Screwed by SEO client

[brkseven]

Yeah, I know, I should have taken at least a down payment, but I didn't and it doesn't mean that this business was entitled to screw me because of that.

Definitely a down payment next time, but what do you guys do when that happens (hopefully it didn't)?

Please don't tell me to just get over it because I will get over it, but it's not fair and somethin should be done so this biz doesn't do it to someone else.

 

[lanbo]

did they just decide not to pay?

 

[BigFatWallet]

It sucks, but to be honest if they have refused to pay you there is little than you can do to recover your money. Take that as a lesson and ask for upfront payments from now on. I myself got screwed by a couple of clients who I did SEO work for out of good faith that they are going to pay after the job will be completed as specified but they took a Uturn and didn't pay me a dime.

 

[hawgbert]

If this client is concerned about SEO, you may want to remind them how important their online reputation is and how they wouldn't want to jeopardize that. Are they at all receptive to a payment plan or a reduced invoice? Something would be better than nothing...

 

[bigkapp]

Yea , That dose suck . It kinda opened my eyes though , next time you should get payed half up front or join one of those freelancing site where they make sure you get payed when you complete a job for a client . Plus you can even get a commission for referring clients to the site . Just consider this as a lesson learned .And by posting your experience here you help some of us who haven't started taking on clients yet to realize that this can and dose happen from time to time .

 

[brkseven]

Thanks guys.

I especially like bigkapp's post because that is one of the main reasons why I'm posting.

DO NOT do On Page SEO and all the keyword research, site analysis and so on without getting a payment first.

Off page is different, because you can screw them later, but it still sucks because you ain't getting anyhting anyway if you don't get that down payment.

hawgbert, good points there as well.

Thanks to the others as well...

 

[ThreadKiller]

Rule of thumb is never to mess with a geek. Explain to them what negative SEO is. Threaten to run non stop scrapebox blasts to their money site forever and ever. Or find a do-not-spam list from some network, then send mail spam with their URL in it to that list. The antis will then give them a hard time for a very long time.

Failing that, do you have access to any of their server passwords? Just remove their site. You'd be surprised how many people run without backups.

EDIT: Also, is their main site weak? Make a site that beats them in Google.

 

[ok888]

I think u should have a talk with them and ask why r they refusing to pay and what r ther concern

 

[pbagda]

I ALWAYS charge half before and half after, I also specifically write on the Invoice that its only 50% of payment.

If someone would screw me I would be tempted to give them TONS of SHIT backlinks with anchor texts like "anal fisting" but I don't know if I would have the heart to do that, also, they can take legal actions against you lol

 

[alterator]

Try the black lists of the fourm.

 

[SuperDuran]

I wouldn't do negative SEO. That's too "mafia" like.

There are two ways you can handle this. If you have a contract with them stating the tasks you will perform for compensation, you can fight them in small claims court. No need for a lawyer. Fill out a few forms, show up to court, and describe the situation show proof of work and the original contract.

I would also write an honest review of their company and how they deal with freelancers on ripoffreport.

Vengeance, the legit way.

 

[inets]

Wow there are alot of vindictive people on this thread. I see so many people talk about blasting their site with spammy shitty links, really? If you did all the work yourself, then in retrospect it hasn't cost you anything but time. Even if you gave up doing service for someone else to work on this client, it's still only cost you time and it's alot easier to lose time than it is to lose money, granted people will say money is time, but unless you had the cash taken out of your account, you've only lost time. In hind site, it's a small price to pay for an invaluable lesson.

I've been burnt in the past and did think of vindictive ways to get a bad client back, but at the end of the day is it really worth it, is it worth the time which could be better spent on strengthening ties with new clients. Mark it down as a life lesson in business and move on. Ultimately it's there loss, they missed the chance of having someone who provides a great service with positive results, so in reality, they burnt themselves.

I wish you the best of luck.

 

[istart]

Yeah I think your wasting your time doing anything that isn't a step towards getting done money out of them. All revenge is going to do is cost you more time, which is the thing that was stolen from you in the first place. I've had some similar situations and have tried 2 things...

Collections - worked once but they took 40%. Didn't work the second or third time.

Small claims - tried once and I got my money.

