Firstlead GmbH / ADCELL

I wouldn't recommend this to anyone. I had a very negative experience; in my opinion, decisions were made too hastily and the reasoning behind them lacked transparency. Anyone working here should really understand the terms of the contract in detail, otherwise it can quickly get expensive.

We were active with our online shop on Adcell for over two years. The prepaid approach initially won us over; the setup and onboarding were fine, but the quality of the business partners varies wildly, and only a handful are truly worthwhile. We spent over 2,500 EUR on the Adcell Budget. For onboarding and initial contact, you’ll receive video calls, etc. But when the tide turns and they want to get rid of you, your contacts at the lowest level are naturally gone—always rely only on what’s written and signed; this is all about squeezing every last drop out of you. When we decided to remove unprofitable discount codes from the program, conversions via Adcell effectively plummeted, though they were already low to begin with. Due to the one-sided contract—under no circumstances should you sign it in this form; remove the damages clause or base it on actual revenue generated—Adcell had the option to terminate the partnership. Furthermore, insist on the removal of penalty clauses from the contract; Adcell can unilaterally claim that tracking has failed, even though you operate with maximum transparency and provide full access. Due to the contract’s wording, it was actually possible for Adcell to claim without proof that tracking had failed; no proof was ever provided to us, only a brief text stating exactly that. We escalated the case to court; unfortunately, both Adcell and their hired lawyers failed to mention our mid-three-figure credit balance with Adcell—incredibly brazen! The one-sided nature of the contract and Adcell’s claim that they alone are responsible for successful tracking are really working against you here! There are plenty of reputable providers with contracts that treat partners as equals; you’re cold-heartedly exploiting the low barrier to entry and the resulting attraction of smaller “partners.” Take these negative experiences seriously—we’re not the only ones this has happened to. Note to Google: Firstlead is apparently having reviews deleted; on other platforms, this isn’t so easily done. I’m happy to provide documentation for everything at any time.

You need to pay close attention to whether you’re actually acquiring new customers through the platform or whether you’re ultimately just paying commissions for existing regular customers. For us, the ratio of new to existing customers wasn’t sufficient. In addition, you shouldn’t underestimate the 12-month commitment or the technical effort involved in integration.

Hands off, nothing but effort and costs. For months, Adcell brought us hardly any sales, hardly any new customers, and no useful advertising. Instead, the "traffic" consisted almost exclusively of discount sites/coupon codes. The result: 80% regular customers, only 20% new customers, but commissions had to be paid for all of them. It seems as if the main goal is to set cookies in order to earn cheap commissions, not to acquire real new customers. On top of that, there is a 12-month commitment, with termination only possible after 9 months, before that, attempts to terminate are not even responded to. High technical effort and, in the end, you pay commissions for customers who would have bought anyway. Conclusion: Not recommended.