Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/13/2024

  Type:Order Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  This company (owner: ***********************) reached out to me because I have a blog on GoDaddy (web developer). The owner reached out and said he could help me develop my website and offered his services for $5,000 for 5 months. I gave him my credit card information through Stripe and then he said Stripe wouldn&#**;t pay him for 180 days so to dispute the charge and we&#**;d run it through Square which we did. He was supposed to work on SEO&#**;s for me and social media and he did work for 12 days and then disappeared. I&#**;ve disputed the charges with my credit card company. I&#**;ve tried to contact him through every avenue possible and he is completely unreachable.

  Business Response

  Date: 09/01/2024

  *************************** is a person I met when I used to work at GoDaddy. She and her partner *****, at the time insisted that they wanted to work more with me in the future. When I left *******, and started my own online marketing platform, I decided to do a check-in with people that provided their contact information to let them know what I was doing. *************************** was one of those individuals. She had left GoDaddy.com and was with 24x7 WP Support. She was excited that I reached out, telling me how she appreciated me calling her, because she felt 24x7 WP Support had taken her money, and had done nothing of substance for her. I ran a site audit, and her SERP score was at an "F". I thought it was odd for a SERP to be that low. She insisted that we work together, and asked me to send over my SEO price packages. I sent it over, and she countered with a $5,000.00 upfront, which I accepted. While discussing how I would improve her sitemaps, index pages, readability for SEO performance, she verbally and in writing offered me another $5,000+ to help her with reading through her agreements with 24x7 WP Support, and helping her prepare a complaint against them. She also asked me to help update the site, which was not apart of the signed contract. The reason why I agreed was because her initial payment to me was done through Stripe. It never fully processed because the account was frozen, because of my business being new  and the amount of that particular transaction. I explained to *************************** what happened, and she then made payment through Square. In the attachment "Gmail - I think I found them all" she makes a statement about additional funds she would pay me. Our agreement was "SEO based", and I agreed to allocate 4 months towards her to show site ranking improvement. The four months were for my benefit to allow me time to handle this project, as well as other projects, including my business site. After starting the project, I realized that she was a person that required a lot of attention, and therefore paused any new consultations, as well as work on the new business site. I dedicated full days towards cleaning up her index pages, fixing duplicate file errors, correcting her meta tags, etc.  What I planned on doing in 4 months, I situated in the time we worked together.

  Her storyline changes, because I never disappeared, she is the one that had her old service provider move her site off the server I was managing her site from. I got a notification and tried reaching out to her, but with no response. Their was no significant issues that were brought to my attention. I received more praise for the work I did then anything else. The only two issues that ever occurred, were unrelated to anything with Pick My Projects. Her email was not sending messages, but her email was still being managed by her old service providers, that created an account with Mail Chimp for her, (but regardless email management was not in our signed agreement). The other issues was a 404 error message, which was related to her going into the backend and updating content. I provided *************************** "white-glove" treatment. If you look at her phone records or text message you will see that what she is saying has no basis. I feel that she is manipulating the situation because her attempt to collect on 24x7 WP Support failed. When she realized that she would not be able to collect from 24x7 WP Support, she tried to get as much work out of me and then claim the meal was not to her satisfaction.  She has audit reports showing that her site with from an SERP score "F" to a "B", because I dedicated full days trying to resolve her indexing, because I needed to get it to a manageable position.  I have supporting documents, which she does not have. When Stripe payment froze the account, I forwarded her the emails from their automatic responses, and she has does on record. I filed a complaint against Stripe with the ***** and I grew frustrated in her asking me the same question that I provided the same responses to multiple times. *************************** does not work, and I believe does not consider that it is not appropriate to ask the same question, when you have access to does records. I would go as far as to send her links on community boards so that she can understand that my situation was not unique. Here is an example of one of those: Complaint board about Stripe

  I have read the BBB complaint in which *************************** states: "He was supposed to work on SEO for me and social media and he did work for 12 days and then disappeared." Now, please read the attachment I provided from an email she sent several months after our business dealing, which I assume was her trying to formulate a complaint against me without telling me what she was doing : [3rd request for update on return of $5,212..00 funds from STRIPE].

