This Vibrant Web Investigation is a look at a company that has a history of complaints. They are a website building service, that operates in a very different way. They sell a license for your site, so you are not the owner. It is similar to a car lease or renting an apartment, you only use it, they own the rights to everything. That is why I am writing this Vibrant Web Investigation.
- Name: Vibrant Web-RED FLAG
- Owners: Jim Arteca, Justin Bernake
- Arizona, USA
- Support: Limited
- Product Quality: Varies-mostly POOR
- Overall Rank –Worst
- Cost: $2,500-$$$$$ plus monthly fees.
- Verdict-Unethical/License-Scam
- Website- vibrantweb.com- Stay away
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Update: This website is no longer in business. If you are looking for a way to Earn Money Online Check out my link below
Overview of the Vibrant Web Investigation
Vibrant Web is a Website building service where the sky is the limit, as long as you continue to pay for it.
Vibrant Web will build whatever you want, or I should say, Vibrant Web will promise to build you a beautiful website, for a very hefty price tag.
The problem is, you are buying a license to USE what they build you, and then they control it, not you.
Vibrant Web Sells A Licensed Site To You
They own the site and all the content. The prime target for them is somebody who is searching the web and knows little or nothing about websites or costs involved.
Also, they want victims who don’t know you can get free WordPress websites and free plugins as well. So, why not just sell the unsuspecting victim the free stuff? That is exactly what they do.
The first sales pitch is a premium site for $5000. They are relentless to the point of a small money down deal with payments! People like myself, who didn’t know you can build a website completely free. You don’t even need a credit card to check out my #1 Recommendation
Vibrant Web Investigation Reveals – They Take Payments
You might think $250 down and $50 bucks a month is a great deal! But it is a horrible deal, even if it were free, because it’s a license! When they get your site built, you don’t control it,.. they do!
It’s like renting instead of owning! They don’t tell you that, They talk like it’s your site to do whatever you want until you sign the contract! Then they do give a damn about what you want, you get what they give you!
Pros and Cons The Vibrant Web Investigation Revealed
Pros
- Offer written articles, images, banners.
- If you pay enough, they can make you site LOOK GREAT.
- Promise 24/7 support.
- Offer phone one-on-one setup help(over the phone)
- They can run you website 100%
- Use WordPress…but a paid theme they control and restrict your options.
Cons
- You do not own your site, You buy a license to use the site!
- They can shut you down for any reason whatsoever.
- The programmer is a user inside the back office with control.
- They remove important things like comments, and plugins tab.
- Your text editor is made inoperative- buttons and links won’t work.
- They tell you it is YOUR site, never mention any license.
- All plugins, or mail responders like Aweber need THEIR programmer to install.
- Their premium theme version puts them in control, your functions are removed.
- Pages load painfully slow, corrections are a time-consuming chore.
- What you are being charged for programming – are free WordPress plugins.
Vibrant Web Investigation – What Support?
When I first got the site, they had already put up a junk site for me to learn on. I was taught how to play with the text editor and write a few blog posts.
Then I learned to grab a video from YouTube, and put the categories in and tags into my blog posts.
I had one on one help every few days for an hour. Then, phone support becomes an answering machine.
Your Site Controls are Disabled
At first while I was playing with the editor and figuring out how to write content and publish articles, I was told I had to let them know when I wanted to install a plugin. The Vibrant Web programmer had to do this.
When I asked why, I was told somebody almost crashed their server by installing too many plugins! Now, I can understand why someone would possibly do that, if it is possible to do in the first place. I suspect a very disgruntled person who got scammed.
Fun And Games For Vibrant Web, A Nightmare For The Victim
The editor quits working as functions disappear, done by the programmer turning off switches in the dashboard you know nothing about. So, you try calling them, and telling them, and they will report the issues and get back to you later.
Then the salesman calls, and tells you what they can do to make your site much better! They will build you a store, and get you on all the indexes and lists that create traffic to make sales. But, it will require more money, at least $8,000. However, they can give you a bear-bones set-up for $5,000 more.
As soon as you say ” I can’t afford that” things change very quickly.
More and more promises to get back to you later. Sometimes, it was days later, sometimes not at all. Finally, support becomes non existent.
It wasn’t long and the controls for the WordPress editor disappeared. All I could do was type sentences, no Italic, no Bold, no Headlines, nothing!
I was sending email after email to support that never answers.
Vibrant Web Investigation – The Silent Treatment
You get promises to fix the controls, but they won’t because that gives too much control away. It is a stiff arm tactic to get you to send them more money! Sadly, more money will not get you what you want, they always give you the short end on the stick.
The site will never function correctly. It will never rank well, you will be found 10 pages back on google, because they don’t do SEO properly.
And the silent treatment gives you that horrible gut feeling you got involved in something that is going terribly wrong.
Then finally the email stops working and you stay on hold on the phone that no-one answers. Your heart sinks, because you know you have been had. All that money wasted. You don’t get any sleep anymore, you can’t escape the nightmare.
They Tell You Send More Money for a Better Site
Once they have that control, they install what THEY want, not what YOU want. They have you trapped, your time is invested in your content, and they have it, and can keep it. All you can do is keep paying the plan fees.
You keep hoping that gut feeling of money being wasted is wrong, they tell you things to give you hope, but you know it’s a lie.
