I saw the first complaint on Berry Web Designs and should have heeded it.
However, the reference Steve Berry gave me checked out and I thought that every business has ONE unhappy customer. Don't make the same mistake I did!
Steve Berry took my $1,300 down payment, never did the work he agreed to do, and behaved very unprofessionally.
Here are the facts:
My small business needed two new Web sites. On 3/4/09 Steve Berry, owner of Berry Web Designs, (http://berrywebdesigns.com), agreed to to host my existing site and design the two new sites.
On 3/6/09, I gave Steve Berry a down payment of $1,300.00. Mr. Berry cashed my check that day.
On 3/13/09, I sent Steve info for my current Web host and content for the 2 new sites. He replied that he had hurt his back and hadn't been able to work that week.
On 3/16/09 I emailed asking if he had moved my site to his server. He said that the servers were set up but that he had deadlines on other projects.
Steve called on 3/27/09 and said he could not host my site because I hadn't disclosed that it had a shopping cart on it. This shocked me. I assumed that he had looked at my existing web site and knew what was there long before he had signed an agreement to host it.
Since cashing my check, Steve Berry had been off work because of illness, out of town because of family illness, and busy with other work. He couldn't host my existing web site and he hadn't given me any updates on the new web sites. He didn't even talk about them. I was worried.
I returned Steve's call on 3/27/09 and said, "You've had a lot going on. Do you think that you will be able to complete this work and adhere to the work agreement?" If he returned my payment, I was ready to start over again with another Web design firm.
Steve grew aggressive and belligerent. He shouted. I was so shocked that I couldn't absorb what he was saying—the conversation ended.
Later that day, Steve Berry sent another e-mail saying that I evidently had trust issues. He demanded that I reconfirm that I wanted to go ahead with the contract. I replied that I was surprised at his outburst during the phone call and by the tone of his e-mail. I wrote that my check for the down payment had shown my intent and my good faith.
Steve replied with an aggressive e-mail that began, "At no time during any of our conversations have I made any statement to you that I would not complete this work as we agreed to. This has not changed." He wanted me to resend all the material for the new sites.
I sent the content again and asked him to acknowledge receipt. I asked him to send me any questions or comments about what I had sent. I never received an acknowledgment of my e-mail. I didn't call him because after the phone call in which he shouted, I wanted all of our communication to be in writing.
On 5/14/09, I sent another email to him stating that per the contract I signed with Berry Web Designs, the deadline for the new sites to be live was the following day, 5/15/09. I asked him to send me his status on the project. I received no reply.
On 5/19/09, I sent Berry Web Designs one final e-mail asking for a reply within 24 hours. I also sent a copy of the e-mail by certified mail to his business mailing address. There was no reply to my e-mail and the certified mailing came back marked "undeliverable".
I have heard nothing from Steve Berry since 3/27/09. I want my money back.
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