Cortix are a company that designs, hosts and references websites. They claim to be the leader in their field.

THE HUSTLE

In short you end up paying about 7000€ but and it's a big but, they do not tell you this at all, ever. In fact they cold call (FIND THE MARK) and offer you a free website (THE BAIT) subject to certain conditions (THE FLATTERY).

Read on to understand their sales methods. (THE HUSTLE)

In fact the "product" they sell could be bought for around 1500€ and for that price it would be infinitely better.

I see myself the victim of a scam like 90% of their clients. It is a very clever contract and I defy anyone in a similar position to me to see what really is being done straight away and before it’s too late. I have seen hundreds of people caught by the “three card trick” I have only seen one person win and he was then beaten up. The Cortix salesmen will and have threatened those who refuse to sign. The unscrupulous big boys have planned this and in many (30,000 cases) have succeeded. I fell for their scam and with hindsight… (Had I Googled “Cortix” that day BEFORE I signed the contract, things might have been different. Once signed it was too late.)

(The legal side applies to France.)

These are facts that are hard to dispute: Selling is and art. A good, well trained, salesman can sell almost anyone anything. Large successful companies are more trusted than individuals. Few people read the small print (they may glance at them but if it’s 4 pages…) There are unscrupulous people that “use” the system to benefit themselves. Cortix train their sales staff in “one-stop” selling. They do not target large companies, who will be more aware than individuals. There are about 1000 complaining Cortix clients. Cortix's shares have fallen from 20€ to 1€. Their contract is virtually unbreakable. There are 200+ joint legal processes against Cortix in Bordeaux NOT against the contract but for Deception and Misleading Advertising. There are 2 associations formed against Cortix and one had 250 members a year ago. Cortix sued (unsuccessfully) this association for contacting its clients. There have been several TV investigations. One of these was by the main French National station TF1. Cortix forced TF1 and Wikipedia to take off the articles about them. (Both are back now).

Created in 1999 by Hassane Hamza, Cortix has today between 25,000 and 30,000 clients. They operate in 9 European countries. There are several other companies using the same “one-stop” selling methods like Kemenn and Top Technology.

*One stop selling works because, in France, the consumer (a private individual) is protected by the law but a professional is not. The law gives only the consumer 7 days to retract a contract but not a professional. A professional in France can be an individual (small shopkeeper, holiday letting (me) Garage etc.) Anyone trading has to register with the chamber of commerce and is thus a Professional.

*Few small business people in France realise this fact.

Cortix seek out these small businesses and offer a free website if you qualify and arrange an appointment. They insist that the person present is authorised to sign. The nice salesman arrives (1pm for us) and spends 3 to 4 hours. After a few questions he thinks you qualify for a free website. Flattery is a good sales tool. He will have another client to see after you and will telephone him using his mobile to apologize that he will be late. (Makes you feel guilty for holding him up) You are shown several “Cortix” websites. Nice. You are invited to choose your template and modules then a second call (at about 5pm) to the next client. Then he produces the contract. He’s been there 5 hours, has another client to see and has to drive two hours to get home afterwards. I realise now the trap I was being pulled into.

The 4000€ set-up fee is waived. The administration fee of 400€ is waived. All you pay is 140€ (+ tax**) for “renting the site”. Having read the contract several times now, I still do not know what this 140€ covers. The contract promises referencing but only says “…will use the methods necessary to inform the search engines…”

**The government will receive over 40 million Euros in tax here so I do not expect them to do much!!

When you realise that you are in for 6720€, because the contract is for four years and that they put up a site at first with “under construction” everywhere and use their stock photos, it begins to dawn on you that there is something wrong! You complain. They do nothing. You threaten to sue them because they have not delivered. They do nothing.

And then you discover why. They re-sell the finance to a finance company. The Finance Company pays Cortix a part of the fees. You cannot sue the finance company for they have done nothing wrong. You are renting a website. If you do sue or stop paying, the contract says you have to then pay all the instalments at once.

If you sue Cortix and they lose - doubtful - they will not have to pay as your website is free!

I saw a lawyer. He told me that there is little hope of success as the contract is too well written and the possible legal costs of 3000€ to 4000€ are not worth the gamble. I saw him twice and he sent me a bill for 500€.

They sub-contract the site to a company in Tunisia. There are many spelling mistakes and unforgivable errors. It has taken me 1 year to get the site correct. They promise a sort of SEO in the brochure which they send later. This of course is NOT part of the contract so suing is not possible when they do no SEO. Because I got fed up with asking them to do the corrections, I eventually rewrote everything. (I’m a quick learner) They used my html pages and even then screwed up.

And what of referencing, they have told a few directories and posted the site to a few search engines. They have fulfilled the contract. Google probably picked it up anyway so it’s hard to say what they have done. In one year I have had 14 contacts from the site and everyone is a spammer selling me Viagra.

There are hundreds of posts on the internet complaining about Cortix. I have only seen a couple where the target has not signed.

Fortunately I can afford this but amongst the others there are many who cannot and have been ruined. Business closed etc.

They do not allow access to their server; no FTP no Cpanel; nothing in the contract either way; I own the domain; they have control.

I can and have downloaded the site (using WinHTTrack). Rewrote it, did some SEO and they then used mine instead. It took 8 months to get them to do the changes and another 4 months to correct the corrections.

The contract says the site is theirs but anyway I could now write a site as good as if not better than them.

So if you have read this, apart from blogging, all I ask now is for someone to tell me how to hit back.

Thanks to you all for taking an interest and do try to warn others of this.


If you do not believe what I've written is true please Google "Cortix" or "Cortix scam". Most is in French but you will see the complaints and investigations.

Henry