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.
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add another victim - me. You're right. Jess is absolutely horrendous to work with. I paid back in February and still haven't received a mockup. But I've received plenty of excuses. I went ahead & had someone else design my blog, a terrific designer, but wasted my deposit of $112.50. What a rip-off! Definitely not a "delicious design" experience.
ReplyDeleteJust discovered this blog when looking for a way to contect Jess. I paid a deposit for her business identity package last November and to this day have absolutely NOTHING from her, not even a mockup! Countless emails, excuses, and almost a year later....she STILL hasn't produced anything or even made an attempt to contact me. I feel so screwed and am wondering just how to get my full deposit back from her.
ReplyDeleteWhen I first searched for a designer to create a logo for my business I was attracted to her designs, and, being that this was for a cupcake company, i felt her love of "all things cupcake" would be a bonus. This started in March 08. The first communication was great--she wasted no time in sending an invoice and, given that I had communicated to her the narrow time frame in which to submit the logo so I can create stationery, she put me in on her schedule and even sent me a few mock ups that very night. After telling her everything we liked and didn't like she (eventually) proceeded to submit unacceptable designs. I had given her so much feedback at this point in hope of her finishing on time that I ended up creating the logo myself. I sent her exactly what I wanted and just told her to copy it and convert it to the proper format/size. Even that she screwed up.
ReplyDeleteWhat Jess did was work a few hours a night; blog on her personal blog, the all things cupcake blog, and the dds site; revamped her own blog designs on a weekly basis instead of working on orders; posting on twitter; shopping and furnishing her house with the money she stole from people; and I guess she googled herself and dds and posted defensive replies to unhappy customers' comments. It is this type of crook/thief/liar that gives respectable designers a bad name. She ripped off many, many people and then had the audacity to go around and get defensive when unhappy customers posted warnings to others.
So, yes...I paid $175 for frustration, unnecessary stress and to basically create my own logo. Thanks to Jess, my business was in the red even before we incorporated!
Jessica had created a new business called Web Design Gal, about a month and a half ago. She will deny it until she is blue in the face but be warned, this is Jessica of the Delicious Design fame. How do I know? The old homepage to WebDesignGal.com had the exact same background as a mock up she sent me, a design she created for a family member also had the exact same style as another mock up she sent me. The site YummyTattoos.com was designed by WebDesignGal and if you check the fan page on Facebook, guess who is a fan??? Jessica, who is now using the name Sanderson instead of Bailey I guess to throw off all the ladies she ripped off. She has redirected the page (you smart cookie, you!) to a another site called DesignherGals or something totally unrelated.
ReplyDeletePlease, please post this as an entry, I want as many people to know as possible. Beware of WebDesignGal. Do me a favor...go look at other designer's pages. You know what they all give you? A full name, address, and contact number. Jessica has never, ever done that. Why? Because she wants you to have no way to reach her.
She may be laughing because she has deleted WDG's Twitter and redirected her site, but she is doing nothing more but laying low.
Google the name and look at the cached page and tell me it doesn't reek of her fake sweetness.
http://209.85.135.132/search?q=cache:IAmJQpSbb1YJ:www.webdesigngal.com/2009/09/portfolio.html+site:webdesigngal.com+webdesigngal.com&cd=3&hl=en&ct=clnk
Jess, all I can say is you messed with the wrong girl this time. I will not back down from you and I am absolutely NOT afraid of you.
More proof that webdesigngal.com was owned and operated by Jess, formerly of Delicious Design Studio: http://www.myeverafterbridal.com/ This is her sister's bridal shop's website, designed by none other than Web Design Gal.
ReplyDeleteAlso, if you do a little searching, you will eventually find a RT of Jess' (aka tattooedmama) tweet regarding the give away she was hosting under her new design company's name, Web Design Gal. https://twitter.com/l13d/status/4504989888 Coincidence?
Exactly.
ReplyDeleteI had emailed her and asked point blank if this was in fact her business. She said "No" and that she didn't have time for anything that what's on her plate now. Then, POOF! all things Web Design Gal are gone. Coincidence?
I wish I would have stepped forward several weeks ago, but I had to make certain it was her.
She was convincing with denying that she was WDG. But I will say that when I asked her, I got about 15 emails from her in 3 days asking me "What are you talking about?!?" Ladies, you KNOW that's uncanny of Jessica to actually send you a real, live email and not an auto reply.
One more thing:
ReplyDeleteWebDesignGal.com posted an ad in the Sarasota Craigslist. Just Google WebDesignGal, Sarasota, Craigslist. The link is there but the ad is gone.
