Complaint Review: Barbara Carneiro Minimalist Web Designer

I am not into revenge. I believe in Karma.
I apologize for my rage against Barbara. She will know better than all, in her conscience, what she did (and did not do).

I quit fighting and let the universe take care of this, and make it right.

I withdraw my complain. Everybody gets what they deserved. Maybe I deserved to be ripped off by Barbara...

There are so many more important things to do in this world..

Peace to all
Ines

I have been working as a web designer for the past 6 years. I have never dealt with someone like Ines (Ins ) before. Several times Ines tried to initiate conflict and every time I tried to avoid it

So, I will start chronologically. I saved every email. I will be glad to forward messages to anyone interested in knowing my side of the story.

September 4th: I received an email from Ines (another provider from elance.com), begging me to refuse a translation job we had both bid on. She needed the job. She mentioned she had a company that had failed. I quote: I can't adapt to any job. So if you don't need that job, please leave it to me.

I decided to be professional. I told her I had already presented my bid, so couldn't just ignore the client if he chooses my proposal. I wished her good luck and went back to my life.

October 22nd: Ines sends me an email asking me for a quote on four web designs. In Portuguese, she explained what she wants: 4 front pages for 4 different small businesses. Basically, she was going around her small town in Portugal trying to sell websites and she wanted me to design the opening page for each one of them with an intro, the address and a map.

I asked her about the budget she had in mind for these simple websites. She confirmed that she needed only 1 HTML and that she would create the rest of the pages. From my point of view, I was helping someone that was unemployed and had begged for my help twice without even knowing me.

After telling me again she had no job, and explaining that she was just trying to get the small family business of her little town in the internet, Ines asked me to sell her what she called at the time my trash, or the things that I haven't used with other clients and that would be a lot better than anything else they have ever seen in her small town. And I quote: for what I have seen, even your trash must be fabulous. And I have been in this business for years. I know your work is fabulous.

So, after another couple of emails I sent her my regular fee for the design and 1 HTML (150 euros). She replied saying 600 euros for the 4 projects would be too much and that she could hardly pull together 100 euros. She apologized for making me lose my time and in the end said, and I quote: I thought you had a scrapbook that wouldn't cost you more than half an hour to do.

I thought this was over, when

October 23rd: Ines sends me another email asking me to prepare an example, and I repeat, ONE EXAMPLE, for 100 euros.

I then ask for more information to start the project: number of sections, name and logo of the company, color preference, etc. and I send her my bank account to make the deposit. Ines tells me again she has no job, her company is broke and that she has no bank account or debit/credit cards.

October 24th: Ines makes a deposit of 100 euros in my account. She sends me an email saying: please take your time, I'm not in a hurry and I want the best work possible.

She attaches a poor quality photo of the business card, and asks me to send her TWO drafts. One using the style of the card, and another one completely different. She also attaches a poor quality photo she took of a city guide map.

So, with no more than this from Ines, and with only 100 euros in my account, I send her an email saying: I will start right away and send you the sample in 1 2 days. The NEXT day, I send her the first sample. I redesigned the logo (which was not in the agreement), I told her we could change any of the colors if necessary, and I created the page in a way that is easy for anyone with minimal HTML knowledge to change and update.

Ines replied, saying: It's really cool. YOU ARE THE BEST!!!. Right after she asks me to do another design. She says this one is great but she wants to show them two options. Now, anybody in my position would just ignore her. We had agreed on ONE EXAMPLE, not two. I decided to explain how I work, so we could reach an agreement. I create one sample (please have in mind she paid 100 euros), send it to the client, if she likes it, we start the necessary changes (colors, fonts, etc.), if not, then we start a new layout. I then suggested we use the same design and make the necessary changes to make it more wild, like she kept repeating.

I asked her for more material, a picture of the car (we are talking about a Driving School), text content, something

Ines replied, asking me to start all over. Suddenly what was really cool and really great wasn't good anymore. She gave me a few more hints about what she wanted and then she said and I quote: Maybe this wasn't a good idea. You made me a favor charging me less than usual and those 100 euros were all that I had. If you don't want the job, just say so. This is after I had presented the first sample, using the elements she provided. No briefing, no photos, no ideas, just two bad photos.

I explained that even when I charge my normal fees, this is how I usually work. But I was willing to look for some good images and make the design more attractive to young people.

She said: if you are only going to give me one design, then start all over. To what I have replied: it has never happened to me before to have to completely eliminate a design and start all over, but let's give it a try. I will send it tonight. Even though, this was not in the agreement and she liked the first design, I decided to do it AT NO EXTRA CHARGE.

Ines writes me again. I like what you did but it is conventional. I could find someone to do this here for less. You are a genius designer, and that's what I need, your genius. And more: I'm not in a hurry, I'm not asking you to work too many hours on this but to sleep on it.

Minutes later she sends me another email: I didn't know how you work, and I read feedbacks about your work and in one they said you continue to give them different choices if you don't feel comfortable working with me give me the money back.

I explained that the changes performed were only color changes, not the creation of a brand new design with a completely different concept. Besides, this client paid a fair price: 300 dollars. And after doing all this work for Ines, she was asking for a full refund, what just didn't make any sense.

November 13th: I had an unexpected flight and since Ines asked me to take my time, I was relaxed about her design. Once I found a stable connection I sent her the second draft. I even had the first one still available, in case she wanted to show her client both versions, again giving her the opportunity to perform as many changes as she wanted.

Ines replied with rude and offensive language, saying I didn't give her what she asked for. I replied to ask her how should I give her the money back because I didn't want to deal with someone that did not value my efforts and asked me to start from scratch every time I send her a design. Keeping in mind, Ines paid a very low price and didn't give me any material or information about the company.

November 14th: Ines replies asking me to finish the first design (prepare the HTML and the necessary coding) or give her the money back. Her language is at this stage very aggressive, her emails don't make any sense, and they are not even grammatically correct. And when I ask her to explain herself again she continues with the verbal aggressions.

At this point, Ines was unfair and unprofessional. I tried to reach an agreement and return just a percentage of what she had paid, since someone had to pay for my hours too and I had done everything we had agreed on in the first place.

Ines asked me to finish the first design again. I agreed to do so.

November 15th: I deliver all the files, using the first design she loved. I still give her the opportunity to make changes if she wishes to do so, even after her rude behavior. Ines complaine about the text (which was provided by her!!). We continue to perform changes for two days.

November 21st: Ines asks me for the logo I had to redesign. I sent her the file. No extra cost.

November 25th: After two drafts, one logo redesign, creation of THREE HTML instead of ONE as agreed and recurrent changes, Ines sends me a very offensive email saying I was taking advantage of her and that I had robbed her. She threatens me. I ask for a phone number where I could call her and talk about it, but she refuses to give me a number.

November 29th: She threatens me again: whether I give her the money back or I start it all over. If not, she would publish bad reviews about me. I don't usually accept threats so I told her I would not negotiate under those circumstances. If she was willing to talk and find a way to solve things I would be more than available, but I would not negotiate with someone that is threatening me. We exchange another 5 or 6 emails during the day. Me: trying to talk and communicate, Ines using threats as weapons of negotiation. I decide not to yield.

December 4th: After another set of insults, Ines reaffirms she will do her vengeance. Once more, I don't yield.

I know it's not possible to make everyone happy. And I know the world of design must make room for various tastes, but my experience with each and everyone one of my clients has been more than positive so far. Ines' behavior was irrational. She was not patient, not tolerant, and not professional.

For a while I was willing to negotiate, and make it possible for both of us to move forward, but she decided to create conflict where none previously existed. I felt compelled to share with you my side of the story.