SEG UNIVERSE

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO and founder of a music social networking company headquartered in New Jersey.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire SEG UNIVERSE, and what were your goals?

I hired SEG Universe to development an mobile app that would connect music lovers and alert them to concerts that were happening in the continental U.S.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

I selected the vendor based on reviews (which now I think were false, since some of them were a conflict of interest) and a sleek design of what were screenshots of their other developments. Also, the price was in the medium range from other developers that I spoke to.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

SEG broke the project up into "milestones" that weren't adhered to. After the first build, I chased them to adhere to the wireframes and fix bugs.

• MILESTONE 1 - For UI/UX Design
• MILESTONE 2 - Upon Receipt 2nd Design pass to cover completion First Build.
• MILESTONE 3 - Upon Receipt of First Build
• MILESTONE 4 - Upon approval of final build, prior to App Store Upload. Features were a splash screen, sign-in screen, profile screen, map screen, chat, and header/footer.

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

I wasn't assigned a project manager until months after the project was supposed to be completed.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

I saw no measurements because the application was never completed.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

Project management was non-existent until months after the project was supposed to be completed. We used email to communicate, with very long threads, as I had to repeat the issues that never were resolved.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

None

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

This company seems to be a scam, taking money from people who have genuine ideas and never delivering what customers have paid for.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the founder of Beu, an app that provides on demand cosmetology services.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SEG UNIVERSE?

I hired SEG to build my app. But after the app went live I discovered that it had bugs. At first SEG would not fix the app for free, but then they helped me and fixed Beu for free.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They were 100% involved.

What is the team dynamic?

I mostly corresponded with Lee A. - the account manager - and Lee was always quick to respond to my emails and answer all my questions.
  
How did you come to work with SEG UNIVERSE?

I found SEG on a search engine.

How much have you invested with them?

$22,000

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

How did your relationship with the vendor evolve?

We didn’t always see eye to eye, but I appreciate that SEG fixed my app Beu.

How did SEG UNIVERSE address the challenges that arose?

They were patient.

Describe the impact this engagement has had on your business.

Now that my app is fixed, SEG will help me submit Beu to iOS and Google Play, and I appreciate them for helping me make my app live.

How was project management handled?

As mentioned before, Lee - the account manager - was very diligent.

Is there anything that the vendor did well or that you would consider a strength?

I appreciated how they always answered any question I had promptly. I appreciate how SEG is helping me make my app Live.

In what specific areas can they improve?

I see SEG growing in the future and helping investors create great apps that provide users with convenient services.

What advice do you have for clients with similar needs to yours?

Before signing a contract with a developer make sure you put everything you want in that contract, don’t have expectations, if you want something done, make sure it’s in the contract. And, always consult a contract lawyer, this might cost you an extra $300 - $500 but that money can save you a lot of problems in the long run. You and the tech company you’re entering into an agreement with don’t know each other, this means a lot can be misunderstood between you, have everything in writing.

UPDATED REVIEW

This review was published on March 22, 2021.

Fatima Matar

Founder, Beu

Arts, Entertainment & Music

1-10 Employees

North Olmsted

$10,000 to $49,999

Jan 2020 - Jan 2021

Project summary

SEG UNIVERSE developed a mobile app for an on-demand beauty service provider. The team worked on creating the app from scratch as well as handled the back- and front-end of the application. 

Feedback summary

After a year of development, SEG UNIVERSE failed to deliver a functional mobile app and the final app was full of bugs. The team was described as lacking in commitment and care for the project leading to the termination of the engagement.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the founder of Beu an on demand beauty service app

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire SEG UNIVERSE, and what were your goals?

To develop my app Beu

SOLUTION

How did you select SEG UNIVERSE and what were the deciding factors?

I found them on a search engine. They're website claims they have experience and that they've developed several apps.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

Creating my app Beu, from start to finish, front and backend.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

Maybe 5 people; designers, developers, and a project manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

I paid SEG Universe $22,000 to develop Beu (an on demand beauty service app) After a year of development, they handed over the app and the code. The app does not work, it is full of bugs, when I told them this and asked them to fix it, they refused to fix it unless I paid more money. When I tried hiring other developers to fix the app, no one wanted to touch it, every developer reviewed my app told me that it's a mess, that SEG did a terrible job building Beu.

