Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  10/30/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On 9/24, I reached out to Staging Spaces (SS) about interior styling services. We had a number of email exchanges about design looks over the next couple of days. They sent their fee sheet and they detailed that an initial design consultation is $250 followed by an hourly rate of $75 for research and design. I asked what the typical number of hours was based on what we discussed. They stated 20 to 40 for design hours depending on how quickly decisions could be made. They came on 10/27 for a consultation in which I provided details about what we liked/didn't like. I then emailed over links of furniture we liked, based on their directions to do so. I did not hear from them again until 10/25 when they sent 5 "mood boards" that were nothing like we talked about. I emailed them that night stating I was disappointed in the quality and provided over 10 links to furniture that we did not, as well as detailed feedback on what I did not like about the "mood boards". On 10/28, they sent me an invoice for $1050 for the 5 "mood boards" and charged ~$250 for our correspondence. For example, they charged an hour of time to review my feedback and my email. That was never discussed. I requested a call immediately to explain why we were so upset, the subpar quality, the misinformation they provided, etc. They offered no remedy and continue to say "I'm not used to a designer" but the hours do not make sense. For example, they charged my .25 hours for "starting a conversation about my design but got side tracked". They also charged me for when I sent them an email with links to furniture, but they requested I do so. I also did not agree to 5 "mood board" designs. We agree to 1 full design for a bedroom and 1 full design for a basement, which we expected to include pillows, bedding, wallpaper/paint, curtains/shades, etc. None of that was provided. They also did not provide a price breakdown for any items and/or the information about how much discount they would extend to us.

  Business response

  10/31/2024

  We’re sorry to hear you were not satisfied with our design work. On 10/30/24, we reached out to discuss how we could best resolve your concerns, prior to receiving notification of this complaint. Client satisfaction is our top priority, and as mentioned in our previous emails, we welcome the opportunity to work directly with you to find a resolution that meets your needs. 
  
  
  Billing Structure and Contract Terms: Our contract, which we require all clients sign—clearly outlines our pricing and our monthly billing structure. Specifically, it states that “Any work completed inside the Staging Spaces office will be billed in quarter-hour increments, including design drawings, online product research, calls, and correspondence.” In addition, the contract also states "Invoices for design services will be emailed to clients once a month." During our first meeting, you signed and initialed all pages that clearly stated these practices. You didn't express any hesitations at that time and didn't have any questions about our policies.  We are committed to transparency, which is why we ask clients to initial next to these billing clauses on the contract to ensure full understanding.
  
  
  Project Scope and Timeline: We estimated a timeline of approximately 20 to 40 hours for the first phase of the project. Your first invoice was for 14 hours of design work. Since you chose to terminate the agreement before we reached that timeframe, we feel that the project hasn’t had the opportunity to fully reflect our design capabilities but this was by your choice and we respect your decision and will not force you to move forward.

  
  Thank you again for your feedback. We’re here to help resolve any remaining concerns, and we look forward to finding a resolution that best suits your needs.

  
  Thank you,
  Staging Spaces

  Business response

  11/08/2024

  Thank you for updating us on this matter. As a small business, we pride ourselves with excellent communication, promptness and honesty for all of our clients.

  We were able to settle the matter and gave them 20% off their final invoice. 

  I'm glad we were able to get this resolved, but sorry it had to go through you. 

  Thank you for your time.

  ***** *********, Owner

  Staging Spaces

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