****Consumer Alert ****

Heritage Internet Technologies
http://www.hitwebdesign.com/
www.hwsinet.com
www.hitwebdesign.com

They also do business as:
Heritage Web Design
The Heritage Group, LLC
Zipper Web
Heritage Web Solutions
Yellow Page Partners
Chamber Partners
Hit Web Design

They have over 660 complaints with the Utah Better Business Bureau and they have a D- rating. Check out the video that KSL News did on them: http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=148&sid=10850739

This is what happened to a friend of mine who owns a General Contracting business in Utah. They can’t post this because HIT has a clause in their Terms of Service, which is 54 paragraphs, that customers cannot say any negative comments about them!! Who reads that long of an agreement! Of course the negative claims are in paragraph 46. So I’m doing it for them! I went on the internet and found all sorts of complaints about the company from customers and former employees. I’m surprised HIT is still in business. There is another web designer in Utah who is marketing on Hit’s numerous customer complaints (which is who my friend’s company is now using). Check out this link: http://warnerdata.com/component/content/article/36-blog/112-buyer-beware-heritage-web-design.html.

The sales person sucks you in with a great sales pitch. The sales rep my friend had was Robert F. There is a good reason why Robert does not give his last name… that’s your first clue your not working with a reputable company. If you worked for HIT and you know Robert’s last name and address, post it, let his neighbors know who they live next to.

Once they get you to buy what ever they have and they have your credit card you are screwed!!! They are constantly charging you for every little thing. Whenever they try to sell you something it’s always around $1, 500.00, then if you state it’s too much money, you can get them down to about $150.00??? That should be your second clue.

They have the most incompetent people working for them. When you confront them about something they didn’t do, they lie to try to cover the mistakes. Once they realize you won’t buy anymore of their “add ons”, they stop calling. My friend didn’t have a website for almost a year! By the way, their Terms of Service states that they can take as long as they want to create the site. Another reason to read the terms of service “word for word.”


My friend had their account rep changed two times. One was Chelsey Vuyk (Google her name on Youtube and you’ll see a video presentation of her). She just disappeared one day. No phone calls that she wouldn’t be the account rep anymore. Just “poof” and she was gone. Who knows if she is still working there? Maybe she got tired of hearing complaints from customers and left!. Then there was a designer called Sharleen Hargreaves. She stopped calling my friend too! If you know these two people post there address, so their neighbors know who they are living next to.

Then you get a Manager, either Leah Young or Ryan Nelson, which my friend thinks they really tried to help but were frustrated with the company’s work ethic and couldn’t do anything. My friend actually has it in writing from the two of them that HIT was wrong, did drop the ball but they couldn’t do anything it about. Per their Terms of Service, the customer has NO RIGHTS!!

My friend was then referred to Noelle Filimoeatu, who was supposed help resolve the problems they were having and come to a mutually agreeable solution. As I’m sure you know by now, that didn’t happen. One year later, they are still fighting. This is a good one – Noelle doesn’t take phone calls, she only communicates via email. Once again, poor customer service.

As the video says, the customer feels comfortable with the account rep, you just accept the terms of service without reading it. How many times do you read that agreement that is 15 pages long prior to ordering something on the internet? That’s where they get you. My friend had to learn it the hard way by losing a lot of money, which the company is fighting to get it back.

Heritage Web Design, or what ever they are calling themselves this week, had about 436 or 476 Complaints w/Utah BBB in November. On January 30th---523, February 7, 2010---535, FEBRUARY18, 2010---556. This is all Utah BBB does---- gather numbers!
:378 resolved complaints---refused to acknowledge acceptance to BBB outcome.
Terms of service agreement says- Heritage doesn't have to have a reason to shut you down & keep your money: there is nothing you can do because by clicking on the Terms of Service Agreement, you agree.

Before the site was finally approved by this customer, around 2 months into waitting & getting whatever they got done, my site went live, exposing whatever info. right or wrong, & very personal infol that was to be changed before it was to go live, to the WWW. Breach of TOS & PRIVACY!!! They must have your approval to go online with your site. By doing this, they Breached their Own TOS & my privacy.

When you pay for first class timely service, even then the store can go through development, only for them to ellect to stop work, keep 50%, and you are left with nothing.
Upon initial agreement, web service charges begin accruing, whether or not a site is made/started work on. In the terms of service agreement, you have a 90 day full return of money clause available to the customer, yet, they disregaurd your wishes and do what they want: refund?

They say they have all rights reserved on your site and all info. uploaded is now theirs. Their PRIVACY POLICY & TOS protects others intellectual property: You can't have it both ways!!!
The list goes on.

They tell their freelance contractors that their standards are high, customer service and satisfaction is their goal, so to speak, & timely work is a standard, because, remember, customer satisfaction is a priority to them. Apparently they forgot their own governing Principles:TOS. yet TOS indicates they don't guarantee anything at any time, & "customer approval & satisfaction" is a typo.

Finally, your site is accessable by the internet users before you give the final approval, before going live, Heritage Web Solutions is absolutely in violation of clients privacy and their own governing principles, laws...