Jessica, WHY would a Canadian company only market to Sarasota??
Oh....because WDG is in Florida. Silly me.
Further proof is if you have a look at the cached portfolio page for Webdesigngal.com you will see the last screenshot is of the Sugar and Spice event design. You will also find this screenshot noted on the portfolio for Delicious Design Studio, which was added prior to Jess selling Delicious Design Studio. You can take a short cut to view this by just using the direct link here: http://deliciousdesignstudio.com/wp-content/gallery/wordpress/mockup2.png
ReplyDeleteAnd if you look hard enough, you will see she has started yet another design site: blogsneedlove.com - cached here; http://74.125.47.132/search?q=cache:B8Z9kPZBPNoJ:blogsneedlove.com/+blogsneedlove.com&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=firefox-a
Or perhaps the blogsneedlove.com was prior to webdesigngal.com, I'm not sure.
ReplyDeleteDamn...
ReplyDeleteA more apt name for this site would be "Jess Needs Money".
I wonder if Jess completed any designs between Jan til now. And I mean designs that were 100% what the customer wanted, and designs that customers didn't have to harrass her for. The mock ups that she sent to me were very bland and not what I had mentioned in the initial "inspiration only" section of the form when I requested a quote. I know there is another lady out there that bought a design that wasn't exactly what she wanted. Remember that crazy waitlist? There were alot of people on there.
ReplyDeleteJess has said that she is going to finish up her designs by the end of this year, but then she is going to "retire". I don't think a truthful word has ever come out of her mouth. She told me she would refund me my money, that she needed my address so she could mail me a check. Jessica, you don't strike me as the kind of person that would write a check that wouldn't bounce. And why wouldn't she use PayPal? Did they ban her because of the complaints about her "business practices"? Anybody wanna take a stab at whether I've gotten my check or not?? Nope, I guess Jessica and her family is everyone's charity case.
Carla, my question to you is, how did you figure out Blogs Need Love was Jess'?
Include me in the ever-growing list of unsatisfied customers. Here's my story:
ReplyDeleteI contacted Jessica in March about a 3-column, 2-author blog I was starting with a friend. I included every little thing I wanted, including custom pages, plugins, logo, color palette, and more. I was very thorough in my initial correspondence with her, from the platform I wanted to use right down to the fonts I liked. She was quick to respond with a quote ($550) and an estimate of when I could expect to hear back from her for inspiration, when I would receive mock-ups, and when I could expect the finished product. Since I was in no rush--our estimated start date was Jan 1st, 2010--I was okay with being on a waiting list.
After a month, I checked the waiting list. There were still several people above my name. So I waited.
Another month went by, but this time when I checked the waiting list, I got a 404 error. I thought perhaps she was redesigning the site. Two weeks later, I still couldn't get in.
Then I noticed the site had changed hands. She was no longer associated with Delicious Design Studio, and I started to feel kind of weird about it. As a former small business owner, I understand that sometimes larger businesses make offers that are too juicy to refuse. But to not let the clients you're already working with know what's going on? That's bad business.
I emailed Jess to ask what was going on--would my design be taken care of by this new person, or by her? Was the time estimate still the same, or would there be a longer wait? As with everyone else, I got no response.
So I posted the same question on her blog. It was either deleted or never approved--I don't know which--and not long after, her personal website went offline.
My next step was to try and dispute the charge with my bank. They were sympathetic, but couldn't do anything, since the payment was done through PayPal. They suggested I take it up with PayPal, which I did.
I sent a dispute through PayPal in August, detailing the situation and providing any pertinent information they might need. Of course, by that time, the dispute period had lapsed, and I knew I had little hope of getting my money back.
Jess responded to my dispute the next day with the following message:
I got your note this morning about your project and wanted to check up with you. Do you have the original quote email that was sent to you? Can you please forward it to me. I can work on getting your project up and running this week but somehow I was not forwarded your design details. Please resend so I can start :)
I know that sometimes emails go astray, but I find it hard to believe that all of mine did, including the inquiry, invoice, notice of payment, et cetera. I mean, my design details were in the initial inquiry, so I know she received it. How else would she have known to send a quote and invoice, right? Anyway, I emailed Jess back with the information she requested and told her if she could adhere to the agreed upon completion date of November, I would still be happy to work with her, but I wouldn't be providing any further payment until the delivery date. I haven't heard from her since.
