Had a Website Made... I'm getting screwed, need advice!

I feel your pain. It was really frustrating when things didn't turn out the way you expected it.

You're too generous and trusting to pay up 80% too early. If it were me, I can't even pay 50% without seeing the working finished product.

I'm a programmer too so I know how difficult it is to create a custom website like that. But whatever it takes if the project cannot be finish on time, it is a must that you keep your communication always.

By the way, how is the project going? You should get all the information and status always. What is wrong and what is not yet working? Why does it take too much time?

-Rentacoder is still the best place to get programming job. You just have to select the right people.

Hi Drew,

Most of the people on RAC are hard working and credible. I read your post and I can feel your pain that this has not been a good experience. Unfortunately this is what happens in any industry when we pay for work in advance. I think there is a lesson to learn here so that this never happens to you again. We have all been there at some point with something similar.

It does however sound like they are almost done. I would be more firm and demand that they finish the work. Seek to understand the delay ? Ask clarifying questions. Give them a deadline.

Good luck with everything,

Kris

Never pay alot of money upfront to an outsourcer.

Almost done

Do you have what is done so far in your possession? If so, I'd give him a deadline and tell him to quit stalling. I'd tell him if it isn't done by then you'll give him a bad review, file a dispute, and seek legal action.

He's obviously stringing you along because he has most of the money and finishing the job to get the rest isn't that important to him. He needs your foot in his arse to motivate him!

Is the site on your server or on the coder's server somewhere?

If you gave him your user name and password for your hostgator account and that's where the files are, then the files are on your webhost's server, so you have them. You could use the control panel to create a backup and download it to your computer, or you could FTP into your hosting account and download all the files that way.

Then you can change your password, which will lock him out, and hire someone else to finish it for you. What's left to do, anyway?

Edit: Or once you have backed up the files you could put some pressure on him to finish it up. If he's an ass and deletes your site, you have the backups so you can put it back online.

Thanks so much for the information thus far guys! You have been such a big help... this will save me so much money. Okay, so I just downloaded a backup of my site to "Home Directory" so that I guess that is actually on my server now backed up... Now there are 2 more options, Remote Server and Secure Copy SCP... How can I physically download it to my hard drive?

Do you have an FTP program? I do most things through FTP. If so, just log in to your account and highlight everything you see and download it. Then you have to go back to your control panel to back up any databases. Someone else will have to help you there.

Just post on his rentacoder profile if it is allowed how he is screwing you over, he took the money in stages as agreed and now refuses to send you the product even though it has been 2 months.

Include screenshots of his emails too.

He doesn't seem to have any problem wasting your time and screwing you over so at least he won't do it to anyone else if you do that (he won't ever get a chance)

Drew,

Do a simple test of your download. In your computer open the folder where you saved the download of your site. In there will be a file called "index." Right click on index, choose "open with" and select the browser you use (Internet Explorer, Firefox, or other), chose your browser and your site should open on your computer.

You can tell you have opened the one in your computer because, instead of beginning with http:// it will start like this: C:\download folder\index.html. Try the links

That way you are sure you got it all.

Then buy a copy of Dreamweaver, or Xsite Pro, or get the free software called KompoZer and start learning to use it. In a few months you will be able to design your own websites, and/or make changes to sites you have hired others to build.

BTW There is a good set of tutorials for KompoZer at http://www.thesitewizard.com I am not an affiliate. You download KompoZer at http://www.kompozer.net

:-Don

Same thing sort of happened to me. needed a WP altered a tad. $400 is all. They totally ignored what I asked for. Will have to do it myself. I was just trying to save some time.

I would tell him that his deadline is passed and you are terminating your relationship. Immediately change your Hostgator password (before you tell him you are terminating your relationship). You already have the files.

Post feedback for the project and say that he did a satisfactory job up to a point but did not complete the job and did not meet deadlines.

Then hire someone else to complete it. Get someone with excellent feedback and maybe rent-a-coder won't be the best place to find him/her. I don't know, I haven't used them.

Edit: I see his RAC acct has been closed. I would definitely dump this guy and change your Hostgator password. Someone else can most likely finish the job but I would not trust this guy at this point.

I feel your pain.

But I would *never* pay upfront for a project. Sites like RAC and Elance.com use Escrow for a reason - to protect both parties.