Send them a letter starting egbert have 7 days to pay our you'll be filing a claim against them. If they don't pay. File a claim on day 8.

 

[brkseven]

Great points in this thread.

First of all, they shut me out of their servers, with no warning, otherwise I would've reverted their site back to where it was, at the very least.

Second, I do White Hat only, so I'm not too sure that those SB blasts would affect their site, but maybe you have evicence of the contrary.

And yes, I think that being vindictive is sometimes a moral duty, just to make sure this doesn't happen to other SEOs, it's not just about my pride, I swallowed in the past in other situations, but I didn't make the world a better place.

So here's what I am considering:

Website in the exact same niche; with so much research work done, I'm not going to waste it, I'll see how to monetize it, but I am surely going to beat it no matter what SEO they hire (I can tell you why if you want, but it's boring).

Threaten Small Claims Court.

Contact their competition, especially one that I know they hate and help them.

Register theirwebsitesucks.com.

Damage their reputation where I can, including Facebook, LinkedIn and wherever the person I dealt with is.

Copy their content and post it somewhere strong (suggestions welcome) hoping that Google sees their website as a duplicate.

Complain with their host for keeping and using my code tweaking SEO work.

Anything else?

PS: They probably are not aware of the Golden Rule: DO NOT screw a SEO (or a geek, whatever)

 

[ThreadKiller]

I've been burnt in the past and did think of vindictive ways to get a bad client back, but at the end of the day is it really worth it.

Dude, they ripped him off. If he can spend 2 hours hitting them back in ways they did not expect, it has a decent chance of success. Sure beats getting nothing. Otherwise, if he did not have a contract, he is screwed.

 

[ThreadKiller]

These are all good ideas OP. As for your final idea, about complaining to their host. My suggestion is to make that a formal cease and desist. Claim that you hold the copyright for the meta keywords for example, send the cease and desist, that method might just work.

Great points in this thread.

First of all, they shut me out of their servers, with no warning, otherwise I would've reverted their site back to where it was, at the very least.

Second, I do White Hat only, so I'm not too sure that those SB blasts would affect their site, but maybe you have evicence of the contrary.

And yes, I think that being vindictive is sometimes a moral duty, just to make sure this doesn't happen to other SEOs, it's not just about my pride, I swallowed in the past in other situations, but I didn't make the world a better place.

So here's what I am considering:

Website in the exact same niche; with so much research work done, I'm not going to waste it, I'll see how to monetize it, but I am surely going to beat it no matter what SEO they hire (I can tell you why if you want, but it's boring).

Threaten Small Claims Court.

Contact their competition, especially one that I know they hate and help them.

Register theirwebsitesucks.com.

Damage their reputation where I can, including Facebook, LinkedIn and wherever the person I dealt with is.

Copy their content and post it somewhere strong (suggestions welcome) hoping that Google sees their website as a duplicate.

Complain with their host for keeping and using my code tweaking SEO work.

Anything else?

PS: They probably are not aware of the Golden Rule: DO NOT screw a SEO (or a geek, whatever)

 

[cemedia]

Yeah, I know, I should have taken at least a down payment, but I didn't and it doesn't mean that this business was entitled to screw me because of that.

Definitely a down payment next time, but what do you guys do when that happens (hopefully it didn't)?

Please don't tell me to just get over it because I will get over it, but it's not fair and somethin should be done so this biz doesn't do it to someone else.

If a client RIPS you off. Then do some NEGATIVE SEO on their website to remind them of KARMA he he he.

 

[Aty]

...but what do you guys do when that happens (hopefully it didn't)?

It did. I tell him nicely that I will take measures if he's not gonna pay. If he still doesn't get the point I tell him I will spam the crap out of his website until it gets deindexed.

 

[cemedia]

It did. I tell him nicely that I will take measures if he's not gonna pay. If he still doesn't get the point I tell him I will spam the crap out of his website until it gets deindexed.

Blast 40,000 Xrumer profiles and 50,000 scrapebox comments and that would put the website of that shitty client to PAGE 100 of Google.

 

[brkseven]

Awesome guys. I'm going to do what I can, but I'm also going to stay away from possible suits against myself.

Thanks for your support and ideas!

I'm not letting it slide...