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quiklee · Dec 16, 2005, 07:05 PM

So I posted a project on GetaFreelancer.com to build a website and for the last 12 weeks, I received nothing from the web developer - not a single screenshot or proof he was doing anything. This is after I paid 50% up front. For the last 3 weeks, he told me he would finish up 7 different occassions and missed each deadline without any email or IM to tell me why. So now, my money is gone and I can't do anything to get my money back. The only thing I felt I could do was write a review about his performance on the site I found him at. It goes:

"OSCPro aka Jim Nintz was the Nightmare situation you think of when you're on a site like this - Jim Nintz asks for 50% up front and then gives BS excuses ranging from his internet going down to his back hurting while never producing anything to prove he's worked on the site. Jim rarely answers his phone to give updates. Towards the end, he would give deadline after deadline and miss them one after another - a total of 7 deadlines missed - I have emails and IM logs to back this up. Even though he has many positive reviews under his profile, they are for small amateur projects. If you need a complete website done, just keep on looking because you're wasting your time & money with Jim Nintz because he's going to bite off more than he can chew & steal your money. Feel free to msg me if you think I'm lying or contact him yourself: Jim Nintz - billing@1powerhost.com (email) - scooter7777@comcast.net (MSN) - Cell (615-367-2543) Thanks Jim for making my first GaF project my last!"

Is it too harsh? Originally, he promised to finish this site in 30 days.

How do these kinds of arrangements work? For the first 9 weeks, I only tried to contact him once a week and I would be lucky that he actually pick up some time. He never would call to update me and any time I ask for a screen shot, he would never deliver.

Ugh . . . makes me lose faith in people!

registered_user · Dec 16, 2005, 07:49 PM

If you hadn't posted his cell number here, I'd think you were more serious about resolve and less serious about some petty vengeance.

quiklee · Dec 17, 2005, 04:56 PM

That's true . . . . but i've already talked to him and he's basically taken my money and I have nothing to show for it. I've already talked to paypal and my bank and there's nothing i can do, so all i could do was this.

I'm actually quite serious about this and only copy and pasted what i wrote for his final review on the freelancer site.

- - e r i k - - · Dec 18, 2005, 07:10 PM

You could always just try soliciting work in this forum. You might still have the trust-issues, but at least you can gather from the kind of posts they have what kind of character they are

Oh, and if anyone wants 50% up front, you should be suspicious.

Macola · Dec 18, 2005, 08:03 PM

Originally Posted by - - e r i k - -

Oh, and if anyone wants 50% up front, you should be suspicious.

Why? That's standard practice in the freelance design world.

surferboy · Dec 19, 2005, 08:08 PM

This forum is a fantastic place with a lot of good people who take time to help you figure out your problems and literally get nothing in return other than the satisfaction of knowing that hey helped someone.

That said, screw the bastard that scammed you. There are too many freeloading scammers out there- I don't fault you at all for posting his cell. If anyone cared to call him and hassle him- it would be a harmless little blow at someone who deserves a serious karate chop.

Not sure if I woulda posted his number- hard to say, but I've been scammed before, and if posting his number eases the pain a little- I don't fault you at all....

xi_hyperon · Dec 19, 2005, 10:29 PM

Originally Posted by - - e r i k - -

You could always just try soliciting work in this forum. You might still have the trust-issues, but at least you can gather from the kind of posts they have what kind of character they are

Oh, and if anyone wants 50% up front, you should be suspicious.

that's pretty standard in web design, at least here in the U.S.

nica · 04:15 PM

I ask for a third before beginning another third once layouts have been made and the last third on delivery of all files. I think some advance in general is standard practice.

iomatic · Dec 20, 2005, 12:37 PM

I take 50/50. My clients don't mind, because they've seen my work online, or offline. Everything's there; they have no reason not to trust me.

macsfromnowon · Dec 27, 2005, 06:50 AM

50/50 shares the risk - which is not only on the customer's side.

There are a lot of scamming "developers" out there...

and a lot of deadbeat customers.

inkhead · Dec 27, 2005, 07:06 PM

How did he take your money? Did you do it with a credit card of any kind? Call the credit card company and charge it back, if you paid by check, call your bank and tell them that you never autorized that check, and you want to change your account, they will give you the money back and switch you to a new bank account.

selowitch · Jan 4, 2006, 10:04 AM

Originally Posted by inkhead

call your bank and tell them that you never authorized that check, and you want to change your account, they will give you the money back and switch you to a new bank account.

But that would be unethical, since he did "authorize the check" ... by signing it. It's legal tender at that point. It's not that I am anything but completely on quiklee's side; however, I don't think this is the right approach.