The main Fastboy Marketing lawsuit on public record is a 2018 defamation case filed by a former employee, Winston Nguyen, against CEO Vuong Pham and the company’s legal entity, I Buy Beauty, LLC. A Harris County, Texas judge dismissed the claims in June 2019 under the state’s anti-SLAPP statute and awarded sanctions and attorney’s fees against Nguyen.1Trellis.law. Motion for Severance, Nguyen v. Pham, Cause No. 2018-89187
What the Former Employee Alleged
Nguyen filed suit on December 17, 2018, in the District Court of Harris County. He sued Vuong Pham individually and as manager of I Buy Beauty, LLC, doing business as Fastboy Marketing, along with the company itself.1Trellis.law. Motion for Severance, Nguyen v. Pham, Cause No. 2018-89187
Fastboy had fired Nguyen for what it characterized as sexual harassment. His unemployment claim before the Texas Workforce Commission was denied. Nguyen argued that the circumstances of his firing and the statements made during the unemployment proceedings amounted to defamation. He largely represented himself, though attorneys Vy T. Nguyen and Thanh Nguyen appeared as counsel of record at various points.
In March 2019, Nguyen amended his petition to add the Texas Workforce Commission as a third defendant and sought a de novo review of the unemployment denial.1Trellis.law. Motion for Severance, Nguyen v. Pham, Cause No. 2018-89187
How the Case Was Dismissed
In April 2019, Pham and Fastboy Marketing moved to dismiss under the Texas Citizens Participation Act, the state’s anti-SLAPP law, which allows early dismissal of suits targeting constitutionally protected speech or petitioning activity. Judge Fredericka M. Phillips held an oral hearing on June 6, 2019, and granted the motion on June 19, 2019.1Trellis.law. Motion for Severance, Nguyen v. Pham, Cause No. 2018-89187
The dismissal carried sanctions and an award of attorney’s fees against Nguyen. In October 2020, the defendants moved to sever their portion of the case from the remaining claim against the Texas Workforce Commission, a procedural step meant to convert the interlocutory sanctions and fee orders into a final, enforceable judgment. The case is listed as disposed and final.1Trellis.law. Motion for Severance, Nguyen v. Pham, Cause No. 2018-89187
Contract Terms Clients Should Know
The Nguyen case is the only lawsuit that surfaced in public court records, but Fastboy Marketing’s standard contract terms have drawn attention on their own. The company’s Master Subscription Agreement, entered under the name I Buy Beauty, LLC, includes several provisions that go further than what many small-business service contracts contain.
Subscriptions automatically renew for the same duration as the expiring term, or one year, whichever is shorter, unless the client gives 30 days’ written notice before the renewal date. Payments for SEO, social media, internet marketing, and web development are described as non-refundable.2Fastboy Marketing. Master Subscription Agreement
One clause requires clients to pay the company’s legal fees, travel expenses, and related costs if the client initiates any lawsuit or claim, regardless of the outcome. The agreement also characterizes credit card chargebacks as “illegal and fraudulent,” warns that filing a chargeback triggers immediate service suspension and may result in work being reversed without notice, and makes the client responsible for any chargeback fees the processor passes along.2Fastboy Marketing. Master Subscription Agreement
Other terms cap the company’s total liability at its net profit on a given project, provide services on an “as is” basis, and allow only one round of complimentary revisions within 14 days of delivery, limited to 25 percent of the original project scope. Ownership of all work product stays with Fastboy Marketing until the client pays in full.2Fastboy Marketing. Master Subscription Agreement