If I were you, I would contact the guy, express your frustration in no uncertain terms, and say that you are on the point of withdrawing from the project, and you will express your dissatisfaction further in his feedback history on the site.

Good feedback and reputation is crucial for these guys getting future work, so I'm sure you will quickly get a reaction.

However, you may well be burning bridges with this guy for future work, but hey, there are plenty of good/reliable contractors on these sites that would be glad of the work.

Just my thought.

Drew I understand you being an honest person and trusting him with everything but that is very normal in freelance work. The max I [used to] give is 50% in the start because obviously the freelancer may think the same thing *what if he doesn't pay me*

Well now that I don't have this problem as I work with full time staff these days and they are very loyal and reliable.

As for your problem, Dennis and other fellow warriors have been great in guiding you and by the looks of things you don't seem to be very familiar with ftp and hosting accounts and I take it that this clearly reflects in your communications with the freelancer which presumable is the primary reason he is playing about with your project.

YouTube - Creating a Back Up of Your Web Site in 3 Minutes or Less see if this works for you and download a back up .

Also can you give details of the project that if it was cms what platform was it based on? I have a feeling the entire project might not have been worth $1500 at the first place.

I know its frustrating but we'll sort something out

We are all here to help.

Regards,
Maddi.

If that was php files then that won't run just by opening the file on your computer. You need to up the mysql server on your computer which contains the database.

I just checked your site and it was not that overly complicated.

I guess what you just want is a front-end so that you can edit things without going over technical.

It is important that you know how your website works so that you can make any/all changes to it yourself, without relying on a 'programmer' to do it.

If it is written in PHP then you may have some difficulty.

The basic HTML codes, you WILL need to learn yourself.

I write all my pages by hand, but I always keep 'cheat sheets' on My Computer, so I can refer to my 'Swipe Files' to get specific codes for certain portions.

I had to learn HTML by myself, so if I can do it, so can you.

Backups of your websites can actually throw you over your webspace allowance so you will need to download them to your PC then delete them off your server, otherwise you could exceed webspace allowance.

You should also have access to your cPanel so you can attribute email accounts for that domain and start using them (if you choose).

If you cannot access your cPanel at all, due to not being able to log in with the given username & password then your 'programmer' has changed them and effectively hijacked your site.

However, HostGator Support should be able to reset them to something else so that you can regain control over your own webspace.

Once your website is completed, I suggest you get HostGator Support to issue you with new username & password (or just password) so that your current programmer cannot log into it again.


FTP is your friend. You can see which new pages have been incorporated without having to re-download the whole website.

There is a Software available (but I dont know what it is or where it is) that you can use to view your entire website before you put it online to see exactly how it works.

Yes, even php files can be seen with this software as it turns your PC into a 'mini-server' for this exact purpose.

Any Warriors know where to get this software?

I was sent the link in an email, but I get about 3,000 emails a day...

If you paid him by creditcard, you can call VISA/MASTERCARD/AMEX and simply chargeback the whole 1.5k. That usually does the trick

Nick

Hi Drew,

I can help. PM me. I am a 25-year programmer and I can get your site backed up and show you how to do it yourself. You should be doing that regularly anyway since files and databases have a tendency to disappear when you least expect it.

I have used RAC and was very happy with the results, but I knew exactly what they were doing, so they couldn't snow me. Rule number one, which you just paid tuition to learn is don't pay until they deliver. Second, you have to tell them exactly what you want without leaving out any details. They will only do what you tell them and they are very literal. Third, I get progress reports daily and I verify the results of the changes they have made. If there are no changes after a few days, they are snowing you. Pay them for what they have done so far and move on. You need to know how to look at what has changed. Look at the dates on the files. If there were no files changed within the past week, guess what, they are working on another project.

What I do is I use git, which is a revision control system. I can see all the changes made with gitk, a visual change map tool that is included with the free download. You can literally see every change made to every file. No changes = no working = no paying.

The admin portion of a cms is the hardest part and requires the most work. This is where your coder underestimated and rather than tell you he screwed up, he strung you along. I'm curious why you didn't use joomla or one of the other cms. I've never played with them but I am pretty sure they come with this admin stuff built in.

Drew -
Usually, not always, but usually, the best people to help you are found right here on WF. Programmers, website designers, etc. or someone here can refer you to someone they use that is dependable.