Hey guys.

 

I'm working with a developer, who seemed to be very good (I don't want to name yet), but now he just seems lazy and careless.

 

My biggest mistake was possibly not having a legal contract in place. Basically, he said the project was no problem, and it's reasonably simple. I provided all the artwork and extremely clear instructions and files. He said it would take about 6 weeks for the project, but 5 and a half months later it's still not complete. I paid a deposit of £2,000 (approx 50% of the total cost)

 

Every email I get is short one line sentences like "updates now live, please check" and there's always a ton of mistakes, most of them I told him about previously, plus a bunch of new ones, and it takes 1 or 2 weeks for the update, which seems to take a step backwards each time.

 

I'm getting really frustrated as there's still a ton of mistakes and he doesn't seem to be listening to me or checking his work.

 

What chance have I got of getting all or any of my money back? And how would I go about this, small claims court?

 

We're both based in the UK.

 

Any help would be much appreciated.

 

Thanks.

Has the first 50% been completed? Could you not just find another developer to finish it off?

 

I wouldn't imagine many developers would relish the task to taking on a project that has a very high likelyhood of being a big mess of rotten spaghetti.

 

Personally I'd never even consider it as well all desire work that excites us and the prospect of that more horrifies than excites me..

 

To the OP if you didn't create a signed contract then it doesn't really bode to well for you, this could well be an expensive learning exercise to always use contracts in future endeavours.

Having a contract in place wouldn't have got them a working site. All it would mean is they would have a stronger case if they make a claim against them in court.

 

However, you can still make a claim if you have an emails indicating costs and timescales. You would get your money back and then (as already suggested) need to find someone else to start all over.

However, you can still make a claim if you have an emails indicating costs and timescales. You would get your money back and then (as already suggested) need to find someone else to start all over.

 

I wouldn't say it's that clear cut. Even with contracts in place the OP might not get all of their money back. Without one then there's a very high chance they won't get it all back, especially if there's evidence of work having being carried out - whether or not the work is of adequate standard is debateable, which is why it's unlikely a solid case could be made.

Hey guys.

 

Thanks for all the feedback, really appreciate it! I think if the next update from my developer still has mistakes, then I'm going to take the loss and look for another developer to finish the project. I don't think there's anything very difficult for most developers (simple directory style site), so if anyone thinks they might be up for it, just let me know and I'd be happy to send all the files and instructions (I'm a graphic designer, so I designed the whole site).

 

The developer is using his own Wordpress account for the build (I have the log in details), is it easy enough to copy everything without him knowing to pass to another developer? I know there's plugins you can install to do it.

 

Cheers.

Edited April 15, 201610 yr by calmac212

If you can, I would terminate working with this freelancer and find someone else. If you can get hold of the development work they have already done then that would obviously be a bonus. When you move onto someone else, make sure they sign a contract. It doesn't protect you completely, but at least you'll both been on the same page. And a little protection is better than nothing.

The developer is using his own Wordpress account for the build (I have the log in details), is it easy enough to copy everything without him knowing to pass to another developer? I know there's plugins you can install to do it.

It depends on what access you have. If you are an administrator then it's a few minutes work. If you don't have access to the dashboard or you aren't and administrator then it's very difficult to extract the necessary files.

Thanks guys, I think that's exactly what I'm going to do, just ditch this developer and find a new one.

 

It appears I have access to the standard Wordpress control panel, what's the best / most simple way to extract everything to pass onto another developer?

 

Cheers.

The simplest wat to do this is install a plugin called duplicator. This will build a complete copy of the whole site. You can then download to your computer and give it to whatever developer you choose to build the new site.

 

But as suggested, it may be such a complete mess it would be quicker and easier to start all over. I sent you a PM a few days back offering a free directory theme which could easily be adapted to meet your needs. Changing the theme would cost you a lot less than the £1000 you have already spent.

The simplest wat to do this is install a plugin called duplicator. This will build a complete copy of the whole site. You can then download to your computer and give it to whatever developer you choose to build the new site.

 

But as suggested, it may be such a complete mess it would be quicker and easier to start all over. I sent you a PM a few days back offering a free directory theme which could easily be adapted to meet your needs. Changing the theme would cost you a lot less than the £1000 you have already spent.

 

Thanks for your advice, I'll look into that plugin. Will I be able to install the plugin without confirmation from the developer? (eg. Will a confirmation email be sent to him?) And will the developer get notified about the plugin installation and be able to stop me copying the site?

 

I seen the PM, but wasn't able to reply as I haven't made 25 posts yet. The site has been custom designed, so unfortunately a template won't work for me.

They may well be monitoring the site and will know if the plugin has been installed. But if you do it in the middle of the night you will be able to install and run the plugin and get the site downloaded in a few minutes.

 

It's not a plugin I've built, it's a complete wordpress theme. It's been developed so you can fully customise it in any way you want. If you want more info you can contact me thought the site in my signature.

 

Priority though is to grab a copy of your site before he locks you out.

With regards to the Small Claims Court, if it got to court without a contract, the judge would throw it out and you'll have wasted the fees.

 

If you wanted your money back, or a fair portion of it, then it would be better to e-mail him to explain (once you have extracted the files as per the above conversation), and then send a Letter Before Action demanding repayment of whatever sum - you'll find templates online.

 

Though I think you'd be better spending your energies elsewhere.

It is very difficult to find developers who complete their tasks before assigned deadlines. Next time, you hire a developer check the reviews or perform some research about the company ,to know if they meet the agreed deadlines. It is best to hire the expert developers, website is something that you create on daily basis. Hiring the expert developers might be a little costly in the beginning, but the application will benefit you after a long run Otherwise, you might have to hire developers over and over again just to fix the issues that are caused by the inexperienced developers.