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Simon Macbeth – Leeds Scammer – EXPOSED

–> Meet Simon Macbeth 🙂 <–

Today’s subject is a chap called Simon Macbeth and I felt compelled to write this blog post after seeing a link circulating on Facebook at the weekend.

Simon Macbeth lives in the Leeds area, rents a few rooms in his house and runs a few other little businesses – mainly “web design” companies (although I use that term lightly as a proper web design company designs websites!) – and does it all quite badly so it seems!

There are a few sides to this particular scammer so I’ve sectioned it off for easy digesting.

Landlord from Hell

It seems that through some scam many years ago (as per some quote from his autobiography – autobiography? Is he for real?!) Simon Macbeth bought a house, and set about renting rooms out to people shortly afterwards, making more than a few of his house-mates feel a tad uneasy along the way;

I lived in his house for about 3 weeks, and during this time I was subject to threats of violence as well as some pretty f**ked up things. Within a week, I had received a text from him telling me that he had been in my room. I was a little bit frustrated about it so text him asking him to tell me next time he plans on going in there, to which he replied ‘this is my house and I will do what I want.’

I’ve lived with other people beside family before, and we never went into each others rooms unless we asked someone to – whether its your house or not, you have to respect peoples privacy. I dislike this assclown already!

I lived with this disgusting person for 3 months and it was awful. We told him to his face that we wanted to leave and end the contract but when it came to returning the deposit he said we had not issued the notice in writing. There was a strong smell of marijuana from his room the whole time and he was generally unkind, unfair and made a point of making you feel unwelcome.

What’s the point in renting rooms out to people, if you are then going to do your very best to drive them away? What kind of lying toe-rag does that? Oh wait….

He also pretended he was studying to be a youth worker, which I now see was a complete sham, to make you believe he had morals which clearly didn’t exist.

Oh that’s right, Simon Macbeth!

There are many many more stories on there about him making people feel uncomfortable, and worse. There are too many to quote, so check them out here: www.simonmacbeth.co (looks like he now owns the website, so all links have been removed from this post)

Wannabe Web Designer

The part of this story that really tipped me over the edge, was when I saw that he apparently owned a number of web design companies, one main generic one and then a few little “industry specific” companies that sold one type of website to one industry.

It is all bollocks really as its just one “company” (i.e. him and the WordPress theme repository) and a load of websites that are optimised for specific web design related terms – making him appear to the outside world like he knows what he’s talking about.

We have to deal with the victims of these amateurs day in, day out. They leave a trail of unhappy customers behind them, many of whom still actually need a website. They eventually find a company like us and we have to re-educate them about the web industry and restore the faith he manages to single-handedly tear from each and every one of them.

Here’s one Simon Macbeth pro web designer (bwhaha) horror story;

After an exchange of numerous emails between myself and Mr Simon I paid him for what I understood to be my own website.

No terms and conditions were discussed. I searched for a domain name and asked him to register this domain name as part of my website. He said no problem and did so. He prepared my website and in the meantime I started with SEO and traffic generation to the website.

Oh wait a second… maybe we’ve got this guy all wrong after-all?

He was helping this guy set up his affiliate pay-day loan website, so that this guy could make a living for himself… That sounds alright, doesn’t it? Well after a while this chap hadn’t heard from Simon Macbeth, and after multiple unanswered calls and ignored emails, he started looked into the source code of his website…

I nearly fell of my chair when I saw they themselves were Affiliates and all the visitors I am sending to my website is cranking numbers on their affiliate link!

Ooo, that’s a bit naughty, Simon.

Then next thing they highjacked my domain name, remember they were the registrar and they changed the name servers and redirect their own website to that domain name. Now they have stolen my domain and my traffic as well!

Since then all I had from them is verbal abuse and some serious threats against me in person!

Ok. So let me get this straight. He took on a client who paid him to make them a website. He then allowed this client to get traffic to this website via SEO and PPC which would have all cost this client a fair whack (£1795.34 to be precise) He then changed their affiliate ID’s and started profiting from the website traffic himself?

