Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Staffworkx.com, Stephen Plache and Todd Rosholt never paid me for webdesign



So, Stephen Plache and Todd Rosholt of Staffworkx.com and Black Tie Event Services Inc I entered into a contract on March 2010 to design their website staffworkx.com. They paid me a 50% deposit, and we started our project. When I finished the project they just decided not to pay me, laughed at me, and told me to go away. Really professional, BEWARE OF STEPHEN PLACHE AND TODD ROSHOLT AND STAFFWORKX.COM

Here is my story:

They sent me a powerpoint and said you need to make it look like this...well, It doesn't take a genius to understand that .html and a .ppt are two different things not to mention they don't look the same in every browser. Oh ya did I mention they want this website in 1.5 weeks, but sure why not.

I got the site completed for staffworkx....a.k.a. staffworst, and said here you go....They took a week to get back to me even though they needed it done a week ago, and said. Actually use this powerpoint to make it look like. Ok revisions sure, that is normal. But then they kept adding addition after addition. Raping me of phone time ( I spent over 4 hours total on the phone with these people) They would say make this site a quarter inch wider...Are there inches in webdesign?

They wanted to add a blog now, and also a splash page, they fired their logo designer, and made me fix it for free.

So, why was I so nice at the beginning?
Well, I worked with Todd Rosholt ( obviously he isn't much of a pro since his own homepage has a 404)before, and worked with a lovely woman Melissa Banuchi or ReachOptimity.com, and he actually ripped her off too. So, I let some stuff slide, but started to get stern when we were reaching July, and no money had been paid.

So with all the extra revisions, extra site, they owed me $1,600.00. Now in my world people don't pay people only when they are broke. So, I'm just assuming Stephen Plache, Todd Rosholt, and Staffworkx.com are broke, and wouldn't suggest working with them unless you want to work for free.

So how it went down was. We spoke on the phone about the final revisions they wanted, I said email me what you need, and I received an email with 3 attachments, multiple pages of NEW things they wanted and changes to the site. I simply emailed back, I can do the editing of the site to make it look compatible and correct, but I cannot do "additions" until the invoice is paid ( which I had submitted 4 times already). I received an email back 2 days later stating:

Rachael,

After a long and extremely frustrating attempt at building the agreed upon webiste for staffworkx, we have decided to move in a different direction for the remainder of the website's development. The project has not been handled in accordance with the agreed upon terms of the contract including:

- Inaccurate content

- Incomplete content

- Incorrectly formatted content

- Navigational problems

- Non-working links

- Incomplete and innacurate forms

- Lack of timeliness for revisions and deliverables

Furthermore, at this time we have lost confidence that you are able to finish the project as agreed including the recent inaccuracies we presented by email last Sunday. Consider this a formal and legal notice as of June 15, 2010 the termination of our agreement. You may contact me directly if you would like to discuss any options to remedy.

Sincerely,

Stephen J. Plache

ceo/founder

black tie event services, inc.


I picked up the phone and called Stephen Place, and said hey I respect your decision to not work with me, however I need to be paid work work that is completed....Did I mention the site is still up? He told me

I have 2 options...

#1 To Go Away

and #2 To redo the whole site and my server and present it to him, and if he likes it he will pay me.


Now, what would you do?

Would you go buy something, pay 1/2 decided you didn't like it, wouldn't let you webmaster fix it, and keep it?


Really classy Stephen Plache, and Todd Rosholt of Staffworkx.com


If you would like to tell them how lame they are and to pay their web designer you may call them here:


Stephen J. Plache

ceo/founder

black tie event services, inc.

splache@blacktieevent.com

office: 310.337.9900 x 22
mobile: 310.864.2421
fax:
310.337.9916

Todd Rosholt:

todd.rosholt@gmail.com

Phone:310-600-5847


I highly warn anyone of these two men as they have thieved thousands and thousands of dollars from people,

and they don't care and WILL DO it to you.

13 comments:

  1. I have worked with Rachael in the past and we had a WONDERFUL experience and would highly recommend her to anyone I know who is building a website. All work was done on time, to our specifications, and some things were even thrown in for free just because she's nice like that. I would find it VERY hard to believe that what Mr. Rosholt accuses her of in his letter is accurate. Shame on him! Just pay her what she's owed and move on. If they didn't like the way the project was going they should have stopped it oohhhhh about a thousand dollars ago. Duh!

