Scammer Alert: ScriptWorkz aka Brandon Kagey [email protected]
 

First, let's start off with his info:

Brandon Kagey (Eric Frye according to Paypal)
7950 South Military Trail
Lake Worth, FL 33463
Phone: 561-452-1547
Email: [email protected]
skype (bkmny1385)
E-Mail: [email protected]
Web: ScriptWorkz

Summary:
I hired Brandon to do a website project for me. I placed an ad here on GFY and he responded (Feb 23). We went over the project in email first and then finalized things by phone when he called me (Feb 24). We had a good conversation and I felt good proceeding with him as my programmer for the project. He asked for 30%-50% to be transferred to him as downpayment for the website by Paypal. I said I had no problems giving him 50% for the downpayment prior to him starting it. I promptly transferred the $XXX deposit into his paypal account ([email protected]) on (Feb 24).

He said if he could stretch my project to 2 weeks for delivery, we could keep the costs lower. I agreed and the project completion date was set for (Sunday, Mar 10). He promised he would give me updates and access to his server to view the progress as the project came along (I never received any updates or access). He said he could even finish the project in a week possibly. I told him that would be great if he finished it early as I had more projects for him to do, but if he needed the full 2 weeks as agreed upon, that would be fine with me.

Here is the timeline of events since then:

Feb 24 Project Confirmed by phone, paid 50% deposit by Paypal. Completion date: March 10 (or earlier)

March 2 - I contacted Brandon to see how the progress of the website was going. He replied the same day that "The project is progressing, been working on all hte base code, wireframes, etc.. So far no problems though and still on track, hoping to maybe have it wrapped up a day or two early even, like i said before the sooner the better as far as i'm concerned. Once the wireframes are done i'll get you access to the dev area so you can follow along as everythings finalized / polished / etc.."

March 6 - I contacted him to see how it was progressing as I didn't hear back from him. NO REPLY.

March 7 - I contacted him to see how it was progressing as I didn't hear back from him. NO REPLY.

March 8 - I contacted him to see how it was progressing as I was now getting worried as the March 10 deadline was approaching and I haven't heard from him in almost a week.

March 9 - I received an email from him. He said he was dealing with some family issues and that he got one of his guys to work on my project while he was dealing with things. "In order to finish up your project i had one of my guys jump on it while i was unavailable and am gonna get with him for a full update in the am. As far as i know it should be mostly done / ready for review but worst case i might need a couple more days to take care of anything he did that needs tweaked or any loose ends...

Will get you updated, wrapped up (if need be) and everything over to you for review ASAP. you can expect a more thorough update to follow sometime tomorrow, should be earlier in the day but with the amount of catch up i'm gonna have to play it might be afternoon, gonna do my best to get it to it asap so we can both be on the same page and get this thing finished up"

March 10 - Deadline day, no email from him or even an update. I was very understanding because he said he had family issues so I decided to give him a few days past the deadline as things sometimes legitimately come up.

March 14 - 5 days since his last email, I emailed him to see how the progress was coming along and if the project website was completed. He replies "I'm here and trying to get it wrapped up today, if not i intend on working tomorrow to finish it, want it wrapped up this weekend as well so i'm here doing what i can. will keep you posted/let you know when it's ready and we'll get together and go through it."

March 16 - Emailed him to see if the project is finished. He replies with "It pretty much is, there's something i didn't really like how it turned out so i was reworking it, got a bit deeper then i should of but trying to have the code i'm reworking done and tested tonight so should be sending you the info to review here in a bit, if not i'll let you know what's up / when to expect it."

March 18 - Project is well past overdue. I emailed him again to see if the project is completed. NO REPLY

March 19 - I emailed him again to see if the project is completed. NO REPLY

March 20 - I emailed him again to see if the project is completed. NO REPLY

March 21 (early afternoon) - I called him on his phone number and no reply. Also texted him on the same number no reply.

March 21 (mid afternoon) - I emailed him again to see if the project is completed. No reply.

I'm one of the easiest person to work with. I give my programmers space with the understanding that when the project deadline date is approaching, I usually just touch base to make sure everything is coming along as it should be and that we will be on tract for deadline day. At the same time I am very understanding if something like family issues come up. I have worked with a few regular programmers on my mainstream projects but none do adult stuff so that's why I had to hire someone I was not familiar with on this project since it was adult related. I think I have been really patient with him and I get the feeling I am being jerked around. Even with the numerous delays and lack of communication, I have been very nice in all my email correspondence even though I am very disappointed with things.

