Website Developer Getting Stiffed!

E

Erin Heiner

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Joined
Jan 28, 2017
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Hi,

I have created a website and it is live. Although my client refuses to pay me for the work. The client has been using the website for a good amount of time. So it is not that they are unhappy with my work, they just won't pay me...

Is it okay to take down the website and put up a disclaimer saying "This website has not been paid for" on their website?

I don't really want to hire a lawyer yet because of the extra time and money involved. I would just like to know if I am within my right to take down the website and tell the truth about what is going on to anyone who may look at the site.
 
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I'd go all the way with keeping the logo, content, and just add a pop-up that locks the homepage saying that *name of the company* needs to pay for the development of the website after avoiding for like 3 months to do so or you'll go after them legally. I have a feeling you'd get paid within hour or two of them seeing that.
 
I would ask for the payment within x days, or ask them when they can agree to a payment schedule. If they don't play ball, then simply take the site down. Don't leave any warning notice up, so you are not burning bridges with them - you are making it easy for them to do the right thing and pay you. Where as if you put up a notice you are making them look bad and thus you are declaring war with them.
 
No need to put up a notice, if you're in control, 301 the website to a "Maintenance" page. Once the 'Buyer' notices he nor anyone else can access the website, he'll contact you. You, demand payment or just leave the site in maintenance.

If he/she refuses to pay try to sell the site on flippa or somewhere.
 
Take the site down immediately, send them a notice saying your site has been taken down and will be live again once payment is complete. I'd also add an asshole tax since they decided not to pay the first time.
 
Give them a chance to pay. See if they can do a payment plan. If they've just ghosted you and refuse to respond, start changing their passwords, and make them come to you.
 
I recommend take down their website or put on maintenance mode until they pay. If they don't pay, remove their website from the hosting.
 
davids355 said:
Where as if you put up a notice you are making them look bad and thus you are declaring war with them.
Click to expand...

Thank you everyone! The problem is they actually don't seem to care that much. Most of there business is through word of mouth. I have been in touch with them but they are slow to respond and seem to really only SLIGHTLY care about the domain name. They have had the website for roughly 6 month but I haven't been payed because there excuse is the winter has been slow.

Declaring War! : I know it's a bad thing. But I have already put up an UNPAID notice on there website. I feel like I am not going to get paid at all... I see that they have already registered a new domain name. Same website name just with a different last letter. So I have very little faith that the next response from them is going to be a positive one.

They can just pay someone else to make a new website since they never had to pay me.
 
Hire me to Ddos them for you ... j/k ... david gave you solid advice follow it .
btw you didn't take 50% or something before developing it ?
 
Restrict their access and put this on the homepage:
tenor.gif
 
Erin Heiner said:
Thank you everyone! The problem is they actually don't seem to care that much. Most of there business is through word of mouth. I have been in touch with them but they are slow to respond and seem to really only SLIGHTLY care about the domain name. They have had the website for roughly 6 month but I haven't been payed because there excuse is the winter has been slow.

Declaring War! : I know it's a bad thing. But I have already put up an UNPAID notice on there website. I feel like I am not going to get paid at all... I see that they have already registered a new domain name. Same website name just with a different last letter. So I have very little faith that the next response from them is going to be a positive one.

They can just pay someone else to make a new website since they never had to pay me.
Click to expand...

Take the site down. Cut your loses. Consider that you’ve paid that money in exchange for a valuable lesson: deposit up front and then balance before you push anything live.
 
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