Applied Digital Reviews 1

I approached Applied Digital and shook on a ballpark cost before they then asked me to pay a deposit which also incorporated the costs of the 'Spec'.

I was told that the 'Spec' would be diluted into the final costs (if I stayed with them till the end of development) i.e it gets deducted from the total price at the end of the job, and on this basis I paid, and along with the reasonable Ballpark costs also.

All was paid and we held a 'team kick off meet' and all seemed good until a week or so later when the MD called up and explained that the cost had gone up, so I asked him why and he said 'this and that' and so I wondered but said 'okay, no problem' and I wanted to not give any excuse to argue, and simply wanted to keep a 'constant and good energy' throughout.

A few days later or so he calls again and to explain that the cost had gone up again (it was now at double the ballpark figure plus I had already financially committed).

I still said okay and received a promise that it would not increase again but then a week or so later the cost goes up again and now it is triple the initial ballpark cost, and all after already committing me.

I said I could not afford 'tripling' and the MD was 'warm and friendly' and adding 'a caveat' by saying 'well at least you have a 'Spec out of it to use elsewhere', and this was when I started to think 'hang on a minute?'.

It appeared afterwards that in fact the 'game' was to lure me into paying a (large) deposit, and to justify that money by handing me over a vastly overpriced 'Spec which happened to also cost the exact same as the deposit itself, and the MD never actually intended to do the actual development or job (but still 'pocket' the deposit/Spec costs).

The MD has since offered me a third of the money back but I have refused and because I want at least 2/3's of my money back, and not his offer of a third.

The MD used some swear words and aggression in our meets (and which i am okay with as long as it equates to a genuine passion), but because the MD knows I want at least a 2/3's refund and may need to pursue a suit of action to accomplish this then he is now claiming that I have been 'aggressive' but without any real evidence (though it would be in the interests of his staff to agree with him). It is a total 'Peter and the Wolf' scenario.

The MD has 'painted' an untrue image of myself and the reasonable assumption is the the MD is in 'defence mode' in case of a potential incoming lawsuit.

He has already offered me an ex gratia part refund of 1/3 of the money, and below is his offer:

From the MD/Owner:

START - "This is absolutely between #### and Applied Digital. All works have been carried out between those entities, and I have been a representative of my company as have you. Which is really irrelevant, we just need to get this sorted.

As it is you who are making the threats to me personally and my company, I will need you to sign and return a non disclosure document as the basis of a commitment going forward to close off the matter. I will draft something over the next few days (end of working week at the latest but should be before). I hope that's OK. I am making a ex gratia offer of a full and final payment of one thousand pounds (plus VAT) (£1200 inc VAT).

Once the document is signed and returned by you I will deposit the money into your bank account within two days.

S####". END

I refused this and for the following reasons:

A) The accusations made by the MD are untrue and with no evidence.
B) I want all of my money back or 2/3's (inc VAT)

I have simply stated that I will speak with my solicitor, but this is strictly about the conduct of Applied Digital, so how does that then constitute as being a 'personal threat'?

The MD only ever wanted to do a spec and only pretended to want to do the full job, and this is my problem.

A 'professional' and 'expert' has tripled the cost after already financially committing their client (me), and from nothing, i.e, I never made nor requested any new works at all which would warrant any rise in cost, let alone to triple. This is 'Fact and Verbatim'.

The following is an example of how poor the MD has been:

I took my project elsewhere, and was unfortunate twice more with the same project. One developer stole some money (and who is also to receive an incoming suit - and yet unreviewed) and then after that was my other reviewed companies and actually the same company), and who also used a 'tactic'. All three companies 'have seen me coming from a mile away'.

It is easy to assume that 'three from three' developers must mean that the issue may somehow be 'my fault', but my misfortunes are backed up by tangible proof of evidence to all of what I am saying.

I would of dealt with this matter already if not for the most recent developer wasting the last 6 months of my life by holding me to ransom with my own work, money, and time.

