Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:26/05/2025

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I hired Lightblock Capital, a BC-based company, to complete website development work totaling approximately $1,350 CAD, including custom coding and design work. Of that amount, $350 was specifically allocated to a custom landing page.Despite providing detailed briefs and maintaining ongoing communication over nearly six months, the landing page delivered was incomplete, unprofessional, and unusable. Multiple agreed-upon elements were either omitted or poorly implemented, and repeated requests for adjustments were either ignored or acknowledged without any follow-through.A second key component involved formatting the service images on my site into square thumbnails. This change alone took over eight months, and in the process, their developers removed the existing lightbox feature from my site. Ive since asked them multiple times to reinstate the lightbox, which was part of the original functionality, but have been completely *************** of their team members, ****** *******, who I had worked with for over a year, abandoned the project without notice. His last message stated he would deliver the requested work within two weeks after which he ceased all contact (no replies to calls, texts, or emails). I was then transferred to another team member, *** *******, who has now also stopped responding entirely, despite several polite follow-up attempts.This experience has led to extensive delays, stress, and a subpar product that has affected my business. I have a full paper trail documenting the project scope, commitments made, and communication throughout. I have requested a partial refund of $650 CAD, which I believe is fair given the outcome, time lost, and poor handling of this engagement. As of today, I have received no response.

  Business Response

  Date: 30/05/2025

  Scope and Deliverables Completed
  Original Contract (Invoice #*** - August 23, 2024):
  
  On-Page SEO optimization ($800)
  Technical SEO improvements ($100)
  Lead magnet setup ($250)
  Custom landing page setup ($200)
  
  All contracted work was delivered in full.
  Revised Scope (February 24, 2025):
  Following a video consultation, the customer identified their highest priority: converting service page images to new dimensions. This complex programming task was successfully completed on approximately 60 images at considerable additional cost to contractor LBC, requiring skilled development work on an unlicensed Shopify template (see Technical Challenges below).
  
  Timeline and Communication
  Contrary to the complaint's characterization, communication was consistent and professional throughout:
  
  September-December 2024: Customer was slow to respond during this period, which suited both parties' schedules
  January 2025: Staff transition occurred when originally assigned employee began full-time employment elsewhere; LBC assignee seamlessly assumed project management
  February 24, 2025: Productive video call established revised priorities and scope
  Project completion: All deliverables met within reasonable timeframes
  
  Technical Challenges and Additional Value
  The customer failed to disclose that their ******* website used an unlicensed and outdated Shopify template. This created significant technical obstacles as our programmers had no template support from the licensor, making the development work extremely difficult and time-consuming. Despite these challenges, *** successfully completed all requested modifications.
  
  Scope Creep and Subjective Requests
  The complaint references numerous change requests that fell outside the original scope:
  
  Rebranding requests: Customer requested that we change existing branding to a different brand throughout the websitework not included in original agreement
  Endless graphic modifications: Customer requested continuous design changes, requesting reversions to previous states after work was completed
  Subjective design preferences: Customer's evaluation of the landing page as "unprofessional" represents personal aesthetic preferences rather than technical deficiencies
  
  LBC reasonably declined to engage in endless revision cycles that would have been financially unsustainable.
  Lightbox Functionality
  While we do not know if the customer's recollection of  "lightbox" functionality in 2024 is accurate, this feature was not mentioned during our February 24, 2025 consultation when the customer specifically identified image dimensions as the "absolutely most important" priority. *** successfully delivered on this stated priority.
  
  Financial Considerations
  The customer's refund request is problematic for several reasons:
  
  Government funding: This project was 100% funded through ****, meaning any refund would need to be directed to the government program, not the customer
  Work completed: All contracted deliverables were successfully provided
  Additional value: Customer received significant programming work beyond original scope at no additional charge
  
  Conclusion
  *** takes pride in delivering professional web development services and maintaining positive client relationships. In this case, we successfully completed all contracted work under challenging technical circumstances and provided additional value through complex programming tasks. The complaint appears to stem from unrealistic expectations regarding ongoing design modifications rather than any failure to deliver agreed-upon services.
  We remain committed to our professional standards and believe our track record speaks to our integrity and competence in the web development field.
  
