Let down by Builder.ai's lackadaisical management with no business ethics
Reviewed on 2021-04-21T06:34:46
I contracted with builder.ai to make me an app. And I decided to stop making the weekly payments after having wasted around 3000$ due to reasons listed below.I received a mail from builder.ai accounts team asking me to list my concerns for stopping payments. It was also copied to the Director of Sales, Manager - Business Development, Deputy Manager Finance. I did a "reply all" and I'll briefly explain what I wrote to them, and then tell you about their shocking response which made me lose trust in builder.ai and is making me give them this negative review:
When I discussed my requirement with the builder.ai marketing personnel, I told them that I wanted the app primarily for the iPad (it was in my requirements document and was also emphasized on the zoom call). They said they build apps for a particular OS and not a device, and that the app is responsive across all devices using that OS. So they said we'd contract to build it for the iOs. Fair enough. They made all the wireframes etc. for the iPhone and when I verified with my project manager, he concurred that it would be responsive and work on the iPad too. In a few months, they gave me a work-in-progress version of the app to test it out. But when I tested this trial app on my iPad, it showed up in the dimensions of the iPhone (with an inch of black space all around). So it was an iPhone sized app on the iPad! When I protested - they said this is what they meant by it being responsive - it would work on the iPad, but as if it were on an iPhone! It seemed like they were joking, but they were not. I was shocked. Then their Business Development manager called me and told me that their marketing personnel (who had quit the company by then) had "over committed" to me by saying the app would be responsive, and I should pay more if I wanted it to work on the iPad. Even a simple page builder like Wordpress knows what responsive means, but the developers at builder.ai do not seem to.
At the same time, none of the 18% GST I was paying on my weekly invoices was getting deposited with the tax authorities (which should be a reason to stop payments as per the government) and I wasn't getting the input tax credit. That's a fraudulent tax practice. I pointed it out to them twice and their finance team gave me nothing besides 'we will look into it.' This makes my cost go up by 18% as I don't get the tax credit for it.
So for all these reasons, I stopped my payments. They stopped their work and told me they wouldn't onboard a QA resource until I resumed my weekly payments.
I wrote all of the above (besides other less significant issues) to the builder.ai seniors when their accounts team asked me to list my concerns. And do you know what was their response? Zilch. None of the dignitaries on that email even sent me a courtesy reply saying they'll look into it. I sent them the email on 23 Feb, 2021, and I am writing this post on 21 April, 2021. So it's been almost 2 months, and no one has cared to reply. It speaks a lot about their lack of organizational values and lack of ethics.
The accounts team finally deposited the GST after 7 MONTHS of me stopping payments. However, the management gives two hoots about a unhappy customer. They have lost my trust. And this is the start of my battle with them to get a refund as they have built an app that simply does not work as intended.
Also, I have to add that after they gave me a quote and I agreed and gave them a deposit to build the wireframes, they worked on my requirements and realized I'd need to pay more for some additional features. I agreed. The project was signed off and passed on to the development team. They reviewed my requirements and said I'd still need to get some more features and would have to pay more. I agreed, again. This isn't a big problem as I understood the need for those features, but I felt my requirement wasn't understood properly and they were just acting in a rush to acquire a client by under estimating the scope of work. Once I had paid the deposit and was locked in, they revised my quote twice. And then again, they asked me to pay more if I wanted the app to work on the iPad. Dear wisemen @ Builder.ai or Engineer.ai - What OS does the iPad run on? Does no one in your team have any business ethics? Or even the basic courtesy to respond to a customer's grievances? It seems like I've sent my concerns to a government office, where no one wants to take accountability. 3 days back, I again got an email asking me to pay for the balance invoices (for an app that never got made?). And that's my motivation to post this review.read more
It was very good experience that we…
Reviewed on 2021-01-07T20:55:37
It was very good experience that we faced together and you your patience it was highly appreciated.
Great experience from start to finish
Reviewed on 2020-12-03T13:03:21
From just making the enquiry, I was in contact with a great guy called Graeme. Spoke with him a few times and made me feel extremely positive and reassuring about working with Builder.ai.Apps are not cheap but assured me the vision I want would be completed. Then was allocated a project manager called Kushank. He was extremely helpful in the development of my app, he even brought some great ideas which enhanced my app. Ive had a great experience from start to finish.read more
AyumuKobashigawa_OkinawaFujitsuSystemEngineering
Thank you for creating our application.
