After doing a web search for a web site builder, I contacted Heritage Web Solutions. The sales person - Bryan Freuhtenicht, was pleasant and was able to provide me a written quote to build and host a pretty simple 5-page web site. Bryan provided me with a template to upload all the content of the web site. Basically, I built it myself, complete with logos and artwork. The original quote was $300 to $400 to build and host the site.
I was then passed on to a web design account person - Elisabeth "Liz" Briggs, who, after a few days of constant phone calls advising me to essentially, hurry up, began the process of itemizing out features of the web site that "should have been discussed with a designer, because that's going to cost more." These features were not complex. One was a poll. It was the primary reason for the web site in the first place and had been discussed in detail with the sales person, Bryan.
Suddenly, It is going to cost an additional $1800.00 for this feature. "And we need to go ahead and get started."
I stopped the process right there. I cancelled and cut up my credit card and had a new one reissued by my bank.
I sent a formal letter of cancellation of our agreement and asked to be, and was contacted by supervisor with the company, expressing my absolute dismay at the unethical practices of the people that I had thus far dealt with.
Here is that letter:
To whom it may concern,
I formally cancel all transactions with Heritage Web Systems, past, present, and future. I expect no charges to appear on my credit card, or the card or cards of any representative of my company or any company associated with me directly or indirectly related to my contacting Heritage Web Systems to build, design, and host a web site for domain name: www.sculpturewalkwinfield.com or any other domain name, discussed in the past, present or future. I further demand that any and all moneys received by your organization, in part or in total associated with this web site or any other web site discussed with me or any representative associated with me, to be fully returned immediately. I expect written confirmation of this correspondence and record of your organization's subsequent immediate compliance.
Your organization's representatives have demonstrated unethical and borderline illegal methods and business practices. Bryan Fruechtenicht in sales, quoted a bid for a well described and fully comprehended simple web site with fully disclosed components and features. I made the decision to proceed with your organization based on that quote. There was no evolution of features, capabilities, or additional consideration developed throughout the development and uploading of web site's content.
Elisabeth "Liz" Briggs consistently misrepresented your organization and its abilities and systematically attempted to itemize discussed and agreed upon features of the web site as though they were add-ons or special considerations not included in the initial bid, culminating in a determination by your organization through Liz Briggs that in order to proceed with the web site's design, over $1000.00 dollars would be charged by your organization to provide what your representatives had already agreed in writing to provide for a set price.
It is with dismay that I find myself needing to explain why these types of business practices are unexceptable to me, this project, and my associates in this email. I am embarrassed to have suggested your organization to my associates as a reputable and capable organization. I am also embarrassed to have worked very hard to design all the content, layout the format, and spend all of the time I have with this process with your organization to get to the culmination of a "bait and switch" operation.
If you do your job well, often very few, if any, hear about it and your business grows... but if you do your job poorly, everyone hears about it. I have certainly been convinced into which of the two categories your organization makes its standards. You give ecommerce a bad name and I'm surprised you can maintain a license to operate.
Sincerely,
Dallas
I was then contacted by a Josh Wahl, who told me that I was screwed and just had to live with the charges. Then I was contacted by Ryan Harris, who repeated the sentiment. Finally, I was contacted by Andrea Wonnacott, who repreatedly told me that I had to send them additional cancellation letters, "to close out the account."
Luckily, I was able to prevent them from charging my credit card and ignored them until they went away. I have subsequently successfully gotten the web site built and hosted. If anyone is interested in a reputable, ethical, and economical web builder, I invite you to call me 620-221-2328. Also, if you are considering doing business with Heritage Web Solutions, STOP! Run away from predatory unethical practices that should be prevented.
Dallas
Winfield, Kansas
U.S.A.
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