  Respectfully submitted,
  *** *******
  President
  Lightblock Capital Inc.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:28/01/2025

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I hired Lightblock to design a new website through the ******************************** ******** priority requests for the new website was connectability and integration between the website booking software and the other booking sites my rental property is registered with, plus to improve visibility and SEO's and they would teach me how to manage the website myself so i could make changes when needed. They promised that they would do ******* the deadline came to submit my invoices to the Government, even though the project was not yet complete, I had to pay them the remainder amount. From the moment I paid them they became less attentive to my requests. They said the website was done. When I reviewed it i saw that the booking system they used, that was an optional part of the template I chose, is not able to be integrated with my other booking platforms as was my main goal and request. When I addressed them with it they did everything to deflect responsibility and instead it was my fault because I chose the template. When they initially informed me that there was a possibility to set up that booking engine, I asked them to confirm first that it could be connected. They did not do that, instead they went ahead, wasting so many hours of the time that was set for the ****** I trusted them.When I asked them to correct it I received an email saying they no longer work on websites. They dropped me like a hot potato. They didn't walk me through navigating the website as they were supposed to. and they didn't even provide me with the necessary codes to access the software to be able to make changes immediately. I had to request access weeks later. They left me in the dark to have to hire someone else to **** the website. The only good thing they completed for the website were the pages, but even there there were requests that they did not complete. I feel misled and scammed and with an even more inferior website than the one I had that they were apparently upgrading.

  Business Response

  Date: 07/02/2025

  Dear Better Business Bureau,
  We appreciate the opportunity to respond to complaint #********, received in the mail today, February 7, 2025, regarding services provided to Luannah Livermore. We respectfully submit that this complaint mischaracterizes both our delivery and support, and omits crucial facts. Here is a comprehensive timeline and response:
  
  1. Project History and Delivery:
  - Initial engagement began August 2023, working without payment for two months
  - Project paused by customer, then restarted in 2024 with new requirements
  - In summer of 2024, Customer selected Carsten theme and booking platform
  - Delivered completed website September 2024
  - Full payment ($2,520) received September 25, 2024, reimbursable through ******************************** Grant
  
  2. Project Scope and Delivery:
  - Delivered all contracted elements per invoice:
    * WordPress website with Elementor builder
    * WooCommerce booking integration that customer declined to add on
    * Basic booking functionality via customer-selected Carsten theme
    * SEO optimization
  - Invested approximately 3x more hours than budgeted
  - Built two complete websites during engagement period
  - Delivered all elements required for **** ***** ******************** Post-Completion Support:
  - Provided detailed response to concerns (December 4, 2024)
  - Furnished complete handover documentation (December 19, 2024) including:
    * ThemeForest account access
    * Qode Interactive support credentials
    * Theme purchase codes
    * Detailed transition instructions
  - Actively assisted with account transfers through January 24, 2025
  
  4. Key Facts Omitted from Complaint:
  - Project was funded by **** ***** with 100% reimbursement
  - Customer selected the Carsten theme and its native booking functionality
  - Company provided extensive unpaid work beyond contracted scope
  - Company delivered a fully functional Carsten booking system that Customer chose not to use
  - Company delivered extensive work and support for a modest $2,400 plus GST total cost, which was fully reimbursable through the **** *****
  - Full handover documentation was provided over a month before BBB complaint
  - Company actively assisted with technical transitions until January 2025 despite Customer making false claims about website completion to third parties
  
  5. Resolution Status:
  - Delivered contracted website with all specified functionality including the Carsten booking system selected by Customer
  - Provided complete access to theme licensing and support
  - Facilitated account transfers
  - Offered clear alternatives for additional customization
  
  Our company delivered all contracted elements, provided extensive support beyond scope, and facilitated a complete handover of all resources. The complaint's characterization of an "incomplete website" is incorrect - we delivered a fully functional website with all contracted elements, including the customer-selected theme and booking system.
  
  While we are no longer offering web development services, we have acted professionally throughout this engagement, including during the transition period. 
  
  Sincerely,
  *** *******
  President, Lightblock Capital Inc.