Hi all , I paid a company to build me a website , they did me a design which I was happy with and I still have , its a very very simple website.

 

Ive tried to contact the company after 2 months and the company has vanished off the face of the earth.

 

Ive tried everything!

 

I have a friend who knows a little about building websites but he needs a template , its very simple ive been searching all over high and low looking on all different sites and I cant find one like the one I have been designed,

 

The site is very simple as ive said see pic below:

 

 

 

 

I can pay if someone can help all I need is a good template I appreciate anybodys help!! im just fed up and disappointed with the whole thing thankyou in advance!

 

(ps wasn't sure which forum to post this in sorry if its the wrong one!)

 

 

Sorry, I need clarification.

 

You said in the topic title you were ripped off. How? Can you no longer locate your website? Did you not receive the design in return for your cash?

 

I'm rather confused since you want to find that same company (who, in your words, "ripped you off", in a way that hasn't been clarified yet), and have them (presumably) pull the same trick on your friend?

 

Unless I'm being totally thick, more information would be handy.

hey , no sorry

 

I asked a company to design me a website , they then made me this design a week later I went to see the design and give the go ahead and paid them and never heard anything from them again I just came away with the paper design.

 

hope this helps

hey , no sorry

 

I asked a company to design me a website , they then made me this design a week later I went to see the design and give the go ahead and paid them and never heard anything from them again I just came away with the paper design.

 

hope this helps

 

Right, now I understand - you don't want your friend to design you a site due to his lack of understanding, not what I thought. There's not a lot you can do, "cyber crimes" like this aren't taken seriously by authorities because there's no tangible evidence. Never mind the fact that you didn't go through a reputable jobs/services website. If they've run off, even if somehow you manage to find them, the odds of them living up to their end of the deal is slim. How much did you pay?

 

Sadly, all you can do is learn not to do this off-the-books - always have a paper trail and go through a reputable site. Again, based on what you've said, you didn't do this, but correct me if necessary.

Edited June 29, 201313 yr by throzen

I paid £500 , ive seen the work of my friend and he says he will make it I just cant find a similar template , do you think it was made in dreamweaver?

I paid £500 , ive seen the work of my friend and he says he will make it I just cant find a similar template , do you think it was made in dreamweaver?

 

There's a contradiction there - if your friend says you can make it, why do you need a template? The design IS the template, unless you're talking about buying a pre-made template and modifying it. There's no telling whether a program like Dreamweaver was used or just handwritten with raw code. I would advise that you stop offering to splurge your cash for people to make you stuff unless, once again, you go through a proper site. Look at PeoplePerHour.com, and you don't need to spend something like £500, especially for such a basic site like the one you did have coming.

he says he will make it but only by editing a premade template.

he says he will make it but only by editing a premade template.

 

Google free or premium "web templates", you'll be overwhelmed with choice, although from this experience if you choose to go premium then check the seller's reputation before buying.

Hi TimeTeam and welcome to the forum

Sorry to hear you have been ripped off. Did you have a proper contract with this company?

 

@throzen, I am sorry, but I disagree with you on PPH. Many of the freelancers there are not reliable at all and PPH don't seem to take action - for example a designer I know has worked with a developer found through PPH and he disappeared with the sum of a bit above a £1000 and didn't finish the job. So it's a hit and miss.

 

You need to have a proper contract, also it helps if you contact the designer's previous clients, for reference.

I wouldn't comment on the price, as we don't know if the site was going to be just static HTML/CSS or CMS, etc, etc.

 

@TimeTeam, if you are looking for a template, maybe you will find useful this site - ThemeForest http://themeforest.net/

 

@throzen, I am sorry, but I disagree with you on PPH. Many of the freelancers there are not reliable at all and PPH don't seem to take action - for example a designer I know has worked with a developer found through PPH and he disappeared with the sum of a bit above a £1000 and didn't finish the job. So it's a hit and miss.

 

That's fair enough, it can be a gamble as you say, everyone's human after all and capable of committing criminal acts. PPH has worked out well for me to date, though.

I must admit I have found a few good clients (as I am a freelancer) through PPH, but I have tried to hire people on there, too, once or twice and it was a disaster. I kept receiving copy paste generic replies and no one seemed to be interested in / to understand the actual job.

Saying that, I have found one great designer on PPH and have worked with her since, so definitely hit and miss

 

What I meant was there is no guarantee, I feel the best way is to hire an established freelancer with good references (based near you, if possible, or at least in the same country) and most important of all - to have a proper contract.

Yes , that's the thing I was asking , if anybody had one that sprung to mind that looked similar , with it being very simple im sure I should be able to find one for free , ive skimmed through many and had no luck!

From what can be surmised from your original post, you went to a web designer, paid £500 upfront for a web design in print form only and now they have disappeared off the face of the earth? The immediate response would be to go back to the exact same place that they showed and provided you with the design. I'm quite surprised that it's taken 2 months for anything to be done - it's quite excessive - website depending of course.

 

If you can't follow up with the small claims court and there was no contract in place, then unfortunately it appears that you've missed out on this transaction. I understand from your friend's point of view that they will use an existing template to recreate your site. As Teodora previously mentioned, sites such as ThemeForest have and excellent selection of pre-made templates if you're not (understandably) willing to part with more money for a professional. If you're on a CMS such as WordPress, you can find a variety of free and premium themes - even making a child theme in the process.

 

This forum has a wealth of professionals and hobbyists who'll be able to help you along the way. At this stage, you need to source a similar template for your mate. Alternatively, you could pay for another professional - ensuring you sign a contract - or even create your own site. All depends what's on the agenda.

Sorry to hear about what happened ! Have you tried looking up the person who you are in contact with on Facebook, Myspace, LinkedIn or Google Plus ? I am sure he would have an account on any one of them. If you are able to trace him them definitely send a stern message saying that you file a lawsuit or duping case. If you cant find him then, look for he company name and do the same. If your looking to build a portfolio website then you have plenty of do-it-yourself options out there and you can try them. Forget about freelancers, try spaces like Pixpa, Viewbook, Squarespace or Behance.

 

Forget about freelancers, try spaces like Pixpa, Viewbook, Squarespace or Behance.

 

Are these not haunts of many freelancers?