I regret hiring SEG, I regret trusting them with my money, my time and my project. All their developers are in India and have very poor skills. When I first hired SEG I did not know that all their developers are in India, because I live n the US communicating with the developers was hard, the time difference and the language barrier was a huge problem. I spoke to SEG about this many times but they ignored me. When I asked them to pay me back my money they bullied and threatened me.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timelines.

The project manager was changed half way through my project while working with SEG, and the new project manager, Mark, didn't know anything about my app Beu, whenever I tried to communicate with Mark he would tell me that SEG has gone "far an beyond" for me, when in reality I've paid for everything, nothing extra was done for me. Saum, the CEO dislikes communicating with his company's clients.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

I felt unheard, whenever I had a complaint. I felt my project was unappreciated and never given priority. Deadlines were never met by SEG Universe, even when the deadline was put by them. Poor communication skills by all the team members.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

SEG Universe has no business building app.

Star Ratings

Overall rating: 0.5 – Zero

Quality: 0.5 – I wish I could put zero stars

Cost: 0.5 – Very expensive for very poor services

Schedule: 0.5 – They never meet deadlines or listen to their clients' needs

Willing to refer: 0.5 – I would never recommend them to anyone

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am a Wall Street investment banker, venture capitalist, industrialist, philanthropist, and owner of The WallStreet BrainTrust. I’ve had decades of experience on Wall Street and throughout the financial industry globally. I’m also affiliated and associated with different partnerships and alliances in many different nations.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SEG Universe?

I was looking for developers, programmers, computer engineers, and scientists who have expertise in AI, so they can develop a confidential and innovative breakthrough called venture capital unicorn. This is ultimately an organization that specializes in applications, solutions systems, and operations within the fintech space. It encompasses fintech and political technology, which brought transparency throughout many different countries in the United Nations — with whom I’ve had very intense, confidential, and high-level discussions.

We also want someone to develop extremely severe, significant, and high-frequency solutions, so we could provide high-speed intelligence that would result in instantaneous decisions, predictive analytics, executions, and transactions in real-time markets and exchanges around the world — such as The New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq.

Additionally, I was looking for engineers who have a wide range of experience — not just coders, but also thinkers.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

SEG Universe provides analysis, consulting advice, and intelligence information. We have a very heavy-level of information exchange interaction, on an ongoing, casual, and professional basis.

I give them a project and provide them with information, and they’ll give me an analysis and details on what’s possible and find out how we can connect things through the current form of technology. They’ll give me information on how we could create applications quickly and efficiently, taking advantage of companies like Oracle, Cisco, Intel, Microsoft, IBM, API hubs, and other types of innovations. This is so we can shorten the process and at the same time, leverage off other much larger entities in the software community.

How did you come to work with SEG Universe?

I found them through a development and software engineering site. I remember clearly because they called me while I was on a train. I asked them which company they were because I had called over 60–70 companies that day. They told me they read, understood, and analyzed what I sent them. Then, they sent back a quote.

These people have a very distinctive spirit, which separates them from the other 70 engineering companies I had called. They followed up with me and remembered every conversation. They took down notes, and they were comprehensive and concise.

How much have you invested with them?

I have personally invested millions of dollars in this relationship — and they’re worth it.

What is the status of this engagement?

I started working with them in March 2016, and our partnership has been ongoing since then.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

While we have no metrics to show currently, the impact we’re going to make on the financial exchange markets is going to be dramatic, because we’re going to provide infinite communications on a level of transparency that’s unprecedented. We’re looking at over $50 billion of value being created, transferred, and conveyed in a matter of weeks — that’s the type of impact we’re creating with these applications we’re developing. 

I was the person who launched high-frequency trading, and if you look at what that did to Wall Street, you’ll get an idea of the type of applications that I want to build, develop, and lead. 

The team also likes the products in the financial industry. They’re involved in it, and have personal investments themselves. They understand the responsibility that comes with developing this app, because people rely on it to make real-time decisions. They have to take it seriously because the impact affects individuals and their financial stability. They need to give a damn because if they don’t, the consequences will be extreme.

Additionally, the whole team is made up of perfectionists. They want to improve the product and make it better, because they want to be proud of what they do. I find the team to be very cooperative and collaborative. They come through every single time and they have never failed once. This team ultimately became my friends and I respect and entrust them with confidential information — which is never violated.