Wow. That’s a double douche move.

Another innocent victim of Simon wrote;

I was looking for a website building company, to start a small online shop, I googled and unfortunately, Simon phony, fakey websites appear all over the place!! I spent hours looking at different companies. and much to my regret I plumped for 1 to 1 website design.

You can sense the anger she feels for him already!

She goes on to say they discussed her idea, and he seemed keen to do the job for her (too keen though, as she also believes Simon steals business ideas from people who contact him!!)

He asked for payment upfront of £1050… I was taken aback by this, told him I wasn’t comfortable paying upfront for something , I told him I assumed he would whip a design or 2, send them to me, and then we would agree on website, and I would pay maybe a deposit and the rest on completion.

This is technically standard practice for most premium web design companies, but ones that are worth bothering with will invite you to their office, let you meet their team members and chat to you over a coffee.

She reluctantly sent him the money, and he set about making her the website she dreamed of! Or so she thought…

I specifically asked for 2 design features… I said I wanted a brick work design and also if he could find it, a dog bone font… I later realise he wasn’t capable of producing either of these things, as he is not a designer, but a conman who has downloaded a free template from somewhere and he does not have the skill, ability or correct software to deviate from this.

Ah. He’s one of those “web designers” is he (a really crap one that can only install pre-made templates)

A few days later he sent me a link to the website build… I was horrified… a child could have done it on an iPad in about an hour…. It looked like it was built by a child …for a child!!

Oh. So he’s not even one of those “web designers” – I don’t even know what he is then?

It was awful…I emailed him to ring me…he did and I told him what I thought… he then became rude and obnoxious and tried to twist everything, telling me the brick design I asked for looked naff, that he had met my requirements, and I had mentioned the word Quirky in my form, and he told me quirky meant unexpected, and that his design was unexpected!!
He then emailed me and asked for another £499 to change it!!

Bwhahaha that’s hilarious. “Oh but you said “Dog” in your brief and the website looks like “Dog Poo” so thats ok innit?” hahaha… golden. What a bulb!

It does actually get better though!

I began to realise that his website isn’t what it seems…the team photo on 1 to 1 has been stolen from the Tipperary energy agency (I phoned them and they told me it is members of their engineering staff, not Simon’s web design team) his reviews are fakes written by him, he has fake websites, his photos are stolen from various genuine websites ( I have kindly informed them all of this)

Simon has seriously taken things to a whole new level of urine extraction!

Read the full story here. (link removed)

I hope anyone out there that has used him for web services, or is looking to use him or one of his “companies” manages to get/stay away from him and get back any money that he succeeded in stealing from you.

We’re not all cowboys, but there are many like Simon Macbeth. Be careful.

Simon the Mast0r Optimiz0r

It also seems that Simon is trying to use really bizarre SEO tactics in some feeble attempt at silencing the vast amount of bad press about him on the web – he places a landing page about himself on every website he cons someone to buy off him, and has probably put up loads of his own affiliate websites to try and flood the SERP’s for anyone searching for him, but you’ll never be able to get the kind of traction a site like the Simon Macbeth Exposed will, especially as the links continue to snowball around the social world!

In all seriousness, the “About Simon” pages he litters everywhere are a little creepy, they read a bit like he has some mental disorder and need to read positive things about himself on a daily basis to keep the voices in his head happy. If I had bought a website and saw that linked in the footer of my website, I’d ask him to remove it straight away and refrain from ever using my website as an outlet for his self-help ever again.

Simon Macbeth Summary

Its not often you find so much negative information about one person online – you couldn’t even find this many stories about known and documented conmen and scumbags – and stories of Simon Macbeth are only really starting to surface now.

Do your bit, visit Simon Macbeth Exposed (link removed) and share some of the content on there. If everyone that reads the stories on there re-publishes at least one of them then we can push his websites out the Google Rankings and dominate with facts about this serial-douchebag.

Together, nothing is impossible.

