- Report: #907202
Complaint Review: Kirsten Fossen - Internet Internet
Reported By:
SC0707 -
Fairfax, Virginia, United States of America
Submitted:
Updated:
-
Author Confirmed
Why?
Kirsten Fossen
Internet, Internet, United States of America
Phone:
Web:
www.kfossen.com
Categories:
Business Rating:
(0)
Tell us has your experience with this business or person been good?
Kirsten Fossen K Fossen, KFossen.com, KirstenFossen.com Deceptive, promised refunds never come, SCAM artist -- don't work with her if you value your time or your money. Internet
We hired Kristen in late 2011 for a website design. The design and subsequent edits were delayed, and the design was not what we had in mind and needed substantial editing. In the end, only the initial, template mockup was created and that was unsatisfactory/not at all what we had specified in our design brief.
She was very confusing to work with-- ask her 5 questions, get 1 vague answer. She also didn't seem to understand what we wanted at all; the designs, answers, edits, etc. that we received were nothing like we had stated. It was almost like working with multiple people (maybe there's just multiple personalities at work there?).
We kept Kristen, our only point of contact, up to date at all times and let her know where we stood as far as content for the site. Our business was in a bit of a transition period and the website was not priority #1. She stated that this was not a problem and to just keep her posted-- had she stated otherwise, we would have made it happen immediately. However, without warning a couple of days after her last cheerful message, she informs us that "due to personal reasons" she would be closing her business temporarily and needed to abandon the project. After a lengthy dispute, she agreed on 2/13/12 to give us a full refund of the entire deposit amount ($1300.00). On 2/15, she stated that she would "have accounting input into our system for a refund. This can take up to 30 days - as the next payday for check release is the 1st. I will have you booked in and keep you in the loop."
On 3/19, we contacted her as we had yet to receive a refund. She said that we should have had it "about 10 days ago" and she would look into it. She also stated that her accountant was not due in until 4/1, and to give the check a few more days; if it still did not arrive, she would Paypal a refund to us.
April 2nd rolled around without any sign of payment. Her message:
"OK let me just arrange things on my end, I will have this to you within 7 days. I have to move funds, and cancel the check."
April 12th rolls around and we email her again. Her response: "I 100% intend to refund you, I have to shift my funds around to make the money available. I will be able to refund you next week on Friday."
**Please note that she never ONCE initiated contact or kept us posted. It was ALWAYS us calling or emailing to figure out where on earth our money was and what the delay could possibly be.**
We contacted her again on 4/22, more than 2.5 months after the refund was promised, as nothing ever arrived. She did not answer our emails and we called her, as well. Finally, a phone call was initiated in which we threatened to take further action if some money was not seen immediately. 5 days later, on 4/27, an initial refund of $500 was sent via Paypal. We were promised another $500 refund within 1-2 days and a final refund of $300 within the week. Her message on 4/27: "I just issued your 1st refund. More will be coming soon, still waiting for a check in the mail. Should be here today! I'll get you paid as soon as it deposits."
We received the second refund of $300 (please note that the second refund was to be for $500 with the FINAL payment to be $300; she conveniently swapped these around) a few days later, but never saw the remaining $500. We gave it a bit and contacted her again on 5/14 asking for yet another update. Her response:"I thought you got all 3! I will check into this today. I should have refunded the final 500 on the 2nd, did you not get that?"
After confirming that no, we did not, she gave us another false promise that afternoon: "YES my $500 bounced, I see that. I have to resend it. Let me see when payments are coming in to confirm the delivery date. Sorry. I'll confirm again today."
Of course, she did NOT confirm, and we contacted her again almost 2 weeks later. Her response on 5/25:
"I can have the final payment in 15 days or sooner."
That would have been 6/14; we contact her on 6/19. Her response: "Yes I will be sending it soon. Thank You for checking in."
We ask her to define "soon" and get the following response/false promise: "By monday (6/25) or sooner. My paycheck comes friday so as soon as that deposits."
Of course, it never showed & now she refuses to respond, even just to send her lies and empty promises. This is fraud & we are not the only victims, it seems.
She has recently changed her website from KirstenFossen.com to KFossen.com. This is convenient, because if you Google "Kirsten Fossen", you see a bunch of recipes from the old site rather than all of this "scam" and "fraud" stuff that you're seeing now. Genius, I must admit. However, this catches her in another lie. We were told that she was closing down shop and that was why she needed to abandon our project; all she did was change the web address and continue working/scamming others.
