Web Divas: Unprofessional
You know what I can’t stand? When I recommend something to someone and they end up having a bad experience. It makes me feel so ridiculous, and I always worry that they won’t put much faith into my opinion in the future.
This is what happened. Way back in about March of last year, I really wanted a new look for my blog, but didn’t have any spare time at all to dick around with graphics and writing code – I had a couple of two-month-old babies, and a couple of 19-month-old babies who were keeping me super busy, and it’s a miracle that I found any time to blog at all. Well, I’m a cheap bastard. I never buy anything for myself because we never have any extra money. However, someone I know online made a $50 donation to my Paypal account, and said she wanted to participate in the Big Badass Stroller Fund, but since I’d already ordered the stroller, to use the money to buy something just for me. So I ended up browsing around the net, trying to find somewhere I could get a cute little blog template for around fifty bucks. And I ended up on the Web Divas site. I was impressed with their portfolios, and ordered myself a little blog template. The designer, Cherry, was courteous, responsive, tweaked things when I gave her my feedback, and ultimately designed a template I really, really liked. It’s the one I had up before this one, with the kids inside the flower pots. You can still see it on my old blogspot site. I was a happy camper.
So fast forward a few months, and my friend Colleen asks if I know anyone who can design a custom layout for her 3-Day Breast Cancer Walk site. I suggested she get in touch with the Web Divas, as they did such a great layout for me. Unfortunately, Colleen has not had the same good experience I had. Rather, she’s had a pretty sucktacular experience and she’s pretty pissed about it. You can read about what she’s gone through in detail right here, but – long story short, she paid them a lot more money than I did for my site, and hasn’t gotten anything in return, other than her artwork, which they contracted out. And, she’s emailed every one of the Divas, and no one can even be bothered to reply to her. I can’t even imagine what happened on their end – they were so professional and courteous to me a few months ago, and now they’re basically giving Colleen the finger. It bums me out and pisses me off, because I feel like I’m partly to blame for her getting screwed over, since she went with them on my recommendation.
So, just a heads up for anyone looking for a designer. I’m not sure what happened on their end, so I don’t want to be all, “Fucking whores!” or anything, but at the same time, they’ve been just inexcusably flaky, and I completely understand Colleen’s frustration.
Random LaLa Goodness
LaLaGirl is the mother of a teenager and two young sets of twins. She's happily married, loves living in Colorado, and writes almost daily about married life, raising multiples, and parenting a child with autism.
That sucks. You might want to change your link to the divas unless you intend to link to a porn site ;P
Ha!! Thanks for the heads up. Fixed it.
That sucks. I am sorry to hear that I wont be using them.
I hate recommending things to people because if it doesnt work out I feel bad!
That’s why you should send your peeps to Digitally Essential. (shameless plug, i know)
I have been trying to get my site finished by CHERRY since May of last year – they will not answer me either.
dude. i am so feeling her. and you.
i had a similar experience last year with ciao my bella for a blog design. i ended up without the money and no design. AND she sent me an email basically saying she was gonna get me “blackballed” from ever getting a blog design from anyone. yikes! it’s kind of like rolling the dice, really.
echo does great designs too!
Good Lord, what is happening in this world!!!
I was gonna use them too, just cuz you did. Now I’m not! They can kiss my ass and my money goodbye!
So who’s gonna do my site for free now and in return get some free blog sucking up? LOL
Colleen – if you’re interested in me doing a design for you, email me. I’m available.