Requesting Advice on Account Collection

No contract basically leaves you up shit creek. You can always delete what you did and let them know you'll put it back if they pay, but you basically did a job for free. Been there, done that, it sucks.

Did this guy say to you that he isn't going to pay you? or is he just ignoring you?

Actually, I have more than 25 emails from him, all promising to pay me tomorrow.

It's so bad, that we have started referring to him as "whimpy", you remember the guy from popeye? I will gladly pay you Tuesday, for a website you build me today.

In any case, if I had a buck for every promise he has made to pay, then I would at least have 25 bucks. At this point, he is ducking phone calls and no longer responding to emails.

I offered to negotiate a settlement for a portion of monies owed, offered to manage the site and revshare, but there is no response whatsoever coming back, other than I will pay you tomorrow.

Midnight

MIDNIGHT is a long time friend. And I will help him in any way possible.. He is an excellent programmer. If any of you need a Programmer he's the man.. I wan't to know who this guy is I hate cheaters and I'm ready to destroy them.. We caught 2 cheaters over the weekend.. They will have a nice surprise coming.

Midnighjt and I go way back.. Glad to see you bro..

Hey Snow,

mafia bucks is looking kick ass these days! It's good to see you again too.


This is actually something I have been sitting on for about 40 days to see which way the guy was gonna go, but it is just clear to me that he has no intention of paying up.


It is summer time, and I know a lot of people are shaking up their organizations and rebuilding. From everyone I spoke with so far, it looks like the adult entertainment industry online is going to be, as always, a rocking place to be.

regards,

Midnight

yo man, leave a backdoor so that anyone can get in without paying, and once his site launches, spread it across the net. he fucked you out of money, you can fuck him out of some too.

a little less direct than just dropping the databases.. who knows. i'm a developer too, and i'm saddened by your story

Mike,

Thanks for the words of support.

I guess it is more my fault than anyones, because I broke my own rules on this one. I always take money up front and always have a written contract, and I put those two things aside in the name of friendship for the person who owns the hosting company I use. He and I have been friends for 6 years, and he called me in the middle of the night when this guy's sites were down, and before I knew it I had 80 hours into the project.

My host is just as flabbergasted as I am, and it is really a shame. The sites were doing 100k uniques daily when he first purchased them from another webmaster and now they are down around 10k a day, all bookmarked traffic.

There is nothing I could do to this guy, that if left alone he won't do to himself in a matter of weeks anyway. At least by not destroying the work or resorting to deleting portions of it - I maintain my self respect and not dropping to his level.

Maybe I am just saying that to comfort myself, but there is still something to be said for ethics - even though many people who look at our business may not think we are necessarily the most ethical people in the world. In fact, because of that, I guess I feel maybe we need to be that much more aware of our own ethics.

Anyway, I feel that at least I have put the word out here. My fear, was that this guy would jump ship with this host, find another developer, and get another 6-8 weeks on his website before having to jump again. I can see errors on the site now, so I can only assume that he has attached himself to some other poor developer who is expecting to be able to feed his family off of this guys empty promises.


Midnight

That's some fucked up repugnant shit. Good job outing the cunt.

What these guys do. I love Mafia justice.

I didn't read all the replies cause I'm 5 minutes from hitting the sack, but I've been in a similar position. Look through the emails that you have so far, and see if he has clearly agreed that he owes you money, and that he will pay it. Then make sure that he has had more than ample opportunity to pay (this may mean 90 days, if you consider your accounts to be due on invoicing).

In the meantime, continue to work and make money for yourself, issuing periodic payment notices.

After 90 days, send him to a collection agency. They will give you some money, and you will know never to do business with the prick again. The emails where he admits to owing you money for the services you rendered should be ample proof of contract.

You could always find yourself a trusty piece of 8x4 and go for a walk and extract it that way?

Im sure a few of your fellow local webmasters enjoy a good lynch

best of luck retrieving your money.. whichever method you use!

