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:01/29/2024

  Type:Billing 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.

  In april 2023, I signed up with a done for you private label ecommerce. With the company Apical ecommerce. I chose the silver package that advertised 2 winning products, return on investment or money back. Amazon store up and running in 4 months. Its been 6 months going on seven. The great winning product they came up with, is a muslin swaddle blankets. That can be found by multiple sellers on amazon. Apical won't call on the phone, won't answer simple questions. All answers are very broad. I'm supposed to get 2 products, apical tells me, that the blankets are in different colors. So that counts as my 2 products. Apical sends me a invoice asking for over 30 thousand for inventory, no price per unit or quantity. I have already given apical 66 thousand for silver package. And 8 thousand to cover inventory, for a total of 75 thousand. It turns out that the 75 thousand cover nothing. Apical uses predatory and amended contracts . The sells team make it seem as though the quicker everything is signed, the money will roll in. After sending money, it can be weeks to receive anything from apical. The real problem is my failing health. When I found out the true numbers, cost of inventory, apical fees, amazon fees, taxes. It's mathematically impossible.

  Business Response

  Date: 01/30/2024

  
  January 30, 2024
  
  
  To Whom it May Concern:
  
  We are writing in response to the complaint filed by Mr. ***** ****** (hereinafter “Mr. ******”) regarding his experience with our company, Apical Consulting Inc. (f/k/a Apical LLC) (hereinafter “Apical”). We appreciate the opportunity to address this matter and provide our perspective on the situation.
  
  At Apical, we value transparency and strive to provide our clients with the best possible service. We have reviewed the details of Mr. ******'s complaint and would like to present our side of the story for your consideration.
  
  Here is a timeline of events based on our records:
  
  On April 4th, 2023, Mr. ****** initiated their engagement with Apical by sending a $5,000 deposit.
  
  On April 24th, Mr. ****** subsequently wired $70,000 to commence the engagement.
  
  On April 26th, Mr. ****** received an onboarding email from our representative, ******.
  
  On April 27th, ****** sent an email to Mr. ****** regarding the connection to the dashboard.
  
  On April 29th, Mr. ****** contacted ******, expressing concerns about their business email not functioning correctly.
  
  On May 1st, ****** reached out to Mr. ****** to gather necessary documents for the opening of the Amazon Seller Central account. During this communication, Mr. ****** was informed that they would not be onboarded to the dashboard until the new dashboard setup was complete, with an estimated timeframe of two weeks.
  
  On May 2nd, ****** sent an email to Mr. ****** confirming that they had gathered all required documents and initiated the connection with our team member, Saim, to assist in opening the Seller Central account.
  On June 1st, Mr. ****** expressed concerns about the readiness of their store and the lack of dashboard access.
  
  On June 2nd, ****** responded, indicating that Mr. ****** should now have access to the dashboard and provided an explanation of its functionality.
  
  On June 4th, Mr. ****** again inquired about the access to ClickUp, expressing frustration that the process had taken longer than initially anticipated. Mr. ****** also mentioned a potential refund but later apologized for the misunderstanding.
  
  On June 6th, ****** reiterated that Mr. ****** would soon be connected to ClickUp and that this delay was due to the extensive build-out of the new dashboard. Mr. ****** expressed concern about potential fraudulent activity but later retracted this statement, acknowledging that the situation was being addressed.
  
  On June 7th, ****** confirmed that Mr. ****** was connected to their dashboard.
  
  On June 21st, Mr. ****** was introduced to their Client Relationship Manager, *** **, via the dashboard.
  
  On June 23rd, Mr. ****** confirmed receiving the message from *** *. and inquired about the number of products they would be starting with.
  
  On July 6th, Mr. ****** had queries about using the dashboard and sought information about the refund process.
  
  On July 6th, Mr. ****** also asked about refund negotiations, which prompted the scheduling of a call with ********* on July 12th.
  
  On July 7th, Mr. ****** sought clarification on the overall process.
  
  On July 11th, during a call with *********, Mr. ****** confirmed that they had purchased the Silver package for $75,000, contrary to the initial understanding of $67,000.
  
  On July 13th, further confirmation was sought from Apical Accounting regarding the payment amount.
  
  On July 14th, receipts of the payment were shared with Mr. ******.
  
  On July 26th, *** informed Mr. ****** of an upcoming product video to be sent via email.
  
  On July 27th, ********* followed up regarding the receipt of the payment-related information.
  
  On July 30th, *** sent the product video to Mr. ******.
  
  On July 31st, Mr. ****** raised questions regarding the projected profits, which later led to discussions with ********* to clarify.
  