  She stated in that email, that I did nothing, and she terminated the agreement, but in the letter for the BBB Complaint, she now says I did work, but then I disappeared. She filed the dispute through her bank without me ever being contacted by her bank. I believe she intentionally did not provide my contact information, because I have documents that would negate these false claims. I wish I could add more supporting documents, such as: Text messages with her telling me she no longer wants to add web design, even though I had provided a new mock up for her to look at. She took that mock up back to 24x7 WP Support and had them do those updates with the information I drew-up after spending time studying the blog pages of businesses she followed and found inspirational like "60 + Me". We had talked right after our business relationship ended, and she told me that the reason she left, was because of money she would have to pay after the 4 months were up, since she had not been able to file a dispute against 24x7 WP Support. She then thanked me for everything I did for her, and wanted to work again in the future, if I would take her back. I am uncertain if her intent was to give me a sense of comfort, or if she actually meant that. The one thing I know is that I resolved her SEO issues, which she wanted on the "signed the agreement". I also know that I am guaranteed that amount regardless of how fast it took for me to get there. *************************** thinks that she can eat the pasta dish at the restaurant and then tell the manager "It was not good enough", is not correct. I am owed this money and the additional money for the time I put in for creating layout changes, because prior to her signing up with me, the reports showed that "Readability" and "Usability" were also concern areas for her page. I was very thorough in my approach on her project, and I made sure to add a site checker to her "url" to provide these audits, which I sent to her. She knew her site improved heavily under my management, because she has the report, so I am astonished that she would make such claims. There were "critical issues" that could have turned into a "fatal error" if not for my intervention. I can provide anything you might need in understanding what really happened (emails, text messages, reports). This claim is  not consistent with the one she made prior to this, because she is trying to adapt it, when realizing that I have proof of work I did. Not once, did she mention anything specific, and the only thing that she states is a disappeared, when that is not true at all, and can be easily disputed. I myself am at the point that I need to do my own reporting since she was able to file a dispute without one communication from her bank ever reaching me directly. However, this BBB letter is the first instance of me getting to see what was being claimed, so that I can respond accordingly.

   

  Thank you for providing me with what was being claimed against Pick My Projects. This was very helpful, and I look forward to getting a follow-up on this matter.

   

  *****

   

  Business Response

  Date: 09/04/2024

  I am going to present in chronological order all the work that I did for her.  

  Business Response

  Date: 09/05/2024

  Here are some supporting documents in regards to the dispute. Initial contact with former client (***************************) happened 6/3/24. Prior to her sending an over-signed agreement, I had started conducting work, and acted in good faith. She was able to witness benefits of services provided, since the agreement was sent over on 6/7/24 [See attachment Gmail - Contract].
  

  
  

  She saw the benefits of the business, and only left after finding out she would not be compensated by the former service provider. There are details of her speaking about her distrust of the provider in the "Text Conversation" & "Gmail - invoices - I think I found them all" attachment.

  
  

  My business has experienced unforeseen damages by time put towards this, and lose of opportunities that needed to be paused until her bank finishes up their investigation, which has caused a freeze on my business accepting payments.

  
  

  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/01/2024

  My complaint has not been resolved, I would like the opportunity to respond. 

  Business Response

  Date: 10/01/2024

  I responded to her initial complaint several times based on the complaint history. ****** ******* had ample time to review and respond back to my response and chose not to. She has chose not to provide any supporting documents to substantiate any claims on her side.

  Client signed an agreement about 5 days after I started working on her site as well as the payment. She saw the benefits of everything I was doing, and how the site visibility improved. 

  The truth of the matter is that while utilizing my service, she never once raised any grievance with the work I did. I would like to see anything she has showing otherwise, or showing that what she had previously was better then what I provided. The service provider the client has now was the one she complained about in the email/text I submitted. When client realized that she could not dispute against the old service provider due to the time that passed, her attitude changed. She realized that she put herself in a financial situation and to get herself out of it, she had the old service provider migrate her site from my server without my knowledge. She then orchestrated a complaint after I had fixed her SEO issues and did othet work as a way of getting money back, since I was still in the timeframe for a dispute. 

  She was with that old service provider for 9 months before switching over to me, and had no clue what they were actually doing. She stated that when she typed her domain name it did not pop up in the search browser, and that she needed an expert to fix it. I resolved that issue.

  I also communicated with her throughout the time she was with me. I provided email correspondence of me reaching out to this client and telling her what issues I found and how I would go about resolving it, in which she showed appreciation as supporting documents. 

