Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/03/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  In January 2023, I made a payment of $600. In February of the same year, I hired Max ******* to work on my website, *******************. He assured me that the project would be completed within three months. However, as of October 30, 2023, the website remains incomplete. I've made numerous attempts to contact Max ******* through various support channels, such as calls and texts, but have received no response. The website is plagued with technical issues, including glitches and page loading problems, which I previously reported. On October 13, 2023, I requested Max ******* to migrate the domain back to its original hosting site, *******, but he failed to respond. To recap, the transaction began in January 2023 when I paid $600 for Max *******'s services. In February 2023, Max ******* commenced work on *******************. Despite his initial assurances, he did not deliver the website as promised. Over the months, I made multiple attempts to reach out to him, but my inquiries went unanswered. In July 2023, Max ******* claimed the website was complete to his knowledge and insisted that I pay the remaining balance of 458.94 on August 17, 2023 for the project. He also required payment for hosting services since the website was hosted on ***** ***** ******* platform. The core of the dispute is my urgent need to move my domain back to its original platform, *******. ***** ***** ***** has made no effort to resolve this issue, and I have supporting receipts and documentation.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/09/2023

  Max *******
  CEO
  ***** ***** *****
  2530 N. Calvert Street
  Baltimore, MD 21218
  [email protected]
  ###-###-####
  
  November 8, 2023
  
  Better Business Bureau
  
  Re: Rebuttal to Complaint - Case ID: 20817018
  
  Dear Better Business Bureau,
  
  I am writing on behalf of ***** ***** ***** to provide a comprehensive response to the complaint filed by Mrs. ********* ******* against our company, specifically Max *******. We appreciate the opportunity to address the concerns raised and provide an accurate account of the events surrounding the web development project for *******************.
  
  1. Initial Interaction and Domain Acquisition:
  Mrs. ******* approached ***** ***** ***** at the end of 2022 to have a website created. When we quoted her an amount under $1,000 she replied that she didn't have any money and would need a payment plan which we agreed to try to work with her but she never came up with any money. On or around January 5 or 6, 2023, she called back again stating that she wanted us to work on her website but could not access the domain because a web designer she previously hired had let it expire and that she was taking him to court. 
  
  We helped Mrs. ******* to secure the domain ******************* and began hosting it on our server on January 6, 2023, She seemed to be unaware that it's important to note that maintaining a domain name is typically not the responsibility of the web designer it is the responsibility of the person who wants to secure and use the domain for their business.
  
  2. Project Proposal and Deposit Payment:
  We presented a detailed proposal on January 16, 2023, outlining the scope of work and associated costs amounting to $1058.94. A deposit of $600 was paid by Mrs. ******* on January 17, 2023.
  
  3. Project Progress and Client Communication:
  The project experienced delays due to Mrs. *******'s uncertainty in articulating the desired functionality and her failure to provide any content for the website. During the time we worked on her website we were never provided with any content to build the website with. We relied on some content from her former website. She never provided drawings, mock-ups or anything tangible to build a sophisticated review website.
  
  The clients expectations were unreasonable I am including a screenshot showing that a review site similar to **** would cost between $40k-$66k and would take 12 to 24 months We built a review site for her $1058 and in less than 6 months. Despite our efforts to accommodate her requests, unrealistic expectations regarding time and cost persisted. Especially in the absence of any content received by her.
  
  4. Website Completion and Payment:
  We completed the website by the end of July 2023, and the remaining balance of $458.94 was paid by Mrs. ******* on August 17, 2023.
  
  5. Hosting Fee Suspension:
  The client has only paid three months of hosting from January to November 2023. In order to get the first payment The website's hosting was suspended at the cPanel level on August 17, 2023, due to non-payment of hosting fees. At that point Mrs. ******* paid her first month of hosting after complaining she had problems figuring out how to make a simple payment.
  
  6. Missed Video Call and After-Hours Contact:
  A video call was scheduled on September 6, 2023, to review the website functions; however, Mrs. ******* did not attend. I am including a screenshot of the missed video call that was scheduled on Teams along with the meeting notes that was sent to the client via our client support portal. Additionally, Mrs. ******* frequently called the office after hours, expecting immediate assistance.
  
  4. Unreasonable Expectations and Cost Comparison:
  Mrs. *******'s expectations were deemed unreasonable, as evidenced by a screenshot comparing the cost and timeline of building a review site similar to ****. Our team delivered a functional review site for her at the agreed-upon cost in less than six months.
  
  The website is currently still being hosted on our website and is functioning properly she has the responsibility to obtain and add her clients to the website as that is not the responsibility of the web designer.
  
  We have gone above and beyond the scope of this project with what we were paid, and the lack of any tangible content, ideas, drawings or anything provided to us by Mrs. ******* for that matter and firmly believe a refund is definitely not warranted in this situation. 
  
  We have unlocked the domain on our server so that it can be transferred by Mrs. *******. It is not our responsibility to transfer the domain to another courier for her. I'm not sure she fully understands how all of this works which can lead to unrealistic expectations. We are now the second, that I know of, web designer that she is claiming difficulty with, She may have to start looking at the pattern that exists.
  
