Items they did not meet in their own proposal:
- "Procurement and Delivery - shopping and shipping." We had to complete this ourselves because we supposedly "exceeded" the allotted hours.
Services from Circa Studio, LLC D.B.A. CIRCA STUDIO (LYNCHBURG CI) were intended for an interior design project on a single-family residence. A proposal was created and agreed upon by both parties involved. We paid a $600 deposit fee of $1200 to start the consulting; however, Circa Studio did not fulfill their obligations as outlined in the proposal. The budget and pricing items were not submitted as outlined in the proposal and actually exceeded the initial amounts without any sort of written notice or approval. The scope of the project was not changed or modified, but Circa Studio insisted that the allotted design services time of 15 hours was exceeded. We had to locate our own contractors because they had initiated negotiations without consideration of the budget. The advertising pitch was that they would secure great contractors who they've worked with previous to help keep the project on track/budget. The proposal also states the Project Management will be for the duration of the project; however, more compensation was demanded even beyond the $1200. This is when we ceased the services because they did not keep everything on track, didn't get us in touch with great subcontractors, and weren't available for questions that came up unless we paid more. I feel these are deceptive practices intended to mislead the customer and there has not been any sort of time allotment breakdown for the "Design Services".
The only item that actually was completed was schematics for the design services; however, the timing of 84.5 hours they claimed was spent over 15 hours identified in the proposal is completely ridiculous. There was/is no indication of time or hours spent, even to-date. I don't know of any company that wouldn't notify a customer if they exceeded the terms by this amount, or any for that matter, and just demand payment outside of what was in the proposal.
- "Project Management - Keeping everything on track." They put is in contact with multiple subcontractors; however, it leads to the next item, budget. It seems they knew these contractors personally rather than professionally since they're aware of the scenario and we had challenges with our counter-top installation that came as a referral from them also. It appears they're attempting to combine efforts to discredit my complaints for incomplete/insufficient services and products.
I recently built a new house and worked with Kaycie LaGrone from Circa Studios with my design and décor. It was the BEST decision I made. She made everything SO EASY! I had never worked with an interior designer before and didn't know what to expect. She was so easy to talked to and put me at ease. She was very receptive to my opinions and input and made sure I was in LOVE with everything we chose, from colors, to home design elements, flooring, tile, etc etc! She really enjoys what she does and is very good at it and it shows. I would recommend Circa Studios to anyone! Although in the beginning I was leery of spending money on something like this, in the end it was money definitely WELL SPENT and I would do it again in a heart beat! I really love my home and had a great experience working with Kaycie and her team!
- "We're here every step of the way to answer any questions that may come up throughout the project." This line is very deceptive. They are there every step of the way and to answer questions, if they feel you haven't "exceeded" the hours
- "Budget" - Did not keep on budget since progress began without a holistic overview of all expenses such as all furniture selection being finalized, kitchen backsplash supplies and installation, etc. Proposal states $0; however, there was an email outlining ~$20,000 budget. We had to source our own contractors and products to force the project to stay within budget, which is the reason why we hired a professionals (I use the term loosely in this case). Any changes to budget and pricing were supposed to be submitted in written/email form and approved. This also did not occur since they clearly were going to exceed and did not provide the information to us or obtain approval. The contractors they recommended for work were extremely overpriced, but there would be no incentive for Circa Studios to try to obtain industry pricing for us. Basically, I feel they were trying to take advantage of the scenario since they worked with the entities prior and were not following a budget.
I'll start with this has ended with a complaint to the Better Business Bureau being filed.
Shyla Hiebert
Circa Studio is a US General Contractor based in Lynchburg, Virginia. Circa Studio is located at 505 Church St #1, Lynchburg, VA 24504, USA.
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