I've tried very hard to keep in mind that this is a business relationship, and isn't fair to anyone to harbor any hatred or disdain toward her as a person. But then I see some of the attacks she makes on others who've called out her repeatedly unprofessional behavior, and I get irked all over again. I, like most everyone here, did read the terms of service before I agreed to contract her for services. However, if I had known that by agreeing to a waiting list I would be consenting for her to take my money and run, I would've saved us both a lot of trouble.
At this point, I've given up trying to get my money back from her. The most I can do now is warn any potential clients of her behavior, and hope they have better sense than I did.
Jessica,
ReplyDeleteDo you feel justified in your actions by keeping all of the deposits? I know with my situation, it was YOUR FAULT that I never got a mock up. Your family was sick, there were deaths, accidents, no internet access, ect. You would claim that you never got my email, or you would play dumb and act like you didn't know what I had meant when I asked you to change the blog title on my design. You thought I meant I was going to change my email and was waiting for me to send it to you. Right. You insult mine and everyone else's here intelligence with your BS lines. You needed my address to send a return check. Jessica, there is no way in hell you would send a letter to me because that would mean that I had your address. Remember when i was in an attorney's office and said I needed your address so that he could send you a letter? And your smart ass reply was "He can email it to me!"
I hope that when you look in the mirror you see the liar and cheat that you are. You are neither my charity case, nor anyone else who gave you money that you strung along. And yes, regardless of what you say you strung every last person along. I challenge you to send one person here who you have completed a project for within the last 10 months that is not Kendra, Conor, or anyone else previously affiliated with you, that is 100% happy with the result. One. Just one. It won't happen.
Just so everyone knows, here is what Jess has been up to:
www.acupcakeblog.com
www.yummytattoos.com
www.webdesigngal.com
www.blogsneedlove.com
www.cakeskitchen.com
www.patternsandpixels.com
www.thetattooedmama.com
Plus all the Flickr, Twitter, and Facebook accounts associated with each.
She updated pretty regularly, up until a couple of weeks ago. Maybe she's "working".
Can you all believe this girl had the AUDACITY to open a new design business (WebDesignGal) and offer a free design to a random person at the end of October? I question not only your moral compass Jessica, but also your work ethic. In all honesty, I have met junkies with more integrity than you. You lied about opening a new company because you knew as soon as one of us caught wind, everyone would know and that would mean no cupcakes for Jessica. You are not as clever and as sneaky as you think you are. You are all over the internets and your aesthetic is pretty unique, as a result your design can be spotted a mile away.
You should be embarrassed. I hope that I have struck a chord in you. I also hope that you never take money from another unsuspecting, trusting person ever again, because I hope that no one ever takes a chance by hiring you again.
Is the person responsible for this blog not checking comments? It would be really awesome if some of this stuff could be posted. You know, in a post...
Me too.. me too. It has been a year and she has yet to reimburse me. UGH... I wonder if Jess is actually still working with them and they are just covering their butts. If she does not deliver a product or a refund in a fair amount of time (mine being a year) than to me, that is fraud.
ReplyDeleteHere is the response mail I keep getting----
ReplyDeleteThank you for the e-mail!
As stated previously, I will be in and out of the office the month of
October due to personal reasons and will respond to your e-mail as
soon as possible. I truly appreciate your patience and understanding.
If this is urgent, please include that in your subject line but note
that I will have limited access to internet at the present time.
Note for design projects:
All projects that have been set to be completed this year will be
completed before December 31st, 2009. This includes finalizations and
launch.
Add another. I signed with her a year ago. I threatened to take her to court she as much said Try it. I gave up and she said she would do it. She sent me a mock up that was to say the least childish and did not even make it for my blog. She got my company website mixed up with my blog. I told her I wanted changes made. She said she would and I have not heard from her since.
ReplyDeleteAdd yet another victim.
ReplyDeleteI contacted Jess in March regarding a design for my site. She e-mailed me back within a day or two, saying how excited she was to work with me, and explaining how the whole process worked. I received another e-mail shortly thereafter, which was an invoice. Wanting to make sure I got on "the schedule" as early as possible, I went ahead and paid the invoice (via Paypal) as soon as I got it. I e-mailed her to confirm she'd received payment, which she said she had, and she told me I was on the schedule for summer. I thought that was kind of a long wait for a simple blog design, but figured she must be busy, and left it at that.
In July, I figured I'd touch base with her to see where things stood. I didn't remember her e-mail address, so I used the "Contact Us" form on the DDS website. A few hours later, I got an e-mail from Tiziano, who informed me that he was the new owner of DDS, Jess was no longer affiliated with the company, and I could contact her at her personal e-mail address, which he gave me. This is when I started to have a really bad feeling about things.
