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:06/18/2025

  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.

  Complaint Against: Web Design Velocity I entered into a contract with Velocity under the promise that they would build a high-performing, secure, ******-optimized website for my business. I paid $3000 for a three-year service marketed as a "special ****** site" that would outrank and outperform standard websites. This never happened. My ****** rankings didnt improve, and the site was plagued with technical issues from the start.Summary of Issues:False Promises About SEO and Ranking Velocity claimed their specialized ****** site would boost my rankings. Despite their claims, there was no improvement in traffic or SEO, even after months of ************** Issues and Failed Migration They persuaded me to leave ****** Workspace for a cPanel-based email. It was unstable from day onefrequent outages, bounced client emails, and eventual blacklisting.They blamed my email marketing (even after I stopped all marketing for weeks). I eventually returned to ****** Workspace, losing time, money, and client ********** Hacked and Extra Charges My website was hacked and redirected to a spam site. I was told monitoring wasn't their responsibility, despite paying thousands.They charged me an additional $3000 to fix it, with no accountability. It took over a week, during which I lost access, business, and ******************* Access and Unapproved Restrictions I was locked out of my backend for over a week. When I finally tried logging in, I was denied accesswasting an entire weekend.Later, I discovered my blog now requires a passcode to view, without my consent, hurting my content visibility.Lack of Accountability Anytime I raised concerns, they deflected blame.I paid over $6000, yet received poor service, recurring problems, and no real value. Their team was unresponsive and failed to meet basic expectations for hosting, security, or support.

  Business Response

  Date: 07/01/2025

  To Whom It May Concern,
  
  We appreciate the opportunity to formally respond to Ms. ******* complaint and take this matter very seriously. Our intention has always been to deliver professional, reliable service. Below is a detailed breakdown of the situation, actions taken, and clarification around expectations and scope.
  
  1. Acknowledgement of Security Breach & Full Site Recovery:
  
  Ms. ******* website did unfortunately experience a security breach due to an external vulnerability. Once notified, our team responded immediately and resolved the issue with urgency and care. Actions taken included:
  
  Full restoration of the website within 24 hours
  Deep malware cleanup, including the removal of 80+ infected or suspicious files
  Elimination of unauthorized admin accounts
  Repair of redirection issues to adult and gambling sites
  Correction of broken scripts affecting contact forms and visual elements
  Submission of a validation request to ****** Search Console to begin reindexing and de-listing of spam URLs
  We also prepared and sent a video walkthrough showing that all core pages were functioning correctly post-repair.
  
  2. ****** Indexing & Traffic Clarification:
  
  After cleanup, we submitted a formal reindexing/validation request to ******. At the time of submission, over ******* spam URLs were indexed. As of the latest scan, this number had reduced to *******, and continues to decline.
  
  Our internal team confirmed the following:
  The traffic Ms. ****** observed earlier was not organic or valid website traffic it was referral traffic from spam pages caused by the redirect exploit. As ****** continues to de-index these malicious URLs, this inflated traffic will naturally decrease.
  However, this is a positive development, as it will allow accurate, legitimate traffic to emerge over time. ****** does not provide an exact timeframe for full deindexing, but the cleanup is actively in progress.
  We have included this technical breakdown in the attached case study, which outlines the timeline, tools used, and post-hack analytics for transparency.
  
  3. ************** Clarification:
  
  Ms. ******* email issues stemmed from a migration from ****** Workspace to cPanel, which was performed independently and not by our team. Despite this, we:
  Reviewed her DNS and MX records (which were confirmed correct)
  Provided screenshots as proof
  Offered support beyond our scope to help identify the issue
  Issued a voluntary $900 refund for unrelated services, as a goodwill gesture
  At no point did we encourage or manage the migration to cPanel, nor did we restrict her from returning to ****** Workspace.
  
  4. Access Restrictions & Plugin Limitations:
  
  Temporary backend restrictions were applied as a necessary security step during malware cleanup. Once the risk was mitigated:
  Full access was restored, and safe plugin management was advised
  The blog visibility issue was caused by plugin settings affected during the breach, and was immediately fixed upon discovery
  Our intent was to protect the clients site and reputation not limit her access.
  5. Cannot Add Pages Concern and Tutorial Access:
  
  Following the breach, plugin access was temporarily restricted to prevent further vulnerabilities. Full access was later restored. Regarding Ms. ******* concern about not being able to add pages, we created a clear, easy-to-follow tutorial video demonstrating how to do this directly within the WordPress dashboard.
  This tutorial is available here:
  How to Add Pages WordPress Tutorial
  If anyone would like a permanent copy or access to the case study, they may email us at ************************************************************.
  