  On August 1st, ********* informed Mr. ****** that they could go over the numbers once the production invoice was ready.
  
  On August 7th, ****** shared accounting information related to Mr. ******.
  
  On August 15th, the product invoice was prepared and sent to Mr. ******, with the subsequent discussion about revising the invoice amount occurring on August 22nd.
  
  On September 27th, a revised invoice was sent, which Mr. ****** claimed not to have received.
  
  On October 9th, ****** initiated the process to pay the supplier bill on behalf of Apical Freight for the difference.
  
  On October 11th, Mr. ****** again expressed not having received the invoice.
  
  On October 12th, ****** explained the discrepancy and the need to cover the initial deposit for production to Apical Accounting and Kodi.
  
  On October 12th, ********* forwarded the invoice to Mr. ******.
  
  On October 16th, *** followed up to confirm Mr. ******'s receipt of the invoice.
  
  On October 19th, he inquired about the $8,000 discrepancy.
  
  On October 31st, Mr. ****** requested a refund, leading to the initiation of the legal process.
  
  On November 8th, ****** requested accounting to wire funds, which faced a delay due to system issues and bank account changes.
  
  On November 13th, ****** followed up on this matter.
  
  On November 15th, Mr. ****** posted a negative review on Google and initiated a BBB complaint.
  
  On November 20th, Mr. ****** sent an email to our advisor team expressing disappointment and seeking a refund.
  
  Our advisor team has continued to work with him to come to a resolution. 
  
  We are committed to addressing Mr. ******'s concerns and working towards a resolution. We have been actively engaged in discussions and adjustments to address the issues raised. It is important to note that the process involves various stages, and we have made every effort to keep Mr. ****** informed and resolve their concerns.
  
  We regret any inconvenience Mr. ****** may have experienced and are willing to continue working towards a satisfactory resolution. Our team is dedicated to ensuring that Mr. ******'s concerns are addressed promptly and effectively.
  
  Please do not hesitate to contact us further if you require any additional information or if there are further steps we should take to address this matter.
  
  Very truly yours,
  
  
  ****** *****
  
  KB/ac
  No Enclosures

  Business Response

  Date: 02/01/2024

  Dear Mr. Miles ******,
  We appreciate your response to our previous message and would like to clarify some important aspects of our engagement:
  1. Refund Offer: To clarify, we did not extend an offer of refund. Our intention has always been to resolve any outstanding issues and provide the services you contracted for. We acknowledge that there have been challenges in our engagement, and we remain committed to addressing them. We have actually paid in advance your yearly warehouse payment, we have covered samples for you, keyword research for ppc, part of your shipping as well because now you are refusing to pay and we are now liable and have to cover your invoice with the suppliers who you refuse pay.
  2. Accountability: It is important to recognize that effective communication and timely payments are integral to the success of any project. While we acknowledge our responsibility in this matter, we also believe it is essential to address areas where client participation is crucial. Delays in response to calls, texts, and invoices have contributed to challenges in the project's progress.
  3. Conduct: We take great pride in our commitment to professionalism and respect in all interactions. It is unfortunate to hear of any issues involving rudeness or disrespect in our communications. We value our team members and strive to maintain a positive and productive working environment.
  4. Work Hours: We have dedicated extensive time and resources to your project, totaling over 4020 hours. Our team has been diligently engaged in managing your account, including taking calls, responding to texts, and maintaining regular ClickUp conversations to ensure the best possible service.
  5. Finally i want to refute your claim with multiple screenshots and you openly admitting that we have been on calls with you and that we do respond and we do email you back as soon as you ping us which for a good 3 months was daily.
  Our aim has always been to provide you with the highest quality service, and we remain committed to doing so. We are open to addressing any concerns or questions you may have and working together to reach a resolution that benefits both parties.
  If you have any further inquiries or require additional information, please feel free to reach out directly.
  Sincerely,
  ****
  Apical Consulting Inc.
  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/07/2024

  Complaint: ********
   
  
  I am rejecting this response because:Apical is lying about everything. Apical spends more time trying to remove reviews than actually responding to customers. As apical has shown in the past they are horrible with math. The product that was selected would lose money. Now Apical says that they spent 4020hr on my product. Well simple math would have told the person writing to the BBB that 4020hr is a lot. I signed up for the apical scam in april 2023. Lets keep it simple and say I worked with apical for a year. 365 days, apical took no breaks, vacation or days off. Seven days a week for a year. 4020 hours divided by 365 equals 11.1hr a days. Now lets take 8 months is 243.3 days lets divide by 4020 hours. That equals 16 hours a day that apical claims that they worked on my product. Apical needs to stop the non sense and come to a resolution with me to resolve our issue. 4020 hours in less than 8 months is laughable. Please show proof Apical that your team spent half a day or more for 365 none stop on my product alone. Its been almost 2 months sense I have heard from Apical legal team tp resolve the issue. At this point over 500 views on my reviews from the internet. sense Apical is terrible with math I will help. If only three customers out of 500. Did not buy your product, at the lowest price. You have lost more monry than just resolving the issue.   