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  2. This is absolutely absurd and yet so common. Guys like these often leave a trail of unpaid invoices and unreasonable demands. Shameful and I will be helping you spread the word on this.

    You want to hit these guys hard with online reputation management, including rating sites -- and SEO that targets their business.

    Seems to me, they need to be taught a lesson from true web divas, they clearly have no idea of how to handle business with integrity and as gentlemen.

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  3. Assholes..... I adore Rachael and she has helped me immensely in getting my site up and running. Their letter/response is lame sounds like they are just trying to make up things to help justify not paying for the design services.

    Jason@envision

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  4. Thanks Jason!

    Ya, they really had no justification as there are no REAL reasons to do what they did. My friend Maria said this:
    Maria Reyes McDavis commented on your link:

    "They suck and ironically enough, after posting on my profile, I've had several people from the event industry that worked for them, shoot me a note -- also talking about their lack of integrity. Its a shame, but what goes around comes around."

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  5. I'm Rachael's father - so anything I say has to be seen in this light. If they showed me video of her robbing a bank in broad daylight I'd still be inclined to look for loopholes. That's what Dad's do.
    But, truly, I know her as a person who has had to battle shyness to go out and start her own service business - and I've seen her try really hard to make her customers very happy.

    Fancy footwork and gaming people are not her forte.

    I've been privy to this deal as it unfolded, and it seemed clear from the start that this client has the potential to pull a stunt like this.

    When you pay a web designer to create your site - there are always changes along the way - and I know Rachael put up a lot of changes - and even an extra mini-site to make the client happy.

    Since no website is ever truly finished, there comes a point where the "design" work is done and the continuing work of webmaster must begin.

    Rachael reached that point and continued for free until it just became ridiculous.

    I hope the client sees the value of paying their bills - and not stealing money from a young woman to run their business.

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  6. I couldn't have said it better myself :)

    That couldn't be more accurate Dad, and lord knows you wouldn't meet a more honest web designer.

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  7. I don't know either Stephen Plache, or Todd Rosholt of Staffworkx.com. I do however recognize piss-poor(as my mother was fond of saying) business practices. The actions that have been explained above could only loosely be categorized as business.

    Hopefully This blog will motivate the Rachael's
    anti-stellar client to pay what is owed.
    If it were me, I would leave this blog live until they paid the $1600 plus interest.

    There should be no mercy for scammers online. They make doing business twice as hard for legitimate entrepreneurs.

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  8. Thanks J! Stephen Plache told me about 3 times how has been in business for 20 years...I am still wondering how. Probably because no one has ever said no to him, well the time has come.
    Thanks for the support!

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  9. Aloha Rachael -

    J sent me this link. I'm adding these guy's names to my regularly updated list of "Uncool people I screen out / don't work with / have pulled a d*ck move".

    Stiff upper lip, Rachael. Remember that professionals always get paid. Don't sacrifice who you are or your quality of work. Just start getting the check first. Contact me through J and when I have some site design I need done I'll get a hold of you.

    Aloha!

    Jared

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  10. The more people who decide to not work with such boneheads the better off the market is!

    The side benefit to this blog is you might meet some cool new clients Rachael.

    J

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  11. Thanks Jared!

    J- You are right, I already have!

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  12. Hi, I can't believe they did this. I had a client who sent us a letter about how pleased she was with our service and when we received her check and deposited it, they was a stop payment on it. I have been trying to collect for this and she has been ignoring our calls. You did a fantastic job with the site to. How do I get in touch with you for some possible work on a site. You definitely seem like the right person and your pricing seems very reasonable for a high quality site. They couldn't event pay you $3200 for all your time and the great service you provided to them.

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  13. Hi Rachel:

    I know that it has been a few years since you posted this: http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/04/09/dealing-with-clients-who-refuse-to-pay/

    but I just wanted you to know that your post has been an inspiration for me. I am in a similar situation. Two days ago, a customer suddenly decided they did not like my designs, AFTER I had been working on it for 2 months. They refused to pay me $350 and I have been confused as to what to do. Seeing your post has not only brought laughter to my day, but has given me faith that those who do such things will receive "poetic justice"

    ReplyDelete