What to do if client is late paying webhosting

[homeriscool]

Hi all, I have a local client who is now overdue paying his webhosting bill.

He sent me a text the other week saying he wants to renew but he hasn't paid my invoice.

And he's not responding to anymore texts & emails.

There are no contracts involved here.

What do I do (legally)

 

[Panther28]

Hi all, I have a local client who is now overdue paying his webhosting bill.

He sent me a text the other week saying he wants to renew but he hasn't paid my invoice.

And he's not responding to anymore texts & emails.

There are no contracts involved here.

What do I do (legally)

"Look Bud, I can't afford to run your business without payment, you have 24 hours to make payment or your hosting is permanently canceled. No excuses now, this is too much for my to carry your load on my back"

Since you have no contract, you may as well tell them the truth. Maybe ask if they want a 30 day notice in the future to sign a year contract with you in regards to payment up front.

 

[indianmojojojo]

Hi all, I have a local client who is now overdue paying his webhosting bill.

He sent me a text the other week saying he wants to renew but he hasn't paid my invoice.

And he's not responding to anymore texts & emails.

There are no contracts involved here.

What do I do (legally)

Depends on the amount involved.

Am not sure what can be done legally even if there are contracts. It's an unnecessary hassle for either parties and an absolute waste of time and $ when you involve solicitors/lawyers.

Try handing things offline and have a conversation.

Also if they are going through some sort financial crisis and if you have a good long standing relationship work things out that will help them short term. All this goodwill will come back to you some way or the other

If they are taking advantage then cut them off.

 

[homeriscool]

Depends on the amount involved.

Am not sure what can be done legally even if there are contracts. It's an unnecessary hassle for either parties and an absolute waste of time and $ when you involve solicitors/lawyers.

Try handing things offline and have a conversation.

Also if they are going through some sort financial crisis and if you have a good long standing relationship work things out that will help them short term. All this goodwill will come back to you some way or the other

If they are taking advantage then cut them off.

I have asked if there's any problems I can help him with (meaning financial) but I've had no response for 7 days now.

I've tried to accommodate him but I'm getting nowhere.

I can do without the hassle of chasing people for money.

But I do try to help people as much as possible....

 

[BassTrackerBoats]

I have asked if there's any problems I can help him with (meaning financial) but I've had no response for 7 days now.

I've tried to accommodate him but I'm getting nowhere.

I can do without the hassle of chasing people for money.

But I do try to help people as much as possible....

Can you suspend the site and send them a notice that you had to suspend their site and they have X amount of days to contact you and work out the payments?

 

[homeriscool]

Can you suspend the site and send them a notice that you had to suspend their site and they have X amount of days to contact you and work out the payments?

I was just going to do this.....and put and under construction sign on it....but then I was worried about them hitting me legally for loss of earnings from the business?

This is what I don't want.

So you guys think I'm okay with suspending the website given the circumstances?

 

[BassTrackerBoats]

I was just going to do this.....and put and under construction sign on it....but then I was worried about them hitting me legally for loss of earnings from the business?

This is what I don't want.

So you guys think I'm okay with suspending the website given the circumstances?

There won't be any legal consequences...if you want to play you have to pay.

They have the playing part down well and just need to work on the paying part.

 

[homeriscool]

There won't be any legal consequences...if you want to play you have to pay.

They have the playing part down well and just need to work on the paying part.

Thanks.

I think sometimes you can be too nice.

This is one of those situations, I think

 

[Panther28]

I was just going to do this.....and put and under construction sign on it....but then I was worried about them hitting me legally for loss of earnings from the business?

This is what I don't want.

So you guys think I'm okay with suspending the website given the circumstances?

It would be a wild ride if we could all sue for our own lack of payment and commitment which resulted in a lack of earnings. LMAO!

 

[Sidsaini445]

Can you suspend the site and send them a notice that you had to suspend their site and they have X amount of days to contact you and work out the payments?

I was thinking the same, and I suggest adding to this. After suspending the hosting package, if I am not mistaken, every hosting provider has a data deletion policy after the package expires. So, send them the TOS/AUP link if they reach out to you, and "tell them we have a data deletion policy of 10 days after the package expires. Since your package is overdue, please pay as soon as possible; otherwise, 7 days have passed, and in the next 3 days, your data will be deleted from our server."

If this is not in your website's TOS/AUP, edit the TOS and share the link with them.

 

[homeriscool]

It would be a wild ride if we could all sue for our own lack of payment and commitment which resulted in a lack of earnings. LMAO!

ha ha yes, be none stop legal brawling

 

[Gogol]

Hi all, I have a local client who is now overdue paying his webhosting bill.

He sent me a text the other week saying he wants to renew but he hasn't paid my invoice.

And he's not responding to anymore texts & emails.

There are no contracts involved here.