That is the plan, get you upset, because you can’t control your site, and keep telling you it takes more money to make this a fantastic site. So, you send more, and get very little. The site won’t work properly, no matter how much money you spend. They maintain control of “YOUR” site!
Your Heart Sinks When You Realize You Have Been Scammed!
It isn’t long and you figure out you have gotten involved with a company that is only trying to get your money into their pocket. This site they are building you is built from plugins available on the internet from WordPress for free.
This was a scheme that was popular until people started to learn about website building. But I didn’t know anything about websites, or what they cost to build, or how easy it was to build your own website, until I found my #1 Recommendation. I never looked back.
Here are some tips for Solutions to Scams and Frauds, and ideas on what you can do, to fight back!
Vibrant Web Investigation – The Final Word
Vibrant Web is not suited for someone who wants to run his own website. They may be ok for a hands off approach, if you aren’t worried about the content or if the site even works properly? It is definitely not for running a blog website, where you depend on SEO traffic. The sites are too slow, and there are much better choices around.
Small businesses who run blog website could not afford the unethical practices of Vibrant Web keeping all the data and controlling functionality of the site. How can you have a website that won’t allow you to receive and reply to comments?
Slow Sites Do Not Rank Well For Google Search Engines
Slow functionality and lack of optimization of the site creates a slow site. This is mainly due to poor programming management. Once a site has lost considerable rankings in Google’s search engines, it cannot be recovered quickly. Nice banners and fancy images do not improve google rankings for your site, while fast page loading does. You can read some good tips for website in my article Website Builder Scams.
Vibrant Web is selling free plugins from WordPress and claiming them as programming advantages from their programmers. Well frankly it is not! What it is in reality, is making a fortune off of something that is free to begin with.
They try to squeeze and pressure you by reducing functionality, and removing features from the website editor. One feature they like to keep from working is the ability to add any plugins!
By doing this, it makes writing articles, and creating links impossible. This is done to try to force you to pay more, to get better functionality. It is unethical behavior that places Vibrant Web on the Scammers list here.
Here is my advice if you have been involved with Vibrant Web. When you see reduced functionality issues, or very slow load times, complain. Also, contact Vibrant Web and tell them to fix it.
Then, if they refuse to address the problem, or just ignore your requests, contact you local police and file a report. Tell them you want your money back. I would also contact the Attorney Generals Office in your state and file a report with them also.
My Conclusion is Simple
Vibrant Web is the worst choice on the web for building a website.
Verdict-Unethical/ License Scam — Avoid
Tell me who scammed you and I will investigate, and review them.
Chas
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I have had the same story that you are tired of hearing about. They got me for just under $100K. The thing you have failed to mention are the affiliations they get you into. These may be even more dangerous than VW itself. As an example, They offered to have a company to handle the books for me ad well as do my personal books and all of the tax work associated with my business. When I went for month’s with not a hint of an income, They even offered to have me work for them for a flat rate of $700. All I had to do was some menial tasks that would be sent to me, to earn it. It sounded like a money laundering scheme to me. That led to my exit.
Hi Jim,
Your story is the worst I have heard so far! I am not tired of hearing these stories at all, but I get heartsick for the people being hurt! I would definitely be pursuing legal action against them. That is your money and you need to do whatever you can to get it back!
I was not involved in anything like that at all. However, a few others have mentioned companies that were involved(and I did review) such as Prime Services Corporation, that are the type of company you are talking about.I will gladly do a review on any company involved with scamming people along with Vibrant Web.What is their company name /website? I want to do everything I can to help everyone to avoid these crooks!
I don’t know if it was a laundering scheme and maybe it was, but it was definitely intended as bait to keep you on the hook. Jim, Follow my checklist first, and contact the attorney general…And Make Sure you file reports to the FBI- IC3 unit. With an amount that large, you will get their attention! I would not let them get away with it! I would file reports with all the agencies listed on my checklist! Good luck! Let me know if I can help you in anyway, i will do whatever I can to help you! Please send me those scammers names so I can publish a review!
Chas
I invested a lot of money and time and I can’t get hold of anyone I just received an email that my domain name will be put up for sale and I have the opportunity to buy it I am waiting for a reply.
Hi Roy,
Sadly I know what you are saying. Normally. people own their domain name, not the website builder! This is the scam that Vibrant Web pulls on everyone!
When you sign their contract, you pay them to build a site, but THEY KEEP CONTROL of
everything! I would not want the site because they can shut you out at any time, so paying more money just helps them! When they build a site, they LEASE it to you…but they tell you that you own it! NOT TRUE! THEY OWN IT!!
All I could suggest, is that you follow my checklist. Start by contacting the Attorney General in your state. You need to tell them you were lied to! You thought they were building you a site you owned!! They told you it was your site, but it was not. I would let them sell it and Get you money back! You don’t own the site anyway!
I found out from Wealthy Affiliates how to build my own site and have total control! I learned the hard way, just like you! Vibrant Web is the worst possible kind of site builder to use! Read my What Steps to Take if You Get Scammed article to help you and good luck!
