Business-Net.com

# 6 for May 18, 2003

Complaints.com received the following business reply on May 17, 2003:

From: Email User

RE: Responces to Complaint lodge by email

Today you received a complaint against me and my company from Warren Brittingham. I have included a copy of his complaint and below that a response to his outlandish statements

Robert Alessandrini

8410 Imperial Circle

Palmetto, FL 34221

941-729-5226

http://business-net.com

Email User

My Response: On or around Jan 5, 2003 I was given a lead to picking up a customer for a web site. I went to the clients place of business which is Al’s Hubcaps and Wheels. His address is 6300 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL 34231. He had me speak to Warren Britingham who was at the business at the time I stopped by. He described the web site that he said Al wanted. I put together a proposal as I understood the need for the web site. I e-mailed the proposal to Warren Britingham on 1/9/2003. When I did not hear form ReWarren I called him and told me Al’s father had died and it would be a little while. When I did not hear from either Warren or Al, I decided to go to the store and talk with Al. He told me he would like to get going right away on the web site for his business. I asked him if I needed to talk with Warren and Al told me no, Warren has a lot on his plate and Al wanted to get going. He said he did not have a copy of the quote that I had e-mailed to Warren. We discussed what he wanted and he said he would put together something for the pages that I had discussed with Warren. I reissued the Quote to Al at Email User on 3/5/2003. I stopped into the store again and pick up some hand written notes from Al. I said I would start the project but I need half down and six months upfront for the hosting. He gave me two checks. One for $350 which is One half the web design change and a check $230 for the hosting for six months which is $29.95 per month and a $50.00 setup fee. Since he accepted the Proposal it became a contract for work. It spelled out exactly what I would do for him and when provided he gave me his input and material in digits format for the site in a timely manner. The first thing I do when I build a web site is to set up a navigation system and a theme for the site. Once this is done and approved by the client I proceed with filling in all the pages. I designed two themes for him. The first one he did not like the second one met with his approval. Since I knew all the pages he wanted I proceeded to build out the rest of the site. Since his web address was not available to me at the time I put it on one of my site at www.business-net.com/wheels. I emailed him this address on March 28th, 2003. He then e-mailed me and the message was as follows copied directly from his e-mail to me: When Can I Call You to Go Over this? The top part looks much better now, but the

buttons/page headings are not right. Please refer to notes i gave to you.Need to have adress and phone # on page below Name still using blue background but smaller

lettering(fonts).Also want blue background behind the 3 Questions Questions in larger lettering(fonts).Do you need me to crop pictures or do you do it.It is difficult

