Hello Fellow Webmasters,

There is a situation i have found myself, i am looking for experienced advice.
I have completed a job for a client almost 2 months ago, but every time i ask for my balance, it is from one story to the other. It is either she called me i did not pick up or she does not understand how certain parts of the site functions. Despite the fact that i have sent her everything that she requested and she has said on many occasions that she is satisfied with the job.

This has gone on for over a month now. And after calling her today, she said i should send the login details of the entire site (the Cpanel Admin Login). I told her i cannot do that until i get my balance and she rained me with abuses. Infact i had to cut the call one time because of the swear words she was using.

I took down the website today to see how she will deal with me because she promised me that i will REGRET it.

So house, how do you deal with this kind of client?

Thank you.

sarutobi:
Hello Fellow Webmasters,

There is a situation i have found myself, i am looking for experienced advice.
I have completed a job for a client almost 2 months ago, but every time i ask for my balance, it is from one story to the other. It is either she called me i did not pick up or she does not understand how certain parts of the site functions. Despite the fact that i have sent her everything that she requested and she has said on many occasions that she is satisfied with the job.

This has gone on for over a month now. And after calling her today, she said i should send the login details of the entire site (the Cpanel Admin Login). I told her i cannot do that until i get my balance and she rained me with abuses. Infact i had to cut the call one time because of the swear words she was using.

I took down the website today to see how she will deal with me because she promised me that i will REGRET it.

So house, how do you deal with this kind of client?

Thank you.

My advice for you, keep the website down and lets see what she would do.'

If she does anything crazy, then take Legal action

Solve it

Well pulling the site down is the best, but sometimes some client wants to take you for a ride. In this case I would advice you to mind your steps with your customer. Review your initial agreement before you started the site.

Thanks guys.

The initial agreement was 50% before project starts (which has been paid) and 50% once the website has been completed

Then i manage it for 2 years.

I just feel i will be at her mercy once i send those details to her. The fact that she has not paid the balance all this while is what is making me think this way.

You should change that clause "50% once the website has been completed" in your future agreements or your should modify it to "50% once the website has been completed and before the release of all necessary control panel login details".

For this case, you have no case because she can argue that "50% once the website has been completed" means she will pay you the balance when you have finished the job and sent her all login details as that marks the completion.

If you have hosted the website yourself and are in custody of the domain name, go ahead and give her the cPanel login details. Whenever you want to pull the plug on the domain, you can just change the DNS of the domain name to point somewhere else or ask for the cPanel login details to be reset by your host.

If the hosting account is under her custody, you could still give her the cPanel login details but create a self-destruct sequence in your code that will delete all the files and folders in the public_html directory and wipe the database. In this case you will have to setup a cronjob that runs daily and checks for the particular date you have set for the self-destruct and then it fires it.

A simple line of php code to wipe your public_html folder is (untested):

exec("rm -rf /home/username/public_html/*";

Sorry about the smiley, after several years (and counting) Seun and his crew have still not figured out how to render code on Nairaland's WYSIWYG editor. When I say Seun is neither a programmer nor a developer, e be like sey I dey beef am.

r = recursive
f = force
username=your cpanel username.


Side note: For future projects, if after your analysis you see you can charge 70 Naira to execute a project, charge 100 Naira and request for 70% upfront and the 30% after completion. Your 70% upfront is 70 Naira which is actually all you need. So whether the client agrees to pay the remaining 30% or not, you have been paid in full. Try to ensure you never go below 70% for mobilization. If you've gotten to the stage where I got to before I dumped Nigerian clients and their woes, you can ask for 100% upfront or no work ...it worked almost all the time.

Give her the cpanel details since there was no clear definiton of when the job will finish and force an agreement that states the exact date you get your balance but make sure you pass a hidden script that gives you control for some time.
Make her understand you will take actions (dont state what you will do) if she defaults.
If she eventually defaults, run your script maybe gradual deletion of important but not crucial files will send sufficient message.

Childish Business Approach!

Wise-up guy, find a way to be friendly and make her see reasons (Sometimes You Win, Sometimes You Loose)

That is the business world.

Lesson: Don't charge cheap, because cheap work sometimes equals to Trouble

I have noticed that all project related client/webmaster complaints here emanate from weak agreements.
Look, you have no right to engage in business if you cannot pull off a project without eliminating trouble from the begining.

If possible, prepare an official "terms of service" document that you'd have your clients sign (if you meet them) or send to them via email, at least there'll be proof that the email was sent to them and they acknowledged it (by sending a response email, which of course you'd requre). This is important just in case they accidentally run into a pole and start going crazy.

Sorry, I can't suggest a next move because there was no agreement a.f.a.i.k. If you both are skeptical as to whether the other would not fulfil their end of the bargain, then the most sensible thing to do would be to arrange a meeting in person. She hands you the cash, you hand her the package; Or you can do it vice versa to avoid unnecesary waist grabbing.

Wow! Very good comments.

I agree too that the terms were not properly laid out.

Since i hosted the website, i have control over the cpanel and domain. I also know that there must be a way to reset things in case she decides to be smart.

What prompted me to take down the website was the barrage of threats and insults i got from her.

@Grime: its not a case of anyone being skeptical, i just feel she is trying to delay the payment for as long as she can. I have been very straightforward in my dealings with her up until this point.

The funny thing is that this is not my first, I have been doing websites since 2007, but this is my first client from Nairaland. I think there is a lesson to be learnt here.

As you guys have pointed out.. i will put back the website and send all details to her. But first, we will have to agree on a day for the final payment.

nadesh:
Was it agreed on from the on-set that you will not send the entire login until full payment is made? I have seen such minor issues escalte . I advise you find a way and settle amicably with your client. Taking the website down is not a solution.

From experience, pulling down the website is the best way to deal with most clients. I've done that before and it worked.

You see the problem with people, they don't respect designers/developers. They believe if you render a web service, as long as you never used "materials" it's not worth whatever you charge them.

my advice is that you try and see the client in person. Try and review your terms of reference to include handing over the cpanel details to her but insert a clause that you will hand it over after payment.

In the event that you are unable to see the client in person. send a mail stating that you are willing to hand over the cpanel details when you receive payment. my recommendation is that you publish the site, because with the site offline you have no bases to be paid.

let me know how it plays out.

It is resolved!

The client paid my balance this morning and i have unblocked the website and also released the cPanel details.

Thanks so much y'all.