A while back I wrote about an incredible example of people being ripped off (and then insulted and threatened) by an e-commerce development company called justtwogirls.com. The response to my post has been tremendous. Even my esteemed Know More Media colleague, Maria Palma of www.customersarealways.com, picked up on the buzz and personally wrote to Christina asking if she might like to comment.
In true psychotic fashion, Christina wrote back in the third person, claiming that "Christina" no longer worked there. Oddly enough, her company is a sole proprietorship. What was she trying to tell us: "Sorry, no one's home."
Additionally, to counteract the spate of bad press she's been receiving, it seems concocted "positive" reviews have been placed on various web sites (dates and times of these reviews are all clustered revealing that they've all been created by a single reviewer.)
In my first post on the subject I welcomed Christina to respond to what was being said about her. While she often takes on multiple/alternative personas it seems unlikely that any of them will come forward to talk.
Hello Jocelyn and Maria,
Thank you both so much for taking up this issue. You don’t know how deeply it is appreciated by so many former clients.
I am the person who originally contacted It’s Bad Business regarding Just Two Girls. After countless months of trying to get someone, anyone, to look into this, you are the first ones. Thank you.
I have filed reports with every consumer and business protection agency I could find. Filed complaints with the District Attorney of Missouri, the US District Attorney, and the D.A. in my own state. All for not. I have contact newspapers and television stations in Christina Steven’s area of Missouri and never received so much as an acknowledgment. I have turned to consumer protection groups only to be told that because I am a business and not an individual consumer (even though I am a sole proprietor, like most of Just Two Girls’ clients) they are unable to assist me. I have spoken with attorneys who, while sympathetic, have advised me that while I have every chance of winning a lawsuit, I would have to hire 2 teams of attorneys - one in my state and one in Missouri. I would also have to travel to Missouri to deal with the issue, not to mention it would most likely cost me a minimum of $25k in legal fees. I have filed complaints with numerous federal agencies. All I’ve ever received back for my efforts are neat little case numbers that go nowhere.
The problem is, Christina knows all this. She knows that everything sits on her side. She can be as vicious, as nasty, and as vengeful as she wants to be. She feels above the law -- and in many ways, it appears she is. Meanwhile the victims keep racking up like a garbage heap outside her back door. She’s a human trash compacter and she just keeps shoving more and more body parts into her dumpster. She simply doesn’t care because she’s enjoying the demented power she surely feels she has.
These clients are not unintelligent women, dullards who can’t count to ten. These are all highly motivated and talented individuals. They, like myself, are lulled in by Christina’s (at first) charm and warmth. Some see the dark side sooner than others. But eventually, we are all confronted with the reality of the situation.
As more and more of her clients found the discussion thread regarding JTGs on the women-to-women business site, The Switchboards, and began sharing their stories, Christina tried looking for a way to avoid the reputation she was amassing. She opened up a new design business under the name of The Tech Girl http://www.thetechgirl.com. When it was discovered that this was also her business, and there was a possibility of her former clients contacting and warning the new ones, she shut The Tech Girl down. In it’s place she posted the following notice in lieu of the website’s homepage. (I saved a copy of the page as a PDF. It shows a date of March 1, 2006):
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Quote posted by Christina Stevens, owner of Just Two Girls and The Tech Girl (I’ve edited a couple of the swear words):
I am not trying to "reinvent" myself. I have no need.
Of 892 new clients in 2005, we had 14 complaints. That is 14 more complaints that I would have liked to seen, but to me I think the ratio is pretty good. That in no way lessens the validity of the complaints that are truthful.
Some of the messages posted in this topic, are very much so true. I have not responded for numerous reasons. Mainly because most of them are legitimate complaints, and I have no intention on disputing them. I wouldn't attempt to. HOWEVER. Some of the complaints written in this topic are totally fabricated. I see four people in here that I had never even talked to, let alone work on a project for them, one of which is claiming I am a racist.