I sent my e-mail to Jess. It was a simple, quick message, just asking how things were going. She got back to me and informed me (very matter of factly, with no kind of explanation) that she was no longer with DDS, and was working solo, but it was a good thing because now she could work so much faster. She said I was on the schedule for the third week in August, and she could have my design done in about 5-7 days. I was still a little reluctant, but her e-mail was full of assurance that my design would be done.
On September 8, I still had no design, and hadn't heard anything else from her. I sent another e-mail, wanting to know what was up. She said that she'd started my design the week before Labor Day weekend, and that she would be getting it all done for me "this week and next". That was the last e-mail I've received from her.
I've contacted her numerous times since then, via e-mail, via Twitter (where she has apparently stopped following me sometime in the last week - I can no longer see her updates), and via Facebook (which apparently she is no longer active on). I've gotten no response. I've contacted Paypal to file a complaint, but their window for complaints has passed, and they told me they couldn't do anything. I contacted my bank, who told me that their timeframe, too, had passed, but the girl I spoke with said she would submit it anyway, and we'd see what would happen.
So that's where things stand now. I've filed my complaint with the bank, still haven't heard from Jess (not that I expect to) and am out over $200. I've done all manner of research trying to find out anything more I can about her (address, phone number, anything) and I've come up empty. My boyfriend actually found this site for me, and though I'm really sorry that all of you have had the same experiences I've had, I'm comforted to know that I'm not in this alone. I wonder if there's any sense in trying to file a class-action suit against her? Not sure...I realize that the money I've lost might be a drop in the bucket compared to what some of her other victims might have lost. For me, though, I'm not even sure if it's about the money anymore, so much as it's the fact that there's someone out there pulling this kind of scam, and there's little to no recourse for the victims of it. Even if I don't get my money back, it would be kind of gratifying to let the legal system teach her a lesson.
Hi All,
ReplyDeleteNot sure how much sense a class action suit would make, but how about we all get together and file complaints with the Florida DA. Her spouse's place of employment is no big secret, and I have an address for her parents in TN. NO, I will not give it to you. But, I will include it in my complaint. All you have to do is go to the site and file. The DA cannot get our money back. Ladies, it is time to let go of that. But, he can determine if a criminal investigation should be initiated. And it should. Now my question to you is, will you or won't you?
I definitely will. Like I said, it's not about the money anymore. But if we can at least show Jess that she can't do this anymore without repercussions and it this helps other people from getting scammed, I'm all for it.
ReplyDeleteI'll file my complaint in the morning, and let you know if I've got anything further to report.
I just filed my complaint with the Florida Attorney General's office. Here'a a link to the form to fill out, if anyone else is going to.
ReplyDeleteHi macgeekgirl,
ReplyDeleteCould you please post the link?
Also, Jess is blogging again at thetattooedmama.com.
Sorry, BC!
ReplyDeleteI tried to copy and paste the link in, and didn't notice that it didn't work. Anyway, here it is:
http://myfloridalegal.com/Contact.nsf/Contact?OpenForm&Section=Economic_Crimes
I did notice that she's posting again, and I noticed that she has a lot to "catch up on" before the New Year. I'm willing to bet she has no plans to "catch up" on getting our money back to us. *shakes head*
In defense of Delicious Design and also Jessica. Yes I may be a family member but I also wanted to point out the fact that a lot of these accusations on this blog are assumptions and some of these comments are defined as defamation and slander, not to mention the person speaking about her family and their personal information... for that is illegal if any information is passed around.
ReplyDeleteA few things to point out that might be of some importance: Jessica recently got married, which I can safely say would mean that she did not change her name to hide.
Jessica is not running a cupcake blog or yummy tattoos, it is actually family members and friends who are running these blogs. Jessica does not have time to handle anything besides finalizing projects. She is not working in web design or a part of any online avenue or community. Any pages set up through yelp or other places claiming to be Jessica or a business run by Jessica are SIMPLY NOT TRUE.
Delicious Design Studio is now run by a professional company who can handle a large volume of projects and commitments whereas Jessica had a hard time running given her situations.
She had always stated on her website that she was a stay at home mom and had a very "lengthy" waiting list and if I remember correctly, it stated something about "please do not sign up unless you are 100% willing to wait". I'm not sure the exact words but I do know that every client she had would have had to check a box that says they agreed to these terms which related to the waiting list, the no-refund policy and the fact that it does take time for her to complete projects. I do not have the terms in front of me so I'm not exactly sure what all it said but I do know that it was no secret that she did this design business as part time. Nothing was done in the name of fraud. Every single aspect of the agreement was legal and this includes the waiting list, the no refund policy and all that was involved.
