Safeguard your web work, so clients dont rip you off

Hot Damn I Love you guys...

Yeah Im going to charge more up front. Our contract basically says " we can terminate services at anytime for any reason" Unfortunately this guy never signed a contract cause hes a state away..

I never thought of hosting files on my server but it makes total sense and dont need to deploy a backdoor on their server and become liable for that.

I think only cool clients we have worked with before Ilo do cc's and checks. But everyone else is cash or money order etc.. Fuck this.. This shit is cut-thought...

thanks for all the good info guys!

Put it in your contract that all disputes are to be settled in YOUR state.

Then make him sign next time.

have a bit of javascript render the whole site, host it on your hosting and pack it with an encrypter like - or...do like i do
require payment up front, cash or check, before you start work, if payment is over $500 let them pay in pieces
NEVER EVER take paypal or credit card
if the customer says they need protection because they're worried about scamming, get up and walk off, they're reflecting their scammyness

a bit of a side note...
i meet all my web design clients in person
since i have no car, i meet them at the nearest place to my home that has free wifi
it's a bar
i dress professional goth, long black hair, goatee, button up shirt, slacks
i've only had 2 clients pull that "you'll try to scam us" crap
at that point i always stand up, start closing my laptop, and say "if you can't trust me i can't work with you, i'm sorry, good luck finding someone you can trust"
1 apologized, paid up, and is now a very good seo client that has brought me a load of business
the other, said ok, goodbye
i totally do not regret losing that client, something about him struck me as dishonest and scammy