Pulling the plug on a website
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- Centigrade
Allegedly an unpaid webshop pulls the plug....
- 74LEO0
imagineering!!!
Love it homie!
Get laid-n-get paid!
- bulletfactory0
I didn't feel like reading all the content on the site, but when it went to further explain how, "Normally there is no question of paying one’s dues. It is simply a matter of morals..." blah blah, it's seems counter productive and only serves to hurt their business.
I might have taken down the site with a line that says due to non-payment, but I'd have left it at that; not written a long, drawn-out justification.
oh, and awesome lens flare gif animation at the bottom.
- If you click through to the examples of work, he calls them all kinds of stupid names, like "bag of dicks"monospaced
- i just logged in to say something similaruuuuuu
- monospaced0
http://talent.adweek.com/gallery…
"All part of the same project they refuse to pay for. Mainly because they're soulless dicks."
" Bags of dicks in spandex."
"Did I mention those people are a despicable bag of dicks?"
- uuuuuu0
should just put a website down message and send some variation of this webpage in email format. its irresponsible and even dangerous legally to take business issues like this public.
- nb0
Immature move. Why do small-time web designers do this? It's like they take every account personally. I can't think of any other industry that pulls this shit. Lame.
- he explained why, tons of workmonospaced
- every industry pulls this shit... have you ever tried to not pay your medical bills or your rent?monospaced
- Other industries don't try to embarrass you publicly. They don't whine in public. They just hire someone to get the money.nb
- dude, one of my friends didn't pay for a prescribed penis pump, and the dr posted to web "Carlos has a tiny weiner"mg33
- " one of my friends..."
riiiiiggghhhttt :)ETM - Your'e right.monospaced
- haha mg33instrmntl
- ETM0
No doubt a liable lawsuit is coming his way.
At the end of the day, if they weren't paying milestone invoices... STOP working. It's basic checks and measures like milestones that prevent this.
- thisidentity
- It's not libel unless it's untrue.
You know it's untrue, AND you intend to damage the other party. Otherwise, you're ok.mikotondria3 - Not cut and dry. "whether true or false, depending on legal state"
http://en.wikipedia.…ETM
- omg0
I'm glad to see a design company take matters into their own hands. They were thoughtful enough to explain in detail, to helps me as a consumer know, not to do business with this company. I'm bet the design company will still has to incur a financial loss. But as a consumer, I've been warned that these guys from fitnesssf.com should not be trusted. No different that stars and reviews on Amazon.com
Staying quiet on such matters may only help businesses like these succeed in ripping off more people in the future. As long as the statements were true, and is not a reckless disregard for the truth, then simply stating truth in this case should not be held for liability.
"If you see something, say something" - nyc subway announcement
- As a consumer, I would now know not to do business with EITHER company.ETM
- i would not fear speaking the truth, let alone listen to fear mongers forbidding to inform others of noteworthy informationomg
- ... and truthful informationomg
- There is truth done professionally and there are tantrums, with links to pages you call them "bag of dicks".ETM
- He could have removed it and called a collection agency. He could even liened their business.ETM
- there are many ways to issue justice. a collection agency would take a cut to get your money backomg
- i actually thought the page was rather professionally created.omg
- simply put, this page can easily be removed if the client pays up. why is that so hard?omg
- It's called liable and defamation. That's why. The public also has one side of the story.ETM
- For all we know, he could be full of shit.ETM
- it's only liable and defamation if based on lies. the client would have to prove this in court.omg
- so the truth shall set you free!omg
- If he was full of shit he wouldn't have done this though.monospaced
- That is not always the case:
"whether true or false, depending on legal state"
http://en.wikipedia.…ETM - And "malice" can play into it, as well.ETM
- to tell you the truth it's spelled libelAmicus
- ETM0
What he did, if the domain and server were owned and paid for by SF Fitness 'could' be viewed as hacking. Which is now an actual crime, versus a defamation suit.
- this, again.identity
- Even if hired, now he would need to produce written consent to access the server.ETM
- If he even had a contract, was that included?ETM
- BTW, if it's not in yours... add it!ETM
- these are pure speculations. SF Fitness would have to prove they paid for the domain and not design servicesomg
- Hence the word "IF"ETM
- Paying for the domain is almost irrelevant. It's who the domain ownership is registered to.ETM
- It's has privacy on, so I can't check with a WHOIS lookup.ETM
- Additionally, for hacking, the server is the primary issue, including ownership and access.ETM
- identity0
The initial action is good.
The long, drawn out diatribe was childish.
They will be sued for this.
- identity0
In some small way, we all probably benefit - an extreme and liabilous action on the part of a disgruntled designer will make this company (and those that read about it) think twice before skipping out on payment. It also may mean a redaction in trust and access.
- ETM0
@identity - It's inside baseball. Other than us designers/tech people and SF Fitness customers, no one will really know. It's not going to resonate amongst many people it would need to.
- ETM0
He should have pulled the site, called a collection agency and looked into putting a lien on their business (assuming contracts were intact). It's often very easy to do.
Handle it like a professional. All this sound and fury will be forgotten by tomorrow. His legal bills could last for years and his reputation is damaged. He may go up a few pegs within our industry, but they are not his consumer.
Is there a PayPal donate button up yet?
- omg0
Sorry, I don't take kind to thieves or shoplifters. I don't think anyone should support the efforts of criminal acts to go on without due justice. In either case, it'll go to court if anyone wants to get financial services repaid, sue for defamation. Most likely a wasted effort, unless your designer is loaded, rich, or wealthy!
simply put, this page like this can easily be removed in two seconds if the client pays up. why is that so hard?