SEG Universe really has an entrepreneurial and dynamic spirit about them. Many times you get engineers who are only there to work on the project. The people who we work with really get excited about doing the project, and they’re intelligent and malleable enough to adapt to the current situation and environment. They do the best possible work they could on it, and they’re not just doing it for the paycheck.

How did SEG Universe perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re very excellent. We don’t experience any miscommunications because they’re very clear and precise — they make an effort to make sure we understand each other. We communicate through phone calls, texts,WhatsApp, teleconferences, and video chat, day or night, 24-hours a day.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’re very impressed with their rock-solid integrity, because that’s really hard to find these days. I’m from New York, and they’re based in California. I was actually against working with people who are far away. What I appreciated the most was the fact that they actually came and flew to see me. We spent 7–8 hours in a beautiful conference room, in a nice hotel in New York, and we just brainstormed.

They came here on their own, and I didn’t even pay them to do it. They took the initiative because they saw an opportunity — which I liked, because that was the entrepreneurial spirit I was looking for. 

Moreover, not only do they believe in the clients, but they’ll also tell you if something doesn’t make sense. This is good because a lot of people say yes all the time, even if it doesn’t make sense. The team tells it politely, but straight.

Are there any areas they could improve?

One thing they can do is get bigger and get more people. I’m aware that they have teams around the world, but they have to get bigger domestically. With all the business that’s coming to them, they’re going to need a lot more people because they attract a lot of good work and projects from great clients.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

The SEG Universe team is very logical, scientific, specific, direct, and dynamic thinkers — almost like dealing with Spock and a Vulcan. You need to be prepared with documents that include your schematics, wireframe designs, statements, competitive marketing analysis, and a market impact report. However, the first thing you should do is go into the market, and seek out which parts are out there with preexisting API integration hubs that can interlink to people like SEG.

Tell them you want to interlink your chosen user interface, because it’s an important strategy, and you must have it clearly written. You can’t just tell them about your idea, because you’ll be wasting time and there’s a lot of room for problems, misunderstandings, and miscomprehensions. You have to be very specific with your documents, and be prepared for that conversation. It’ll show that you respect their time, and in turn they will respect yours.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an attorney, and my law firm practices in the areas of bankruptcy and family law.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Digit Bazar?

We were trying to improve our search rankings through a new SEO strategy. The techniques that our previous agency was using had failed, and we were in a compromised position. We needed to find a way to become a top search result.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Digit Bazar targeted the right keywords to improve our ranking. They worked to reverse the adverse effects of our previous agency’s SEO strategy. They also provide advising for blogging and content generation. Every two weeks, they provide us an SEO report.

What is the team composition?

I worked with two of their team members.

How did you come to work with Digit Bazar?

They were recommended to me by someone in my office, who’d had a successful project with them before.

How much have you invested with them?

We spend roughly $2000 a year.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since May 2017 and the work is still ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

Our rank has definitively improved, thanks to them. Even though we used to occupy a low position, we’ve moved up the page. I would say that 25% of our business comes through internet inquiries, so this is a significant change.

How did Digit Bazar perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicated mostly through email, and they were very responsive. They’d always reply within a day.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They didn’t use black hat SEO techniques to artificially boost our ranking, like our other provider. They’ve been easy to work with, and they’ve delivered good work.

Are there any areas they could improve?

While I’d always appreciate if I were the first search result for every keyword, I realize that it just doesn’t work that way. I’m generally happy with them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It’s helpful to do research on which keywords are good for you.  

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder of Vermajee IT Solutions Pvt., a development company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Digit Bazar?

We have a small team, so we get additional development help from other companies.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Digit Bazar started with one of our internal projects, and then we added projects from our clients. The projects that we have given them are all data-centric. Our clients are mostly from the healthcare industry and the utility industry. For example, one of our clients wants a portal that helps all the mechanics connect.

They do everything for digital marketing, including SEO, publications, social media marketing, and online reputation management (ORM). They’re helping us improve our search ranking and visibility on social media.

They also continue to help with web development. We hope that our portal will be ready by November.  

What is the team composition?

The project manager is our main point of contact. There are 7–10 people involved in our projects, but I only talk to 6–7 people.

How did you come to work with Digit Bazar?

We did a Google search. After talking to four agencies, we selected Digit Bazar.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $10,000–$49,999 on their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in May 2019, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Everything is good. They’ve met all the timelines.

How did Digit Bazar perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project manager keeps us updated with everything that is happening—outcomes, search ranking, and all the proper reporting. They also take care of our clients directly, which reduces our bandwidth. They don’t charge extra to do this.

When it’s web-based development projects, the developers share what is happening on Trello. We also use Jira and email. They’re very prompt. If I have email queries in the middle of the night, I receive the answer from them within 2–3 hours.

What did you find most impressive about them?

So far, they’ve been doing good. We’re thinking about using them for mobile application development. In November or December, we may discuss two more projects with them in this arena. They are quite efficient.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The only thing we wanted more from them was communication. They respond in about two hours, but it would be great if they could improve it. We want more flexibility because they have more projects to be assigned to them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They’re committed to the timing and make sure everything is completed on or before the deadline.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the CEO of Evolution Wear; we create solar powered devices and activewear clothing.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Digit Bazar?

We lacked experience in branding and marketing, so we were looking for a vendor who could assist with both as we started to present our products to the market.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Digit Bazar worked directly with our team to develop and design various branding elements, including logos, our website, our SEO strategy, and brochures to market our products. Our team collaborated with their team to develop content where it was needed.

What is the team composition?

We worked with three people, including a project manager and someone on quality control.

How did you come to work with Digit Bazar?

We found them through a Google search for top SEO agencies and reached out to them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in January 2015 and they continue to update and maintain the website for us.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

We're very happy with the website Digit designed and the media attention their work has helped garner. We've been featured in outlets like Entrepreneur Magazine and Inc.

How did Digit Bazar perform from a project management standpoint?

They're great. Whenever we have pushback, they're responsive and courteous. We haven't had any trouble reaching them regularly through email and Skype.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They're great designers.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Not that any other design agency offers 24/7 support, but it's always nice to have. We don't have any issues with their response times during working hours.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure you're truly ready to move forward with your project when you contact them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the managing director at Elinkhaus. We’re an internet platform that provides services to recruiters and hiring managers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Digit Bazar?

We needed them to create the platform for us, to be able to outreach and hire, allow member interaction, and user engagement.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They developed the product from end to end with HTML 5 using agile. The site is a social media platform like LinkedIn. There are functionalities for hiring managers to be able to upload job descriptions, receive CVs, and interact with recruiters. Users are able to create a member profile.

They also did digital marketing for us.

What is the team composition?

We work with seven designers, developers, testers, and digital marketers.

How did you come to work with Digit Bazar?

I had a marketing agency in the past and I outsourced some of my work to them.

How much have you invested with them?

Roughly $20,000 AUD ($15,600 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together for about eight months so far.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

The development work has so far been 95% without defects. They have certain KPIs to meet for our digital marketing. It took a bit of time but they’re meeting them. It takes time to get traffic to the site and create a call to action to get new members.

How did Digit Bazar perform from a project management standpoint?

I provide my guidance in terms of project management, ensuring that everything is going according to our specifications. At first, the project was everywhere until I got the managing director involved. We had a discussion and he put a new project manager in place. Now the project is performing very well

We communicate via Skype and email and use Trello as our project management tool.

What did you find most impressive about them?

If you're not happy with the work, they'll fix it. They'll make sure that you're satisfied with things.

Are there any areas they could improve?

You have to manage your expectations with outsourced work. How you communicate with them depends on your project manager but you need to make sure they understand and can explain things back to you. That’s what I’ve done. It helps with any miscommunication we may have due to English or cultural barriers.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Get their feedback, work with them. Arrange regular, maybe fortnightly, calls if they're developing something for you. Keep track of progress and costs. Test the product to see if it's working.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I provide leadership training and life coaching.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Digit Bazar?

I hired Digit Bazar to develop a functional website within one month.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We selected them based on the choices posted on an online crowdsourcing platform.

What was the team composition?

I worked with three people.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

We had positive feedback from everyone about the website.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

It was managed well.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I was impressed with the personal attention given to my project. I also appreciated their 24/7 availability for any discussion.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

I am not technically competent to comment on this.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We're a business services company in Canada.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Digit Bazar?

We hired them to design our webpage.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted a high-quality web page.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We heard about them through a reference.

Can you go into detail about the services they provided and the scope of the project?

They created a webpage for our company.

What was the team composition?

They provided us with two staff members.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

Their service was good.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

It was good.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They had good response times.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

No.