Please keep in mind that there is currently a legal team looking into these comments and the IP addresses behind them in regards to any comments made that mention any personal information being displayed without the subject's consent or any addresses being given out without the consent of the subject.
FYI- It's not defamation or slander if it's true.
ReplyDeleteAlso, no one has given out Jessica's personal information because no one knows it. Generally, when you own a business you would provide that type of info. She didn't. Doing some research and coming up with a potential contact address to provide to the Florida DA is not illegal.
Just sayin'.
Not everything stated on this blog is true, most of it is opinion and a lot of comments include false accusations therefor it is defamation.
ReplyDeleteGenerally speaking, defamation is the issuance of a false statement about another person, which causes that person to suffer harm. Slander involves the making of defamatory statements by a transitory (non-fixed) representation, usually an oral (spoken) representation. Libel involves the making of defamatory statements in a printed or fixed medium, such as a magazine or newspaper.
In the context of defamation law, a statement is "published" when it is made to the third party. That term does not mean that the statement has to be in print.
Damages are typically to the reputation of the plaintiff, but depending upon the laws of the jurisdiction it may be enough to establish mental anguish.
Most jurisdictions also recognize "per se" defamation, where the allegations are presumed to cause damage to the plaintiff. Typically, the following may consititute defamation per se:
* Attacks on a person's professional character or standing;
* Allegations that an unmarried person is unchaste;
* Allegations that a person is infected with a sexually transmitted disease;
* Allegations that the person has committed a crime of moral turpitude;
While actions for defamation have their roots in common law, most jurisdictions have now enacted statutes which modify the common law. They may change the elements of the cause of action, limit when an action may be filed, or modify the defenses to an action for defamation. Some may even require that the defendant be given an opportunity to apologize before the plaintiff can seek non-economic damages.
Just sayin'.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteSour,
ReplyDeleteAny untrue statements that have been made in these comments come simply from a lack of complete understanding, and are in no way intended to defame anyone. They are the product of the best interpretations of available information. Those include the ones stating that Jess is running one site or another - I'll grant you that none of us can conclusively prove whether or not she's running those site, given the very limited information that's been made available to any of us, but there is enough circumstantial evidence to suggest that it's true.
The rest of it, however, it true. When I signed up to have my site design done, I knew that I was going to have to wait a while (when someone says they'll have to put you on a schedule, that generally implies that you'll be waiting) and I was fine with that. If I wasn't, I wouldn't have signed up, or given her my money.
That said, all contracts have inherent in them, a good faith understanding that says "I am entering into this agreement with you with the understanding and belief that, if I agree to and uphold your terms, you will agree to and uphold my terms." I entered into a contact with Jess with the good faith understanding that, if I paid her X amount of money, she would produce a website design for me. The e-mails she sent me wherein she quoted a deadline (even a fairly casual one) affirmed that good faith agreement.
When one party fails to uphold the terms that they've set out (and in the cases of many of us who've commented here, also ends any and all communication with the other party(ies) involved) that is a breach of contract, and the terms of that contract are no longer valid. Therefore, because Jess told me that my design would be done by a certain time, and did not produce it (nor did she produce any of the mock-up's that were included as part of her terms of the contract) she no longer has a right to refuse a refund. She is not upholding the terms of the contract, therefore the contract itself is null and void. This is basic contract law. I am more than happy to provide to the investigating legal team the few e-mails I've received from Jess in regards to this, as well as the e-mails I've sent to her. I feel that this will illustrate my point.
As far as people talking about giving out Jess's personal information, none of us have her personal information to begin with, and I think that's a big part of the problem here. If we knew where she was or how to get in touch with her, maybe we could discuss with her personally our dissatisfaction with her lack of service, and we wouldn't be forced to get out our frustrations on a website. The only "personal" information any of us has is the name of her husband's employer (and I believe someone knows the name of her sister's employer), but this is publicly available and easily found by anyone who knows her maiden name and/or other details about herself which she made no attempt to hide.
I understand that you are looking out for Jess's best interests and don't want to see or hear her spoken of in a negative fashion. However, those of us who've commented here are sharing our displeasure about the experiences we've had with Jess's customer service (or lack thereof) and they are true. Your definition of defamation is thorough, I'll grant you that. But I can assure you that the comments posted here do not meet that definition. This is all true, therefore it protected free speech, and I believe that any legal expert would concur.
