Serious advice needed for help with designer on website

[doglvr]

I need to give a little background. Over a year ago, I had a company doing my website. It was a week away from being finished and she died suddenly. It took months to get the daughter to give me the location of where it was "stored" and then get the files off her mom's computer so someone else could finish it. I looked around and found a good named company that has done many candle sites and even contacted her clients and got glowing recommendations from this woman.

Two months ago I contacted her and no problem, might have to make a few tweeks but you can be up and running in a week or two. Sent her all the pics again, text files and everything else she needed. And of course, sent her my money which I had to do and have found that with other places as well. I'd already paid once to the poor gal who passed away, so this is my second time now paying for a website.

I send emails, I call, and I get no response. Once in a while, some tiny little thing is changed on the site so I know she didn't fall off the face of the earth. Her site promoting her services is still up and running and she has a huge portfolio and I've checked these sites out and they do have her company name at the bottom giving credit. In fact, several candle and tart companies have her.

I don't know what to do! Truthfully, I don't want to piss her off and demand action because she can just tell me to get lost so I feel like I'm being held hostage, but wth??? (sorry, I get very upset about this) am I supposed to do? I call, I cry, I beg for communication and nothing. I truly can't afford to do this again so I'm treading lightly.

Talk about non-existent customer service! I can't believe she's held her clients this long if this is how they are treated. I even said on the phone if there are personal problems, I will understand, just please communicate something to me.

At this point does anyone have suggestions on how this should be handled?

Thanks so much,

Jackie

[Scented]

Well not entirely the situation we went through, but I had one person put up our website and then wouldn't share anything with us as to how to get into the back end (but that site was eventually wiped out.) We wanted a site where we had a cart, so someone put that up and instructed us how to use it ... and then it was hacked by the kingdom come of Turkey and developer dis-a-ppear-ed. Sooooooo ... that left us with a need to go to someone else we knew could make this work and paid for the site only to get an under construction post after the remaining pages were retrieved and all kingdom come of Turkey was gone. However we never got more than an under construction and then passed away about six months to a year later. (So I know your aggravation as you can see) and we went to one more person who put up what we have now and taught me how to do things so that I have control, which is soooooooooo appreciated and the last thing I like doing also.

Now it was costly for us, but it would definitely be costly for us nowadays if we didn't know the one person who actually got us back up after we lost our entire audience.

You're going to handle this the way you feel you should (and that would be my partner saying piss it off and go find someone else without doing anything about it, but that might have been because the one guy who passed away was his friend.) I'd say if you can make a personal visit ... do it, whether you have to camp out to wait for them to appear or whatever and then try to get somewhere in a face-to-face (might I suggest you record the meeting.)

I, on the other hand, say time to close up the deal with this person and move it elsewhere as long as you have connection to where your site is located, the password and the ability to get in ... then I would high tail it to someone else who knows their life will end if they screw with you (said in nice words of course, but with hidden meaning), change the passwords, the access and the whole nine yards. IF there is a reviewer's site anywhere, I would leave a less than glowing one and I would contact that designer and let them know their services are no longer wanted.

BEFORE I would do any of that I would 1) Make sure I have everything to whip a site into place including a place to park it; 2) Documentation that shows how often you have tried to contact this person and their complete lack of communication (because you need it to threaten court and to be in court); 3) Contact a lawyer who will give you direction on the steps you should take and all copies of documentation that you will need from payment made, copies of screen shots etc. and so forth.)

That is what I would do and I wouldn't give her notice by phone ... start making your paper trail and start knowing where you can go to park your site, get your passwords changed (because you don't want him or her to wipe it out) and have backups galore. Protect yourself before you go after them. A lawyer is probably going to be the best avenue to find out the direction(s) you need to go and it wouldn't hurt for them to notify the person of their violations (at which point anything that happens to your site after that would be a direct violation they make and you should profit from their mistake.)