  We believe that the above details provide a more accurate representation of the situation. We are committed to resolving any outstanding issues and ensuring our clients' satisfaction. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you require further information or clarification.
  
  Thank you for your attention to this matter.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Max *******
  CEO
  ***** ***** *****

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/14/2023

  To whom it may concern,
  
  
  I've made multiple attempts to contact Max ******* through ***** ***** ******* customer portal and by phone, without receiving a response. Despite my efforts, Max has not cooperated with my request to migrate my website back to *******. I've expressed dissatisfaction with the service provided by ***** ***** ***** and its current hosting site, along with the overcharging that renders the website unusable. Given Max's knowledge that the website requires an authorization code for porting, I had no alternative but to involve the Better Business Bureau. I seek resolution to return my website to its original platform, *******, for which I've paid in full.
  
  
  Enclosed is the court document I've submitted to Max, requesting either the migration of the website or a refund.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/17/2023

  Dear Mrs. *******,
  I trust this email finds you well. We would like to inform you that the development of the ******************* website has been released as per your request. As of November 17, 2023, we are contacting you again to let you know the website www.******************* is ready for you to transfer to any website hosting company that you wish, and we have attached to this email the website files for your records. If you haven't already please cancel any recurring hosting fees that will be paid to us in future months.
  To facilitate a smooth transition, we are releasing the website files to you. However, it is important to note that the responsibility for moving the website to the carrier of your choice rests with you. We will provide you with the files that we created, but we cannot be held responsible for the uploading process.
  Please be advised that we will be permanently removing the website files from our server within the next 7 days from the date of this notice. It is crucial that you make arrangements to secure the files promptly to avoid any disruption to your online presence.
  If you have a preferred method for receiving the files please let us know, and we will do our best to accommodate your needs.
  We appreciate your understanding in this matter, and we are committed to providing any necessary support during this transition. If you have any questions or require further clarification, feel free to reach out to us.
  Thank you for choosing ***** ***** ***** for your web development needs. We wish you continued success with *******************.
  Best regards,
  Max *******
  
  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/17/2023

  Here is a copy of the reply via our client portal providing the authorization code to release the website:
  

  Hi **********

  Here is your authorization code
  
  Your Authorization Code is: ****************
  For Domain: *******************

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/20/2023

  
  Complaint: 20817018
  
  I am rejecting this response because: At the moment, I'm reviewing the status of the portal migration and will respond accordingly.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ********* *******

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/01/2023

  I've paid for the content they created, yet it's not currently visible on the site.

  I reached out to *******, and they mentioned that to proceed with the migration of *******************, ***** ***** ***** needs to provide the username and password for the hosting platform they used to build the site.

  Could you please confirm which hosting platform ***** ***** ***** used and provide the necessary login credentials for successful migration?

  Business Response

  Date: 12/05/2023

  Response to BBB Complaint #20817018 - ******************* Migration
  
  Dear Mrs. *******,
  I would like to address your concerns regarding the visibility of the content on ******************* and the migration process to a different hosting platform.
  
  Firstly, I want to assure you that we are committed to facilitating a smooth transition for the website files. On November 17, 2023, we emailed you the website content, consisting of a zip file containing all the necessary files, along with the SQL database for the website. Please check your email for the attachment, and let us know if you encounter any issues accessing the files.
  
  To provide clarity on the migration process, I would like to confirm that the hosting platform we used for your website is not a factor in the successful migration to a different server. The files we have provided are independent of the hosting platform and are designed to be compatible with various hosting environments. Therefore, the username and password for the hosting platform on our server are not required for the migration process.
  
  I understand that you have reached out to *******, and they have requested login credentials for the hosting platform. Please note that the credentials for our server are not necessary for migrating the website to a different hosting service. If ******* has any specific requirements or questions, I recommend contacting their support for guidance on the migration process.
  
  We are committed to assisting you with any questions or concerns you may have during this transition. However, providing credentials to our server, which is not directly involved in the migration process, would pose a security risk, and we cannot risk any liability for files on another entity's server.
  
  We appreciate your understanding and cooperation in this matter.
  
  Attached to this email is a screenshot evidencing the attachment of the zip file containing the website content and SQL database.
  
  Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.
  
  Best regards,
  Max ******* CEO,
  ***** ***** *****

  Business Response

  Date: 12/05/2023

  Here is the email from Nov, 17, 2023

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/10/2023

  
  Complaint: 20817018
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  On Friday, December 9, 2023, I sought advice from my business mentor regarding the situation with ***** ***** ***** and the migration of my domain to *******. He advised me to notify the BBB about this circumstance and mentioned that the contents within the attached zip file and html file should facilitate the website's restoration.

   Could I kindly request to keep this ticket open? 

  This would allow ******* sufficient time to integrate the content onto the new hosting site, ensuring that nothing from the zip file or html file is missing and preventing any issues with the website's restoration. 

  
  Sincerely,
  
  ********* *******