If you care to discuss this directly, please feel free to contact me. Jess has my e-mail address.
So it's just a coincidence that the credit to "Web Design Gal" was removed from www.myeverafterbridal.com? But that's not Jessica, right? Uh huh.
ReplyDeleteJessica had no problem taking the hard earned money, thousands of dollars from what it seems, but she has a problem when someone wants to speak out about it? So much so that someone from her "family" feels the need to intimidate those she's ripped off with threats of a "legal team" obtaining IPs? That's pretty sad. If Jessica spent half as much time on actual projects as she did on trying to hide all of the nasty things she's done, this site wouldn't exist.
She had all the time in the world to work on her own sites, new design after new design. But she couldn't follow through with completing projects she was under contract to complete. Completing client projects should be her priority when it comes to design, not her personal spaces - so often might I add.
The way I see it, Jessica sold her company (without letting her clients know) for what, fifty grand was it?? And she couldn't return the money to clients she KNEW she would never complete projects for? She could save herself some face if she could, at the very least, offer those people a refund. People that trusted her and paid her in good faith only to be taken advantage of and in essence, stolen from. They paid for a service they NEVER got and will likely NEVER get.
I don't know how Jessica sleeps at night.
Dana,
ReplyDeleteI'm just curious where you found out how much Jess sold DDS for? And if that figure is accurate, it makes this whole situation that much worse. If she made $50,000, then it's not like there's financial hardship keeping her from returning the money she stole from us.
This whole thing makes me sick. I wonder not only how she sleeps, but how she can, in good conscience, raise her daughter on stolen money.
http://flippa.com/auctions/66831/Popular-Established-Web-Design-Firm-PR4-Large-Client-Database--1500mo-revenue--automatic---5000mo-earnings-No-Fees
ReplyDeleteThis link had been posted on a complaint review at one point. You may have to be logged in.
Dana,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the link. You were right, had to be logged in to see it, but once I created a login, there it was, plain as day. Looks like she never had any intention of telling anyone about the sale. I wonder what this "new opportunity" was that she got...
I am not here to defame Jessica, but here is a link to a cached screenshot of My Ever After Bridal with credit to Web Design Gal just in case anyone needs it. :)
ReplyDeletehttp://i48.tinypic.com/2mxoqib.jpg
Thanks for the screenshot!
ReplyDeleteHey! Just found this site (searching for her personal blog which is still down) - really thought I was the only one!
ReplyDeleteUnlike most of you though, I was hired by her (my website is http://www.dignitydesign.co.uk) to create a blog design for her personal blog (I created this design: http://www.tigertech.net/customerlist/cache/thetattooedmama.com.jpeg), which she then proceeded to claim as her own work, delete my name off the footer of the design, use the same blog design to sell to another client of hers (I was then informed by another source that she had then sold it on to another 3 different clients), and THEN file a dispute with Paypal saying she wanted a refund. It was a horrible experience to be honest.
It's atrocious really that she got away with so much. I never dreamed that other people had the same experience though, because everyone who commented on her blogs, replied to her tweets, etc. was always super nice about her so I never mentioned my own experience!
Laura,
ReplyDeleteNope, you're not the only one to be scammed by her. I'm sorry you've had such a terrible experience dealing with Jess.
I find it interesting that you were actually hired by her, rather than the other way around - what on earth does a web designer need to hire another web designer for?? Makes me wonder how many of "her" designs were actually her work.
I'm wondering if you would have grounds to file charges against her. She sold your work as her own - doesn't that fall into the territory of copyright infringement? I'm not sure how the international aspect would play into something like that, but it might be an option worth exploring. When did you do that design for her?
^ I always thought her freebie design & the design she used on her personal blog for a little while ( http://deliciousdesignstudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/lilacssnapshot1.png ) resembled the one from Rainy Day Templates a little too closely ( http://rdtiiim.blogspot.com ). Guess which one came first ;) If you guessed Rainy Day.. that would be correct.
ReplyDeleteErika,
ReplyDeleteI see your point - the two are very similar.
I am another victim....can't believe there are more of us out there!!!!
ReplyDeleteFor what it's worth, I came across this today:
ReplyDeletehttp://who.godaddy.com/WhoIs.aspx?domain=jessicalenee.com&prog_id=go
The domain "jessicalenee.com" was listed in the footer of one of the old premades on DDS.