These companies are totally disingenuous,

I gave my new developer the 'Spec' which I had attained from 'Applied Digital' but I 'marked out' the names of 'Applied Digital' and staff, and because I did not want to have ANY bad energy at all, and so decided that I would delete them from the 'Spec'.

The new developer then took that Spec and used it to 'help with' (though with little actual benefit in hindsight), and the project finally 'began'.

Read the other review then come back.

After I had paid 6/10's of agreed monies to the new developer they began to make school boy errors and lots of them also (as if a previously literate and functioning human had over night become one-third less intelligent or capable) but not only the developer, but also the designers as well as the finance 'department' also, and my 'senses' immediately picked up on this 'sharp drop in performance'.

To put it simply, the most recent developer' used the fact that my Spec was 'marked out' to assume I 'must have something to hide' and then made an assumption and 'ran with it' i.e they assumed that I had somehow obtained my Spec 'incorrectly' and then became really really awkward.

They began making new things up to muddy the waters further but I proved myself correct on each 'accusation', and to the point where PeoplePerHour were private messaging me to say 'I had done nothing wrong, just be patient, and keep it going'.

FS & PSD accused me of not paying two outstanding invoices yet I had done, and PPH confirmed this too, but, because the new developer (FS & PSD) was in the Philippines they told me on video call and whilst smiling, that "PPH can do nothing to (us) and if I feel the heat then I go bye-bye" and they're is correct (I believe) and PPH cannot and will not do a thing (which I say is a disgrace, sorry, but I do).

This happened at the '6/10's paid point' and it suddenly became 'scary' for me personally, but I am still here and carrying on.

The new developer removed the 'markings' from the Spec to reveal and contact the first developer 'Applied Digital' and completely broke and breached NDA in doing so, but PPH cannot actually do anything and the 'PPH NDA' (which is a separate service to convince you to pay £26 for 'protection') is harmless to them and so FS & PSD started to abuse my project.

The new developer contacted 'Applied Digital' and 'Applied Digital'
have now told the new developer that I was 'aggressive' and that they called the police etc and it is a complete charade, and now 'AD & the more recent developers' have seemingly 'joined forces' to now 'outweigh' me BUT with false accusations and no actual evidence. It is total 'Peter and the Wolf'.

All that Applied Digital 'have on me' is me speaking friendly or direct, nothing else, and I know this because I have a memory and am 100% sure of what I have done and not done.

In fact I was invited in and asked to not record anything (and so I did not do) and discuss everything with 'AD' but it came to nothing as the MD and his team were simply trying to test me and pull me from left to right, which was also evidenced by the 'seating arrangement' i.e one sat to my left, one sat to my right, and the MD sat across from me.

That meeting ended with the MD swearing and clenching his fists but I just stayed as I am and eventually said 'is that all?' and we all ended and shook hands and that was that, but now 'Applied Digital' have made untrue accusations and it is wrong, but they can all 'back each other up' with a similar narrative.

'AD & the more recent developers' have both been atrocious, and I think developers (mostly and in my experience) are literally without a conscious, unless, the job they are doing is for a big company, but, if a single entity (such as myself) wants a big job doing, then they lure you in getting what they can before creating any excuse to 'fall out' and then scamper with your money.

Also, the 'Spec' was never actually relied upon by the new developer, they just say it was.

I only ever wanted a positive energy and to conduct myself with a positive energy and to build my company with a positive energy but these companies saw that and took full advantage of it, and for that breach of trust then they should be exposed for my experience.

Applied Digital have gone on the 'protective offensive' getting new clients to now do reviews etc and which is fine, but, they are all for Shopify websites or rather small 'bespoke' sites and this needs to be stated, because I doubt any of them ever had costs tripled from 20K to 60K?

The reviews are by lovable 'Nans' and local families (and wronging them is always a bad idea) whereas I am a tall and 'blue collared' 'inner city' male which could possibly of brought certain assumptions.

I come from a hard way of life and worked damned hard to save my money and achieve something to better myself.

I have spoke the 100% truth. Fact and Verbatim.