- moldero0
- hahaomg
- Sonny Nguyen from Isagenix!sureshot
- lol do you know this sonny?
is that where he works now?
nice dude, shoulda paid my ass thoughmoldero - nope ..google. Sonny Nguyen is on facebook. https://www.facebook…sureshot
- PS friday? https://fbcdn-sphoto…sureshot
- < LOLmoldero
- You did this over $1800 in non-payment?wordssssss
- ETM0
@omg
Are you also defending the irrational behavior by the designer to continue piling up hours over 6 months when it sounds like milestone payment invoices were not being paid? Do you keep showing up to work when the paychecks stop?
This is as much about SF Fitness allegedly being dirt bags, as it is that we are to sympathize for his poor business practices. Why did he not see the signs? Why did he release the site to the customer when the account was delinquent? Ask those questions too?
We've only gotten one side of the story. We have no idea what's happened beyond the account of the designer.
- what's irrational about being a victim of brute businesses taking advantage?omg
- omg0
@ ETM
I've seen companies easily pull clients towards working through milestones with the promise of more money. Til they're broke, and the company succeeds in getting over on thousands of dollars. But here's the real kicker... "pay your debt and this page will be removed."if the business is in the right, they can sue. thats if they actually have a good case. so the page stays if the company was supposed to pay. if not, the page would have been removed by the courts or removed once payment has been established. everyone wins! except for the greedy con man
- instrmntl0
Putting that page up is kinda douchy. Who would hire him after reading that?
- The typography's not bad at all.mikotondria3
- what? it's horrible - no justification for justificationhans_glib
- ETM0
Indulge me. For some sort of meat space analogy... if you didn't pay a contractor final payment for some renos (reason not important)... would you be cool if they put up a sign on your lawn telling all your neighbors you're a dirtbag that doesn't pay? A big ol' bag o' dicks! Then they put a steel and lucite lock box over it, cemented in and you can't easily remove it until you pay and they come back. Is that cool?
I won't even address the idea if they could rip the reno out (though in some cases they could take fixtures etc.) like a site can be taken down.
This would NEVER happen. They call collections, they hassle you and they lien your property so that you can't sell or use it for collateral.
- Wouldn;t your neighbors sympathize and think the contractor was a dick?ETM
- Much like many SF Fitness customers are likely doing for SF Fitness?ETM
- calm downmonospaced
- Perception can be as powerful as right and wrong.ETM
- He deserves to paid, no doubt. I just can't rally around his methods.ETM
- When that next client screws you. See how well those collection agencies work out for you.omg
- in 10 years I have been screwed out of $500 dollars, because I am smart enough to enforce contracts and work on milestones.ETM
- milestones. No exceptions. It has rarely been a problem for my clients, either.ETM
- So I have little sympathy for bitching, moaning or sympathizing over piss poor business sense.ETM
- while that may be, doesn't excuse a company for screwing their designeromg
- nor blame a designer for rightfully defending themselves.omg
- but when push comes to shove... money can create disadvantages to force a designer to make bad business decisions.omg
- ... decisions unfortunately. why else would one work for 6 months without pay to follow a false promise.omg
- I have sympathy for not being paid. I have none for putting yourself in that position. I have none for complainers.ETM
- We simply have to agree to disagree is all. I understand your view point, I just approach it all differently.ETM
- In the early days of my business and money was tight, I sold electronics part time. It was shit. But I preferred that over complaining, or taking on clients without value.ETM
- complaining or taking on clients without value. I adhered to proper business practice.ETM
- I did this because I saw so many around me trying to claw their way out of the pit of low charge rates and being taken advantage of, under the guise of 'getting experience' or 'making a name'.ETM
- advantage of, under the guise of 'getting' experience or 'making a name'.ETM
- So I apologize, I am less sympathetic to many common plights in out industry that can be overcome. Including working without seeing money flowing.ETM
- working without money flowing from the client. That how I see the industry changing, not immature acts like this designer.ETM
- Sorry, I know. TLDR. Shut the hell up! ;/ETM
- while I understand your point that handling business better in the beginning would avoid these issues...omg
- i think this was an act of desperation on the designer's end.omg
- easily solvable with money.omg
- i don't see it as immature, but rather an act of desperation.omg
- and out of desperation, the designer turned to himself, to solve the matter at hand.omg
- it's more about survival, rather than worrying if whether or not, one has handled himself properlyomg
- because true immaturity, does not involve intelligently detailing truth, something many companies would like to hideomg
- this was presented very maturely by a designer who was put into a corner.omg
- for a business focused on health, they seem to be forcing death upon their designersomg
- companies need to care more for the people they employ. out of all fairness, you work, you get paid.omg
- That argument is invalidated though when he links from that page to another where he calls them "bag of dicks" etc. He invalidated himself by doing so. Thus my view of immaturity.ETM
- invalids himself, and hence my view of immaturity.ETM
- 'Tis a good debate, though :DETM
- well, emotions run deep when people steal from you... how can you hold that against someone?omg
- out of the 512 words on the main page to their customers, there is no colorful descriptions that you mentioned.omg
- all were very humble, and mature written wordsomg
- off site, in a small caption under a photo, a small mention of how the designer truly felt. far from immaturity.omg
- freedom of expression. and its the designer who has to live with the painful memory of a project gone bad.omg
- i think the comments below show the remorse for the designer. i know something you do not stand for.omg
- sublocked0
This is rad.