  5. Communication, Support & Refunds:
  
  Throughout the project, we maintained open lines of communication, including:
  Multiple email and video updates
  Real-time login support
  Post-issue documentation and follow-ups
  Voluntary $900 refund as a sign of goodwill
  We did not abandon our client during any phase of the engagement and consistently worked beyond scope to deliver support.
  
  6. Current Website Status:
  
  Website is live, clean, and functioning properly
  Blog and core content are fully accessible
  Email is restored via ****** Workspace
  Admin access is fully active
  Spam URLs are being removed from ****** index gradually
  A case study is attached to this response for BBBs review along with video tutorial showcasing pages easily being added/removed
  
  Final Position:
  
  We fully acknowledge that the security breach created disruptions, and we took comprehensive steps to resolve every aspect of it swiftly and professionally. We also acted in good faith to support email-related issues outside of our original scope and issued a partial refund with no obligation.

  
  Based on the evidence of our work, responsiveness, and transparency, we respectfully request that this case be marked as resolved.
  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/02/2025

   
  Complaint: 23485254
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  Please see responses in PDF where they are highlighted in red - below responses are in parentheses

  1. Acknowledgement of Security Breach & Full Site Recovery:
  
  Ms. ******* website did unfortunately experience a security breach due to an external vulnerability. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? I paid for a website that you would monitor for 3 years I was told the breach was not their problem. Once notified, (again, I was told it was not their problem and that was the initial response, there was no immediate response other than it was not their problem) our team responded immediately and resolved the issue with urgency and care. Actions taken included:
  
  Full restoration of the website within 24 hours (this took 7 days not 24 hours this is untrue)
  Deep malware cleanup, including the removal of 80+ infected or suspicious files
  Elimination of unauthorized admin accounts (Only myself and my intern had access it was given to no one else)
  Repair of redirection issues to adult and gambling sites ( I only saw t-shirt sites what do you mean gambling sites? This is the first I have heard)
  Correction of broken scripts affecting contact forms and visual elements (First time I have heard of this)
  Submission of a validation request to ****** Search Console to begin reindexing and de-listing of spam URLs
  We also prepared and sent a video walkthrough showing that all core pages were functioning correctly post-repair. (I did not receive a video)
  
  2. ****** Indexing & Traffic Clarification:
  
  After cleanup, we submitted a formal reindexing/validation request to ********* the time of submission, over ******* spam URLs were indexed. As of the latest scan, this number had reduced to *******, and continues to decline. (I paid you to manage my website for three years how did this happen -I was told it was my fault)
  
  Our internal team confirmed the following:
  The traffic Ms. ****** observed earlier was not organic or valid website traffic it was referral traffic from spam pages caused by the redirect exploit. As ****** continues to de-index these malicious URLs, this inflated traffic will naturally decrease. (OK understood shouldnt have happened on your watch in the first place)
  However, this is a positive development, as it will allow accurate, legitimate traffic to emerge over time. ****** does not provide an exact timeframe for full deindexing, but the cleanup is actively in progress.
  We have included this technical breakdown in the attached case study, which outlines the timeline, tools used, and post-hack analytics for transparency. (I asked many times for an itemized list of what they did and NEVER received one)
  
  3. ************** Clarification: (Please note that the email issues continued for months, and not until I requested they move me back to my workspace email that they even offered this as an option the amount of emails missed, unsent, etc., was significant and caused loss of revenue)
  
  Ms. ******* email issues stemmed from a migration from ****** Workspace to cPanel, which was performed independently and not by our team. (THIS WAS 100% DONE BY YOUR TEAM) Despite this,we:
  Reviewed her DNS and MX records (which were confirmed correct)
  Provided screenshots as proof
  Offered support beyond our scope to help identify the issue
  Issued a voluntary $900 refund for unrelated services, as a goodwill gesture
  At no point did we encourage or manage the migration to cPanel, nor did we restrict her from returning to ****** Workspace. (I was told over and over that the email issues were my fault because of my email marketing (through Constant Contact) I stopped it altogether, and they still insisted the problems that continued were my fault)
  
  4. Access Restrictions & Plugin Limitations:
  
  Temporary backend restrictions were applied as a necessary security step during malware cleanup. (I was restricted from day one from adding or updating plugins did not, and was still told I did and it was my fault) Once the risk was mitigated:
  Full access was restored, and safe plugin management was advised
  The blog visibility issue was caused by plugin settings affected during the breach, and was immediately fixed upon discovery (I discovered it told them they fixed I should not have to discover issues with my site I paid them for three years of upkeep)
  Our intent was to protect the clients site and reputation not limit her access.
  5. Cannot Add Pages Concern and Tutorial Access:
  
  Following the breach, plugin access was temporarily restricted to prevent further vulnerabilities. Full access was later restored. Regarding Ms. ******* concern about not being able to add pages, we created a clear, easy-to-follow tutorial video demonstrating how to do this directly within the WordPress dashboard. (I do not recall saying I could not add pages around this time frame at all)
  This tutorial is available here:
  How to Add Pages WordPress Tutorial (I did not receive this, and I know how to do this I build WordPress websites on the regular for my clients)
  If anyone would like a permanent copy or access to the case study, they may email us at ************************************************************.
  
