with the State of Oregon Attorney General Department of Justice Consumer Protection Division.

I paid them $599 in February 2023 for an ad to be placed at three local restaurants. Long and short, here we are nearly a year later and no ad was EVER placed, and I believe it was never their intent to place any ad at all, particularly since I've communicated with the three restaurants and they have no record of partnering with this business. Other reviews are reporting the same exact scheme. They're clearly intentionally and purposefully defrauding small businesses. All my conversations with Dan (supposedly the Production Manager) and Don (supposedly the "Senior Business Consultant") have resulted in empty promises and false information. Do not do business with this organization and if you've already been a victim, I encourage you to file a complaint with the State AG.

I purchased advertising with these people 12 months ago. We paid for both a small ad and an article for the flyer they would be distributing to the (3) restaurants in Battle Ground who had supposedly agreed to hand them out with all takeout orders. As of today, I have corresponded via phone and email numerous times requesting accountability for the distribution by the restaurants who have agreed to hand these out. I have been assured they have the physical flyers and should be using them. I was told they would mail me a copy and that they would contact the restaurants to find out why they were not being used. After 3 months, I have no update, no flyers are going out, AND I have never been mailed a copy after 3 promises one would come to me in the mail. There is something definitely not right here. I haven't received any reimbursement and I'm very frustrated. This company is taking advantage of small business who have small marketing budgets. To take money for a promised service and not deliver very much smells unethical. At this stage all I want is my money back. It is 12 months later. As a business owner, we live by our service delivery and we get held accountable when we don't deliver. I see the Takeout Times is quoting a 99% satisfaction rate, but that seems highly unlikely. Sad that there isn't more regulation to protect those of us who didn't get what we paid for.

THEY ARE A SCAM DO NOT DO BUSINESS with this company. They will take your money make it seem like they are legit and then keep promising you things to help out your small business. But at the end they take your money and won’t answer or return your calls, or email. Taking them to court. Other wise they don’t return money, there is no service at all. The restaurant never even heard of them. Or have take out menus lol

UPDATE: they replied to my review and telling me to are willing to work with me, all though never reply to my email or phone calls. My advise is to call your bank/card before 120day because after that bank can’t do anything. This is why they have you wait 120day

Warning! I signed up to advertise in three separate restaurants take out menus. After several months they said the menus were at the restaurants. They sent me a sample of the menu with my ad in it, however I'm sure that was the only menu printed. I have gone multiple times into each restaurant, and they have no take out menus.
Also, with one restaurant I was supposed to be on their dine in menus. Spoke with the owner and they had never heard of the take out times, the owner also said they never allow advertisers to be on their menu's. $1600.00 lost and these people will not return your phone calls or emails. Daniel Wall, has a canned response to every negative review. Dan you should be ashamed of yourself for stealing money from local business'. I lost a total of $2400.00 on this SCAM, and by the looks of the recent reviews it.looks like there are a lot of other local business’ that have gotten taken advantage of by The Take Out Times. Please, Go to the Better Business Bureau and write a complaint. My hope is that before a business signs up for their scam that they look online to see that they should NOT do business with these people.
Here is an email to me from the Owner of The Auburn Alehouse where I was suppose to be on their dine in menu's.
Hello Karie,
Thank you for coming into the Auburn Alehouse today to discuss the issue with Take out Times. As I stated in our conversation, we have never heard of Take out Times, worked with them, or agreed to any business transaction with them.
The menu in the brochure you showed me is from nearly 4 years ago. We have never and would never advertise an individual professional or company on our in-house or To-Go menus. We actually have never even printed To-Go menus as nearly all consumers access menus online or via QR codes. Just to clarify as well, we have never received any To-Go menus or brochures from Take out Times.
The claim from Take out Times that they had an agreement with my company is a bold faced lie. I recently had our Fall / Winter menu printed and am happy to provide the invoice showing I paid for the menu design, printing and delivery.
This dishonesty is disheartening and I wish you a speedy resolution and sincerely hope Take out Times does the right thing and returns your money.

Respectfully,

-
Lisa Ford
Co-Founder
Auburn Alehouse

Scam, beware! I paid $750 for menu advertising in June. The menu never happened and the take out times never notified me or offered a refund. Luckily I followed up several times and baby-sat them until they acknowledged the menu was cancelled. Been waiting over 2 weeks now for a refund, crickets now.
Dont fall for it.

Dan with The Takeout Times was fantastic to work with. He explained every step that is involved in your project and makes you feel like you are not just a number, but truly wants the best for you and your business or nonprofit. We had great customer service with Dan and everyone at The Takeout Times.