[Scented]

Saying you get a face-to-face with this person, I would suggest there be a timeline of what you need done and that person meets it. It probably wouldn't hurt to have that person sign something like a business agreement.

[Ravens]

Totally agree with Scented. Cut your losses and move on. Keep copies of everything. If she is having troubles she should at least give you a minute of her time to send an explanation. From what you wrote, sounds like crappy service to me - just mho, Jackie.

I do not know how comfortable you are with 'puter/techie stuff (I am horrible - certified horrible, lol), but I have absolutely no complaints with the company I've been using for the past several years. Whenever I send an email asking for help, clarifications, etc., she responds in a matter of hours, and she's always been able to solve any problems/glitches. I will stick with Mandi, for sure (and her services are very reasonable!)

[doglvr]

I left a rather firm message yesterday and here was my response:

Hi Jackie - I am sorry - my computer crashed and I had to order a new lap top and it just got here today - as you can imagine I am WAY behind on everything including just answering emails. I finally got the internet to work on it but it is an allnew windows so going to take me a bit to get use to and use.

I have to install all my programs I use and get reorganized which will take me a few days - i can finish adding your products for you then.

thank you and i apologize for going missing - all of my contact information for all clients was on the computer so I was left here missing a brain and arm

I haven't replied yet, but want to ask how you can install my pictures when they're on the "crashed" computer. This worries me about any help I will need down the road. I did call three people who listed numbers on their site who are clients of hers. Said she has so many irons in so many fires she doesn't devote much time to this anymore. They have a hard time getting her to change anything once the site is up and running.

So, would it be better to get her to finish it and then have someone else take it over or jump ship now and find someone else recommended by someone else? Does anyone know what I would ask of her to find out where another person or company could go "retrieve" it? What computer lingo I would need to ask? That is what happened before, it remained lost in cyberspace. I did go to Network Solutions and login and found where it's hosted. Is that what would be needed or could she do something to that? I should change my password so she can't get in anymore right?

Help!

[Scented]

Well information is still accessible on a crashed computer. It costs about $100 to retrieve through some sources. I think we paid that at Best Buy. Not all information can be retrieved, but quite a bit. We were fortunate to be able to get our labeling back when it happened to us.

I would gather you gave her a copy right? Not originals without a backup?

She's left you with a very good out that you can use ... "You have so many irons in the fire and I have a business to run that cannot get off the ground waiting for you ... (something to that effect) so I'm closing the deal. My leaving will lessen your load. Thank you anyway."

Before you do it, know your passwords to where your site is and change those passwords. Already have a person in place to back you up. I've seen Mandy's work and she does a very lovely job. We didn't go with her, because I just wanted to be local to someone so when I screwed something up, I could see how to fix it (However, she would be the one I would go to next.) I learn better when I see and do than if I'm told. She can do anything to your site if she has access (password(s)). It doesn't sound as if she would, but then I didn't think I would be abandoned either.

The question to ask yourself is do you really want her to finish this and if so, do you really want to wait and wait and wait and go through this again?

Do you two have a business agreement? Is there a way to get her on a schedule? Do you want to hover over her until it is done? Do you have a timetable for her to finish the job? Is there a signed agreement between the two of you? Think about anything and everything you might ask if this were someone else and then answer those questions as you. KWIM?

How many instances has this happened? What is the line of excuses she has used? Knowing what three others told you, combined with what you are going through, even if she got your site done, then what?

Really assess your situation and make your decision.

If it were me, I would move on.

