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Bellevue, WA
Following a stream of complaints against Bellevue-based design studio “Createhive”, the Better Business Bureau investigation team has reduced the ratings for the business to D-. According to a press release by the Bureau, they have received complaints about the studio from both customers and other businesses in the region, with most complaints accusing Paula Benari, owner of CreateHive, of practicing problematic pricing tactics, including price-gauging, which are detrimental to customers and other businesses alike. “We cannot provide full details on an ongoing investigation”, a source inside the bureau said privately, but confirmed that the studio is tied to the alcohol industry in a way that has proven difficult to untangle.
The bureau has also fielded complaints related to the studio’s tie-ins with Microsoft, for which it provides services as a subcontractor. According to the complaints, the studio’s owner failed to disclose that Microsoft is a primary customer, leading to conflict of interest. Sources at Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) confirmed the company has retained services from the studio in the past through another unnamed subcontractor but terminated the projects after finding out the studio’s owner is involved with a high-ranking executive at the company, which is a potential conflict of interest as well.
Unethical practices have been the subject of other complaints by customers, who claimed the studio was rejecting customers and de-prioritizing their projects due to their ethnic backgrounds.
At the time of publication, we have been unable to contact CreateHive for comment.
