Are you looking for a group of creative consultants to design a logo or other graphic for your business? Logo Design Cafe may seem like a lucrative choice– unfortunately, though, this company has a history of being less than reliable.

In this quick expose, we’ll look at this company’s history with reported scams and lackluster designs, as well as how you can avoid such scams and find a reputable company to work with.

What is Logo Design Cafe?

Logo Design Cafe is an online logo and graphic design platform. The company notes that its “core motive is to offer global businesses a platform that has the potential to build digital marketing solutions from ground up!” The company offers a free consultation from a design expert. Interested users can also request a quote via their website as well.

At first glance, nothing seems overly suspicious about the company’s website. But the deeper you dig, the more the information they present does not add up.

To start, the website notes that Logo Design Cafe is the leading design and development firm by the number, and that it is the 28th most innovative company in the United States. The statistics section goes on to note that the company has made $7.1 million in ten months and boasts 91+ 5-star client reviews and a %5.1 billion executive team. Not only are these numbers vague, but they are very outrageous– especially when looking at their Worth of Web estimated annual revenue, which sits at only $132. And naturally, the website provides absolutely no proof of any of their egregious claims.

This is all, of course, speculation. The real important information comes from past clients of Logo Design Cafe, many of which have taken to Yelp and the BBB to voice their very serious complaints en masse.

The Truth Behind Logo Design Cafe – Real Ex-Client Claims

There is ample proof of Logo Design Cafe’s shady dealings through the review aggregate Yelp and the Better Business Bureau. Dozens of unsatisfied customers have taken to Yelp to express their concerns. Specifically, many reviewers have noted that this business will accept money for a project and then ghost their clients. Other reviews have noted that the company will take an excessively long time to develop any sort of designs, and that promised refunds simply never happen. According to the BBB, the company has received fifteen complaints in the last three years, seven of which occurred in the last year alone.

One particular Yelp user noted that the quality of the logos they received from the company were of poor quality and the actual cost of the final design was riddled with hidden fees.

“One of the most shady and dishonest businesses online,” says the user in a Yelp review, “You’d think that with getting something like a logo would just be easy, like it’s either you like the logo or you don’t, you ask for a revision, you get your logo made, you get the logo and you move on. […] After several days of waiting and going back and forth – they finally finalized on a logo which did not meet our expectations and was cheap. We said we’d take it anyway. Then they proceeded to tell me that I had to pay an additional $250 to get the rights to the logo, which would have totaled the entire design project to $350. I hate that this company wasn’t transparent about this to begin with and now won’t release my logo to me unless I paid them that fee.”

Another yelp user went on to describe an email list scam conducted by Logo Design Cafe as well– one that would cost them $100 to simply be taken off of.

“I am very careful not to leave bad reviews, but after requesting to be removed from their email list and their do not call list, they said it would cost me $100,” the Yelp user wrote, “Let’s go back in time 1st. I ordered a design from them and it was terrible! My 6 year old son could design better than these people. I did not request a refund which means they kept my $129 I sent them. Then they kept calling to solicit additional services, and I kept asking be added to their DNC list and unsubscribe. Now back to the top, via text (SMS) they told me they would put me to the top of their call queue and I told them I would report to the FTC. AVOID AT ALL COST!”

Logo Design Cafe’s BBB review page is even more of a warzone.

One specific user noted that the logos they received were actually not too bad– but the aftermath of a business relationship they believed was over was where the real problems were.

“I did get my logo completed and the work was good,” the user noted in the BBB review, “However, now 3-4 months later I get John Martin on the phone telling me I owe money for registering, copyrights of the logo, and if I did not pay them $350.00 (a deal because of the virus) for copyright, he would send it to the state. Well, we went back and forth, I showed him that upon completion I own the copyright, not him, and I am not going to register it. Anyway, I did not pay him and he said he turned me into the state and they will come take my business license or it will cost me X-XXXX USD. DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY!”

Many of the BBB complaints follow a similar sort of format and list very similar problems. Numerous reviewers noted that they requested a refund, either because the received logos were very poor quality or did not arrive in a timely manner, but were met with numerous roadblocks in trying to get their money back. Some reviewers claim that they have never received a refund.

Just as well, many reviewers also noted that Logo Design Cafe also offers website design services, but the results of these (very expensive) services often include an aesthetically displeasing website, broken links, and other issues.

One additional major theme with many reviewers involves heavy pressure sales tactics that occur months after the initial point of contact, even going as far as to mock or bully some consumers.

It’s clear that this company should be avoided at all costs. Unfortunately, though, this is far from a unique scenario. It’s quite easy to be scammed by design and marketing companies online. Let’s take a look at some good tried and true tips for avoiding such scams.

Avoiding Logo and Graphic Design Scams

Unfortunately, this collection of experiences with this particular company is far from rare. As a general rule of thumb, you should always follow these steps to avoid falling into a scam loop when looking for a graphic design service:

 

Excellent Graphic Design Services from Distinct

If you’re interested in working with a reputable brand for logo design in Sunnyvale, get in touch with Distinct today. We offer similar services but strive to deliver the best possible customer experience.

At Distinct, we’re passionate about providing a number of different services to our business owner and entrepreneur clients. In addition to logo design, we also offer marketing advisory services and digital tools to help you manage your business more efficiently and with less time spent on tedious tasks.

We understand that not every marketing firm will be a perfect fit for a particular client. We care about our integrity as a B2B marketing advisory company, and that’s why we offer a full refund within the first three months of service. No strings attached, satisfaction guaranteed.

Our mission at Distinct is to optimize businesses through customized marketing support. Not two businesses are identical, and that’s why we believe a hands-on, individualized approach to providing marketing advisement and support is vital. Get in touch with us today to learn more about how we can help you outsource your marketing needs through personalized packages that fit your unique marketing journey.

How was our expose on this shady graphic design business? Tell us what your experience has been like working with graphic design firms online in the comments below.

Photo source: Pixabay