  5. Communication, Support & Refunds:
  
  Throughout the project, we maintained open lines of communication, including:
  Multiple email and video updates
  Real-time login support
  Post-issue documentation and follow-ups
  Voluntary $900 refund as a sign of goodwill
  We did not abandon our client during any phase of the engagement and consistently worked beyond scope to deliver support.
  
  6. Current Website Status:
  
  Website is live, clean, and functioning properly
  Blog and core content are fully accessible
  Email is restored via ****** Workspace
  Admin access is fully active
  Spam URLs are being removed from ****** index gradually
  A case study is attached to this response for BBBs review, along with video tutorial showcasing pages easily being added/removed (again,not sure what you are referring to here)
  
  Final Position:
  
  We fully acknowledge that the security breach created disruptions, and we took comprehensive steps to resolve every aspect of it swiftly and professionally.We also acted in good faith to support email-related issues outside of our original scope and issued a partial refund with no obligation.
  (It should not have happened I paid them to maintain my site they did not)
  

  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ****** ******

  Business Response

  Date: 07/15/2025

  The client has proposed a resolution that's being internally discussed, once she gets back from vacations, we will mutually agree to it and update the correspondence here. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/17/2025

   
  Complaint: 23485254
  
  I am rejecting this response because: a resolution has not been agreed upon.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ****** ******

  Business Response

  Date: 08/01/2025

  We appreciate your engagement and cooperation throughout the resolution process.

  In response to the concerns outlined in your document titled Velocity Web Design Issues and DPC,  we are confirming our agreement to your resolution request. As such, we will process a half refund of the most recent payment made for redirecting your website.

  The total amount paid was $2,975, and the agreed refund amount is $1,487.50.

  We request that you acknowledge this resolution on BBB so that we may proceed with the refund and bring this matter to a close. We look forward to your confirmation.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/01/2025

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. I have not received the refund and will reopen this case if I do not receive it in 5 biz days.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ****** ******

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/07/2024

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore 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 filed a complaint back on 6/11/2024. I felt that I was being mistreated as a customer, and the only reason I decided to stay as their customer was that ****** Haven said that I would have to reimburse him $740 for an LLC license. I believe that they are overcharging for their services. I paid $3000 for the *** package. I haven't seen any of the blogs that they wrote. I requested to see them so they could be published on my website. I have yet to see the blogs. Who should I call to learn about the fair prices for an LLC license in ****? The website says the cost is only $99.Another strange event recently happened with my business's Instagram and ******** pages. They are also way overcharging for this service, like $3,800. I am disappointed with the services I received from Web Design Velocity. I feel like I have been misled. ****** Haven told me I would get ****** new followers through a unique cooperation between Instagram, ********, and ******. He told me he could not advertise my business page to American exclusive businesses. However, I am seeing fake business pages without profile pictures or posts. I do not need this type of phony business to promote my page. This will not benefit my business at all. Plus, ****** Haven charged me $3,800 for his services. I want my money refunded, please. My money would be put to better use in other ways. My website has been live since July, bringing me in no business. This is all credit card debt, and I am a simple single woman living on SSDI.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/11/2024

  Type:Customer Service 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 wanted a website for my virtual assistant business, so I contacted Web Design Velocity. Web Design Velocity gave me a reasonable price of $297, which I paid out of my ************************* account on May 22nd, 2024. However, they wanted additional money for a lifetime domain name from ******* The cost for that was $900. They also wanted another 740 for an LLC. I told them that the price for an LLC was much lower than that. The company charged my credit card for the $700 and tried to charge my credit card again. US Bank is working to ensure the money is returned to my account. The company provided me with documents they forged as a receipt for their services. The company has my address and social security number. I have more documents to share with BBB.

  Business Response

  Date: 06/13/2024

  Dear BBB and *************************,

  
  Attached, you will find a case study detailing our complete correspondence with the client, including screenshots that explain the situation in full. We are open to any resolution that the BBB or our client, *************************, may propose.

  
  Please note that we have already refunded the full amount of $2,069 for the three services provided:
  Website Design: $399
  Business Registration and Filing Officer: $780
  ICANN-registered Domain: $995

  Please note, we have issued this refund until the case is resolved because we are committed to ensuring client satisfaction. Web Design Velocity is prepared to provide any additional documentation or email correspondence if required.

  Thank you for your attention to this matter.