Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Another Delicious Design Studio Victim
I'm so sorry that others are dealing with this as well but I am happy to see that I am not the only one having huge issues with Jess. I thought for a long time that I was overreacting to my situation. I see now that I was/am not. If I could rate DDS with a 0 rather than a 1, I most certainly would.First off, I'm not sure if anyone else knows about this but from what I'm told by the person who now handles the quotes, Jess is no longer affiliated with Delicious Design Studio. This new person is the one running Delicious Design Studio.My story is not unlike the others' here...a ridiculous notion of a "waiting list", horrific customer service, and frankly, shoddy workmanship. I paid in full ($175 via PayPal) for a full blog design (3 columns) in May 2008. My design was not started until mid-October and I did not receive the completed design until mid-April 2009. I too had been given every excuse in the book about why she hadn't gotten back to my emails in a timely manner and why it was taking so long for the design to be complete. When I vented about the service I was receiving from Delicious Design Studio on a public website, she was oh so quick to email me asking me to remove my comments...which I did because I was afraid that not removing them would reflect in the quality of the design and would increase the time I was waiting for the finished product.And it seems like I was right. The design looked fine upon my approval but when I was finally able to upload my old blog posts to the new design, it looked like crap - the header is not centered (still), one corner is round with the other square, the column width is too small, and my photos do not fit. I had previously brought up one of the issues with her before I finalized and she brushed me off saying that her programmer didn't think there was an issue. Upon uploading to the new design in mid-June, I emailed her my questions/issues and asked her to look into them. The reason why I decided to hire someone to design my blog was because I don't have the slightest clue when it comes to html, css, etc.After 3 weeks, still no response. I sent another email yesterday (7/16/09) to Jess as well as the new person who has taken over DDS requesting a refund because I was thoroughly dissatisfied with the level of customer service and with the design. She stated that since I approved the design and it has been installed that there are no refunds and no changes to the design. This is complete crap. The design I approved is not the design I uploaded my old blog to. I informed her that I will be filing a complaint with the BBB and will consider contacting my state's Attorney General's office...which I will definitely do now that I can see that she is a complete fraud from these other reviews. I also plan to contact my credit card company and ask them to dispute this charge since I did not get what I paid for and the service was not provided in a timely manner. To others who have had issues with her, I encourage you to file a complaint with BBB.PS - The Better Business Bureau (BBB) has given DDS a rating of F. Doesn't surprise me at all.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Delicious Design Studio - Victim #3
Another Delicious Design Fatality - This is BEYOND HEINOUS - it's downright DISHONEST the way Jess is taking people's money with either NO commitment for when they will get anything from her - or she IS saying she will provide something by a date that comes and goes with NO explanation or apology - or re-commitment to complete the work. PATHETIC - JESS, YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELF AND THE WAY YOU ARE TREATING ALL OF THE TRUSTING WOMEN WHO HAVE GIVEN THEIR HARD-EARNED MONEY TO to get NOTHING in exchange from YOU.
Case In Point #2
Marci H.'s Feedback
Danville, IN - May 11, 2009
Holy crap! I am another Delicious Designs victim!!!! :) How many emails did it take to get your money back? I'm going on 1,000+...or so it feels like. Ridiculous, unprofessional...I could go on. Jess, keeps telling me how unfair I am being...I've lost thousands of dollars worth of orders. I am confused. How is it unfair to ask for my money back when I paid for a 2 week rush project on March 6th and it is now May 11th?? I finally told her that she is being served court papers tomorrow morning if I don't received the amount in full by tonight. DRAMA!!!!!!
Case In Point #2
Marci H.'s Feedback
Danville, IN - May 11, 2009
Holy crap! I am another Delicious Designs victim!!!! :) How many emails did it take to get your money back? I'm going on 1,000+...or so it feels like. Ridiculous, unprofessional...I could go on. Jess, keeps telling me how unfair I am being...I've lost thousands of dollars worth of orders. I am confused. How is it unfair to ask for my money back when I paid for a 2 week rush project on March 6th and it is now May 11th?? I finally told her that she is being served court papers tomorrow morning if I don't received the amount in full by tonight. DRAMA!!!!!!
More Casualties to Delicious Design Studio - Web Design Rip Off Charades
Well I have had two more victims reach out to me this week about their UNFORTUNATE financial and customer experience with Delicious Design Studio and their hip cool web design projects. I actually don't think ANYONE has received ANY MONEY back from Jess at Delicious Design Studio. She may just be saving it up for the court fees she is about to rack up if she doesn't return the money fast. All of us are getting together to pursue damages if our moneys are not returned to us pronto.