After months of trying to figure out what was up with my blog design, I decided to do a little Google search and see if anyone else had a complaint. I was shocked and somewhat relived to find this blog and hear about others bad experiences. After reading all the stories, I am pretty sure I will never see my blog design or my money back. My blog was suppose to be completed in Summer 2009. Well - it is Jan 2010 and still no sign of anything, not even a proof. When I contact her, I get the same auto response that everyone else gets. I am going to file a complaint with the Florida Attorney General office. I hope they are able to take action to protect others from this type of fraud.
ReplyDeleteFolks - many of us have gotten together to make today a Scam Awareness Day, as a direct response to the nightmares we've had in dealing with Jess. You all are encouraged to blog on your sites today about your experiences. When you do, please link to http://tinyurl.com/5j956z . Also, please visit http://www.macgeekgrl.com/?page_id=261 and fill out the form. We are collecting stories and information for a possible lawsuit against Jess and we need as much info as we can get.
ReplyDeleteThank you!!!
Hey girls, I've managed to track her down, here is her address:
ReplyDeleteJessica Sanderson
2628 Huntington Ave
Sarasota, FL 34232
Um, wait...what? Jess is now posting her own address on here? I'm confused...
ReplyDeleteSo sad you all are going through this! Wont paypal refund your $$?
ReplyDeleteIn an effort to make resolution with any displeased clients of Jessica Bailey, I would like to open forum for conclusion on this matter with any former clients that feel their situation unresolved.
ReplyDeleteFirst and foremost, I apologize to anyone that was trying to get a hold of me at the mamabearjess@gmail address, as it was compromised (still looking into this legally) and I have a new address created to address any complaints or feelings of an unresolved situation pertaining to my involvement in my former design business. Although it seems timely and convenient for me, it is anything but, and I would like to extend my new email address as the first step towards evaluating concerns, complaints and resolving issues associated with my name.
To those who feel left out, ignored or victimized, this was never my intention, and to anyone that feels swept under the rug or taken advantage of, I am wishing to try to come to a mutual agreement and resolution quickly and fairly upon evaluation of your individual complaint. This email being compromised was an unfortunate event that led to many emails going unnoticed and misplaced and for that I apologize. What my intentions are, are not only to clear my name, but to come to peace with people that feel that they were done wrong. Unfortunately all concerns may not be met to expectations, and every complaint will be evaluated fairly, and cross referenced with my records and the legally binding contract each patron agreed to when signing up.
Every situation is unique to the client, and not everyone will be able to walk away feeling like the resolution was what they had in mind. However, in lieu of agreed upon contracts, I am willing to listen to complaints and hopefully come to a mutually acceptable agreement that might even surpass your expectations.
Unfortunately I have been painted as something I am not, and many of you feel I painted myself into that corner myself, for that, I again, apologize. Not all clients were able to financially continue with projects, agree upon minor details and some just became disenchanted with the entire process after the fact. Deposits were in place to hold a spot in the design que, pay for any preparation and thought, and to ensure the seriousness of a client. Deciding a month later that they no longer wanted to wait on the waiting list is not grounds for a refund any more than the insinuation of threats against my well being or the safety of my family, extended and otherwise, is for lack of enchantment with this entire process.
For some clients, a few projects that were lost in the mix have already been refunded, some partially, some entirely. Unfortunately their information has been, and will continue to be kept confidential, despite continuation of slander and denial of such.
I am willing to work with all clients who signed up before the transfer of the business to the new owner and would like for you to send your complaints to my new email and add any exchange of emails relating to your situation we may have shared to ensure I have read them to begin with.
I know that some people are going to be unhappy with my work, despite the numerous clients that were more than pleased. Bad news travels a lot faster than good news and each specific situation is unique to the client. Some may truly have been lost in the mix, some may be unhappy with small aspects of design, and others might be upset that they didnt fully understand the contract before agreeing to it and have used the public forum of the internet to harrass me into doing what their wishes are. I will respond to complaints accordingly, and expect our exchanges will be posted, and hopefully with a feeling of resolve.
I intend on making what's right, right. If you feel you are owed a blog, a re-do, a refund, partial, entirely please email me at momtattooed@gmail.com
Hannah -
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, for pretty much all of us, the timeframe in which one is allowed to file a complaint had long passed before we realized that we would not be getting the work that we paid for.
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ReplyDeleteAs a graphic designer who just had a "re-do" inquiry of a job done by Delicious Design Studio, I decided to look them up. All I can say is WOW.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm sorry that this happened to you.
There are designers out there who do what they say they're going t, and have lots and lots of happy clients. I am one of them. This is such a bummer.
Christine
deluxemodern graphic art + design
All I can say is WOW!!!