for me to talk during business hours Eves would be better or ican call you during slow times I gave him my phone number which he had on already on my business card and Contract. He never called me so I stopped by the store once again and he told me what changes he wanted and then said that he wanted to redraw the changes and would get back to me. I never hear from him. Bear I mind that I had already done quite a bit of the work on the web site and all I had to do was fill in the pages when he sent me the digital material. I had also done the home page which he wanted to make changes to. I am use to clients making changes and I am very responsive to them. I have many clients that will attest to that. I never have heard back form AL anymore. Instead Warren got back into the act and started sending me e-mails from . The first on was on 4/11/2003: I spoke to Al yesterday and reveiwed what has happened to this point. He is not happy, nor am I, with the way things have evolved to this point. The time it has taken to build a 5-7 pages site has been WAY to long. I am requesting that you refund Al his money so that we may pursue this page design with other sources. Please advise me when this refund can be processed. Warren I then responded to Warren with the following on4/11/2003. Warren I have started the site and asked al for his input. I have stopped into his store many times. He said he was going to get back to me and I was to wait for him to get back to me. I think it is unfair to accuse me of this. I AM HERE AND WILLING. THE SITE WOULD HAVE BEEN DONE BY NOW IF I HAD WHAT HE WAS GOING TO GIVE ME. LETS TALK AND GET THIS DONE. I am sorry for the misunderstanding. Call me 941-729-5222 He responded with the following e-mail on 4/11/2003: Robert, No one has accused you of anything. All I am saying is that a diagram was given to you which outlined the site. The site is not that hard. AL has decided he wants a certain amount of photos, images, and other crtieria in his site, you have placed limitations which do not meet AL's needs. I beleive your placing those limitations on the number of photos and images for hosting purposes, when in fact no one has even determined the site will be hosted with you. I apologize for the inconveinance if any. Please advise. This is when the trouble began. First of all Al had the contract which was very specific as to what I would do for the money he wanted to pay. I could do as many photos as Al wanted to have on his site. Why would I limit a client. The more they want the more I charge. He never gave me the chance to meet his needs. I then got sick for a week with Flu like systems and was not able to follow-up. I got this e-mail on 4/17/2003: It has now been a week with no responses. At this point their is no negotiating a continuance of this issue. When can Al expect to have his refund. I do not want this to drag on, but I can assure you it will not just fizzle out. Warren I returned his e-mail with the following on I did not respond for two reasons. One I had a release a of the flu systems that I had recently and also you sounded like you had made up your mind. I told him that I had sent you the quote. He wanted a copy of it and told me he wanted to get started because you were too busy. The quote states that the first thing that had to get done was the theme of the web site. I did one for him and he wanted me to change it. I changed it and he said he liked the navigation. He then told me he wanted the address to be put up in the heading of the site. He also had different ideas for the front page then want I put up on the site. He told me he would get back we me with the design. That is what I was waiting for. Even though he did give me some pen drawing of his site he did not supply me with and graphics to use on the site. I cannot put things out of the air. You are right the size of the web site is such that it would not take long to do. But if I don't get the items I need to do it how is it expected to do the site quickly. I don't have this problem with my other clients. They understand that they have to supply me with what they want of the site in digital form (not a piece of paper which is good for layout provided everything needed in supplies on time). He also said that he wanted me to host the site. I don't understand you comment in you email concerning the hosting. I do good work and have many satisfied customers. I have never had someone tell me they did not want my services any longer. I am a patient person and try to work with my clients. Ask Al how many times it stopped by his store (even after he agreed to have me do the site) without him asking me to come by. I randy were alive you could ask him about me since I worked with him and some of his people also without any problems I would like to keep working with Al if I can work with you. On 4/21/2003 He sent an e-mail; Ok well if you assumed my mind is made up then we need to know when the refund will be issued. Warren I asked him if he would work with me and he sent this e-mail on 4/22/2003 Robert, I beleive at this point it would be better for Al to move forward and work with someone here in Sarasota. This is nothing personal I just feel it has taken way to long, whether your faults or ours, things have become a bit stagnent. Please advise when you can refund al his money. Warren A friend of ours died and we had a few e-mails go back and forth for about a week about the service tines. On 4/29/2003 he sent. When can Al Expect his refund? I dont want this to get into litigation. Warren Again that day he sent me the following e-mail Robert, You have successfully avoided every email I have sent you regarding AL's Hubcaps and Wheels. This issue has taken much longer to resolve then needed. This is the final email requesting a full refund to Al's Hubcaps and Wheels. We have tried and tried to resolve this issue, I assume you understand that you are forcing Al to file litigation to recover his losses. This will do nothing but make this process longer and more expensive. If you refuse to respond to this email I will have no choice then to advise Al of your refusal to refund the money. Their is no other choice in this matter then to refund the money, Al has decided along with me that your services, which have not been rendered are not a viable solution for us at this time. I found it quite humorous when I found the slogan "The bottom line is you will know what you are getting, why, and then you will actually get it." This is absolutely not the case in this situation, AL has paid you money, you were aware of an issue with services not being provided, or not fitting the needs of Al's business, and you did nothing to resolve the matter, and now you have let it go weeks upon weeks with no response. Warren I responded on 4/29/2003 with the following e-mail: I will refund Al's money minus $100 for the work I have already done on the project. You said I have done nothing. You are wrong. Al's agreed to a contract for the web site and I started to do it. I did a the navigation and the index page. He saw what I did for him. I also set up the hosting for him. It is not my problem if the client does not cooperate. I will not take the blame for this. I f Al would have worked with me he would have gotten what the contract called for. I hope he cooperates better with the new company or you will have the same result. This money will be sent to Al in two weeks I was being generous because of all the work I had already done hw desired no refund at all. I have done half the work on the site and deserved to keep the money. It is not my doing that he will not long work with me and give me that change to finish the site. He then replied with the following e-mail on 4/29/2003 Not agreeable. $50 is the most we will allow you to keep. The simple fact is you were hired as a web site builder not a business consultant. You continuously told Al that the ideas he had for his web site are not what his customers want, you limited the number of photos, you were just not ready to meet your client's (Al) needs. Again you may keep $50, not $100.00, and as far as two weeks is concerned, no, one week is plenty of time for you to refund money you already have. You would even begin working on the site until you had the money, no on asked you to wait 2 weeks, now the cash flow is reversed and Al should not be asked to wait 2 weeks. Warren I replied to him with an e-mail the same day as follows: I did not limit the number of Photos. They were what was agreed to by Al. I could have put any number he wanted in the quote. List would have increased the cost of the site. He accepted the contract. I did not force him to. I stick to what I said I will return. He responded with the following:

I will notify Al of your decision now, and I will ensure you Robert this will go to litigation. Maybe you should read the emails you sent me and AL before you make your decision, especially the part about NOT limiting photos. If you think you can go in front of a judge, and explain to him why you have done nothing for weeks and weeks and expect to keep his money, have at it. Also if you feel he is paying you for work done, where is the work? Warren The work was on http://business-net.com/wheels. He keeps saying I did nothing. But that is not true. I wrote the check out and mailed it to Al for $ 480.00 on 4/13/2003. On the back of the check I wrote something to the effect that if he endorsed that check he would agree with what I sent him and the whole thing would be over. This is what I got back from Warren on 5/15/2003 Was a check mailed out to Al? Amount of the check? Just so u know if you kept 100.00 your going to get sued. Warren Bear in mind now we are talking about $50.00 because he agree to let me keep$50.00. I sent him back an e-mail on 5/15/2003 and said: I sent the check to Al. It does have $100.00 taken out. For your information. I have a contract for the work I did. If you try to sue me it will cost Al more because I can prove that I did more than the $100 that I kept for the work I already did on his behalf. He sent me back a email on 5/15/2003 I assume you belive in your contract. Look at it like the judge will. What did u do for 100.00.....NOTHING. Did you give al anything? I am writing a letter to the Department of Revenue regarding Business-Net, if you want to plat game Robert trust me, I can show you why you should be more professional. It will cost AL nothing I will pay for his legals fee's just to prove a point. Warren He keeps saying that I did nothing. Not true . He will not listen to anything I said in the prior e-mails. He sent me an e-mail on 5/16/2003 as said the following: Nice Try. Al is not cashing the check to agree with your scam. I am filing a complaint with the BBB, and COC and then we will be filing a complaint in the 12th Judicial Circuit Monday morning. We have asked you for the content you supposedly designed for the 100.00 you think you should keep and you FAILED TO TURN IN OVER. In addition I am filing a formal written complaint to the Department of Revenue in this State, seems the company is owned by you and one other person but yet AL wrote his check out to you alone, maybe they should no this. You can either advise before end of business today that the additional $75 will be returned this weekend or you can face the consequences of your actions, which will include legal action. At this point I decided not to have any more communication with him or Al. He seem unmovable and someone I would be wasting me time talking any further. I received a phone call on Saturday around 2:00pm that he was going to come to my place of business. Appearently I had forgetten to sign the check I sent Al . Why does that matter when he said Al was not going to cash it anyway He threatened to call all my business owners that I do business with. He never showed up a, nut he did call one of people who I did a web site for and asked them how to contact me. When they gave him my business phone which he has, he got mad and told them that their business was a scam. I also received two e-mails form him and have include them here. To whom it may concern, Business-NEt.com is a company owner by Robert G. Alessandrini and Shondi Alan in Palmetto Florida. They claim to be a professional web desgin and hosting business. Recently I wrote them $580 worth of checks to have them desgin a web site for my company. After several weeks with nothing done on the site I contact Alessandrini to see why nothing had been done. After he told me excuse after excuse finally I told him to refund my money and he was no longer neeeded, he told me no several times, then finally said he would refund it minus 100.00 for his time. I asked him what he had done for 100.00 and he couldnt provide one thing. He sent me a check for 480.00 and never signed it. Now he will not return calls, or answer emails. You call his office and get an answering maching that never even mentions his business name. BEWARE OF THIS COMPANY, get your work upfront, we didnt and now we have to sue them to recover from this scam. W.B. Sarasota, FL