  .Sincerely,

  
  
  
  ***** ******

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/19/2024

  Type:Billing 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 invested almost $50k to get an e-commerce business selling products on ****** *** *** ******* **** **** me it would take 4-6 months to get it off the ground. Implementation was horrible and I never got updated about what was going on with the progress. I would send emails and it would take weeks to hear back from someone. At around the 7th month mark I received an invoice for 35k to be paid in 2 increments but needed to be paid immediately. It said it was for transportation costs and storing of my products. I asked to meet with the team to get information about the invoice. On the meeting I told them I was very disappointed with their onboarding process and it wasn’t made transparent, I would need to come up with 35k more money to keep the process moving. They also told me it would be another 3 months before my store would be up and running. At that point, I informed them, I didn’t have 35k more and asked for a refund. This company feels like a scam and I was nervous to give them any more money. They then told me they would put me in touch with their attorneys. The attorney offered me a settlement of 9k, 5k to be paid immediately and the rest paid over 12 months. The second offer was 12,500 to be paid monthly starting in feb of 2025. I refused and told them I would hire an attorney if we couldn’t get closer to my original investment. Also the contract I signed is incorrect, I invested in the bronze package for 50k, it says i signed up for the 100k package.

  Business Response

  Date: 01/26/2024

  
  January 26, 2024
  
  RE:      Apical Consulting Inc. | ****** ******* | Response to BBB Complaint
  Case No.          ********
  Our File No.     ********
  
  VIA ONLINE SUBMISSION
  
  Better Business Bureau
  ***** * ******
  Omaha, NE 68137
  
  
  To Whom it May Concern:
  
  We are writing in response to the complaint filed by Ms. ****** ******* (hereinafter “Ms. *******”) regarding her experience with our company, Apical Consulting Inc. (f/k/a Apical LLC) (hereinafter “Apical”). We appreciate the opportunity to address this matter and provide our perspective on the situation.
  
  At Apical, we take customer satisfaction seriously and strive to provide clear communication and exceptional service. We have thoroughly reviewed the details of Ms. *******’s complaint and would like to present our side of the story for your consideration.
  
  Here is a timeline of events based on our records:
  
  Timeline of Events Based on Verified Records:
  
  On May 24, 2023, Ms. ******* initiated her engagement with Apical by making an initial purchase of $50,000 for the Bronze package;
  
  On May 29, an onboarding Zoom call was initially scheduled but was subsequently rescheduled;
  
  On June 5, Ms. ******* had a productive onboarding call with our representatives, ****** and ****** signaling the commencement of her journey with Apical;
  
  On June 12, ******, our representative, was onboarded to the client dashboard, and a welcome email was sent, marking the first official step in her engagement;
  
  However, despite our proactive outreach, there was a lapse in communication, as Ms. ******* did not respond to our requests for information;
  
  On June 14, Ms. ******* filled out the onboarding form, which prompted the scheduling of a call with **** to facilitate the opening of her Seller Central Account;
  
  On June 21, *** *., designated as Ms. *******'s client relationship manager, introduced herself in the client dashboard, establishing a point of contact for Ms. *******;
  
  On June 30, Ms. ******* expressed concerns about the timeline, inquiring about her scheduled call with ****;
  
  On July 14, ****** sent a link to schedule a call with ****, attempting to expedite the process.
  Unfortunately, further follow-ups from our team went unanswered, leading to a delay in the initiation of key processes;
  
  On July 27, *** *. reached out to Ms. ******* in the client dashboard, notifying her about the product assignment, Yard Pong;
  
  Subsequently, on July 31, *** *. provided a video presentation to guide Ms. ******* through the product;
  
  As the engagement progressed, it was observed that a meeting with **** was missed, raising concerns about the setup of the Seller Central Account;
  
  On September 8, an invoice was sent to Ms. ******* for her product, Yard Pong;
  
  Ms. ******* expressed her desire for a follow-up call but did not engage with her client relationship manager to schedule one;
  
  The need for a follow-up call was reiterated on September 19, with ****** involving the client relationship manager to ensure seamless communication;
  
