** WARNING: Lengthy post! However, if you're interested in how I lost $175 but saved $10K then continue reading.. BLUF: No Intergrity No contract The inital meeting with Lakiyah, (Array Designs & Home Staging) on Sat, 18 Jul 20 went well. She arrived on time and was very professional. She took measurements, and pictures of my projects and asked how much was my budget ($10k). She also requested $175 for design consultation. I reluctantly paid via "check; however, I wanted to pay with credit card. She doesn't accept credit cards. (MY FIRST MISTAKE!) The check cleared Tues, 21Jul. Mmm When I realized, Lakiyah did not discuss what the initial consult detailed (neither is it printed on the invoice) and she did not discuss how the project would be priced in her email on Mon, 20 Jul. I contacted her via phone 20 Jul. I explained this was my first time utilizing a design service and I did not know how project pricing worked. I also noted to her several of the designs Pros on thumbtack had hourly pricing annotated. Lakiyah responded with she needed to know exactly what the extent of her involvement would be (minimum or maximum). I was a bit surprised since we had met for the design consultation on 18 Jul. At that time, we discussed my project in detail and we also discussed having her contractor come to my house for a quote. I stated to her that I currently didn't have a contractor to complete my project. Here's my "emailed reply to her: [Hello Lakiyah, I'm just now seeing your reply.  I apologize for the slow response.   It's difficult to determine the extent of your involvement without a mutual understanding of pricing as it pertains to your services.  I accepted the initial consultation fee; however,  I need more pricing information about your services in order to determine the best options for me.  As previously mentioned,  I've not worked an interior designer before. Kind regards, Yolanda] Lakiyah, still never answered the question. She also stated (via email) the contractor (Martez Robinson) will provide his quote for the initial consult and she would include her pricing (MY SECOND MISTAKE!) During her visit on Wed, 22 Jul, Lakiyah brought her contractor along with her three children to survey the project. This was not the guy she named in her email but a gentleman named Dale. During this appointment again, I asked Lakiyah for her pricing. She informed me, "I don't charge like other designers." She wanted to know if I wanted her her to pick out the materials and be on-site for placement. My response was "It will depend on your pricing." She agreed to have a quote ready the next day. Five days later, (Mon, 27 Jul) she sent the following text: [Good afternoon, I am currently in the process of completing your official quote. However, I would like to inform you of the excepted cost for contracting service. Please inform me how you would like to proceed in that aspect. Quote includes the cost of labor & materials, with the exception of (paint. flooring, wall tile, doors, cabinetry) $5760] ***I responded via email as follows: [Hello Lakiyah, I make better decisions when I'm well informed. Are you not comfortable with providing the official quote? If not, what can I do to help move forward?  Also, I have additional questions: Are you able to provide a breakdown for the quote? Who's going to be performing the actual work? Is this an independent contractor? What's the business or professional name? Will proof of current license and insurance be provided? Will they share references and original work in progress?  Is there a labor warranty? What are the payment arrangements? A result of asking those questions did not lead to answers for me. Instead, I was provided an official quote for $6860 which included $1100 for design service. Along with not having my questions answered, my issue with the quote include no cost estimation or method (time/materials/dimensions, etc) for how the design service prices were calculated. Furthermore, upon asking "yet again" about pricing, negotiating, and contractor's ethic & work background: Array Designs & Home Staging emailed a designer "separation" email citing the following: [Dear Yolanda Thomas, Array Designs is dedicated to providing it's clients with amazing results, at affordable cost. However, due to (1) or more of the following reasons, Array Designs is no longer available to accept your request for new client services: breakdown in client (prospective client)/ designer communication  inability to determine scope project and / or project direction  client's (prospective client's) needs and / or expectations are other than that of which has been previously established  expected project expense exceeds allocated cost] In conclusion: Seems like Array Designs & Home Staging Affordable costs are only for those NOT seeking complete transparency integrity in its business relationship. Yes, separation is best for both of us. read more