  Her initial statement are full of contradictions as she says I disappeared, in which I have emails showing consistency in me reaching out to her, checking in with her, etc.

  I am waiting for her to provide something. I plan on taking civil action against ****** ******* for intent to do harm towards my business. I have provided her through emails proof showing how I improved her site, and she has yet to provide anything to show otherwise.

  Business Response

  Date: 10/01/2024

  This is her site after I did the work, and the last document is what her site was before I did the work. Before June 3rd, 2024 her page was at an "F" for Usability and Performance. I resolved those issues. Her previous provider for 9 months at the time had her site in disarray, and I had to do extensive work to save it from breaking.

  Business Response

  Date: 10/15/2024

  Response to BBB Complaint
  From: *****, Pick My Projects
  Dear BBB Representative,

  
  I am writing to formally address the complaint filed by ****** *******. While I regret any misunderstanding, its important to provide a clear account of the events to show that her claims are both misleading and unjustified.

  
  1. Transparency and Agreement Terms
  Contrary to Cheryls claims, she initiated the $5,000 proposal herself. While I offered a monthly plan, she explicitly stated her preference for a bulk, one-time payment, which we honored. ****** also referenced privacy concerns regarding her previous employer, but at the time of our agreement, she was no longer employed there, eliminating any potential conflict of interest.

  
  2. Progress Reporting and Communication
  ****** initially praised the transparency and thoroughness of the reports we provided. It is inconsistent that she now cites these same reports as an issue. Her primary complaint with her former service provider, 24x7 WP Support, was their lack of communicationan issue we took pains to address. Documentation, including text messages and emails, show her appreciation for our consistent updates and progress reports during the service period.

  
  3. Lack of Prior Notification of Issues
  ****** did not raise any concerns about our work between June 3rd and June 17th. Instead, she arranged to have her old service provider, 24x7 WP Support, migrate her site back without notifying us. Only after learning that her dispute with 24x7 WP Support fell outside their acceptable timeframe did she redirect her dissatisfaction toward Pick My Projects, attempting to avoid additional payments under our agreement.

  
  4. Unauthorized Use of Work:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  It is worth noting that ****** used our "draft markup" and ideas without permission, applying them to her site through 24x7 WP Support. This is a clear breach of the agreed terms and demonstrates that the real issue is financial, not the quality of service we provided.

  5. Comprehensive Documentation and Work Provided:
  Our communication records, service tickets, and SEO reports show the substantial work we completed. For comparison, I have included the initial SEO audit, which graded her site with an "F." The improvements we implemented are undeniable, and Cheryls claims to the contrary are without merit.

  
  6. Conclusion
  This complaint appears to be a strategic attempt to avoid payment and shift responsibility after ****** realized her dispute with 24x7 WP Support was no longer valid. I provided all requested services per our agreement, and I am seeking full compensation for the work rendered and damages caused by her actions.

  
  Thank you for your attention to this matter. I am confident that the comprehensive documentation I have provided will clearly demonstrate that we operated transparently, fulfilled our obligations, and delivered quality service to ****** *******.
  Please let me know if any further documentation or clarification is needed.

  
  Sincerely,
  *****
  Pick My Projects

  Business Response

  Date: 10/15/2024

  I also want to note that ****** ******* had sufficient amounts of time to respond, and chose not to. The decision in my favor was the correct course of action, and I feel that to re-open creates more unnecessary time for Pick My Projects to have to now invest due to her negligence into something that was supposedly important to her. I have responded without any delay, while maintaining a high workload. ****** ******* is not employed or self-employed, and survives from insurance payments from her late husband. I feel that it is unfair to have to go through my files and submit attachments that shows that her statements are untrue and hold no merit. I also feel as though if a timeframe was set, it is the responsibility of both parties to make sure to respond within that manner. If BBB is giving me a choice to reopen the dispute, or keep the current decision, then I would like to keep it "as-is".