  Despite attempts to schedule a call, Ms. ******* mentioned on September 26 that she did not see a booked call;
  
  On October 12, 2023, *** *. proactively reminded Ms. ******* about the payment for the product invoice, demonstrating Apical's commitment to transparent communication;
  
  A productive call was booked with Ms. ******* on October 18, 2023, where she had the opportunity to discuss her concerns directly with Apical's team;
  
  On October 24, 2023, Ms. ******* expressed her desire for a refund on her purchase. Apical promptly initiated the process of addressing her request;
  
  On October 31, 2023, Ms. ******* followed up on her request for a refund, and Apical continued to prioritize her concerns;
  
  Subsequently, on November 1, 2023, ******, on behalf of Apical, contacted the legal department to expedite the resolution process and ensure Ms. *******'s concerns were being addressed promptly;
  
  On November 7, 2023, ****** sent an email to reassure Ms. ******* that the legal team would follow up with her on her request, maintaining Apical's commitment to responsive communication;
  
  On January 19, 2024, ******, aware of Ms. *******'s increasing concerns, promptly forwarded Ms. *******'s email to the Apical outside legal counsel, ensuring that her case remained a priority for Apical's legal team;
  
  We are dedicated to resolving Ms. *******'s issues and reaching an amicable resolution. Our engagement has been proactive, involving ongoing discussions and modifications to address the raised concerns. Recognizing the multifaceted nature of this process, we have endeavored to maintain transparency and address Ms. *******'s concerns at each stage.
  
  We extend our sincerest apologies for any inconvenience Ms. ******* may have encountered. Our commitment to working towards a satisfactory resolution remains unwavering, and our team is devoted to addressing Ms. *******'s issues in a prompt and efficient manner.
  
  We kindly request the Better Business Bureau to consider the comprehensive context of this engagement and recognize our consistent efforts to address Ms. *******'s grievances. Our commitment remains unwavering in ensuring the satisfaction of our clients and upholding the highest standards of professionalism.
  
  For any additional information or actions that may further assist in resolving this matter, we encourage open communication and welcome further contact.
  
  Very truly yours,
  
  
  Kodiak Brown
  
  KB/ac
  No Enclosures

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/05/2024

  
  
  Complaint: 21167197
  
  
  
  I am rejecting this response because I haven’t heard Apical’s attorney since November to get back to me on settlement efforts. Also I don’t agree with the timeline provided by apical. They were sending information to an email address that wasn’t working and they didn’t try calling me when emails were being rejected by their team. Also the email I sent to ****** on the last date provided by apical, they didn’t bother to respond. Their responsiveness is terrible.

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

  Business Response

  Date: 02/14/2024

  Considering Ms. *******'s statement, our response acknowledges the concerns she has raised, while also presenting our perspective on the communication and process challenges encountered. Despite our commitment to a seamless and transparent onboarding and implementation process, we recognize that Ms. ******* felt dissatisfied with the communication and timeline. It's important to note, however, that our team has consistently adhered to the agreed schedule, and any perceived delays were often a result of external factors, including Ms. *******'s availability for communication, her hesitance to fulfill financial commitments in a timely manner, and unfortunately, interactions that have at times been less than constructive.

  
  Our records, supported by multiple screenshots and documented interactions, suggest a different narrative, particularly regarding the efforts made by our team to maintain open lines of communication and to keep Ms. ******* informed at every stage of the process. The issues of delayed responses and the challenges around the email communication mentioned by Ms. ******* were addressed with urgency, including attempts to establish alternative communication methods when necessary. Regarding the financial aspects, the invoices for additional costs were issued in line with the terms agreed upon and were essential for continuing the product’s journey to market. We understand Ms. *******'s concerns about these costs and have sought to discuss them openly, offering several resolutions to address her financial constraints.
  Furthermore, Ms. *******'s assertions of a lack of responsiveness on our part do not fully encapsulate the extent of our attempts to engage with her, including through means other than email, to rectify any misunderstandings and move forward constructively. While we empathize with Ms. *******'s frustrations, we firmly believe that our team has executed their duties diligently and in accordance with the project timeline, notwithstanding the challenges posed by communication breakdowns and financial disagreements.

  
  In light of these considerations, we continue to extend our willingness to find a mutually agreeable resolution and remain open to further dialogue. Our goal has always been to ensure client satisfaction and deliver on our promises, and we regret that Ms. *******'s experience did not meet her expectations. We are committed to learning from this feedback and improving our processes to prevent similar situations in the future.

  :Attached is multiple screenshots as we have said, refuting all claims and showing responses and communication she has falsely accused us of not providing. We are happy to supply phone records as well.