Case In Point #1
Christy "sogroovynow" W.'s Feedback
May 12, 2009
http://www.yelp.com/user_details?userid=fmvTH1Z4YIMpY2_RDZ4GpQ
I'm in the same boat as most everyone else here except the lucky two who received a refund. It is exactly as Jennifer C. described; you pay your money not realizing that you are basically agreeing to let her take AS LONG AS SHE LIKES to complete your design! At first glance, you do feel like you will receive a mock up in 6-12 weeks but that ain't happening. I paid in January and was on a list to be completed in February; she has since changed her waiting list to general times (Spring, Summer, Fall) rather than specific months. I am listed as "summer." I started out asking nicely for a refund, she doesn't want to give it, she tells you that you agreed to give her an indefinite amount of time to finish...I finally was promised a mock up by this past Saturday, which she and I both knew she wasn't going to do, and I did not get. I am very unhappy and this was no small amount of change that I could use now! Someone who has designed for me in the past took time off and is back now, and I wish I had been patient. And it doesn't help that this designer has a Twitter account whereby we are given details of what she is doing which is NOT working on that huge waiting list she has! Her tweets clearly indicate LuRae is correct - she treats her business like a hobby.
Case In Point #1
Christy "sogroovynow" W.'s Feedback
May 12, 2009
http://www.yelp.com/user_details?userid=fmvTH1Z4YIMpY2_RDZ4GpQ
I'm in the same boat as most everyone else here except the lucky two who received a refund. It is exactly as Jennifer C. described; you pay your money not realizing that you are basically agreeing to let her take AS LONG AS SHE LIKES to complete your design! At first glance, you do feel like you will receive a mock up in 6-12 weeks but that ain't happening. I paid in January and was on a list to be completed in February; she has since changed her waiting list to general times (Spring, Summer, Fall) rather than specific months. I am listed as "summer." I started out asking nicely for a refund, she doesn't want to give it, she tells you that you agreed to give her an indefinite amount of time to finish...I finally was promised a mock up by this past Saturday, which she and I both knew she wasn't going to do, and I did not get. I am very unhappy and this was no small amount of change that I could use now! Someone who has designed for me in the past took time off and is back now, and I wish I had been patient. And it doesn't help that this designer has a Twitter account whereby we are given details of what she is doing which is NOT working on that huge waiting list she has! Her tweets clearly indicate LuRae is correct - she treats her business like a hobby.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Delicious Design Studio - DON'T
I as a trusting soul - went with my daughter's suggestion to contact Delicious Design Studios for a site she and I were HOPING and PLANNING to have up and running by spring at the LATEST. Well - with Delicious Design Studios - that was WISHFUL thinking. In good faith - I submitted a very detailed request for proposal through the Delicious Design Studios website - and magically within hours had a quote back for $1,125 - which how amazing is that - when I said my budget top-side was $1,200????
Aaannnyywaaay - Jess messages back with her Paypal request for the 50% deposit of $562.50 to 'get into the schedule' for spring and summer as the Delicious Design Studios schedule is filling up - I BET IT IS - with other trusting souls who send money for Delicious Design Studio hip and cool designs - which they are if you can get one out of her. I proceed to pay Jess immediately that night - putting my faith out into the universe that this is a legitimate and trustworthy design site to get involved with. NOT
Over four months later - and TONS of emails with MAYBE 3 emails back - which were ONLY in response to my ongoing request for a timeline, update, status check, etc. etc. ad nauseam - we STILL have NO design. After much consternation - I was able to get an April 14 delivery date for mockups. That date has obviously come and gone.
So - I have now requested a refund of my deposit - we'll see how THAT goes. So, my advice to you - as a professional marketer who has been doing this for over 25 years - go with your gut. I WANTED to get references before shelling out over $500 bucks to this 25-year old who runs her business like a hobby vs. a real business, and didn't against my 18-year old's comments about me not being trusting enough. Weeeellllllll - guess who also learned a lesson in this unfortunate situation - my 18-year old who thought Delicious Design Studios did 'such cool designs' - yeah, they would be cute if they could deliver.
I just don't want others to rely on her for any serious business related requests, because I GUARANTEE you will be unnecessarily disappointed and feel RIPPED OFF.
Aaannnyywaaay - Jess messages back with her Paypal request for the 50% deposit of $562.50 to 'get into the schedule' for spring and summer as the Delicious Design Studios schedule is filling up - I BET IT IS - with other trusting souls who send money for Delicious Design Studio hip and cool designs - which they are if you can get one out of her. I proceed to pay Jess immediately that night - putting my faith out into the universe that this is a legitimate and trustworthy design site to get involved with. NOT
Over four months later - and TONS of emails with MAYBE 3 emails back - which were ONLY in response to my ongoing request for a timeline, update, status check, etc. etc. ad nauseam - we STILL have NO design. After much consternation - I was able to get an April 14 delivery date for mockups. That date has obviously come and gone.
So - I have now requested a refund of my deposit - we'll see how THAT goes. So, my advice to you - as a professional marketer who has been doing this for over 25 years - go with your gut. I WANTED to get references before shelling out over $500 bucks to this 25-year old who runs her business like a hobby vs. a real business, and didn't against my 18-year old's comments about me not being trusting enough. Weeeellllllll - guess who also learned a lesson in this unfortunate situation - my 18-year old who thought Delicious Design Studios did 'such cool designs' - yeah, they would be cute if they could deliver.
I just don't want others to rely on her for any serious business related requests, because I GUARANTEE you will be unnecessarily disappointed and feel RIPPED OFF.
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