  Thank you,

  *****

  Business Response

  Date: 10/15/2024

  I want to add that reading her last response is troubling since at "no point" did I ever use words to discredit her personally as they way she stated that I called her "stupid". I would like for her to send this information over. As a person that has a background and a understanding in legal matters, it is entirely untrue that any officer would make a statement about actions from my business as "fraud". I sent ****** ******* an invoice in which she paid, and a contract in which signed. Fraud would only apply to something unauthorized or if a business represented itself as something other than what it was. I question if ****** ******* is providing accurate information about who she spoke with, and when it comes to it, those individuals will need to provide a statement "notarized" about the accuracy of the information provided to ****** ******* and what information was presented to make them come up with that sort of conclusion. As far as harassment, after she moved of my system, she would keep emailing me about things that were already provided, or questions about her site, without compensating me for consulting services. If I left my physician's office, would I expect for them to handle services like sending over medication to my pharmacy?

  ****** ******* has not provided you the full scope of information, and I have taken the time to create a comprehensive timeline, from start to end. I feel that her stating she was advised by other people should require their contact information to follow-up, because at no-point has Pick My Projects ever received communication for her bank center or from any legal services in regard to what she was claiming. I am disturbed that claims like those can be made so blatantly without the necessary supporting documents.

  Again, most of what she has provided are her own words, and I have compiled documents that dispute what she initially stated, and what she now states. I do not believe that she will provide any thing based on the "scope of work", and if she had any reasoning to dispute funds paid. I do not want to get into anything that is not on task, and that is why I would like BBB to keep the current decision that fell in my favor.

  Business Response

  Date: 10/15/2024

  I re-read the letter that she sent to BBB, in which I responded to. It is disturbing to say the least. What I find troubling is the way she tries to paint her role as a victim. I plan on using this letter in conjunction to her actual communication when we first connected to show how none of what was stated lined up. Our first call, ****** *******, was in jubilation that I was able to reach out. She spent two hours of that initial call complaining about feeling taken advantage of by 24x7 WP Support. If escalated, there would have to be notes from 24x7 WP Support's CRM system showing she was unhappy with the services she was provided. She complained to me about lack of communication and transparency on 24x7 WP Support's end. ****** ******* had signed up with a Sales Account Manager named "Ray" and ever since she was onboarded to 24x7 WP Support, never received significant responses to any of her inquiries. According to her, she believed that they were an overseas company. I am astonished by the fact that she made these remarks without thinking of vetting the information she sent over, because I have documents that dispute these claims. ****** ********* story always seems to change, and the inconsistencies she has already provided should show the credibility of this individual. I am not happy with having to go through a process like this, but to protect the reputation of my business, I am willing to do what is needed. I encourage BBB to reach out to 24x7 WP Support to ask if at any point in June of this year, ****** ******* demanded a refund from them, and how they responded to that. I have attached the service tickets ****** ******* sent to me, because she wanted to show proof of the persistent issues she had dealt with under the services of 24x7 WP Support. At no point would I want to take on a task that is not under scope of the agreement, however, she promised compensation to my business if I was to help her with this endeavor. 
  As stated before, ****** ******* has not provided anything of substance, and I have littered this complaint filing with attachments of communication of work that was done and positive feedback received from ****** *******. At this point I do not know what more to add, since one read of her initial complaint while cross-referencing what I have supplied as proof, should say enough. My business feels as though we were victimized by the actions taken by ****** *******. She utilized services, and intentionally paid with a specific card provided by **************************, as she felt that if she was unable to gain funds back from 24x7 WP Support, this banking center would give her the highest probability of getting funds, even if she received services that resolved SEO issues that she had been dealing with prior to utilizing Pick My Projects. Attached is a copy of ****** ********* *********************** SEO score on June 3rd, and her score after Pick My Projects took over. That none of her previous service providers had resolved her SEO issue until it got into the hands of the business Pick My Projects.
  I also attached design work that was requested and taken by ****** ******* over to 24x7 WP Support without permission or compensation given by Pick My Projects. The attachments show dates of this particular work, and by reviewing the "mark up" work that was done, and the updates handled by 24x7 WP Support, it is obvious that she intended to use my company's work without making payment. I believe this to be intentional since she had migrated her site off my server on June 17th, and the email on this document shows communication of mark *** on June 16th.
  
  
  Thank you,

  
  *****

  Pick My Projects
  
  
  

  
  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/23/2024

  As this is the second time she has chosen not to respond, I would like this matter to be officially closed. I do not feel it fair to me or my business to have to continuously respond back whenever it is at the discretion of this individual. Can you confirm that this matter is done and will no longer be brought up?

  I am planning on handling this issue with the person in question through means of getting recouped for unpaid services.