Image Iz Everything

I’m not the type of customer or client who complains a lot. In fact, this is the second review I’ve ever written. However, there are a couple of web design «businesses» that were a true nightmare to deal with this year, and when it comes to the one I’m about to mention, there is just no way I can stay silent.
The headline here is: THIS GUY BASICALLY RIPPED ME OFF FOR $ 1000
The «company» is called Image IZ Everything, a web designing service that is comprised of just one guy, Leroy Duggins. Apparently this guy really is a web designer, i.e. he showed me actual websites that he’s done, but they must also add to his front of legitimacy. Do not be fooled by this individual. Duggins conned me into paying him the full amount for a job, in cash, and then failed to deliver the promised work. To get the detailed story, read below.
This occurrence was partially my fault for essentially being such a sucker, but it obviously follows that he was still the predator.
Leroy Duggins seemed extremely friendly and cooperative to me, a bit eager, but still friendly and cooperative, a welcome change after the few web designers I had dealt with before him. This was how he initially fooled me. His behavior was so refreshing that I didn’t even refuse his stipulation that I wire him cash for the job. I was a little apprehensive about it, because these types of business transactions are never done with cash, but he kept assuring me it would be fine.
He told me that once I got him my site content he would likely take about a day or two to complete my website, which sounded great to me.
Typical of this kind of job, I payed him the first half up front, wiring him half of our agreed $ 1000. This was around the end of July. After situating the host and domain with him for a few days, it took me about an extra week and a half to organize my site content, which I’ll admit was slightly irresponsible of me, so I then did the honorable thing to make up for it; I agreed to his request that I wire the entire remainder of the job money due to the fact that I was taking so long. I did this out of fairness, but it did not change the fact that he had now talked me into paying $ 1000, in cash, for a job he had done no work on yet.
After I got him the site content I waited for about two weeks before calling him for an update, to which he then said he would get back to me within a few days with a draft of the site. He never did. After the three-​week mark went by, I called and nicely requested a rough draft of the site again, to which he said he had been doing some work but would finish it over the weekend (or some equivalent time frame) and then let me know. He never did. After a month of this went by, I called him and was not so nice anymore. I told him that I needed the job done as soon as possible, and that if it wasn’t done I would be forced to move on in some way. He was far less eager to please me at this point, and said he might get to it within a few days but that he couldn’t promise anything.
After another week went by, I had my partner call instead, at which time he told her that he would get to the site whenever it would be convenient for him. My partner even showed me some Tweets that Duggins had posted over the previous week, talking about the many basketball games he had been watching.
It was now a whole month and a week later, well into June, and this person had taken all of my money without any hope of the job ever getting done. After all of my life experience, this guy managed to conn me out of $ 1000.
At that point, I decided to pull the plug and change my password. I then looked at the work that Duggins said he had done, which was hardly anything; he had placed my logo and background image there and that was it.
I then found a new web designer rather quickly. Five or so days later, I called Duggins one last time and asked him for a refund. His answer was «no.» He offered to finish my site by the next morning just to show that he was «still a good guy,» but he would not refund my money. I told him I would think about it and get back to him, but a few hours later I realized that all of this guy’s broken promises had ruined my trust in him. I had already found a new designer whom I trusted more just by the nature of his money transactions and his down-​to-​business attitude. Duggins was not to be trusted any longer, and I had no reason to think he would fulfill any more promises.
Honestly, if you need a web designer, and are considering using this guy, please be warned. Seriously. My experience with him is that he is a conn artist with a convincing front. Not nearly as honorable a person as he might frame himself to be. One thousand dollars is not chump change in this day and age. Use me as an example.