How to Handle Paid for Work Not Being Completed

[rsteadm2]

Hello,

I have had to deal with this over the past 6 months in my business and was wondering how you have handled this in the past or how you would handle this if it happened to you.

I have, twice now, paid for someone to complete a project for me and they failed to produce the final product. However, they require payment up front and they where found through reputable means. One was a WSO Here on the forum and the other was a landing page design that comes from a designer that is highly recommended from all the top guru's.

In both instances, the party was paid up front, and then never delivered. We have spent more time emailing than they did working on the project. Excuse after excuse. Nothing to date on either one.

Here is what I have done.

1) Continue to email them with the request for the finished product

2) written it off in my mind. (moved on either not completing the project of rehiring someone else to complete.)

3) forgiven them for being flaky.

What would you do?

Ray S.

PS. It's around $850 total money out of pocket lost

[Internetmoneymaker]

I assume you paid via paypal so I'd put in a buyer complaint,it sounds like fraud as well.
Threaten them with legal action or name and shame here.

[n7 Studios]

It's a two way thing - clients need to ensure they get what they're looking for, and providers need to ensure they're going to get paid for a completed job.

I require my clients to pay around a 25% deposit, but it depends on the size and cost of the job. Larger jobs always have agreed stages, where part payments are made.

It ensures the client gets delivery of their work (as the incentive is the pay - amongst other things), and that the provider gets paid (there are clients out there who take the work and then don't pay, too!)

I never, ever ask for the full amount upfront - and I'd be extremely wary of anyone doing such.

[Asher]

If they require full upfront payment - ditch the buggers.

Having good business practice will protect both the employer
and the hired hand.

Sorry to hear that you've suffered something like that, the
best way to get your money back (assuming it's PayPal)
is to do a PayPal dispute.

Asher

[zeurois]

Hey there

Next time I suggest you go to rentacoder.com (or any other specialized website) that keep your money in their escrow during project development. This way, you only pay if you're happy with the work. You cannot scam and cannot be scammed. It's easy. If you don't get to a final product, you can start an arbitration process and the 3rd party (the website arbitrators) will take care of the dispute from there.

Hope this helps

[cgj1981]

Yeah I agree using 3rd party sites like rentacoder and elance for these purposes can make for a better business relationship.

We had a similar situation and as the said party did not deliver we had the money refunded from rentacoder escrow with no general harm done for the financial outlay part of that project....the time wasted of course is another thing all together!!

[Kay King]

I *think* it is acceptable to post in the thread if that person's WSO is still up and politely ask what happened to your work as it has been such-and-such length of time. That would serve as a warning to others as well as possibly spurring the person to complete the work to save face.

That should be done if only to prevent others from having the same problem. It also may be a way to get what you ordered. (assuming the WSO is still active, that is).

What is not allowed is for a non-buyer to post negative comments in a WSO thread. If you bought and did not get delivery you need to say so there.

kay

[Kim Standerline]

Try reading the rules before you post comments like this

Originally Posted by Internetmoneymaker

name and shame here.

To the OP

Personally I'd never pay fully upfront for anything, something to consider for future reference.

If you paid via your credit card, you could possibly do a charge back if paypal won't refund

Kim