Edited March 7, 2014 by Scented

[David Fields]

Boy!! Reading the posts brings my blood pressure up. Our experience: A while back we decided to get a website. We first checked into large website building firms. We wanted a very simple site with a cart. The cheapest quote we got was $4500; the highest was $12,000 and everything in between. Way too much for us. Then we looked at small firms with great looking web sites. Prices ranged from $3000 to $8000. We went with a $3000 quote and met with the lady. She was a stay-at-home mom. After an hour of answering her questions, we paid $1500 up front. She said the site would be complete in a month to six weeks depending on how many changes we made. We would get the preliminary design in two weeks. We were excited. SIX weeks later we had nothing. She would not return our calls or emails. Finally, I called from a different number pretending to be a new customer (she never answers, the phone, only calls back). She called back and I jumped on her. She said she was a stay-at-home mom and had had some family issues. I really went off on her. I told her I wanted the site up and running in two weeks or my money back, or I would turn her in to the BBB and would blog about our treatment to every site I could find. That day she refunded my money. Still didn't have a website. After research, I decided to build my own (we don't need an elaborate site and decided against a cart for many, many reasons). After a week and a half I had one built. It needs work but works. I get orders just about every day off of it. So, my advice to you is explore all options.

[doglvr]

Thank you everyone for your input and ideas. It appears that finding good and honest people can be a problem, doesn't it? How sad. Right now much is going on with a family member near death and the funeral that will follow, so I'm just sitting on this and see what she does within a week. I plan on contacting Mandi when things settle down. In the meantime I don't want to even respond to this woman in fear that she will mess something up. I need to find out what I have to know to make it retrievable for someone else so all is not lost. I changed my password at Network Solutions and wrote down where it's hosted as that does appear on there. I don't know if I need more than that or not.

Because her response to me was riddled with excuses for down the road I realize what a problem it's going to be to get her to do anything should it need to be done and that's the impression I got from contacting some of her clients in her long portfolio. She does do excellent, beautiful work, but that doesn't help later when you might need it.

[crazzie]

Thank you everyone for your input and ideas. It appears that finding good and honest people can be a problem, doesn't it? How sad. Right now much is going on with a family member near death and the funeral that will follow, so I'm just sitting on this and see what she does within a week. I plan on contacting Mandi when things settle down. In the meantime I don't want to even respond to this woman in fear that she will mess something up. I need to find out what I have to know to make it retrievable for someone else so all is not lost. I changed my password at Network Solutions and wrote down where it's hosted as that does appear on there. I don't know if I need more than that or not.

Because her response to me was riddled with excuses for down the road I realize what a problem it's going to be to get her to do anything should it need to be done and that's the impression I got from contacting some of her clients in her long portfolio. She does do excellent, beautiful work, but that doesn't help later when you might need it.

 

PM me, I would like to help you out. I am a graphic designer have experience in web sites. I also at one time used someone, and she always had an excuse. Wonder if its the same lady?

Edited March 15, 2014 by crazzie

[doglvr]

crazzie, I will PM you, thanks.

 

Luckily it's been a week of just working, taking my mom back and forth to the nursing home to see my stepfather, getting home in enough time to go to bed and then the next day is a repeat performance.  I imagine next week will be the same so it hasn't given me time to worry about what is happening with my site, which is NOTHING just as I expected.   I haven't even emailed her back yet. 

[EricofAZ]

Web folks can be rip offs or flakes.  It abounds in that industry.  SEO stands for Snake Oil so be careful about going down that road.  If you have a good honest website with good content and set it up right, the monthly SEO fee is probably just wasted money.

 

That said, I came across a guy in my home town that is doing a great job, albeit slow.  www.wildcatseo.com  If you get ahold of Greg, tell him I said hi. 

 

If you want an ecommerce package, $4500 is not out of line. What may seem "simple" to you may not be simple at all.  The code has to work with the web host and there has to be some security. 

 

There is absolutely no excuse for not giving you the log in or let you have access to the code. 

[barncat]

Ive lost $1000s as well on websites.  So now I do my own.  Self taught and not that great at it, but Im learning and I know it will be what I want and it will be secure.   Im not much help, Im sure, but did you pay with a credit card?  Maybe dispute the charges.

[JABE]

What about all the other website companies like Shopify, Volusion, etc (there are many more). They seem very affordable. Have you looked at those? Or that's not what you are looking for?