Small Claims Court For Web Development Work?

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Lawrence777

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Kempton Park, Johannesburg
Hi all

If there are any legal experts here that can shed some light please help me out.

Someone came to me, said he got my number from his brother and needs a website done ASAP.
He came to see me and told me he needs a site similar to one he showed me where he can upload and sell cars and where users can then apply for finance through an application form.

Being the nice guy that I am I only quoted him R2000.00 for a project worth at least R6000.00. He then accepted and said ok he needs it done in a week. I started immediately and the site was complete so I uploaded a demo for him. Then he comes and says no he wants it exactly like the other site and not similar. I then tell him that is not exactly possible. I cannot just go and take their code, so I will get it as close as I can. He then says ok that's fine.

I then re-wrote the entire project and he kept asking me to change small stuff here and there. I am at the point where it is done, he just needs to supply me an about us paragraph. Now I have invested over 60 hours into his site and even had to turn down other project to work on his site. Now I am not getting responses to my messages and he is not answering my calls.

Can I take this guy to the small claims court given all the hours invested into his site even though I have not uploaded it to his domain?

I am now done with playing nice with someone who clearly could not care about my time or have the decency to answer me. I need to get paid.

So if anyone can help it would be appreciated :)
 
Don't upload the site at all.
No money No site.
Next time you do work get them to sign a contract ETC.
 
Last edited:
Cut your losses and if you have already uploaded the site, delete it from the client server as this is your property until paid for.

What I wold suggest you do as the bare minimum in future.

1. Insist on a deposit of at least 50% of the project value.

2. Do a mock-up layout for the client, print it out and get him so sign it as acceptance of the design. (Call this the concept design)

3. Make a written list of all functionality required on the site and let the client sign this. (Call this the concept functionality)

4. Only upload the site when full payment is received.


That way you have your money, an accepted concept design, an accepted concept functionality list signed by the client and payment for any extras or changes from the original signed documents.

Protects yourself and the client.
 
R2000/60 hours = R33 an hour and you haven't deducted your expenses like own equipment, electricity, internet and admin costs.

For that price I would not sell it to the guy but use if for your portfolio. You might sell it in future.
 
ITCynic said:
Cut your losses and if you have already uploaded the site, delete it from the client server as this is your property until paid for.

What I wold suggest you do as the bare minimum in future.

1. Insist on a deposit of at least 50% of the project value.

2. Do a mock-up layout for the client, print it out and get him so sign it as acceptance of the design. (Call this the concept design)

3. Make a written list of all functionality required on the site and let the client sign this. (Call this the concept functionality)

4. Only upload the site when full payment is received.


That way you have your money, an accepted concept design, an accepted concept functionality list signed by the client and payment for any extras or changes from the original signed documents.

Protects yourself and the client.
Click to expand...

This!
 
skimread said:
R2000/60 hours = R33 an hour and you haven't deducted your expenses like own equipment, electricity, internet and admin costs.

For that price I would not sell it to the guy but use if for your portfolio. You might sell it in future.
Click to expand...

I have known his brother for a few years so I thought OK I'll do him a favor and only charge him 2k. The site is worth way more than that. I typically don't like working for less than R350 an hour, but until I have a big portfolio I am charging less than I am supposed to so that I can build up a decent portfolio.

I like your idea. Thanks for that :)
 
ITCynic said:
Cut your losses and if you have already uploaded the site, delete it from the client server as this is your property until paid for.

What I wold suggest you do as the bare minimum in future.

1. Insist on a deposit of at least 50% of the project value.

2. Do a mock-up layout for the client, print it out and get him so sign it as acceptance of the design. (Call this the concept design)

3. Make a written list of all functionality required on the site and let the client sign this. (Call this the concept functionality)

4. Only upload the site when full payment is received.


That way you have your money, an accepted concept design, an accepted concept functionality list signed by the client and payment for any extras or changes from the original signed documents.

Protects yourself and the client.
Click to expand...

Oh I agree with you 100%.

I never upload a site before I received payment in full. That is my most absolute rule.
I have now started taking 50% deposit up front as I have been messed around a few times before.

Mock ups I don't do. I feel it's a bit old school and as I am the only person operating under this business it takes too much time. I always start the site base with the content I receive and make a design I feel fits the site then I upload it to my dev domain where my client can look at the site and correspond with me via email if there is any changes that they want etc.

I am going to start doing contracts in future to cover the requirements etc :)
 
Lawrence777 said:
Oh I agree with you 100%.

Mock ups I don't do. I feel it's a bit old school and as I am the only person operating under this business it takes too much time.
Click to expand...

Fair comment.

Might be old school but it takes me about an 1-2 hours to mock up in Photoshop so for me it is time well spent.

I dont start any programming until a concept design is agreed upon.

For me it saves development time as then I know exactly what to code.

But I suppose we all have a different 'process' we go through in building websites :)
 
clientsfromhell.net

all prospective web devs MUST read this... it WILL save them a lot of grey hairs in the long run.

Forewarned is forearmed.
 
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