This company is a complete scam! Im working on collecting all the companies that have ben scamed by this company and putting together a class action lawsuit.
They sold me a marking scam for a restaurant that has Ben closed for 12 months. I notified them of this 1 year ago and there still looking into it I guess but what do I do? The only thing I know is to warn you! It's a scam!
Don't use these fakes! I will keep updating this post. They wrote me a big long letter to make themselves look good on Google. But still have done nothing and still have my money. SCAM

Updating you all. Do not listen to this Fraud Jason Beagle. I have called countless times and have gotten crickets. Daniel Wall set up a “phone meeting” that was supposed to take place and he didn’t call me. I’m asking for my money back because after reaching out to the company they said they never were intending to follow through with the menus.

They say they have countless of positive reviews but I urge folks to read all the recent ones of the negative reviews. This place is a total fraud with no communication. The people who commented on my prior post said I would be receiving a refund and it’s been over a week with nothing. Don’t let the responses fool you. These people will scam you out of your money and hold it hostage with no product for 160 days plus. What an embarrassing”company”

I had high hopes for this program but sadly they did not get enough participation among the restaurants in my city. It was not until I called to find out why I had not seen any media circulating that they tell me I am due a full refund. I never received my refund of $500. I finally after many calls and left messages got someone to pick up and he assured me they would send out a replacement check but after waiting 2 weeks still no check. Now no one will pick up the phone. I am so upset out this situation and I will continue to try to make contact. I cannot image that a business would operate this way. So terribly dissatisfied and disappointed

NERVOUS OR FRUSTRATED, PLEASE READ THIS.

This is Jamie Beagle, the President of The Takeout Times.

At The Takeout Times, we deeply value our relationship with each customer and are committed to ensuring your complete satisfaction. We understand that effective communication is key, and we encourage you to reach out to us immediately should you encounter any issues. Our team is dedicated to providing clear, responsive, and efficient communication to address any concerns you may have.

In instances where there may have been a miscommunication, especially concerning the use of menus in restaurants you've sponsored, we take full responsibility. Our standard practice involves meticulous verification of details with restaurant owners and managers. However, we acknowledge that miscommunications can occur, and we sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. We are continually refining our processes to prevent such occurrences in the future.

Regarding concerns about refunds or responses from our team, please know that these matters are taken very seriously. We have procedures in place to ensure a swift and fair resolution. If you are experiencing delays or issues with refunds, we encourage you to contact us directly for immediate attention and resolution.

We also want to address concerns raised by the use of terms like "scam" in reviews. The Takeout Times has been serving the community since 2014, completing over 300,000 transactions with a 99.9% satisfaction rate. While we respect the right to feedback, it is crucial for the shared information to be fair and accurate. We have tens of thousands of clients that renew with us on an annual basis since the beginning of conception. Rest assured, we are actively working with legal avenues to address any misrepresentations that may affect our reputation.

Your feedback is invaluable to us. It helps us grow and improve our services. Should you feel that your experience with us does not align with the high standards we strive for, please contact us directly. We are here to listen, understand, and make things right.

We thank you for your continued trust in The Takeout Times. Your satisfaction and business success are at the heart of what we do, and we look forward to a continued partnership with you.

Sincerely,

Jamie Beagle & The Takeout Times Team

Warning! I signed up to advertise in three separate restaurants take out menus. After several months they said the menus were at the restaurants. I have went multiple times into each restaurant and they have no take out menus.
Also with one restaurant I was suppose to be on their sit down menus. Nope not there and it has been 5 months. Do not do business with these people, they will not return emails or phone calls. A big Scam. I am out $2400.00 and have nothing to show for it. Take out Times is a scam.

SCAM PLEASE WATCH OUT.
UPDATING: I WILL UPDATE WHEN I AM PAID MY REFUND. THIS PLACE SAYS THEY HAVE ALL THESE REVIEWS BUT LOOK AT ALL THE NEWEST. HAVENT DONE GENUINE BUSINESS IN A LONG TIME FOLKS. I
Signed up for them in August with a “120 day window”. Once that window passed I reached out and they said they had “delays” and offered me a “reimbursement” of $200 (I paid $1400) and said the Menus would be out a week later. I was in contact with Daniel Wall and was assured they would be delivered. I said I wanted a confirmation call/email since it’s been 5 months. The restaurant has no knowledge of paper menus since they don’t use paper menus AND to top it off I have emailed and called this company multiple times after with no response. What a disgrace of a “business”. Please be aware. I’m disheartened and honestly shocked that this place would do something like this.