Chas
My wife got into this and kept it from me. My wife was in an accident and is disabled and dropped 7000 bucks with this Jim Arteca prick…I tried many times and was unsuccessful but I want to get these guys. They sold our sight to EDS and now they are trying to get more money from us. I can talk bout this all day. We are going to file more complaints….any info will be helpful…thanks
It’s a crime what they do! Your wife was no doubt totally heartsick about it, and ashamed they took advantage of her. That makes me feel terrible, because I can feel for you! I know, they got me too. I know exactly how they pressure you into sending more and more money to make a great site,and you get junk!! The site just doesn’t function right, and they know it!! What is even worse, they sell you a license, not ownership! That is how they can legally resell it! It is the worst possible ownership and should be illegal, but it isn’t! It basically a legal scam they are running! They tell you that you own it, but you don’t! Just scammy junk legal terms that hook people!
I can’t believe they sold it and still want more money!
Like I said Scott, follow my checklist-What to do if you get scammed and fight for your money! These steps don’t cost you anything, so why not? If it doesn’t work, you can later talk to an attorney, but DON’T DO THAT YET! The Attorney General Office helps you without cost, BUT ONLY IF YOU HAVEN’T GOTTEN ANY ATTORNEY INVOLVED YET! Ok, so try this first! Read all my articles on getting your money back here, and try to relax. It will take some time to work. I will help you with any questions you may have! Good Luck!
Chas
They got my wife out of 7000 grand and she was never able to get it going. Jum arteca ( I told him he did not want me to come to Arizona) he sent me a grand back. I am still chapped.
Hi Scott,
Those guys are something else! It is just awful and they keep getting away with it! I hope you filed a report against them!
Here is the link if you need it Internet Crime Complaint Center – FBI IC3 Unit
I am glad to hear you got something back, but it’s not enough! Take a look at my checklist and give it a shot! That 6 grand he still has is worth going after! Can you imagine this guy does this all the time, everyday week in and week out. They have millions pouring in doing this to people. Unbelievable!
Chas
It is a Big scam on Big Book Of Income, Author Zach Scheidt Please let me know as soon as possible. I will appreciate your help on this request.
Thanks,
Samuel
HI Samuel,
I was familiar with the name that sells the products Agora Financial, but I did not know they were scamming people. I will do some further research and try to find out for you. Here is some information that may help: agora-financial.pissedconsumer.com/complaints/RT-P.html
Thanks for bringing this to my attention.
Chas
Hi Samuel,
Sorry I too so long getting your review you requested. You can view it here: https://helpforscamsandfrauds.com/the-big-book-of-income-review/
I again apologize for the delay, I was shocked to learn about Zachary Scheidt and what a scammer he is!! Agora Financial has been doing this kind of publishing for years. I suspected one of their newsletters in particular, the Oxford Club…I have not investigated them, but I know the information is a joke! Thanks again for bringing these guys to my attention!
Chas
Well yes
The next stage is to find out how to recover the USD $ 4500 from VIBRANT WEB LLC.
This was offered to me as a full website with comprehensive training.
Full support 24 7.
Basicaly none of these things have happened and on top of that,the website I paid $2900 USD has just vannished and the stock that vibrant web called THE TOP PRODUCTS that cost me $1600 USD and it never sold or returned me any profit at all and,so far,I havent got the money back.
Not to mention the hundreds of hours working on this site that has just dissapeared.
There has been no response from VIBRANT WEB LLC and the BBB couldnt get a response either.
John
Hi John,
I thought maybe vibrant web had stopped this, but I guess not. Sorry to hear you have been taken by those fast talking crooks! Yes, the silent treatment is their standard response once they take you for all they think they can get, and they have taken people for much, much more. You need to start your fight for the least amount of expense to you first. Read over my Checklist and contact the Attorney Generals Office in your state. Tell them you want a refund, and the product was not what you expected. Do not contact an attorney yet, or they will not help you! You can read my article What Steps to Take If You get Scammed for more in depth information.
You should also file a police report to protect you case for future litigation if necessary. In most cases you will get good results from the Attorney General, and won’t need to hire a lawyer. But, you never know, and you may or may not want to pursue it later. I was furious when they ripped me off!!
Read my article on the BBB Complaint Business and you will understand why they don’t help you much. they side with the business, because that’s who pays the BBB a membership fee to display the BBB logo.The BBB is not a watch-dog for us! If you have any questions, let me know! I will do my best to help in any way I can. Good luck!
Chas
I too got introduced to Vibrant Web. They contacted me sometime in Jan and I agreed to go with them. I tried to do due diligence but still got scammed. The person who I am talking with is Chris Freestone. My website still hasn’t been done,and I am already in debt. It started out with a an initial cost of $3499 but due to another company called Kreative I had them start to build a website for $1695. Then I was called back by Vibrant Web and got into an argument with Chris about this. Anyway during the conversation he agreed to upgrade me to the premium website because of all the misunderstanding and that was close to $7000. Now I don’t know what to do. I signed an agreement to pay for this and I don’t know if I should be talking to Vibrant anymore and just contact the fraud people. I did not send the $50 to the state for the LLC so I am really in a quandury as what to do next. If anyone has any suggestions, I would appreciate an answer as soon as possible. Thanks for listening.
Hi Joan,
First thing you need to do is contact the Attorney Generals Office. I would file a police report as well with your local police. There are 4 steps to follow, you can read then here: What Steps To take If you get scammed.
If you can …stop any payment!…contact the attorney general and police…file reports. File reports with the FBI-Ic3 fraud division, and the FTC..there are a bunch of agencies you can report it to, right on that page.