–> Meet Simon Macbeth 🙂 <–

42 replies on “Simon Macbeth – Leeds Scammer – EXPOSED”

Great write up my friend! As the creator of the website about him, I urge good, fair people across the internet to share the living s**t out of everything negative about this man. He has destroyed a number of lives and even made a friend of mine so scared of landlords that she’s had to move back in with her parents. Simon, you’ll no doubt be reading this so to quote Maximus Decimus Meridius – ‘the time for honouring yourself will soon be at an end, sire’

I have a followup blog post coming soon, Simon Macbeth has used dirty underhand tactics and forced Daniel to remove his website.

I have to full story to publish so people can see how far this guy will go to be a dick.

I have just been scammed by Simon (or is it Jacob Silver?) I have just managed to link this web design company design with style to him. I found him via a web design review website he ranked number one on there and won ‘an award’. I was initially nervous before i hired him as i could find no history of a company called ‘design with style’ that had won an award? I have now also connected the ‘Webdesign review’ company also to him. and the top 4 web design companies on there list are connected to him. I give it to him, he is clever. Created a web design review company that ranks him at the top! He fraudulently has taken monies from our credit card which Santander are in the process of refunding. He is a nasty piece of work. the website he created for me was a joke! It was embarrassing to see. Stay clear, this is not simply incompetence but clearly a scam.

Yes hes very slimey, to the untrained eye he looks highly rated… until you realise HE has made all the ratings and even the rating websites!

Total scammer.

Thanks for sharing and I hope you manage to get your web requirements sorted.

Lots of hate already for this guy, and by the sounds of it he’s brought it all on himself.

I’ll keep my eye on your website, Daniel – and hopefully he’ll soon be brought to justice 🙂

I’ve just had a dealing with simon mc beth of 1 to 1 web design and believe me I was completely shocked and speechless to say the least at how unprofessional he is. I will copy and paste he’s reply to me witch was sent buy email at 10oclock at nite. I wanted a different font with a pattern inside the letter for my logo he was designing . I was told I couldn’t have this as it wasn’t in my pay plan. When I email to tell him I wasn’t happy as still didn’t like the current logo… This was he’s reply

Words from simon mc Beth 1 to 1 web design

Oh dear, this isn’t helpful whatsoever is it Lawrence? We are here to design logos and not get in to silly, unfounded and petty disputes. However, as you wish…I have addressed your points in blue:

He then went on to rudely try and correct every think I was unhappy about…

I finally said to him : I am now left feeling a bit cheated and very let down by your company and the way I’ve been dealt with

As this is generally how I was left feeling.

Then he carried on he’s rant buy saying…

yes we understand people like you who demand work for free often feel very let down when they don’t get things for free. But we don’t care and don’t want to work with people like you.
There you go. Answered all your points now. Do you feel better now? I hope so. If you want your order finishing off then stop being and idiot, start being nice and work with us.

This is all because I ask for a pattern to be put into a letter L. That I’d payed for I never once asked for anything for free.

This guy simon mc Beth from 1 to 1 web design is unbelievingly unprofessional and doesn’t care about its clients needs or wants and dosnt mind telling you either. With my experience I world advise anyone thinking of using 1 to 1 web design to stay well clear. This guys a troubled menace.

I sadly have also been ripped off by Simon McBeth and I have just discovered he is now using the contacts page of my website that he ‘designed’ to suggest that he designs web sites for people that have been ripped off by others. As I am a solicitor and my website is for a legal company it lends him some legitimacy! I have no idea what to do next. Any ideas of how I can sort this mess out would be greatly appreciated.

Hi Emma

If you can get ftp ?access I can help you move your website away from him and remove the content you don’t want.

Use the contact form to get in touch if you need help.

