i have been cheated.. seek advice...

[SGBOY34]

recently i engaged a web design company to help me design website for my business. they asked for 50% downpayment before commencing of the project and i paid. in addition, they were trying to sell me google/yahoo ads for $400 - verbally they told me is $350 but when i received the invoice, it was invoiced at $400. i was not very convinced about this but the person kept hard selling it to me. he even promised me with 4 months money back guarantee if the google/yahoo ads showed no result (but it was not reflected in the invoice). with his constant hard selling, i gave in and decided to take it up but i did stress to him that i want to see the website up first before i am going to pay. he insisted i have to pay first and etc. but i didnt give in. i had to keep calling him and ask him about the progress of my website. he always tell me that it will be up tomorrow but it never did! eventually he uploaded into a temporary weblink but with unfinished job. i constantly bugged him to ask him to finish up with the changes and i need it up asap. he never did. he starts avoiding my call and even my sms. i decided to investigate into his company. the registered address is just an service provider where they let small companies to use their address to use for registration and charge them a small fee. i called up the 3 weblinks he gave me initially as samples of website he designed for his clients. i then realised that there is another partner which is a girl. i called the company phone number and this time round, the girl answered the call. i asked the girl if she is the partner but she denied. i told the guy that i want to stop the whole project and i want my refund back and he agreed to it. next day the guy sms me to tell me that her partner said cant refund because the website is almost done. since when has that girl become the partner? obviously there is some bullshits here. so i called her again and asked her why she lied and denied about it. right now the problem is that they refused to refund me the money but the girl is willing to finish up the job. i told her is fine but i want to meet them up and face to face, tell you what needed to be change and added. she refused to meet me saying that they are very busy people. i told her i can come to your place to meet you then. she refused. she keeps asking me to send her through email but the thing is that this sort of things is not just so simple. sometimes face to face is better in communicating what is needed to adjust or amend or remove and etc. is a visual issue. they just refused to meet me and keep saying they are busy and dont meet up with clients and insist i send through email.
i have this suspicious that they are really out to cheat my money based on the fact that their persistent to hard sell me the google/yahoo ads especially keep asking me to pay. i have this suspicious that they might have cheated others. i just feel that i should not let these people off just like that cos they might be cheating many people out there! are there any ways i can seek help to deal with them? i know i might not be able to get my refund back but i just feel that these people shouldnt be let go free so easily! if everyone who had same dealing like me and just let it go and forget about it, how many more people would they be cheating!?

please advice.

thanks.

[abbby]

Paragraphing your sentences would help the readers..

[jpatokal]

You're obviously getting ripped off. Send them a nastygram telling them to deliver or you'll sue them from breach of contract. Should be a walkover case in the Small Claims Tribunal, no lawyer needed, and you'll pretty much win by default if they don't show up.

[sundaymorningstaple]

You're obviously getting ripped off. Send them a nastygram telling them to deliver or you'll sue them from breach of contract. Should be a walkover case in the Small Claims Tribunal, no lawyer needed, and you'll pretty much win by default if they don't show up.

In addition to what JP has suggested, I would also save copies of the HTML source code just in case once contacted they pull the temp site down. This is especially important if you do not have a written contract. I would also make copies of all email traffic (hopefully you've save them all). As you cannot take a lawyer into the Small Claims Tribunal you will need to furnish all yourself. Make up a good timeline to present your finding as well so you don't look too baffled. It's a rather easy relaxed procedure. I been there about 40 or 50 times (HR & Finance Mgr).

sms

[SGBOY34]

thank you jpatokal and sundaymorningstaple for the advice. will paragragh in future, thanks abbby.

i do have the invoice with me including the one which they kept asking me to sign up for the google/yahoo ads. as for the temporary weblink, i have saved them.

i will go down to small claims tribunal next week. will keep you guys posted of the progress or if i should have any more problems.

one more question. the thing now is that the girl (partner) is willing to finish up the website but i insist that they should meet up with me face to face so that we can get it done for once and for all but she keeps asking me to send by email. but i feel that face to face meet up is better solution to solve it once and for all rather than email. so do i still have a case here?

anyone here who is also in the web design profession? perhaps you wanna help me check out this company, can PM me for the company detail. thanks.

thank you so much for the help!! appreciated that.

[Guest]

I can't help you there but I can only tell you that they will not be able to PM you until you have accumulated 10 posts on the board - only then with the PM function correctly. (This is to help get rid of spammers - not meant to inconvenience anybody but such is the way of the world today)

sms

[sundaymorningstaple]

I can't help you there but I can only tell you that they will not be able to PM you until you have accumulated 10 posts on the board - only then with the PM function correctly. (This is to help get rid of spammers - not meant to inconvenience anybody but such is the way of the world today)

sms

Whoa! Looks like guests can use all threads again!

That was me above.

sms

[devil5791]

Firstly, call/sms the two buggers, give them a dead line to finsh up the design and load it up. Can't just let them drag, one year also do, two years also do. GIVE THEM A DEAD LINE. DO NOT GIVE IN IF THEY WANT A LONGER DEAD LINE! Tell them not to give you half-standard things as well. Reject whatever you don't like.

Secondly, tell them if they don't finish up by then, you will be filing a case against them, unless they refund the money to you. I am sure they will comply either by doing the website nicely for you, or return you the money.

Cheers!

Don't mess with the devil

[Plavt]

You are a little bit slow off the mark Devil5791, have you noticed the dates of the above posts?

Plavt.

[briceloh]

You are a littel bit slow off the mark Devil5791, have you noticed the dates of the above posts?

Plavt.

LOL