Its your money, and you want it back. As far as talking to Vibrant Web, you should try to keep in contact if possible. Tell them you want your money back, or that you are cancelling payment on the contract, whatever!…For failure to deliver what you were promised. You don’t think you got what you paid for and you feel you have been scammed out of your money! If you need anything I will help with any advice I can give you! But I am not an attorney, I can only tell you what worked for me and others. Scroll down through the comments and read what others did.
Don’t be surprised if Vibrant Web gives you the silent treatment! They did me!
I will say, give the attorney generals office a chance first, they do not charge you and can save you a ton of money. You can’t contact an attorney until they try to help or they won’t help you.
They CAN get your money back, so have faith! Be patient and Best of luck!
Chas
vibrant scam got me too.in contact with attorney general now.
Hi Kenneth,
I get sick every time I hear this. I am glad you contacted the Attorney Generals Office. Please be sure to file a report with the FBI IC3 division as well. If I can help with anything, let me know.
Chas
I initially had what I thought was a positive connection with Vibrant Web. Jim Arteca was clear from the beginning that if I experienced any problems with any of his staff to let him know. Well, after paying $5000 in August 2015 for Vibrant Web to set up my website things looked pretty good but everything began to deteriorate after the first of the year 2016. I was making NO sales on my site and in January I was connected with Ammy when I asked for help in setting up a simple “Sign-Up” contact form for users and potential customers. The form never performed and I never received notifications from anyone. I did a test using myself as a new customer and I did not receive a confirmation email. After weeks of frustration, I tried to create the form myself but made a mistake in the process, was reprimanded by Jim Arteca for “messing things up” and then my administrative privilege were discontinued and I had only very limited ability to make changes to my website. I made numerous requests for corrections and refinements on my website and, for a time, Jim Arteca would respond with “…they’re on it as we speak” but nothing ever improved. Repeated emails to request help were answered but none of the issues were ever resolved. Things went from bad to worse and I finally decided I had had it and in October of 2016 let Jim Arteca know that I would not be using Vibrant Web any more. I made only three small sales all year and it seemed doomed for failure. I asked for my money back, the $5000 invested, but this never happened. Just a word of caution to others looking for an online web developer, BEWARE of VIBRANT WEB and do not go down the same path that I did. It is a total waste of your time and money, let alone having to experience the obstacles and practices that others have identified and shared in posts in this review. I have since started working with a new website development company and am beginning to make good progress.
Hi Bill,
I am certianly sad to hear that once again someone else has fallen into the Vibrant Web trap.The story is almost always the same, and it progresses to a removal of functions by Vibrant Web. The crime is that they never tell you they are going to be in control, not you! You have left a very detailed description for others to read and maybe catch on quicker to the underhanded techniques Vibrant Web uses. Thanks for taking the time to comment, and I hope you find enough information here to get your money back!Read this article: What Steps to Take if You get Scammed
Chas
Yes I am another victim of vibrant web fraud with a sorry tale to tell
Hi TAZ,
I am sorry to hear you are also a victim of Vibrant Web. What is your sad tale?
Will you look into Prime Corporate Services? This is the company that I purchased my LLC from that is working with and affiliated with Vibrant Web.
Hi Veronica,
I sure will! I am going to try to find out who they are, and what complaints have been filed against them.
When I checked out your website,I must tell you for a VW site, it loads rather quickly @ 3.2 secs….but it really should be under 3 secs!
Vibrant Web has been know for slow loading sites! The site they built for me took almost 2 minutes to load!!!
I bet you are not allowed to use plugins, or do any programing on your site. They let me type content for awhile…then shut that down. It appears they want to control the site they build, and continue to extort money from everyone to get the site completed…but at what cost?
You can send me a PM if you want to mention any sensitive info. I will help any way I can, and I will let you know what I find out about Prime Corporate Services! Keep in touch!
Chas
Vibant Web has scammed me for #1500 plus $500 for an LLC license from another company which I believe must be affiliated with them and not reputable. I first became involved with them through something called Jobs with Bob. Has anyone heard of this? They pressured me into spending the money and not thinking about it first. There was evidently no trial period like they said and money back is not an option. Although I did email them and tell them I thought I was being scammed. I talked to a girl named Jen and she convinced me that it was legitimate. I have since figured out that this is not a legitimate business. Its been 2 months that I have worked diligently on this site. I have so much to say about these people. I hope I can recover some of my money… but I can tell you these people are going down!
Hi Veronica,
I am truly sorry,and want you to know it sickens me to hear another person got taken by Vibrant Web.This company has the pure gaul to produce a website describing a scam! I have not heard of Jobs with Bob, but I promise you I will find out all I can.They may be telling you that getting your money back is not an option, but the Attorney Generals Office may think differently! Please Contact them NOW!You may also want to find a police report as well, but try the Attorney Generals Office in your state first! They give you free help, where as going through the courts(which you may have to do later) will cost money. Try this first, they won’t deal with you if you have hired an attorney!
My page “What Steps to Take if You get Scammed” will help you get organized. File an online complaint with the Attorney General, AND the IC3 division of the FBI. Do both of these! Then, you are instructed “NOT to bother them to find out how you case is going. The Attorney General WILL respond to you, so be patient..it takes about 2 weeks!” I am glad to hear you are willing to fight these people! Some just won’t and allow they to get away with it! I didn’t, and you shouldn’t either! No company has the right to take money for nothing, or sell us inferior products, PERIOD! Keep in touch and I will help you in any way I can.