It's been almost a month and I haven't yet received a single review update or access to his server to view the progress as he promised when he first took the project. I was busy with my business on my end so I didn't make it a big issue when I didn't get the updates. I guess I have been fortunate in the past with my past programmers so I didn't give it much thought. Sadly this time around, it bite me in the ass as you can see above. :(:(

dispute on paypal, he must reply or paypal will refund

This thread was just brought to my attention. This is more a miscommunication issue then anything. I emailed you some questions that I wanted answered so I could finalize things and info on the staging area so you could check things out in the meantime last week and hadn't heard back, in the email I also mentioned I'd be largely unavailable for the next few days but I'm assuming since you made this thread you never saw it. Replying on my phone now but once I get back here in a bit I'll dig up the email and resend it so we can get this cleared up and deployed within the next day or so for you. I assure you I'm not trying to screw you or ruin my reputation over $200 after being in the biz for over ten years

Just updating things, Good news is that Brandon contacted me and he said he was having email problems and he is working towards finishing the project. I will post a folllowup update as soon as the project is finished and in my hands :) Thanks guys for all your support and help in bringing it to Brandon's attention :thumbsup It really does sound like it was his email problems not receiving/sending emails. He is working towards finishing the project and having it in my hands soon. I will update this post immediately when everything is sorted out. :thumbsup

Looks like he is a confirmed scammer now. He has been feeding me more stories since I posted this complain about him. I think he is just giving me the run around this entire time so he can screw more people like you Murdoch and me (by the way I have been talking to Marina at your company about being an affiliate, she's a sweetheart :) ).

Back to the topic, numerous excuses from his Kid breaking his hand on glass being rushed to the hospital to a supposed accident and being hospitalized. It's always seems like the only way to get a response from him is to threaten him with posting on GFY/Better Business Bureau/making a police report to the Police at Lake Worth Florida before I get a reply.

Being the sympathetic idiot that I am, I keep falling for it because I genuinely feel sorry about the "mishaps/accidents". I can't believe I felt sorry for him. Since my first complain post (this thread) and him emailing me to post that he is "working to resolve it" on March 24, it's been one stupid excuse after another, from the kid breaking his hand on glass and being rushed to the hospital, to problems with the database of my script that he will fixed "tonight" "tomorrow" "no later than a couple of days" "this weekend for sure" blah blah. And finally the real tear jerker that he was involved in a bad car accident and that's why he didn't reply recently even though I CALLED, TEXTED, EMAILED him but didn't get a reply until I threatened posting on GFY/Better Business Bureau/making a police report to the Police at Lake Worth Florida. Then he messages me saying my script is finished, and he gives me a bogus link below to my demo that is password protected. "My wife just picked me up from the hospital, I will send you the login/pass to see the demo when I am home". THAT WAS 4 days ago!!! But it is MAGICALLY "password protected". WHY THE FUCK would you password protect a demo.

http://achescorts.scriptworkz.com/

Now magically, the so called "finished script" in that link doesn't even go to a login/password page. FUNNY HUH? And he doesn't reply to text/call/email.

So no BS excuse about "email problems on his end".

It's been all a scam guys. No if but's or could be about it. This guy is a scammer. His name and info is below guys.

Brandon Kagey (Eric Frye according to Paypal)
7950 South Military Trail
Lake Worth, FL 33463
Phone: 561-452-1547
Email: [email protected]
skype (bkmny1385)
E-Mail: [email protected]
Web: ScriptWorkz

Not good, I hope you both will get it solved.

Paypal will freeze your funds if you would have caught him in the 60 day period. It seems like he uses the 60 days to bs around with excuses and once the days are up then no more replies.

Is there a scammer thread on gfy. Im knew here. Tia

He scammed me for a PHP site
 

Brandon Kagey ripped me off for $2500 through paypal for services he never provided.

His LinkedIn says he now works at Crosstown Services in Denver.
( linkedin /in/brandon-kagey-893aa830 )


Be Careful dealing with him or Crosstown Services ( crosstowncompany c o m ).

I also see a phone number for Brandon ( 561 452 1547 ) listed as a reference for Trent Tompkins ( 724 503 7878 [email protected] ). I would be weary dealing with him as well.

( w w w trenttompkins c o m )

Major lesson - NEVER go with a FREELANCER. Always prefer a small or mid size team company. Even though they charge couple hundred more - you get more credibility and even there is a world war or natural calamity - the company will go on.

Few pointers before signing up any project -

1) Get references from the vendor and talk to the references. ( Strictly over phone and not even through skype ) - Ask your questions to references and get clarified.

2) Setup Face to Face video call with the software vendor.

3) Ask for his linkedin, Facebook ( without confirming the identity - never work with him even if he is low at prices )

Some of the questions that we usually ask before signing up a vendor -
1. How many people are on your team?

2. How many projects have the programmers who worked on your team have done?

3. How long have they been employed?

4. What’s the experience of the project manager? Can I speak to them before starting off and get an intro and spend some time with them?

5. If you follow agile - what are the sprint deliverables for each week? When is the sprint review meeting? Is this intimated to us at the start so we can follow progress easily?

6. Can we use trello to manage tasks and follow progress? When do we plan all the tasks?

and few more - we usually have 1 hour meeting to review the vendor before signing up.

On the other side - This is the process that we follow with our clients too.

Shameless plug: We're a small team of 20 people ( dev, designers, business dev. ) - Core technology programming and development for Adult industry :)

He got me also for $xxxx