A few of the replies here in this post are unwarranted. Three of the people complaining here, and bad mouthing me are people that were refunded their payment because of crappy treatment that they received. They also received well deserved written apologies. They of course get more of a reaction when they leave that tidbit of information out, however anyone that would like to see credit card terminal receipts can let me know because I am more then willing to share :)
One of the replies here written by a very nasty woman is 100% percent false. It couldn't get more false if the typing was inverted. If I was the nasty b*tch that everyone says I am I would post all of the proof that I have about each one of you that is lying, but I won't because I am above it.
It surprises me that someone can come on a message board, post a message and 40 some odd people can be naive enough to believe every word they read. Well actually, no, it doesn't surprise me, but it does make me laugh a little.
To those of you that do have valid complaints: I will not make excuses for any of the bad things that I have done. I won't. I accept 100% responsibility for those of you that were treated unfairly. I can only apologize, and expect you to take it for what you feel that it is worth. Chances are it will mean absolutely nothing, and although it stinks, I'm sure if I were in your position I would probably tell myself to get screwed, and a few other things because yeah, I do curse. The things that happened were wrong. And I am sorry for that. If I could take them back, make things better, erase the entire situation, I would. But we all know that I can't. I can only live and learn from my mistakes. I know good and well I am too: sarcastic, blunt, bold, outspoken, easily agitated, don't' have a lot of patience and can often times be very nasty if pushed. Most of the complaints here are about exactly that. I know this is very impersonal, however I do not want to bother you with personal emails of apology, nor do I want to start a war.
To those of you that are lying: I'm a firm believer in what goes around comes around. As much as I will "get mine" for being such an ass to some people, you will "get yours".
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This post only last on The Tech Girl site for maybe just an hour and then she took it down. Now if you try and access www.thetechgirl.com you just get a “Forbidden” error message. So she has apparently locked the URL down. It is yet another example on her psychotic behavior because even while she was making the claim: “...If I was the nasty b*tch that everyone says I am I would post all of the proof that I have about each one of you that is lying, but I won't because I am above it...”, she was continuing her deplorable treatment of her clients and the casualties continued to mount.
Just two months after she stated, “I will not make excuses for any of the bad things that I have done. I won't. I accept 100% responsibility for those of you that were treated unfairly.” I found this posted to one of her client’s website. Apparently the client did was the rest of us tried to do -- get as far away from her as possible. In return, Christina sabotaged her business and replaced the client’s web shop with the following notice: (which my PDF file shows is dated May 20, 2006:
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Quote from Christina Stevens, owner of Just Two Girls, that she posted to one of her client’s website homepage:
“Dear Customers,
I’m sorry, but my web site will not be available for some time. I am too busy dealing with my low life husband and not able to make any more ugly purses for anyone :( Look at the bright side, because my web site is closed, you don’t have to worry about seeing my talentless, no class style-less creations that I call handbags. I have taken some time off from my “creations” in an effort to renovate my single wide trailer because my landlord said that my chickens and my clothes line have to go. Not to mention that I was cited by the city for having 18 vehicles in my front yard, none of which had tires. My neighbor was arrested at the local walmart yesterday was arrested for trying to use my foodstamps card to buy moon pies and RC Cola.
As you can see my family and I have had a hard time over the last few months, hopefully you can understand now why my web site has been put on hold.”
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Just imagine if you were that client and you turned your computer on in the morning to find that filth where your business website used to be. This is what gives Christina Stevens pleasure. Her husband Jim also does some work for the company. He works on the help board. Shocking to find out this person is a wife, isn’t it? It’s even more shocking when you realize she is not only a wife, but the mother of two children as well. She operates her business out of a home office. That means that her children are exposed to her triads as she is screaming at her clients. It’s a thought that disturbs me deeply.
Posted by: Grateful Former Client | September 7, 2006 12:03 AM | Permalink to Comment