Client didnt pay for work on website. What should I do.

TBoneAZ

TBoneAZ

New member
Sep 23, 2010
285
1
0
Scottsdale, AZ
I completely created an entire company brand and website for someone selling Herbal Incense. I completed the work about 5 months ago and got screwed out of a few grand. I am pissed off an want my money of course.

Today I looked at the hosting account and sure enough they changed the password back to the one I had :). So now I have complete access to the hosting and domain name. This site has made $78k in the last 4 months - as per analytics. 70% of traffic from SEO

So I am having a moral dilemma right now.

I could just leave it alone and let people like these guys walk all over me.

Or I can figure out a safe way of moving the domain under my control.

I would love to hear some feedback from people who have been burned like this!!
 


Go for the throat but do it in a way that they know it's you but can't prove it. I wouldn't feel bad about it or hesitate for a moment.
 
I'd change the passwords of both accounts, then contact them letting them know what's up. If they don't pay you, I'd throw up a single HTML page explaining to their customers how they ripped you off.


IDK if it's legal, though.
 
Give them a call to remind them of your great services.. Mention there is a vulnerability in their theme, they should run some tests and edit their files for security. Tell them you're willing to help if they need it, but you're really busy right now. Then 301 to googlehammer. Change the password.
 
You can't retaliate and expect to get paid because that would be its own form of extortion/coercion.

Do they respond to your requests? Do they reside in the same state? Small claims?

Or, if you just want to say fuck it, there's always the option to hire someone overseas to....

Why not just take the intel and steal their business.

I'm in a similar situation without the access to the site. I know your pain.
 
It is a godaddy account with domain and hosting all tied in together so I have total control.

The last thing I heard from them was "This is the last thing I have to say to you. F@#$ off!" So I think diplomacy is out of the question.
 
TBoneAZ said:
It is a godaddy account with domain and hosting all tied in together so I have total control.

The last thing I heard from them was "This is the last thing I have to say to you. F@#$ off!" So I think diplomacy is out of the question.
Click to expand...

do they refute the fact that they owe you? or do they just not want to pay?
 
Not only was I suppose to have 20% of the company but I was suppose to be paid for the initial creation of the website.

Problem is it is all verbal contracts!!

I was also given a copy of CLAD as per our agreement. They went in and changed the passwords on that too!
 
TBoneAZ said:
Not only was I suppose to have 20% of the company but I was suppose to be paid for the initial creation of the website.

Problem is it is all verbal contracts!!
Click to expand...

YOU'RE KIDDING RIGHT?

let me ask you this...when was the last time you heard of someone double checking to make sure they had their "verbal contract" in place before formally starting a company?

Come on now, this might seem harsh, but this might be the worst way to learn your lesson. Always get things in writing. A few G's on a lawyer is way better than getting stiffed by some fuckers.
 
TBoneAZ said:
Not only was I suppose to have 20% of the company but I was suppose to be paid for the initial creation of the website.

Problem is it is all verbal contracts!!

I was also given a copy of CLAD as per our agreement. They went in and changed the passwords on that too!
Click to expand...

Screwing with their website will just get you in trouble. Civil lawsuit or maybe even the boys in blue knocking at your door.

Knowledge is not copyrightable or patentable or whatever. So what I'm trying to say is you should:
1. Clone website.
2. Rewrite copy or generate new copy.
3. Duplicate his business relationships (ie sign up for some affiliate programs)
4. Register similar url (if he has .com, get .org or .net)
5. Grab the data baby and run.

I'm actually in a somewhat similar situation right now. A website owner owes xxxxx dollars (yes that's five x's) as revenue share but not paying.

No big deals. I'm on good terms with him still. I'm still administrating his site for free which pulls in good $xxxxx per month.

Because in a remarkable coincidence, in a certain number of months his site will be cloned by somebody who just happens to be somebody I went to university with.

It's a small world.
 
Yes DChuk you are right!! The problem was I met him in a group of good friends so I let personal relations get involved with business!!!

The worst part was when we first started and got booted from G00gle checkout for selling a banned product. They couldnt find a merchant to sell the product. They started running all the credit cards through their tire websites merchant! They brand and sell their own label no affiliates.

Because they are on the registrar anything I really do to the domain or hosting can just be recovered so all I am is being a pest on the wall.

I do like the idea of cloning the website though :) I would have the same merchant issue though I'm sure. I do know where to find the product though :)
 
Also in a similar situation.

Long story short they are monetizing on my work without it being paid for or cleared - emails and deliverables etc. were all outlined. Was patient the first few months and kept getting the runaround until recently taking my work back (took their site/my site offline completely) until it is cleared/paid for.

Emails can often function in the form of proof - not saying this is the route you should take however I value my principles and this reminded me why not to do servicing anymore even the 'odd one' here and there - x,xxx and a few weeks of my time giving them the benefit of the doubt only to be taken advantage of and have clients monetize my work without paying me = makes my blood boil so I chose that route (knowing there are other ways to go about it I just ran out of patience).

Some good suggestions above if it is indeed THAT lucrative - all depends on you as a person and your current state. I don't really need the money so I was a dick about principle, if your guys have a lot of money now they may also litigate you to death so you're even more broke (not to win the case just to drown you). So be careful whatever you do, probably would be good to be the bigger man and look at the long term potential aka outdoing their bizmodel fast.

.02.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom