Our experience with Kraftbase, an Indian web agency, proved deeply disappointing from the outset. Despite a straightforward scope focused on exploring Shopify themes, establishing a unified layout, and organizing content according to our brand guidelines—with no Figma or code-based customization required—the project quickly faltered. During the initial discovery call, it was clear the project manager and developer had not reviewed our detailed brief, and they arrived without any plan or vision to present.
We provided all necessary content and images, only for them to be uploaded into basic text fields, ignoring specific requests for icons, card styles, carousels, and other visual elements that were achievable using native theme features. Despite promises of a progress tracker amid mounting issues, none materialized, and there was minimal activity on our Shopify store.
Conflicts arose early on, with the founder attempting to shift blame by claiming theme selection depended on brand photos, even though we had chosen a powerful theme designed for food businesses. The team repeatedly insisted that “all Shopify themes are the same” and refused to explore the theme’s features, dismissing our guidance as “not possible.”
After requesting a refund due to non-delivery, Kraftbase claimed 28–30 hours of work without providing any verifiable timesheets, artifacts, or commits. The founder had earlier asserted the site could be completed in a week, contradicting their initial 100-hour estimate. They are now attempting to retroactively convert our milestone contract to hourly billing at out-of-contract rates, despite no work exceeding the agreed scope.
We have lost 50% of fees paid and two months with zero milestones met, turning a four-week project into an eight-week ordeal. Kraftbase’s unprofessional conduct, excuses, and attempts to rewrite contract terms have left us regretting the engagement entirely. We strongly advise others to avoid this agency and seek alternatives for their web development needs.
Ouch, this hits close to home; I’ve also had a developer completely ignore a detailed brief and just dump content into basic fields, which defeats the whole purpose of hiring a specialist. Your point about them not reviewing the materials before the kickoff call is a massive red flag I now know to watch for. It makes me wonder, what were the key factors you looked for when vetting your next agency after this experience?
I completely understand that frustration of seeing content just dumped into fields—it really does defeat the purpose of bringing in a specialist. After our experience, we prioritized agencies that demonstrated they’d actually read our brief by asking specific, insightful questions during the vetting call, and we always requested a small, paid test task to assess their approach to detail. I’d be curious to hear if you’ve found any promising vetting strategies yourself.
Ouch, this hits close to home—the part about them uploading content into basic text fields while ignoring requests for native theme features like carousels is exactly the kind of corner-cutting that derailed a past project of mine. It’s so frustrating when an agency doesn’t leverage the platform’s built-in capabilities they’re being paid to use. Has anyone else found a reliable partner who actually reads the brief before the kickoff call?
I completely understand your frustration—that corner-cutting approach of ignoring native features like carousels really does derail a project’s potential. Based on our experience, I’d recommend seeking agencies that offer a paid discovery phase, as this often ensures they thoroughly review your brief and present a concrete plan before any build work begins. If you’re open to sharing, I’d be curious to hear what type of project you’re considering next.
Ouch, this hits close to home—I had a similar experience where an agency didn’t review our brief before the kickoff call, which immediately eroded trust. It’s especially frustrating that they ignored your specific requests for native theme features like icons and carousels, which should have been straightforward. I’m now much more diligent about requiring a concrete project plan before any work begins; has anyone found a reliable way to vet an agency’s initial engagement process?
I completely understand how that initial lack of preparation can erode trust right from the start. Based on our experience, one reliable vetting step is to request a brief written summary of your project goals from the agency before signing anything—a genuine partner should be able to articulate your needs in their own words. This simple test often reveals whether they’ve truly engaged with your brief. What has your own vetting process looked like since that experience?
Ouch, this hits close to home—the part about them uploading content into basic text fields and ignoring requests for native theme features like carousels is exactly the kind of corner-cutting I’ve experienced with other agencies. It’s so frustrating when you provide everything they need upfront, only to get a generic, templated result. I’m now leaning towards using a dedicated Shopify expert from their partner directory for my next project; has anyone had better luck going that route?
I completely understand your frustration with that corner-cutting approach—it turns a custom project into a generic template, which defeats the whole purpose. Based on our experience and others I’ve heard, using a Shopify Expert from their official directory is a much more reliable route, as they’re vetted specifically for platform proficiency. I’d love to hear if you find a good partner or what your criteria are—please share an update on how your search goes.
As a freelancer with relevant experience, here’s my perspective:
If you have a signed contract specifying deliverables and timelines, along with evidence that they disregarded your requirements (such as ignoring your brief for icons, card styles, carousels, and other visual elements while simply uploading basic content), consider sending them a legal notice for breach of contract.
Even if you don’t plan to pursue legal action, the formal notice shows you’re serious and may prompt them to complete the work properly. At minimum, you could file a complaint to attempt recovering your funds.
Regarding the 50% fee loss mentioned, that’s certainly disappointing. I hope you were able to salvage something useful from whatever they delivered.
The issue is that they appear to lack the necessary expertise. Their developer was unfamiliar with payment gateway integrations such as GoKwik, Razorpay, and Shiprocket, and also seemed unable to work with the Shopify theme. During calls, they consistently came unprepared and resorted to gaslighting. The situation they’ve created is chaotic, and their unpleasant demeanor has made it impossible to continue working with them.
It sounds like a chaotic and terrible experience.
I wish you the best in your ventures and hope you recover your money. Don’t let this discourage you or others from hiring agencies or freelancers—not everyone operates this way.
I have experience with Shopify websites and can guide you with your theme, from layouts to payment gateways. Since you’ve already lost money with no work done, I’m happy to help for free.
Ouch, this hits close to home; I had a similar experience where an agency didn’t review our brief and just dumped content into basic fields, ignoring specific layout requests. It’s so frustrating when you provide everything and the execution still misses the mark completely. Has anyone else found a reliable partner after a start like this?
I completely understand that frustration of providing a clear brief only to see content dumped into basic fields—it really does feel like a wasted effort. Based on our experience, finding a reliable partner often means looking for agencies that prioritize a detailed discovery phase and can provide recent, specific Shopify examples upfront. I’d recommend asking potential partners to walk you through exactly how they’d approach your layout requests using your chosen theme’s native features. Have you had a chance to explore any new agencies since your experience?
You hired a company that doesn’t even list an office address on their website?
I made the mistake of speaking with 4-5 people about my website and overlooked this issue. Another concern is their location: their founder’s Behance lists New York, and LinkedIn says San Francisco, but they are actually based in Vadodara, Gujarat. I only discovered this while researching their reviews and background. I should have been more thorough. They also have a negative review from an international client on Reddit in r/design. I wish I had gathered more information about them earlier.
Sorry to hear about your poor experience. Next time, consider working through a freelancer platform or using an escrow service.
While it may seem simple to use a downloaded WordPress theme and an editor, Shopify integrations and customizations take time. I’ve seen startups pay 5 lakhs and end up with nothing to show for it.
I advise not skipping the mockup stage—do it in-house if necessary. This makes communication easier and ensures the final product matches your vision. Many decisions are clarified during mockups, and the functionality can be clearly communicated to any freelance developer. All necessary assets would be included, leaving no room for misunderstanding between your idea and the execution.
As you mentioned, you wrote a thorough brief, but no one read it. Review the paperwork you signed and send a legal notice after consulting with an advisor. I know of two bootstrap startups that have been taken advantage of by agencies, so this does happen.
I hope you get a great website and recover what you’re owed. Best of luck.
Thank you for sharing your experience. We didn’t expect the work to be simple or quick, which is why we agreed to their proposed timeline and 100-hour billing over four weeks. However, when one of their developers took an additional week off after the Diwali break and we raised concerns about delays, he claimed he could finish the project in under a week. This suggests the initial 100-hour estimate was inflated.
We provided more than just a mockup: we reviewed websites, shortlisted features we liked from three to four examples for each page we wanted designed, and shared that brief with them via a screen-sharing walkthrough. Based on this, I believe they are not operating honestly.
I hope you registered your domain under your name or business name. Some companies have been known to register domains for clients and then demand payment to release them.
We have access to Shopify as well. We had granted them developer access, but we have since revoked it.
It sounds like you handled everything correctly and gave them plenty of time.
If you plan to hire another company or startup from India, feel free to contact me before finalizing your decision. It’s important to verify their capacity. You can also do this yourself by asking about ISO or SOC-2 protocols, which will help you assess their capabilities, capacity, and commitment to growth in the development business.
Thank you for sharing this information, and I’m sorry to hear about your experience.