Comments on: Web Template Scam

By: Apac Capital Group

Apac Capital Group — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 19:56:50 +0000

FRAUD-SCAM ARTISTS
We were ripped off $950 from US Website Builder
They took our money and did nothing but kill our business
We were okay on ranking before they made sure to eliminate us on the search engines.
There is one lady who controls it and says she is 10 different ladies(she sounds exactly the same-she doesn`t bother to change her voice

By: chris barnett

chris barnett — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 14:58:48 +0000

I’m in the process of having a website built by a company that told me from the start that its a template I select and they modify it to my requirements. They are a company from India so I was a bit hesitant. It costs me $699.00 for everything including flash and hosting. The website isn’t finished yet but I must say the level of service has been excellent. However, I would be unhappy if I’d paid $2000 and then found out its a template. I think if they tell you its a template and the price reflects that, then there’s no problem. They have almost finished my website and it looks great, it should be live sometime soon. I hope this feedback helps.

By: Ricky

Ricky — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 00:14:25 +0000

@Richard, all these templates sites re-sell their templates to multiple buyers.

If you take Template Monster for example, the re-sell the same template for about $50 to whoever will buy it. They also offer a ‘unique price’, where you can purchase the template for about $1,500 and they will remove it from their website so no one else can purchase it again.

Most template sites operate this way – that’s how they can continue to sell quality templates at low prices. Compared to buying a 100% custom design, they are usually worth the cheap price… as long as you don’t mind other sites having the same design as you somewhere else on the web. But the chances of you running into one is slim.

By: Richard

Richard — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 03:37:15 +0000

What’s up with the fact that there are a whole bunc h of webtemplate sites all carrriying the same web templates?

By: Deez

Deez — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 20:45:31 +0000

It’s really sad that I have people contacting me all the time with this exact same problem. They paid for a custom web design to later find out that it is basically just a web template.

The only thing i can think of to help so others won’t fall into the same trap as you is to report that company to ripoffreport.com. Hopefully by doing this, it will show their potential clients what kind of web design company/individual they are dealing with and will look elsewhere.

Does anyone else have any suggestions on how to deal with web design scams & fraud?

By: Terri

Terri — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 02:22:19 +0000

Your article on web scammers passing templates off as custom hit home for me. I just lost in court to a scammer (an out of work receptionist) who passed herself off as a web designer. She downloaded free templates, told me they were custom, told me she could put my videos on the site,,but couldn’t, I had to find someone to SEND them to her..then she sent me a bill for 3500 dollars!

I sued, she only got 1300. Lesson learned. I wish someone would do a newspaper/web article on how web design is the Home Improvement Scam of the new millinium! The courts are impressed by the web designers apparent mumbo jumbo and are so confused, they end up legally splitting the baby. You can’t win if your a consumer!

By: Cathy Bestland

Cathy Bestland — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 20:00:54 +0000

I purchased a template design website from Mint Tree Media in Montrose Colorado. I now know I have been scammed but at the time I did not know that I should have seen a contract. It took 3 months of begging and pleading and threathening to get a VERY poorly designed site with incorrect information. I was told all along (even in emails) that I would recieve a disc with the FLA codes so that I could update my site in the future. Now the owner is refusing to give me the code and wants to charge me $150 per hour to make the corrections that he never go right in the first place. I cannot go to anyone else to make te repairs with out the FLA code. Is there any way that I can get the code off my website? I do not know what to do.