Chas
Vibrant Web is taking money out of my account 2 times per month! I have tried to stop them but nothing has worked.They have scammed me for hundreds of dollars.
Hi Jim,
I am not a lawyer, but I would tell the bank you want payments stopped. File a police report, and tell them you are being scammed. Nobody should be able to get funds out of your account without your permission. Did you sign some agreement with them?File a report to the Attorney Generals Office in your state. Tell them Vibrant Web did not deliver what they promised you!
Please read my article What Steps to Take if You get Scammed and follow the instructions. I have many more agencies listed as well like the IC3-division of the FBI. They are all willing to help you, please contact them as well. Let me know if I can help you in any way.
Keep in touch,
Chas
They suck..they never email me back…we are going to go with the attorney general too. I should have done it in April when I found out…she got vip and they won’t help her. She has been in hospital past 2 weeks from siezures. She almost died again. They took advantage of her in November but I had no idea until april. I am so mad.
Hi Scott,
Follow my instructions in What Steps to Take if You Get Scammed and be sure to notify the fbi -IC3 division as well.
The silent treatment is their favorite way to deal with people once they get your money!
I had to edit your url because they are sending one that goes directly back to them. Apparently, they are putting their url in your sites general settings or something! You can send me a private email to chas@helpforscamsandfrauds if you need any help or have any questions.
If you send your url in private, I can check it out.
Chas
My wife spent 7500 and she thought she was getting something ekse. She has brain damage and had no idea what a he was doing. Jim Arteca said he would do this and that..he ain’t done nothing. I am sick of this dude. He is a weasel.
Hi Scott,
I am sorry to hear about your wife, and wish the best for both of you. Vibrant Web is only worried about getting your money and Jim is an expert is selling something that is nowhere near what you are going to get.
I am a lucky one I guess I only got the five day trial for 4.99 but when Nathan quimby contacted me he did try to get 500 and I said that is not what was advertised and refused to pay and we hung up.he called me back later that day and we got into an argument and he said he should charge me 1000 dollars cause he was on the phone twice with me I hung up.i know I should have googled them first but fell for the spiel.now I am going to my states attorney general and will file with the fbi to.i have told them to cancel my order as well and have posted other places it is a scam they would not let me have someone I know build the web site either they said go ahead but wouldn’t let it work.
Hi James,
Yes you did get lucky! You got a free trial! Nobody is going to be able to use your site that they built to finish it. If you want someone else to build it you will have to start over. They control what is able to work in your site, because they have that control in the dashboard of the website. But, your domain name is yours,don’t let them have control of it. Good Luck! If you have anything I can help you with let me know!
Chas
Vibrant Web got 2500.00 dollars from me on May 9,2016 for a website that is still not working. They have sent me links with viruses. When I call support they are very rude argumentative and on cooperatI’ve. Thank you for the previous information on how to follow up and try to get my money back. I have been told that was not an option. I have been talked down to buy more than one associate. I asked my son to speak with them because he knows more about the system then I do and they were very rude to him also and tell him that he knew everything and hung up . Thanks again for the information and I will be following up with the attorney general .
Hi Dorothy,
I am sorry to hear people continue to get taken by Vibrant Web. You are doing the right thing. Be sure to also file a report with IC3 of the FBI. I would file a police report as well, because they sell an inferior product that does not work properly. The reason is because web developers can maintain control of your website when you go thru them. Vibrant Web is using this to get people to spend more and more money, when all they have to do is uncheck a few boxes to allow the site to work properly.
What Steps to Take if You get Scammed gives you all the steps to take.
You are allow to recover you money if it is an inferior product that does not deliver as promised. Good luck! If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. I will help in any way I can.
Chas
Just called my credit card company to register a dispute of charges I already paid them for a web site that is still not up and running after the 30 days they promised. Repeated phone calls to these guys and it was always something else I was supposed to do and that was why things were slow when I was told they were going to take care of everything.
Hi Mark,
Sorry to hear you got involved with these guys. I see they have your website up now, so ..toysatlarge is on the web. It is still under construction, and if they play the same game as always,they speak with you,give more promises, then after awhile, you can’t get in touch with them to fix anything.I would always advise anyone to get away from them. You don’t own the site, they do! They do what they want, and you are helpless to do much about it.It is the worst way to run a business, and it messes up your credibility with amazon. They actually blocked me out of my site,trying to teach me a lesson, so how much do you really want to invest with them. It won’t get any better. I think you did the right thing, BUT I would like to add, disputing the charges may not be enough. You will likely have to go after them to get your money back, and file a complaint of an inferior product and deceptive practices. If you have any questions, I will help you any way I can.
Chas
If I could give a NO star I would. I paid $500.00 for a website that i just have there I put lots of effort to it and in 3 months haven’t made a dime!. Just got of the phone with a rep named Nathan Quimby and he started to talk to me about weed. He got mad because I didn’t want to buy a $8,000.00 product! Scams!
Hi Dali,
NO star, I agree! Vibrant Web wants you to keep sending money! The truly bad part is that they also like to play the game of taking away functions and giving you less and less control of you site. Sorta like a continued insult, they rub salt into the wound. All that Nathan wanted was his commission on 8k! Don’t waste time on them Dali, file a police report, and contact the Attorney Generals Office.
What Steps to Take if You Get Scammed
Get the ball rolling and get your money back. Write down all they promised you, and what you didn’t get. Don’t let them keep your money.
