Google ad agency rip-off: The agency's invoice is way higher than actual spend, how can I verify this?

Unfortunately, this is the most common shady trick in the industry. Never work with agencies that run spend through their own dashboard without giving you access. A transparent agency always charges the ad spend directly to the client's own card and only invoices their management fee.

There are VAT and withholding tax requirements for Google ad spend under Turkish regulations, but these are line items broken down right on the Google invoice. The only valid document they should be providing you is the official PDF downloaded from the Billing and Payments section of the dashboard. The number on that document and the invoice must match to the penny.

We went through a similar thing last year. They were billing us 75.000 TL a month; when we parted ways and reclaimed the panel, we saw the actual spend was only 48.000 TL. They had pulled an extra 81.000 TL in three months. We went through mediation with a lawyer, and they refunded the money before it even went to court.

Take these three steps right away: 1) Demand the official tax invoice issued by Google from the agency. 2) Request admin or at least read-only access to the ad dashboard. 3) Freeze the budget transfer for next month until these documents are submitted in writing.

refusing to give account access wtf you're literally paying them to screw you over. the ad account belongs to the business not the agency. if you cut ties with them tomorrow all your historical data goes down the drain stop payment immediately and demand an account transfer.

How exactly are the spending and billing terms defined in your contract? Some agencies sneak in clauses like "a management fee of X percent will be deducted from the ad budget." Have you checked if there is an extra percentage clause aside from the 12.000 TL?

Agencies usually try to explain away the difference by claiming they use corporate account discounts or credit lines. If there is no explicit clause stating "actual spend will be billed at cost" in the contract, it can get tricky to claim your rights in court, read the text carefully.

As an agent in a commercial relationship, the agency is obligated to substantiate expenses with verified documentation. For undocumented amounts, I advise disputing the invoice through a notary public within the statutory eight-day period, as per the Turkish Commercial Code.

Let me summarize what's been said so far. Just because everyone does it doesn't mean it's right.

Good luck with that.

The opposite happened to me, that's why I'm writing. If scope grows, either time or budget must grow. There is no third option.

When making decisions, write down the worst-case scenario too, not just the best.

I completely agree. Most time waste accumulates in tasks waiting for approval.

Good luck with that.

Let me summarize the topic since several different answers were given. Ask who prepared the quote and who will actually do the work.

If code ownership isn't in the contract, you have no bargaining power when leaving. This is my opinion, I'm not claiming it's absolute truth.

Dont miss this: In legacy systems, the most expensive thing is unknown dependencies.

The answer varies greatly by industry; there is no one-size-fits-all rule.

I'll try it.

I agree, and I'd like to emphasize that. Hasty decisions become decisions you have to fix six months later.

Correct me if I'm wrong.

I agree with this. When making decisions, write down the worst-case scenario too, not just the best.

Of course, it varies if your situation is different.

Exactly like that. Taking notes for two weeks yields better results than a six-month estimate.

the answer above hits the nail on the head but start with a small trial; dont commit to everything at once.

payment schedules should be tied to project phases not calendar dates. i mean proven by experience.