A Mixed Experience with a Positive Ending
[The Product Itself]
Let me start with what WebStarts gets right: Everyone keeps saying the user interface looks outdated, but honestly, I disagree. It's simple, functional, and gets the job done. The included email and blog features are genuinely solid additions, and the websites themselves load ridiculously fast — faster than most platforms I've used.
WebStarts has a lot of potential, and the core product isn't bad.
[Initial Setup Challenges - One of the Worst Onboarding Experiences]
That said, for a company that's supposedly been around 18 years, the onboarding process has been one of the worst I've experienced from an AppSumo deal.
I purchased the 3-code WebStarts lifetime deal from AppSumo for $239 and tried to apply all three codes to my dashboard. Here's what happened:
1. I initially encountered an HTTP 500 error when trying to access the billing section
2. I finally got in after following a workaround mentioned in another review (adding a website first)
3. After applying the third code, I received a green message saying it was applied successfully...
But my dashboard still showed only two codes applied, and it still said I was on Tier 2, not Tier 3. Even worse, when I tried to reapply the third code, it tells me it's already been redeemed — so something's clearly wrong with how codes are being tracked or applied.
[Support Issues and Resolution]
(Initial Support Problems)
I reached out to support twice with no response. If their excuse is that their spam filter blocked my emails, that's not a valid reason — especially not for a SaaS product this mature.
[Where Things Improved]
Eventually, a support representative personally reached out and took ownership of the problem. Here's what happened:
- They acknowledged the technical issues and didn't try to dismiss my concerns
- The support agent contacted a developer at home to resolve the problem
- Issue was fully resolved within 24-48 hours after personal intervention
- They provided helpful alternative contact methods for future support needs
- All three codes were successfully applied to my account
[Communication]
The support team was honest about the technical difficulties they were experiencing with the code system. While frustrating, I appreciated their transparency and personal attention to my case once they engaged.
[Email Delivery Issues]
Worth noting: The team mentioned that several customers reported sending emails to support@webstarts.com without receiving responses due to aggressive spam filters. They recommend using their help chat system or responding to existing support threads for better results.
[Final Thoughts]
(Pros)
- Simple, functional interface that gets the job done (despite what others say about it being "outdated")
- Excellent website loading speeds — faster than most platforms I've used
- Solid email and blog features included
- Issue was ultimately resolved completely with personal intervention
- Honest communication about technical difficulties once support engaged
(Cons)
- One of the worst onboarding experiences I've had with an AppSumo deal
- Buggy code redemption system with tracking issues
- Initial support emails went unanswered (spam filter issues)
- Technical problems that shouldn't exist for an 18-year-old company
[Recommendation]
This was a tale of two experiences: a frustrating, buggy setup process followed by dedicated personal support that resolved everything. The core product has genuine strengths — fast loading times, useful features, and a functional (if simple) interface. However, the onboarding experience and initial support issues are major red flags for a mature SaaS product.
[Would I recommend this deal?]
Cautiously yes, but with serious caveats. Go in expecting potential setup problems, but know that if you can reach the right person in support, they will work to resolve issues. Just be prepared for some initial frustration and keep alternative contact methods handy.
The product itself shows promise, but WebStarts needs to seriously address their onboarding process and support accessibility to match their claimed 18 years of experience.
With that said, just buy 3 codes. Just do it. Despite the initial frustrations that took place, this is still a steal. A solid purchase.
Adam_WebStarts
Sep 7, 2025I don't like the 2 tacos but this is a fair assessment. Let me explain to anyone reading this about the code redemption/onboarding.
1. Appsumo requires we provide codes to redeem the offer. We don't offer code outside of Appsumo and since Appsumo is a tiny fraction of our user base and the deal is SO AGGRESSIVE we elect not to display the code redemption field to non-Appsumo users. This becomes a problem when someone decides to sign up at WebStarts.com instead of the Appsumo link. If you do that you must send support@webstarts.com an email so we can convert your account to Appsumo.
2. Any app of significance on the web knows there's a lot of exposure to fraud and abuse. To protect ourselves from the many schemes we do not permit users to sign up through various identity masking methods like VPNs. In the interest of security we cannot disclose all the methods we use to curb fraud and abuse but if you received a 500 error you hit a tripwire. Of course there are false positives, and your was one of those. We needed adequate time to investigate the account and permit it which slowed the response time. We certainly don't want to be in such a hurry to reply we tip a bad actor how to circumvent our security. You also fell into that category of contacting us just before everyone left for the weekend.
3. The deal we're offer is a loss-leader. We're not going to make money on this lifetime deal. We get issues handled, but when people are rude, pushy, aggressive, or deeply confused we're not stumbling over ourselves to apologize. I'd rather spend that energy resolving the issue at hand and improving the product.
Summary
You gave the 2 tacos but other than trouble redeeming your code we met your expectations. Most sumolings follow the instructions and redeem the deal without issue. We're talking with Appsumo about finding a way to remove the code redemption.
One more note, when you've been offering a product for 20 years you have to support customers you acquired 20 years ago and today. Making all those users happy becomes more difficult with age, not less. You may not understand if you're not in the industry but you can look up the story of how Microsoft spent billions to put Windows on a phone, lost to iPhone, and eventually conceded - all because they couldn't alienate their user base.