Dear Sir/Mam, I received this email from the bbb website as the email for the Sarasota/Manatee Chapter of the Better Bus. Bur. I have a complaint I need to file to hopefully protect consumers in the future regarding this company. Business-Net is a Ficticous Name regsitered with the State of Florida owner by Robert Alessandrini and a women name Shondi Alan. Mr. Alessandrini contact informatio is: Business Net

8410 Imperial Circle

Palmetto, FL 34221

Phone 941-729-5222 - Fax 941-723-2478 Mrs. Shondi Alan's contact information is as follows: (941) 321-0391 (Cellular Phone) This is all the information I have outside of the company's website. (www.busines-net.com) Business-NEt.com is a company owner by Robert G. Alessandrini and Shondi Alan in Palmetto Florida. They claim to be a professional web desgin and hosting business. Recently I wrote them $580 worth of checks to have them desgin a web site for my company. After several weeks with nothing done on the site I contact Alessandrini to see why nothing had been done. After he told me excuse after excuse finally I told him to refund my money and he was no longer neeeded, he told me no several times, then finally said he would refund it minus 100.00 for his time. I asked him what he had done for 100.00 and he couldnt provide one thing. He sent me a check for 480.00 and never signed it. Now he will not return calls, or answer emails. You call his office and get an answering maching that never even mentions his business name. BEWARE OF THIS COMPANY, get your work upfront, we didnt and now we have to sue them to recover from this scam Please call me if you have any question: W. Bri (941) 362-0828 Tel (941) 362-0840 Fax You can call any of my other clients that are listed on my web site http://business-net.com and ask them how they were treated. I am a responsible business person in this area and have never had any trouble like this in the past. I need to respond to these outlandish statements. Robert G. Alessandrini

8410 Imperial Circle

Palmetto, FL 34221

941-729-5226

Complaints.com received the following on May 17, 2003:

From: W. Brittingham [Email User]

RE: Business-Net.com - received refund check that wasn't signed - now calls not being returned

To whom it may concern,

Business-NEt.com is a company owner by Robert G. Alessandrini and Shondi Alan in Palmetto Florida. They claim to be a professional web desgin and hosting business.

Recently I wrote them $580 worth of checks to have them desgin a web site for my company. After several weeks with nothing done on the site I contact Alessandrini to see why nothing had been done.

After he told me excuse after excuse finally I told him to refund my money and he was no longer neeeded, he told me no several times, then finally said he would refund it minus 100.00 for his time. I asked him what he had done for 100.00 and he couldnt provide one thing.

He sent me a check for 480.00 and never signed it. Now he will not return calls, or answer emails. You call his office and get an answering maching that never even mentions his business name.

W.B.

Sarasota, FL