Hi there,
I have reported Simon Macbeth (AKA Michael Thompson from http://www.webdesignroom.co.uk) to action fraud about this man, they have said if they get enough reports they are going to do something about it. If you could kindly report this to action fraud I would be very grateful. He has scammed me out of 6k and I received nothing in return, your help would be much appreciated.
Many thanks
Bonnie

Yep he strikes me as the kind of loser to just open his door and kick his dog out the front and let them walk themselves 🙁

Poor doggy 🙁

Hi Olly,

I am a web designer that is now doing SEO and web maintenance for one of Simon Macbeth’s ex-clients. I removed his name and the page about him that he added to the client’s website. He is now threatening to sue my client as he claims in their contact the page and his name needed to remain on the website for 5 years. The site is not even hosted with him. I don’t think this contract will stand up in court but who needs this type of hassle.
I would be interested to her how you get on with Emma’s website as she is a solicitor.

He’s a swine, I’d triple check the contracts though as by the sounds of it this guy manages to screw people over through the contracts he puts in place.

You could always restore the page, white everything out with css and noindex it so Google ignores it. Bet he doesn’t cover that in his contracts 😉

Best of luck with it mate and thanks for the comment!

Hi ROJ!

Do you know who Simon uses for the web hosting? He has given us false information for our site and we desperately trying to find out who he used to host our site with so we move it to someone else. He has taken money from us and actually stole money from me after we paid a incorrect invoice. Any help will be much appreciated. Below is the link he gave

FTP logins:
tarsier.mysitehosted.com

Like in a lot of these cases, and similarly in the case of the BES Utilities Scam; these contracts are not worth the paper they are written on.

For example BES Utilities’ contract states that they may not be liable for any financial/economic loss under any circumstances or something along those lines.

But irrespective of the terms people try to impose, there is a common law duty of good conduct. A Judge can easily over-rule some idiot that has written it into their terms that they can unreasonably do what they like. You can write what you like in terms and conditions (especially when they go over multiple pages, and are in tiny font); but if they are unreasonable, or a party acts inappropriately which induces a foreseeable breach of those terms, then they will become null and void.

Hi!

I have just had the worst experience with Mr Simon and we still don’t have a site up and running. I wish I could give zero stars as this company does not have a clue about customer service. This has been the worst company to client work relationship experience that I and my business partner have ever had to deal with. STAY AWAY!!
I have been told this week that we needed to pay a outstanding bill that I for the first time received yesterday. When questioning why some of the work has been done incorrectly Simon threatened us with a email that said he will not answer any emails or do any more work. This I can still handle, but what came next is the shocker. He takes money out of my account without my consent and and adds extra costing that I don’t even know what for. I have received no invoice for this and he claims that he has done everything.
Simon does not bother to pick up a phone and talk about any issues, he just adds costs after costs and does not complete work that is asked of him. We now have a incomplete website and he has done a runner. Dont know who else to call but the police.
Simon if you got a phone call us now!! You can see that you are getting bad reviews and it is a shame I did not come to this review section first before deciding to work with you. Hope everyone else is having a better day:)

This is shocking!

Ive read far too many horror stories about this guy ripping people off – Its a great example of how the legal system works for anyone who can play it, not for the innocent.

I hope you manage to get your website from him and at no extra cost!!!

Simon Mcbeth is a nasty little man of TheWebsiteDesignGroup please do not use his services, they rip you off and expect you to be happy about it. We ask for some design work and the cost was horrendous and exceptionally poor quality. When we refused to pay for the work he started threatening us and using foul language.

Do NOT use his services, they are poor

I have also been scammed by Simon Macbeth. I checked out the reviews for a good website designer and came across 121.org.uk The website Design Group, I did not know at the time that he had wrote these reviews himself pertending to be an independent reviewer. I paid him £499 up front to build an e-commerce website. He imported a standard template and when I asked him to remove parts of the website, he listed a whole list of charges. I asked him to waive the charge as I had never asked for these parts of the website in the first place! He ignored my request and helped himself to over £5oo pounds of my money in 2 separate transactions and had the cheek to send me a receipt via e-mail. When I told him not to take any money out of my account without my agreement and permission he said that if we are not going to paid for the work we do there is nothing more to do than to make your website live! Why I was not ready to go live! The passwords did not work so I could not upload or edit anything, then I find out that the domain is in his name and not mine, so the whole thing is not mine anyway! I have wasted my time and lost over £1,000 and he has caused me a lot of stress and sleepless nights. I have phoned the police and internet fraud as well as advising my bank! I am grateful to everyone for sharing their awful experiences at the hands of this man because my suspicions were confirmed when I read this forum.

