AVOID AT ALL COSTS.
I am a complete novice when it comes to websites. And this was made clear from the beginning.
I was told an original figure of £599 for the website, this seemed reasonable to me and around what I was wanting to pay so I decided to take the plunge and go for it. This was what I was told that I would have a website for.
Total so far £599
I sent over photos and detailed write ups of each item. Then I was told that if I wanted them to do the write ups and make sure that the website had all the correct jargon to be compliant for google to accept it as an ecommerce website then it would cost me £480. I could of course do this myself I was told, but as they well knew I had no clue what needed doing, so I paid them to do it.
Total so far £1079.
I was then informed that I have to pay them to have it on their servers, I think the one year package was £500 or get great value on the 3 year deal which was £840. So of course I was talked into the 3 year deal.
Total so far £1919
At the beginning whilst it was still in the latter parts of the design stage, (we were still ironing out some details) I was told that the website had been made live. After this I was then told that any further changes I would be charged for as it was now live and not in the development stage anymore. I still hadn't finished it how I wanted it, but I was then stuck with it as it was, or pay to have more things done to it.
After a couple weeks of the website being live and after having some issues I was informed that I had to pay them to maintain it throughout the year, basically just to keep the thing actually online so people could use it. This was £400. Although this was probably the best £400 I spent with them as it had endless issues throughout the whole year. And had I not had it, it would have been useless by the end of January. I was also told whilst paying this that it was for all maintenance of the site and I would incur no other charges. I made sure I asked this as now I was at the point where I couldn't afford to keep paying out money for the site I was told would cost me £599.
Total so far £2319
Move on 4 months, the site had been OK, although on several occasions I had to inform them that the website was not working. Which they got back online, thanks to the £400 maintenance package. Thank god I had that. Then would you believe it I had some issues with the site where all my product pages went wrong and all merged over each other so nothing could be read. I was told that this was due to a WordPress update which had to integrated into my website. This of course was not free, oh no. For the small fee of £249 plus £49 for a malware plugin. Of course I didn't have to have this I could just keep my website so no-one could read anything on there or order anything. I was also explained that this was not part of my £400 maintenance package which I was assured covered everything. So I had to pay it.
Total so far £2617
I hadn't asked for anything to be added throughout the whole year. I then had an issue with the email account. During this time I couldn't receive or send any emails. I sent this across and asked them to rectify it. I was told that because the site was receiving more traffic that I had to upgrade it, this could be done for the small fee of just £499. Bargain. By this time I was completely fed up of being ripped off by these lot and refused to pay it. I then deleted some emails that I saved on there and hey presto it started working again.
Which brings us up to now. Nearly a year to the day it went live in the first place. I have a phone call from them last Wednesday saying that none of their websites are ADA compliant and that everyone has 5 days to pay them £500 to make it ADA compliant or the website will be taken down, or find someone who can do this for you. This by the way is an American law and also a 2010 act so should have been made compliant when they made the website for me last year. When I said this I was told that it was my fault for not telling them that I wanted it made ADA compliant at the time. As if someone who knows nothing about web development is going to ask for that to be done. In this tiny timeframe I tried to find someone local who I could speak to about this. I did and I managed to speak to them this very morning. The earliest they could get me in for a chat. They also stated that this is an American law and UK sites don't need to apply to it. He runs various websites on the same WordPress program they use and has never heard of this. I messaged them back at 11.15 this morning to say I had found someone who was willing to help me. I didn't hear anything back . After more messages to them and ringing endless times I finally got a response at 15.00. I was then told that if it wasn't done today by my guy then the site would be taken down and the only way to get it back up is by paying them to do it. My site has now been taken down and I am left £2617 out of pocket with nothing to show for it.
DO NOT USE THEY WILL RIP YOU OFF!!!!!!
Reply from Technoticx
Thank you for your feedback. We’d like to clarify the situation and provide some context for potential clients. Our agency prides itself on transparency, professionalism, and delivering quality service.
The services provided to you were based on a clear agreement and understanding from the beginning, and we have delivered everything as outlined. We always ensure that clients are aware of the costs involved before proceeding with any additional work.
Initial Website Agreement: The original price of £599 was for the website design, and additional costs were discussed upfront when services like content writing and SEO compliance were requested. These were optional, and the prices were explained clearly at the time.
Ongoing Support & Maintenance: The £400 maintenance package was offered to ensure your website remained functional and secure, which covered ongoing support. We did not charge for minor fixes or updates unless they were outside the scope of the initial agreement.
Additional Services & Updates: Due to technical issues such as a WordPress update and a malware plugin, additional charges were necessary to ensure the website’s proper functioning. We always make sure clients understand why these costs are needed, especially when dealing with technical issues.
Email & Traffic Upgrades: When your email issues arose and your website traffic increased, we recommended upgrades to support those changes. Again, these options were explained clearly, and we did not force these services on you.
ADA Compliance: Regarding ADA compliance, while it is a US-specific requirement, we did inform you of this need, as it affects many websites. We offered to assist with this, and you were given the choice to find another provider or handle it independently.
We are sorry to hear you are dissatisfied, but we have always provided the services you requested in good faith and according to the terms agreed upon. Our goal is always to ensure our clients are happy and their websites function effectively.
If you would like to discuss this further, we are open to resolving any outstanding concerns directly with you. We value all our clients and strive to deliver the best service possible. Thank you for your time.