Reviewed on 2020-08-27T02:45:42
Thank you for creating our application.
Considering the following points, we have given it a ratingof 4 stars.
(good points)
- We were able to build an application that could achieve the initial UX without the need for detailed screen design, application structure and database design.
- As we had no experience in building smartphone applications, it was very helpful to have suggestions on screen design and screen transitions.
(Points to be improved)
- I thought I would be able to see the project progress in BuilderStudio every week, but that's not what I experienced in this case. We didn't ask them to make any changes because we had set the project management unit too large, and it was a short-term project. We would like to experience it next time.
(What we want to try)
- The agile way to proceed is to release it to users first. Can we use builder.ai to develop the app while fixing bugs and adding and improving features after release? If it's available, will it be supported by builderCare or within the scope of normal PJs? We had imagined here that it would be an agile way to proceed again, and we would like to refer to it in the future.read more
Reviewed on 2020-08-25T18:41:15
Dear friends ,
Date : 25/08/2020
I had very high hopes to start a brand and establish my companyon an e-commerce platform by October 2019 .
I planned to go with builder.ai to develop my website and expected the best results for my website .. The truth is guys “ IT WAS THE WORST DECISION I EVER MADE IN MY LIFE “
According to the company claims , I was supposed to get my website ready by March 2020 , but guess what , I got the website by mid June . That took only 50 % ..
I had ordered the designing , and various back end features , which was promised to get delivered , but I got only the front end ready by mid June 2020 . When I asked about the backend on the day they delivered front end , they said we will start the work now . It’s the end of august and still I have no clue .
Thanks to some of my friend , I completely dropped this project Abd started my site on shopify .
Guys , these are the problems I faced
1 ) Builder will call you twice or thrice a week , before the deposit amount is wired , after that , it’s your duty .
2 ) The team here , usually will blame the issues on you .. If you don’t have a programming knowledge , good luck to get screwed .
3 ) It’s been almost 5 months now , I have completed my payment , but still didn’t receive my deposit . Even after reminding them 10-20 times .
4 ) To get an access to my front end , I asked the builder team to give me a temporary solution for server , and then I went with builder cloud ( partners of AWS ) . Now when I asked them to give me the source code and shift it to other server , they tell me that it’s against their policy ..previously they agreed to place the website in any server.
They say we have included in the terms and condition . I have fallen victim to it . Whoever is reading this , guys builder cloud is very expensive , and it will empty your pockets before you know it.. just for testing the bugs in my site . It costed me nearly 8000/- per month , just image what will happen if you have traffic ,.
Guys I can go on and on , but I think you must have got my point ..
I would suggest to go with magneto , shopify or hire a in a house full stack developer to get a custom site , it will cost you far less than what builder would charge , with an added benefit of having full control on your site ..
Please choose wisely .read more
Building 'Yellow'. excellent experience.
Reviewed on 2020-07-23T07:57:57
We are just getting going with our QA phade of the project and i would like to commend the team for a job well done,we had a complex project with a lot of contraints and the team have been both flexible and fast, working long hours to ensure we recover time. The assigned project manager for the 'yellow' build was particularly knowledgable and brought new insight into our discussions enabling us get the best outcomes out of our design discussions, they had practical tips to add to our own thinking. we've always debated the value of outsourcing development and this team has demonstrated that thought through well, this model can work, extending your capabilities as an organization. i would recommend them any day.read more
Great Team and prompt service
Reviewed on 2020-06-11T17:21:47
I am nearing my completion of the project and I must say the team associated with me has done a great job ,I am happy so far with the development and outcome as I envisioned.. They contribute in your ideas and also provide solutions foreseeing Future possibilities..
The best part is that we can successfully implement by sitting completely in different locations.. the platforms used for communication and coordination are really easy to use for non tech guys as well.
I would recommend them as they provide a great and prompt service!read more
It has been a pleasure working with the…
Reviewed on 2020-06-09T08:55:17
It has been a pleasure working with the AI Team. The Team had great attitudes, were willing to go the extra mile to deliver great customer service,and ultimately delivered a solution we are very pleased with. Thank you to the team and we look forward to engaging in new projects in the future!read more