Nurgle

AdultWire,

How does that work exactly? Does the collection agency buy the debt from you outright at pennies on the dollar and then go after the individual themselves or do they go after the person and pay you after they have collected?

I have never used a collection agency, so I am uncertain as to what the protocols are.


Midnight

If anybody needs a programmer of any language, Midnight is the man you need. For all that do not know him, he wrote Midnight TGP2 Submitter as well. GREAT piece of software, helped many many ppl get started when other submitters were reluctant to start a TGP2 Submitter.

Midnight, did you not also write for Byte magazine??

Maybe you can get an editorial position somewhere, maybe Ynot or any other e-zine?

Hey Naughty,

Midnight Submitter, man you bring me back in time. lol


Actually Naughty, yes I have been published in Byte, Info World and Visual Basic Programmers Journal to name a few. I am a former keynote speaker for the Microsoft Devcast series and was the original Visual Basic Bootcamp instructor.

I have been doing adult site programming since I "retired" last year as the head of the internet development group at Corporate Software international and honestly, this is the first time I have ever been stiffed.

Thanks for the kind words, and I will see about getting in touch with ynotbob today, it's been a while since I spoke with him.

Yours,

Midnight

I've knowm Midnight for about a year now. He's a great upstanding no-bullshit guy. Speak with him on the phone all the time. Definitely recommend him for your programming needs if anyone has some.

I hope he gets paid ...

Nurgle, I'm up for the violence! ;)

Thanks cowboy, you know I think you are the best, man.

You have always taken the time to help us and everyone that I know that came into this business that went to you for advice and information.

I am sorry to hear that you left insite, but I am extremely happy to hear that all is going well with your new projects.

Give me a call later in the week, my people will do your people.

Roflmao


Bob

Thanks to everyone for their advice today, and for the encouraging icqs and emails you sent to us.

It's nice to know that at least when things like this happen, there are people who will listen and offer constuctive advice.

Midnight

I think this jerk is pretty darned low for pulling this stunt! Midnight does what he says he will and shouldn't be stiffed. If someone paid the normal rates for top notch work like MN does, he would have paid a d*mned sight more.

That said, we as adult webmasters could hit this jerk where he lives by cutting off all ties to him. I call for anyone doing business with the ripoff to cease a desist and someone that can offer whatever you are losing, step up and do the trades or whatever.

Thats what all that trade union talk was about last year. That was more or less effectively quelled by someone in the higher ranks with BS promises that they were setting it up. Well we saw where that went. Its time we nip these thieves in the bud.

Anyone that has serious script work, talk to Midnight. He can do the things that most people shake over... while they make emprty promises and don't follow thru.

Stepping off my soapbox now.

**Update**

I appreciate all the comments, emails and icqs we have received concerning this matter.

I have spoken to YnotBob and discovered that Bob got stiffed for his brokers fee on selling the sites because the original owner was not paid.

The sites were being worked on, I do not know who the php developer was and I feel for this person because they must be in the same position that I was.

He also stiffed the host for the cost of the box, and for three months hosting.

I have brought to bear all resources available in the community and I can only wonder, did this guy really think he was going to come into the adult webmaster community, steal from all of these people, and not have all of us talk to each other about it and discover his modus operandi?

Lesson learned, case closed and moving on.

If anyone is looking for a good developer, host or broker, I know people who are available - lol

I have been coding for a couple of years and whenever I have a huge job I either take money up front or a contract with a deposit. I have been stuck in the same hole when people refuse to pay up and know of many webmasters that have been cheated. Another thing to do is to not give peopel the full code until they have paid in full. Anyways good luck getting your money, it will be hard.

definelty remove your script since its YOURS and he fucked you over and put up a page, sorry this site is down because the webmaster did not pay his dept or something like that. Will definetly get him to pay up a lot faster

sup midnight budd

Public notice - Midnight does programing for free!

SWEET

I have a job for you, same pay as the last one.

That is exellent to hear!

Since it's for you, I will do it half price

roflmao


Midnight