I am deeply disappointed with Richard Hall and staff at Bottomline, and I strongly advise against…read morehiring them. Because of Richard Hall, I was in a worse position than before I hired them, and I was charged for work that was simply not done. They took zero responsibility for their wrongdoings and treated me as if I were a problem.
My initial consultation with Richard Hall left me feeling hopeful and optimistic, but what followed was hours of unproductive conversation with an accountant he said he worked with closely that I would work with to resolve some tax issues, and a whole lot of waiting.
I made countless attempts to reach the gate kept Richard by phone, but each time was told he was unavailable, and they would be personally meeting with him at specific times and would deliver the message. They would not transfer me to his voicemail, and when I asked for his email they said to send it to their email and they would forward it to Richard. I had zero privacy. So many red flags!
This went on for many months, and with no progress to show, they blamed it on me, saying I had not provided the information needed. Meanwhile, I have several previous messages from the accountant stating he had plenty to work with. Over these ten months I had yet to receive a single invoice, statement, or bill of any kind. I asked the accountant I had been speaking to for this information, and he said he "wasn't really submitting many hours.", and told me billing would be coming from Bottomline.
I called the office repeatedly to request this information, and they weren't able to provide it, but said they would get back to me, which they did not. It wasn't until close to a year, and after repeatedly being dismissed, that I called and demanded the admin who answers the phone to access my file and tell me. What I discovered was Richard Hall had nickel and dimed the entire amount that was being held in an escrow account/retainer ($3,400), and I had an additional balance of over $1,000 that he stated I owed. Again, without receiving a single bill or statement, and FOR WHAT were they charging for?
When I expressed my confusion and frustration about this matter in a reasonable way, I was told by the admin, "I'm hanging up. You can call back when you've calmed down.".
I then received a contemptuous, accusatory, and belittling email from Bottomline's accounting person, whom I had never once heard from prior.
There was no resolution, and I was treated poorly. Richard stole from me and refused to return my money to me. He's a scamming crook.
My recommendation is to steer clear of him. It was a costly and frustrating waste of time, and I wish I had never contacted him.