If you have any interest in your personal time, money, or sanity, do NOT work with this person. You WILL be dissatisfied and you will be strung along. She will make promise after promise after promise, built upon lies and more lies. We have spent more time trying to just track this woman down and get what bit of our funds back that we have received; I'm not giving up until we get the remaining $500... not because I desperately need it, but simply on principal. We are not going to let this scam artist get another penny, and hope that maybe this report (and others that we have posted, along with everyone else doing the same out there) will stop someone else before they get ripped off, as well.
She was very confusing to work with-- ask her 5 questions, get 1 vague answer. She also didn't seem to understand what we wanted at all; the designs, answers, edits, etc. that we received were nothing like we had stated. It was almost like working with multiple people (maybe there's just multiple personalities at work there?).
We kept Kristen, our only point of contact, up to date at all times and let her know where we stood as far as content for the site. Our business was in a bit of a transition period and the website was not priority #1. She stated that this was not a problem and to just keep her posted-- had she stated otherwise, we would have made it happen immediately. However, without warning a couple of days after her last cheerful message, she informs us that "due to personal reasons" she would be closing her business temporarily and needed to abandon the project. After a lengthy dispute, she agreed on 2/13/12 to give us a full refund of the entire deposit amount ($1300.00). On 2/15, she stated that she would "have accounting input into our system for a refund. This can take up to 30 days - as the next payday for check release is the 1st. I will have you booked in and keep you in the loop."
On 3/19, we contacted her as we had yet to receive a refund. She said that we should have had it "about 10 days ago" and she would look into it. She also stated that her accountant was not due in until 4/1, and to give the check a few more days; if it still did not arrive, she would Paypal a refund to us.
April 2nd rolled around without any sign of payment. Her message:
"OK let me just arrange things on my end, I will have this to you within 7 days. I have to move funds, and cancel the check."
April 12th rolls around and we email her again. Her response: "I 100% intend to refund you, I have to shift my funds around to make the money available. I will be able to refund you next week on Friday."
**Please note that she never ONCE initiated contact or kept us posted. It was ALWAYS us calling or emailing to figure out where on earth our money was and what the delay could possibly be.**
We contacted her again on 4/22, more than 2.5 months after the refund was promised, as nothing ever arrived. She did not answer our emails and we called her, as well. Finally, a phone call was initiated in which we threatened to take further action if some money was not seen immediately. 5 days later, on 4/27, an initial refund of $500 was sent via Paypal. We were promised another $500 refund within 1-2 days and a final refund of $300 within the week. Her message on 4/27: "I just issued your 1st refund. More will be coming soon, still waiting for a check in the mail. Should be here today! I'll get you paid as soon as it deposits."
We received the second refund of $300 (please note that the second refund was to be for $500 with the FINAL payment to be $300; she conveniently swapped these around) a few days later, but never saw the remaining $500. We gave it a bit and contacted her again on 5/14 asking for yet another update. Her response:"I thought you got all 3! I will check into this today. I should have refunded the final 500 on the 2nd, did you not get that?"
After confirming that no, we did not, she gave us another false promise that afternoon: "YES my $500 bounced, I see that. I have to resend it. Let me see when payments are coming in to confirm the delivery date. Sorry. I'll confirm again today."
Of course, she did NOT confirm, and we contacted her again almost 2 weeks later. Her response on 5/25:
"I can have the final payment in 15 days or sooner."
That would have been 6/14; we contact her on 6/19. Her response: "Yes I will be sending it soon. Thank You for checking in."
We ask her to define "soon" and get the following response/false promise: "By monday (6/25) or sooner. My paycheck comes friday so as soon as that deposits."
Of course, it never showed & now she refuses to respond, even just to send her lies and empty promises. This is fraud & we are not the only victims, it seems.
She has recently changed her website from KirstenFossen.com to KFossen.com. This is convenient, because if you Google "Kirsten Fossen", you see a bunch of recipes from the old site rather than all of this "scam" and "fraud" stuff that you're seeing now. Genius, I must admit. However, this catches her in another lie. We were told that she was closing down shop and that was why she needed to abandon our project; all she did was change the web address and continue working/scamming others.
If you have any interest in your personal time, money, or sanity, do NOT work with this person. You WILL be dissatisfied and you will be strung along. She will make promise after promise after promise, built upon lies and more lies. We have spent more time trying to just track this woman down and get what bit of our funds back that we have received; I'm not giving up until we get the remaining $500... not because I desperately need it, but simply on principal. We are not going to let this scam artist get another penny, and hope that maybe this report (and others that we have posted, along with everyone else doing the same out there) will stop someone else before they get ripped off, as well.
