Review of FastPivot.com (formerly Ydesigns.com)...
Why we are posting... in trying to evaluate the 'yahoo store' designers. It is very hard to get objective and honest reviews and feedback on the design team. I have found many of them post false profiles and misrepresent their experience and abilities.
We contracted FastPivot for a complete site web redesign... A 10K project.
1. We paid Fastpivot a 3K deposit.
2. FastPivot failed to delivery a single design or preview on the original project timeline... After missing the entire project design sign off window by over 30 days. They submitted to us a one page / one concept design. After we made several calls and emails due to fact they where so far behind project schedule. The single design the submitted looked very basic, rushed and rather simple. We rejected the design and asked for a a collaboration and present a series of design concepts. The designer never responded or submitted any other work.
3. FastPivot took the first designer off the project and assigned a second (which we later found out was a free lance guy who does not work as an employee). The new designer did respond but missed his timeline too. The work was even more basic and included very basic clip art. We worked with the designer for 2 more concepts... Both of which... Where too basic for our use...
4. We employeed our in-house design team to finish the design. Which they revised the FastPivot work... We approved the frontpage design. I ended up paying an out side team and using my own design team to get and acceptable design.
5. FastPivot never submitted another design concept or section page or design page.
6. They FastPivot stopped responding... After working with us and taking our money they said they where not comfortable working with fashion material.
7. We said fine and please issue us a refund. Which they refused.
In the end we did the majority of the design work ourselves and they in my view stole 3,000 USD from us.
I think they fraudulently claimed to have experience, skills and resources.
When we attempted to server them with papers they have no leagal address... They use a PO box. I know how stupid of us to do biz with a company that does not have a legal biz address and uses a PO box.
Well we did soon on a reference from a Yahoo staff member recommendation. However he left the company too, since then.
WARNING we found FastPivot to be a fraudulent company.
Note we found other occurances where Matt Ledford the owner of Fastpivot was involved in ripping yahoo store owners and website owners off...
Gowder also appears to be working for a company named Ydesigns (ydesigns.com) which also goes by the name FastPivot (fastpivot.com), and would seem to be in competition with his own Mission Marketing, Inc. Company. The president and CEO of these companies, Matthew Ledford, spoke with me on the phone today and told me that Brett had worked for them on a contract basis, but he assured me his companies were no longer associated with Brett in anyway. I hung up with Mr. Ledford and dialed the toll-free number for the Ydesigns and FastPivot companies. The auto-attendant phone directory still lists Brett Gowder at extension 315, a number that I have reached Gowder at twice in the past few weeks. Draw your own conclusions.
I contracted a company called Mission Marketing, Inc. (missionmarketing.com) to develop an e-commerce website for my business. Prior to selecting Mission Marketing, Inc. To do the job, I spoke on the phone and through e-mail with the president of Mission Marketing, Inc., Brett Gowder. Mr. Gowder assured me that not only could his company do the job as required, they could complete the job and launch my website in a period of about six weeks.
On May 24, I paid Brett Gowder and Mission Marketing, Inc. A substantial amount of money, in full and in advance, in hopes that he and his company would be encouraged to complete the task at hand in the shortest time possible. As I write this, it is May 2, nearly a year later, and I have yet to receive anything of value from Brett or Mission Marketing, Inc. As a matter of fact the only thing I have ever received is a totally useless home page mock-up.
Numerous attempts to communicate over the past year have gone unanswered, or on the rare occasion when I have had a reply from Brett, all I have received are excuses and appologies. A couple of months ago I told Mr. Gowder to either finish the work or return my money. He assured me he would see that the job would get done ASAP. Then nothing.
About a month ago I told him to forget the project and just return my money. Still nothing. So the only conclusion I can come to is that Brett Gowder, through his company Mission Marketing, Inc., intended to rip me off from the very beginning.
Brett has recently redesigned his own Mission Marketing, Inc. Website (missionmarketing.com) so apparently he is still soliciting business. BEWARE!
Gowder also appears to be working for a company named Ydesigns (ydesigns.com) which also goes by the name FastPivot (fastpivot.com), and would seem to be in competition with his own Mission Marketing, Inc. Company. The president and CEO of these companies, Matthew Ledford, spoke with me on the phone today and told me that Brett had worked for them on a contract basis, but he assured me his companies were no longer associated with Brett in anyway. I hung up with Mr. Ledford and dialed the toll-free number for the Ydesigns and FastPivot companies. The auto-attendant phone directory still lists Brett Gowder at extension 315, a number that I have reached Gowder at twice in the past few weeks. Draw your own conclusions.
Those who read this are obviously doing their due diligence. Something I was a fool not to do a year ago. All I can say now, there are plenty of web developers out there. Before you spend a nickel with any of them get references from them for customers who needed the same kind of job you do. Then contact the references and make sure they were satisfied with the job done! Had I done so, I doubt I'd be writing this today.
Glenn
Kissimmee, Florida
U.S.A.
FastPivot.com
Contact us by phone: 1.888.770.8883
Outside the U.S. Call: 1.828.225.8883
FAX 1.770.216.1680
Address PO Box 723, Asheville, NC 28802
Srhcalifornia
Boulder City, California
U.S.A.
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