Let me know if I can help, keep in touch! Good Luck!
Chas
A few week ago I made investment with vibrant web I also had a problem with late call put on appointment time and had to weight for them to call me back and when someone did call back it was not very helpful I made my secound payment to them and it just did not feel right something was wrong that is why I am here I think I got scamed
Hi Philip,
I am sorry to hear you got involved with Vibrant Web. I can tell you it won’t get better. Stop making payments, and tell them you want your money back.
Follow the steps here: What Steps You Need to Take
I will help you any way I can. let me know what happens.
Chas
I am very pissed with this company I am experiencing all of what you all are saying .. not to mention there saying they don’t have a record of my payments or contract and I have it ..all
Hi Parixe,
I think they must be trying some new tactics! If you have your records,get them in order, and contact the Attorney General. Send an email or call Vibrant Web and explain that you have the records of payment and you want your money back.Here is what you need to do.
What Steps You Need to Take.
They will just get worse to deal with, so you need to act quickly. I will help any way I can.
Good luck, Keep me updated!
Chas
Hello,
I just signed with Vibrant Web, two weeks ago, and still did get my web side done. When I call the person in charge, he does not pick up his phone. I had the feeling that something wasn’t right, now after your comments I am getting sick and depress. I will need help to get my money back from them.
Hi Rose,
You need to act as quickly as you can. Since you have just got involved 2 weeks ago, send an email immediately to Vibrant Web/Jim Arteca and request a refund! If you are in the USA, the steps you need to take in addition to asking for your money back, are found here.
What Steps You Need to Take.
Cancel/stop any payments you may have agreed to make in the future. The faster you act the better your chances are.
Good luck! If you have any questions, contact me. I will help you any way I can.Keep me posted!
Chas
Hmmm my website is back up…
Hi Lisa,
I would ask Vibrant Web how they expect you to keep customers,or help others with an unreliable site. It should be up all the time, and you should be able to put up whatever you wish. They are controlling and renting you a site, calling it “your” website. That is totally misrepresenting what they sell.I would be like a car salesman selling you a car, and finding out you are really only leasing it.
I checked your site speed and surprisingly,it loaded in under 3 secs, which is pretty good.That is unlike them! The site speed of their sites is horrendously slow.
Is your editor completely functional? How about comments? Are you allowed to receive and answer comments? My editor was disabled and comments turned off. I was not allowed access to fix any of it.
If you cannot place ads, or make changes easily, what good is it? I had to contact them for any changes, and they would ignore me for weeks at a time. My header was so over-sized, that my site was completely in-accessible, and unusable for almost a month.
I am glad that the Attorney Generals Office got back so quickly, maybe they are getting fed up with these guys as well!
I wish you the best, let me know how you make out. I will be glad to help in anyway I can.
Chas
Yes, I did yesterday. I’m getting ready to do the rest. They have not tried to call me at all and now I see my website is not accessible. Very frustrating and stressful.
Hi Lisa,
Good for you! Keep the ball rolling, and file with the FBI-Ic3,
National White Collar Crime Center– http://www.nw3c.org/ or FBI NWC3
Vibrant Web likely won’t call till they hear from the Attorney Generals office. If they do call, tell them you want your money back! Your website is not working properly, and you can’t access it. These are the tactics they employ,they stop communicating, and they stop the site from functioning properly.Try not to worry, I know how hard that is.It does take a few weeks for the Attorney Generals Office, so be patient, they are swamped with scams! Keep in touch Lisa, I am wishing the best for you!
Chas
Any updates on vibrant web?
Hi Lisa,
I am not sure what you mean? I hope you have filed some reports on Vibrant Web. Did you contact the Attorney Generals Office in your state?
and file police reports? This is what you try to do first because it does not cost you anything. If you end up needing to get an attorney involved, it will get expensive. Good Luck.
Chas
I payed 2 times and my daughter also paid 1 time. Not only did I not make a dime, I called and inquired and they were totally rude and hateful.We then started getting in to it verbally and they hung up! They then said my account was cancelled and they didn’t have to deal with me anymore and hung up! I own my place and this is a husband and wife home BUSINESS. They have no respect for people and customer service an outrage! I cancelled because I was so frustrated! And because I literally said I cancelled, they said they don’t have to deal with me! IF THERE IS ANYONE ELSE WHO WANTS TO SHUT THEM DOWN MY EMAIL IS lindabryant20@yahoo.com I hope to hear from you! Be blessed.
Linda
Hi Linda,
I am sorry to hear that you were involved with Vibrant Web also. Did you try to get your money back?Follow the instructions here and file a complaint, with your local police, The Attorney generals office in your state, and the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center, the links are posted here on the site. Tell them you want your money back! That is the best way, to keep reporting them until the FBI has to investigate them.If you have any questions, just ask! Thanks for taking the time to comment!
Chas
Chas, oh my I feel so vulnerable being taken. I really hope I can get my money back or else my credit could be in jeopardy. I do have a question, how should I handle my communication? Should I stop all communication? I also wonder if they could be held Accountable for damages?
Thank you
Lisa
Hi Lisa,
I know exactly how bad you feel, believe me. I was never expecting to see my money again, but I got it back with the state attorney general office! But, the more people keep reporting Vibrant Web, the sooner they get the feds crawling all over them.