ReplyDeleteShe treats friendships the same way.
If any of you want a legitimate website developer and designer, please contact me!
wendy@thedesignparlor.net
I think Jess has a new design company. altcoast.com
ReplyDeleteThe work looks way too much like the work she did under other companies, and many of the people altcoast has added on twitter are in the sarasota area like Jess. I don't think it's a coincidence.
I saw the link in an entry on a blog I read, littlenummies which I think is run by a relative of Jess.
Jess is most definitely the owner of the new design company, Alt Coast .. http://altcoast.com and Twitter: http://twitter.com/altcoast
ReplyDeleteThe designs are the same style and 95% of the people she's following on Twitter are from Sarasota or Sarasota based businesses. Alt Coast is also hosted by Tiger Technologies.. the same hosting company she's used for ALL of her previous websites.
But she's claiming the business is based out of Laguna Beach, CA. UM... yeah, right. Not unless she moved.
Does anyone find it akward that half these comments were made by fake google/blogger accounts? Seriously strange and better yet, people are using this as a way to promote their business. I am one of the many satisfied clients of delicious design. Although I haven't worked with this chick the new owner rocked and they were so quick to have my design done. I just wanted to take a minute and thank them. As for the fake profiles posting fake comments, get real! Very obvious and sad.
ReplyDeletesugarbarbie,
ReplyDeleteI'm not fake, but I'm not posting my real name either for Jess to harass me as she likes to do. This "blog" and the comments are not about the new owners of Delicious Design Studio. This is about Jessica, the original owner of DDS who sold the studio to the new owner when she started screwing people over and leaving them a business with a bad name... and of course, they weren't aware until afterward.
Sugarbarbie--
ReplyDeleteHmm...well, my profile is not up for display because I use my blogger sites as businesses and a profile makes it look unprofessional.
And Jessica knows I really exist. We discussed these problems with her business in her car when she came home for a visit.
Single Mom -
ReplyDeleteWhat's even more interesting about altcoast is that most of the designs appear to be fake businesses. If you try to find them via Google, they don't exist.
It certainly looks like her work.
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ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI am very curious to see what letthetruthbetold had to say.
ReplyDeleteJust so you know, she's at it again. Working on getting more information.
ReplyDeletelooking forward to the new details!
ReplyDeletehttp://macgeekgrl.com/a-delicious-ending/
ReplyDeleteWill you please remove all of my comments under "Wendy?" I would appreciate it!
ReplyDeleteI'm really glad Jessica is making right by refunding many (if not all) of the clients she scammed in 2009.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I take issue with some of the terms on which she tried to make the refund contingent, most notably the requests to cease and desist talking about what happened and/or to take down previous posts regarding the matter. It appears as though several others have gotten that request as well--that she'll refund the money, so long as the matter is kept under wraps.
I'm not going to sit here and tell you guys what to do or what not to do, but I do want to remind folks that no one here did anything wrong. We were scammed. We had our money stolen. A refund three years later doesn't make that OK. It doesn't make it so that it never happened. And I resent that Jess--at least in my case--acted as though she was keeping the refund hostage in exchange for my silence.
She stole from me. She stole from all of us. When she was confronted with it, she lied. And this happened over and over and over again, business after business, email after email.
I understand she's worried about her reputation, that she has a lucrative career opportunity in the works and doesn't want to jeopardize it. But please understand, we don't owe her anything. Her reputation is what it is not because we talked about what she did, but because she did what she did. By stealing. And lying. And trying to do it again under numerous alternate IDs and business fronts.
I really hope Jess is on the up and up. I really, really do. But I didn't feel comfortable agreeing to a gag order, simply because this has happened to so many people so many times over. This doesn't mean I'm going to go out of my way to slander her or make her life hard. Not at all. So long as she keeps her nose clean, it's all good.
But I did want to mention here that if anyone is not OK with the "your-refund-in-exchange-for-your-silence" schtick, it's OK to not agree to it. You do have options. You don't owe her anything.
Mine is not because of those stipulations. Jess and I were friends and I felt betrayed by her at some point....we both had issues with each other that we didn't address. I don't blame her for anything. Shit happens.
ReplyDeleteAs far as her business goes...yes, what happened to everyone was wrong, but she is taking care of it now. I don't really care about those details now. That doesn't matter in regards to today. Today she seems to be trying to make better decisions personally and business-wise.
I am working on renewing our friendship, so that is why I don't want my comments on here anymore. I don't want a reminder of how bitter I was and how I took that out on her.