Mobile App Development for Outdoor Tools Company
- Mobile App Development
- $50,000 to $199,999
- Jan. 2024 - Jan. 2026
- Quality
- 0.5
- Schedule
- 0.5
- Cost
- 0.5
- Willing to Refer
- 0.5
"Their response to your needs was not collaborative; it was obstructive."
- Sports
- Medford, Oregon
- 1-10 Employees
- Online Review
The NineHertz was tasked with developing a fishing app for an outdoor tools company. The app featured AI insect recognition, an offline-first architecture, regional hatch charts, and 3D visual guides.
The NineHertz failed to deliver the app's core offline functionality, missed milestones, and led the client to believe the development was on track. When the client hired another company, The NineHertz plugged in the features rather than building them. The client is now pursuing legal action.
The client submitted this review online.
BACKGROUND
Please describe your company and position.
I am the Product Development of Glory Outdoors
Describe what your company does in a single sentence.
We provide tools to helps people explore and enjoy outfoor activities.
OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE
What specific goals or objectives did you hire The NineHertz to accomplish?
- Create an app to help people learn to fish.
SOLUTION
How did you find The NineHertz?
Clutch Site
Why did you select The NineHertz over others?
- High ratings
- Good value for cost
How many teammates from The NineHertz were assigned to this project?
2-5 Employees
Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.
The core of the project was to bridge high-tech AI recognition with rugged, no-service environment utility:
1. Core AI & Recognition:
AI Insect Recognition: The primary "hook" of the app. Users take a photo of an insect, and the AI identifies the species to "match the hatch."
Hatch Identification: Beyond simple ID, the app was scoped to provide life cycle data (nymph, emerger, adult) to suggest the correct fly pattern.
2. The "Offline-First" Architecture
This was the most critical (and failed) part of the scope. The app was intended to be roughly 100 MB to allow for:
Offline Catch Log: Allowing users to log catches in remote canyons without cellular service, with GPS tagging that syncs once back in range.
Offline Mapping (Hatch Map): Interactive maps showing river flows, weather, and specific hatch locations that remain accessible without data.
Offline Educational Library: A robust database of fishing tips, 3D knot illustrations, rigging instructions, and videos—all stored locally on the device.
3. Data & Resource Integration:
Regional Hatch Charts: Dynamic charts tailored to specific states and seasons (which you were personally gathering data for in early 2026).
Environmental Tracking: Real-time (when online) and cached (when offline) data regarding river flows, spawn cycles, and smolt cycles.
Location-Specific Text: Automated location descriptions and mapping data for the Hatch Log.
4. Technical Rigging & Presentations:
3D Illustrations: High-quality visual guides for complex fly fishing knots.
Rigging Guides: Step-by-step visual presentations on how to set up different types of fly fishing rigs (nymphing, dry fly, etc.).
RESULTS & FEEDBACK
What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?
We were working on a "Milestone" model.
Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?
1. Delivery and Timelines: A "Pattern of Failure":
NineHertz consistently failed to meet deadlines, extending a project that should have been completed much sooner into a two-year ordeal.
Missed Milestones: They failed to deliver the core "Offline Functionality" features despite these being prepaid and clearly defined in the SRS.
The Final Deadline Breach: Even after a firm final deadline of February 10, 2026, was set for the completion of all items in the Final Scope Document, they failed to deliver, leading to the current demand for a refund.
False Progress Reporting: For two years, they led you to believe development was on track, only for an independent audit to reveal the work hadn't actually been done.
2. Communication and Responsiveness: "Misleading and Defensive":
Their response to your needs was not collaborative; it was obstructive.
Lack of Transparency: Instead of being honest about technical hurdles, they misled you regarding the app's architecture. They claimed to be building offline capabilities while actually ignoring those requirements.
The "Hostage" Strategy: Now that the relationship has ended, their responsiveness has turned into active obstruction. By withholding assets and refusing to release source code to your new development team, they are using your own intellectual property as a bargaining chip.
Inadequate Problem Solving: When they couldn't build core features, they didn't communicate the issue. Instead, they waited until you hired another company to build those features yourself, which they then simply "plugged in" rather than developing.
3. Technical Project Management: "Negligence":
From a management perspective, they failed to supervise the technical execution against the SRS Document.
Audit Findings: The fact that a third-party audit found $40,000 worth of necessary rework proves that there was zero internal quality control or adherence to the project scope during their management of the build.
What was your primary form of communication with The NineHertz?
- Virtual Meeting
- Email or Messaging App
What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?
Their ability to keep me on the hook with misleading promises.
Are there any areas for improvement or something The NineHertz could have done differently?
2 Years of Deception, $30k Lost, and $40k in Technical Rework Required
We spent two years trusting The NineHertz (9Hz) to build our application. It has been the single most expensive mistake of our company’s history.
The Deception: For two years, 9Hz led us to believe they were building our app with critical "Offline Functionality" as outlined in our SRS (System Requirements Specification). We recently conducted an independent third-party app audit which revealed the truth: 9Hz completely ignored the SRS. They did not build the offline architecture they claimed was in progress.
The Financial Damage:
$30,000 Paid to 9Hz: For features that were never completed or were built so poorly they are unusable.
$40,000 in Rework: Because 9Hz failed to follow the technical requirements, our new development firm has quoted us $40,000 just to fix and redo the "work" 9Hz claimed was finished.
Paid Double for Features: We actually had to hire and pay a separate company to build our core features, which 9Hz then simply "plugged in" because their own team was incapable of developing them.
Hostage Tactics: Now that we have demanded a refund and moved to a competent firm, 9Hz is holding our assets hostage. They are refusing to release our source code and design files to our new developers, effectively trying to kill our business to cover their failure.
Legal & Regulatory Status: We are currently escalating this through:
Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) & RoC Jaipur: Formal complaints filed for CIN: U72200RJ2013PTC044697.
Indian Consumer Affairs Department: Official grievance for $30,000 in unrendered services.
Legal Litigation: Our attorney is involved, and we are pursuing the full refund plus damages for the $40,000 in rework caused by their negligence.
The Verdict: NineHertz is not just incompetent; they are predatory. They will take your money, lie about your project’s progress for years, and then block your access to your own intellectual property when you catch them. Avoid at all costs.
RATINGS
-
Quality
0.5Service & Deliverables
-
Schedule
0.5On time / deadlines
-
Cost
0.5Value / within estimates
-
Willing to Refer
0.5NPS
"0% chance of me referring people to The NineHertz