I would keep talking to them if you can, but they just stopped talking to me until the Attorney General called them. Then they were like “why didn’t you talk to us before calling the Attorney generals office?” But I tried and tried, and they ignored me.
It is totally up to you whether you stop talking or not, but it gives you the option to ask for your money back. If they call you,or if you talk to them, I would tell them you want your money back! They are not giving you what you were promised, are they? They WILL make more promises to keep your money, DON’T FALL For it!
I am no attorney, but eventually if you don’t get anywhere with the Attorney General(which I doubt!), you can still sue them for breach of contract, or whatever your attorney tells you. But contact everyone on the list, and tell them your story. The Attorney General is free, and a private attorney will be expensive. And be sure to file reports with the FBI- IC3 unit. I would also contact you local police dept and file a report. If you have filed all the reports, then try to relax, for now not much more you can do.Keep all your records organized and handy.
Any other questions, I am here Lisa. I’m keeping you in my prayers for a good outcome!
Chas
I believe I could be a victim of vibrant web as well. What a hassle this is becoming and I took out loans to pay vibrant web with the anticipation I would make money to pay the loans. I’m feeling screwed right now.
Hi Lisa,
If you contracted Vibrant Web to build you a site, you are a victim. They prey on people who don’t know how websites work.I found out the hard way. Once they get you paying them, you are no longer important, and they move on to the next victim. I wanted a subscriber e mail list and they put their address in and collected all the names themselves.They turned of the comments, and shut down my editor, making it impossible for me to do anything. I couldn’t write blog post, place images, ads…nothing.It sounds like you are at the point where they just don’t answer any e-mails, or phone calls, and give the silent treatment. If that is the case, it’s time to report them. You have a website that does not work properly, and they will not fix it. They will promise to, but they will not. here is an article that will help you:
What Steps You Need to Take
Vibrant Web is only interested in the money. They will keep you coming back, paying again and again, promising better features, but you won’t get them. That is the game plan. They are charging you for stuff that is free on the web.
When you are in your back office, and try to look at the editor for the code, do you get the message:You do not have the permissions to access this area? That should not ever happen in YOUR website.
I would stop paying, and work on getting your money back. If you go to any of my Wealthy Affiliate ads, and join (it’s free for as long as you like) you can learn how websites really work. You will realize quickly how you have been taken! Good luck! If you have any questions, I am here to help you in any way I can
Chas
Chas, I have been scammed by Vibrant web. They have taken at least $15,000, if note more. It has been lies. There is never anyone to help, on their back off line. Now I have been injured and won’t be able to work. The have forced me into using my retirement money. I want my money back! How do I go about doing this. I will contact my bank, in the am. Should I report them to the FBI, CIA, Chamber of commerce or what? God I feel stupid
Diana,
First off, I am so sorry you got trapped by these crooks! Don’t beat yourself up, you are not stupid, THEY ARE VERY AGGRESSIVE SALESPEOPLE!! They won’t take no as an answer! If you can stop any payments by check or credit card-DO IT TOMORROW! I even cancelled my credit card to stop them from getting any more money from me! You can get another card,but it will(sometimes) take a week or so.
One thing to keep in mind, DO NOT CONTACT AN ATTORNEY YET. the Attorney Generals Office won’t help if you have an attorney involved. You have time for that later if need be.
The first thing you need to do is: Contact the Attorney Generals Office in your state. Tell them exactly what they promised you, and what you actually got. You can do this online in your home, just go to their website: http://www.justice.gov/ag then fill out a report. If you think that you were actually robbed or conned out of your money, contact your local police also, and fill out a police report. They will tell you to contact your attorney, but wait until the Attorney Generals Office looks into it.
One thing Vibrant Web did to me was tell me it was my own website, and I owned it. Well, that is a complete lie. If you look around their website, you will find their policy and terms.It states that they own all the rights to your site, and they are only granting you a license to USE it. Download or print that information out, and if you see that the terms disagree with what they promised you,(and it will) it is deceptive business practices. I am NOT an attorney, but I am trying to give you some direction to make your case.
Once you fill that form out, then you wait till they contact you, and they will…but it takes awhile, maybe a few weeks. They are just swamped anymore with these online scams.
Then, you want to fill out a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission: https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/#crnt&panel1-1
Get all your payments, dates and who you talked too, Phone numbers and email addresses together and give this to everyone you report them to.
You also want to file a complaint with the FBI-Internet Crime Complaint Center: https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/#crnt&panel1-1
You can do all this online and it doesn’t cost you anything.
You can contact the chamber of commerce and make sure they know about Vibrant Web and their despicable tactics. They will likely send you to the attorney generals office also.
I have gotten all my money back with the Attorney Generals Help, I hope this will work out for you also. The nice thing is…it’s free.
Good Luck, and try not to worry…I know exactly how helpless you feel right now!…It’s a terrible, empty and frightening feeling. Just know, I will be here to help you in any way that I can.Try to relax, and get some sleep. Think happy thoughts, and enjoy the Christmas Holiday with family and friends, and forget about it for now, nothing else can be done, except file the reports. I wish you the best of luck, and I think things will be fine.
Hope this helps, any questions, feel free to contact me.
Chas
Chas sorry i didn’t know if my comment was approved. Yes we used only free plugins. The company is awful. They put an average of 200,000 in sales a month on that board. The owners treat the employees like shit. And jimmy has a criminal record. Stay away
Hi,
I approved it after much thought. I appreciate your input and it is a shame that the company is pulling that kind of income.I got the feeling that they don’t care if people complain because they have enough that don’t and keep them in business.If they treat people that badly , they likely have a pretty good turnover of people. That makes it good for getting out of any retirement obligations. Thanks for the input.