What do I do (legally)

Legally, probably nothing needed from your side. But that being said, I would personally keep the site up (given it is not a high traffic one) because I don’t want to ruin their (and mine) reputation. But yeah, I’d charge them 10x if they come back.

If you use a vps, having another low traffic website hosted isn’t a big deal.

This is also why you should never offer hosting/domains as part of your web development services. It is just more headache without any good reason.

 

[homeriscool]

I was thinking the same, and I suggest adding to this. After suspending the hosting package, if I am not mistaken, every hosting provider has a data deletion policy after the package expires. So, send them the TOS/AUP link if they reach out to you, and "tell them we have a data deletion policy of 10 days after the package expires. Since your package is overdue, please pay as soon as possible; otherwise, 7 days have passed, and in the next 3 days, your data will be deleted from our server."

If this is not in your website's TOS/AUP, edit the TOS and share the link with them.

I have no TOS......it was for a friend of a friend.....who's now taking advantage by the looks of it.

But I like the data deletion policy of 10 days.

That should get them to start panicking a bit

Legally, probably nothing needed from your side. But that being said, I would personally keep the site up (given it is not a high traffic one) because I don’t want to ruin their (and mine) reputation. But yeah, I’d charge them 10x if they come back.

If you use a vps, having another low traffic website hosted isn’t a big deal.

This is also why you should never offer hosting/domains as part of your web development services. It is just more headache without any good reason.

Yes it's hosted on my VPS, so like you say it's not taking much of my resources.

And I don't want to ruin the business, which is why I've kept the website online even after missing the invoice due date by 7 days.

And yes, offering hosting can be a pain in the butt if you get a bad paying client.

But it's also good for all of the others.

 

[Gogol]

Yes it's hosted on my VPS, so like you say it's not taking much of my resources.

And I don't want to ruin the business, which is why I've kept the website online even after missing the invoice due date by 7 days.

And yes, offering hosting can be a pain in the butt if you get a bad paying client.

But it's also good for all of the others.

Hmm yeah man, ultimately you decide when it’s “too late”. You have already tried contacting them multiple times so it’s not on you, that is for sure.

 

[Builder Dave]

If you don't have a contract, than you are under no obligation to provide any service and you can't really be held liable for discontinuing a service that's neither contracted, nor paid for. But the fact that they asked for renewal and you issued them an invoice can be considered a contract under many jurisdictions and your client would already be in breach as long as you haven't put down a delayed payment term in your invoice.

However, don't put up an under construction page. Put up an account suspended page. It makes it a lot more likely for the client to perk up and pay. Also if you are worried about litigation a "page under construction" would be a false statement while "account suspended" would be a factual statement, so it would be harder for you to be held liable for it.

Of course, there is always a chance for somebody to sue, even if they don't have a case. If you have issued them an invoice that's due immediately, they have not rejected it, they are not responding and not paying, they don't have a case under pretty much any jurisdiction.

 

[homeriscool]

If you don't have a contract, than you are under no obligation to provide any service and you can't really be held liable for discontinuing a service that's neither contracted, nor paid for. But the fact that they asked for renewal and you issued them an invoice can be considered a contract under many jurisdictions and your client would already be in breach as long as you haven't put down a delayed payment term in your invoice.

However, don't put up an under construction page. Put up an account suspended page. It makes it a lot more likely for the client to perk up and pay. Also if you are worried about litigation a "page under construction" would be a false statement while "account suspended" would be a factual statement, so it would be harder for you to be held liable for it.

Of course, there is always a chance for somebody to sue, even if they don't have a case. If you have issued them an invoice that's due immediately, they have not rejected it, they are not responding and not paying, they don't have a case under pretty much any jurisdiction.

Great advice - thanks!

Account suspended sounds much better (and factual).

I'll suspend the account tomorrow morning and send them another message stating I've suspended the account.

 

[Deleted member 1603965]

How much is the amount in question in this case?

 

[SilverClouds]

Thanks.

I think sometimes you can be too nice.

This is one of those situations, I think

...White Hat World *cough*

No, come on... BassTrackerBoats' idea is first thing that came to my mind. If I stopped paying my bills they'd suspend everything lol. Do they give you food for free at the grocery store? Electricity? If you stop paying rent they kick you out. Etc, etc.

 

[homeriscool]

...White Hat World *cough*

No, come on... BassTrackerBoats' idea is first thing that came to my mind. If I stopped paying my bills they'd suspend everything lol. Do they give you food for free at the grocery store? Electricity? If you stop paying rent they kick you out. Etc, etc.

White hat world

I know these are white hat problems aren't they ha ha.

 

[SilverClouds]

White hat world

I know these are white hat problems aren't they ha ha.

Yeah my wh clients are more blackhat than you. Your clients as well. I know you asked this because you need help (and you got it) but this kind of behaviour is what's wrong with this forum and freelancing at large. You act like this, later clients expect me to be that soft too.