ARTGARDEN

A GOOD EXAMPLE OF BUYER BEWARE. WE LEARNED THE HARD WAY WHAT DEALING WITH A TINY COMPANY CAN MEAN. WE PAID ARTGARDEN A LARGE AMOUNT OF MONEY TO MANAGE A PROJECT...THEY CAME IN 40% OVER BUDGET AND COMPLETELY MISSED OUR REQUESTED DEADLINE. WE WEREN'T EVEN INFORMED HOW OVER BUDGET THEY WERE UNTIL WE GOT THE FINAL BILL. WE WERE THEN EXPECTED TO PAY THE FINAL BILL NO QUESTIONS ASKED...IT WAS $40,000 MORE THAN THEIR ESTIMATE SO WE CLEARLY HAD SOME ISSUES. WHEN WE QUESTIONED THEM ABOUT THIS RIDICULOUS AMOUNT THEY SAID THEY WERE SURPRISED AT THE FINAL NUMBERS AS WELL. GIVEN THEY WERE PAID OVER $13,000 FOR PROJECT MANAGEMENT ALONE IT WASN'T COMFORTING TO HEAR YOUR PROJECT MANAGERS DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THE COST OF THE PROJECT. MORE DISTURBING, THEY FIND CREATIVE WAYS TO MAKE MONEY WITHOUT DISCLOSING IT UPFRONT. THEY DOUBLE THEIR PLANT COST SO YOU WILL BE CHARGED MORE THAN RETAIL PRICE. THEY CHARGE YOU A LABOR FEE TO REPLACE DEAD PLANTS...THE LABOR FEE IS SOMETIMES PRICER THAN THE DEAD PLANT.