Chas
I worked there. It is a scam. You wont make money. As their web developer i can tell you its a f***ing joke. Justa company making millions run by three 30 year old ex frat boys.
Hello,
Well I see what I thought about them was true.For a company to just take advantage of people and rip them off to make a living is just wrong. I wish I could do more and warn people but I can’t. All I can do is try to get the message out there, and then sometimes people just don’t believe it until they actually lose their money.The ad schemes they use are effective for sure. People are roped in and duped before they realize it. Thanks for the information.
Chas
I worked for vibrant web as head web designer. The owners are: Jimmy Arteca, Justin Behnke. And Justin Murray. I’m leaving this comment because that company is a f***ing joke. They have 15 sales people. and 5 customer support reps. And yes, “It is a scam”. You wont make money from it. And they will up-sell you over and over. I have a degree but it took me 20 minutes to upgrade. They treat employees like trash,and force us to lie.They make it seem like its legit, when someone like myself knows how affillate marketing and web design work.
Hi There,
Thank you for your comment. It is refreshing to hear someone who knows the real story.I know they were into my back office in my website and disabled my editor to the point where I couldn’t do anything.The time it takes the site to load is unbelievable. Jim Arteca acts like your friend, and stabs you in the back.Once I saw that woo commerce was the “store” they promised and were charging me for,I knew they were using the free plugins people can get themselves. They prey on people who do not know anything about websites, and I was one. I then was determined to build my own website, and found Wealthy Affiliates. It completely turned my life around because I found out how to build a site AND to make money online. Thanks for taking the time to post your comment.
Chas
I am just now thinking vibrant web is a scam.They always put me off till over the weekend. They have not kept their appotntments to call. They put me off till monday if i call thursday. Once she said she had to go because she had a 5 oclock appt. When i had an appt and called the lady told me the were to swamped and i would have to reschedule. They claimed she (my rep) called but their were no missed calls on my home or cell.She told me missed calls dont always show up. Ive never had thst happen. The phone attendant(which is always changing) kept weaseling out of giving me an appt. She gave me an email instead in which my computer shut down twice when i tried it. I am just now accepting vibrant web is a scam. Thy sell you a cheap web site for 15 dollars which they offer through your email. Next, the talk you in to 350 dallar web site, Only after you by do they tell you your cheap ones junk unless you have knowledge to do it yourself. Then they charge you 20 a month rent. This is why their services has been so terrible put off to me. I now realize they are milking me for rent
Hi Charles,
Yes, they are! I am sorry you got involved with them, they will continue to promise you things they will do for you if you just send more money! Don’t do it! They don’t show for appointments, then they just refuse to answer your calls and give you the silent treatment.I spent $500 and got into a payment of $1500 more!! I cancelled my card and told the card company they were a scam. You need to call the Attorney Generals Office in your state and tell them you’ve been scammed, and you want your money back. Read my ad on the site here about Wealthy Affiliates, and if you really want to build a website, I will show you how to build it yourself, for very little cost. You can build one for free, and you will learn that everything Vibrant Web is offering you, is available for no cost on the internet.If you go through my website here, I will give you one on one help!
Vibrant Web is a complete joke,and a nightmare! They are getting money for nothing! Get away from them as soon as you can!
I hope this helps you to get away from them! Good luck, and let me know if I can help you in any way. Check my site here, and you can get links to the FBI-internet complaint site..IC3. and file a complaint there also. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment, let me know how you make out.If you have any more questions, please feel free to ask me, I will gladly try to help you!
Chas
I have had the response. They would make me a website for $295.00 and get it up and running take care of it. They had 24/7 phone and e-mail service. For 3 or 4 weeks they had phone service every day or so. The e-mail has not ever work some thing about their service. They would make appointment that they never keep. I know that $295.00 dose sound like a lot of money but when you lie on a fixed income it get bad. That is way I when to them was try to make a little money on the side not be scam out what little I had.
Thank you
Hi Richard, I am sorry to hear you lost money to Vibrant web also. But I can tell you that you need to contact the Attorney Generals Office if you are here in the US. I actually just got the money back that I lost to them just a few weeks ago, and it was the Attorney Generals Office that did it! Yes They did the same thing to me, only I sent more money because they promised a store, with 40% discount on cost of goods.I got a store, it turned out to be woo commerce the free plugin from wordpress.
Fill out a complaint form for the Attorney Generals Office and tell them what Vibrant Web did to you. You will have a good chance of getting your money back, and maybe, if enough people complain, we can get them shut down for good!! Thank you so much for letting me know this Richard, and please keep in touch and tell me how you make out.
Chas
How do I go about getting hold of the Attorney Generals office?
Hi Richard,
You need to contact the Attorney Generals Office in (your state). Just search online, for it. you will get a form to fill out and then they will contact you.
I also filed a complaint with the FBI C3 unit…Just search FBI Internet crime complaint center. They also give you a form to fill out. Filing the complaints and working with the Attorney Generals Office are both free so you have nothing to lose.
Please keep in touch and let me know how you make out. It will take a few weeks, so give it time.If it works for you please tell others about my site, that is the reason I started this site!
Chas