I can help bring this guy down to his knees legally speaking. Will send pm to Olly explaining what I can do. Again it is only legal and will pursue it if you guys are interested.

Need nothing in return, just hate scammers.

Yea this guy is a total Dick. Sold a website to me a few years ago. Leeds domestic cleaning. He took money from people but didn’t do the work. Then tried passing it on to me. Got my money back tho because I used my credit card. He phoned police. Seems no one can do anything about him. Wish he would join my thai boxing gym so I could smash him in legally.

My partner moved in with this disgusting man. He was made to feel instantly uncomfortable and unfortunately we googled him and discovered the extent of his madness whilst he was still living there. He stole deposit money, sent unsettling and threatening messages and also did extremely bizarre things like throw my partner’s toothbrush in the bin. I would love to receive any update on progress with getting this guy either locked up. It incenses me that he’s been able to get away with this for so long. Has any progress been made around reporting him? Thanks

Hi there,
I have reported Simon Macbeth (AKA Michael Thompson from http://www.webdesignroom.co.uk) to action fraud about this man, they have said if they get enough reports they are going to do something about it. If you could kindly report this to action fraud I would be very grateful. He has scammed me out of 6k and I received nothing in return, your help would be much appreciated.
Many thanks
Bonnie

Wow………. I was literally going to purchase a website from this guy…. A quick Google search and it has led me to this page. Thanks very much. Back to square one though, if anyone has any recommendations for a web-designer then feel free to let me know. Thanks.

Hi everyone – I have been ripped off by simon Macbeth, also known as Jacob silver, also known as MICHAEL THOMPSON from http://www.webdesignroom.co.uk
I paid him 6k and received NOTHING. I told him I had read terrible reviews and didn’t want to continue business (of 30k total for the website) until he met me in person so we could sit down face to face. Since then, he has ignored me and avoided all contact. So I am left 6k down with absolutely NOTHING to show for it. I have reported him to action fraud, and I have two other people who have done the same thing. This terrible man needs to be stopped, if anybody else wants to help please get in touch with my, my email is info@lockhearthomes.co.uk,
any help would be much appreciated.
Many thanks
Bonnie x

Companies House historically have this scammer listed at:
343 Roundhay Road, Leeds, United Kingdom, LS84BU
Hope this helps.

Hi P sheppard, how is this progressing? We are about to send this bastard to court for a similar scam. More examples we can share, the better

Hi Jimmy

I’ve gone through MCOL, issued a CCJ and transferred it to the Sheriffs Office. I’m trying to push the process through now.
If you have any questions or information to share, get in touch.
boostug@hotmail.com

Thanks Stu. looks like he changed the company address on his website if you look at the T&Cs. he is now in Cornwall! looks like hes trying to hide away. i sent you an email. we are just prepping court orders

My wife has been similarly scammed- I am just about about to give him one last chance to refund the £2,225 my wife paid to him and if not the complaint is ready to go to the small claims court.

Do we know if he is currently a man of straw currently has assets to go against?

A class action might be most economic and pragmatic approach if he has assets to go against.

He hasn’t moved to Cornwall, his house has two addresses, neither of which receive post from the Royal Mail. For some reason, they don’t deliver there. I’d recommend sending anything important via courier to make sure he receives

Simon watches this page like a hawk, he also gets people to go undercover to speak to you guys, particularly Bonnie. Hi Simon! 🙂

Anyway, my email is imy-05@hotmail.co.uk – if anybody would like to get in touch, I’m more than happy to chat with you guys.

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