3 weeks ago ProjectModules Design was appraoched with a proposal. This entailed us designing a site to fit a design and web hosting company to sell from the same site. In exchange we would recieve 10 high paying clients (I will not say how much).

I had a single developer start work on the project, because we were given no such time frame, I told him to take his time, and he accepted the terms upon which the deal was based.

Less than 5 days ago, this person leading the proposal came back and expected it finished. We had not spoke to him in a few weeks no contact whatsoever. His excuse to the developer was "I've been in hospital" fair enough, he tells me personally, to tell my developer "he's been ill". Ok fair enough, he's been ill, we had worked on his project with no set turn around date.

This person, posing as a "company" seemed to us about 12 years old rich kid with a hell of an attitude. He claimed to be able to design, so why propose to us? He also claimed to have a datacenter? Please...

Tonight not long ago, I get online to check on my developers see how they're progressing with current projects. The developer that I assigned this to informs me that this guy is changing the agreement, so we setup a chat and everyone is there.

I inform him that we had an agreement, and he cannot just go changing this as he feels, he cannot mess us around. He fails to respond so I leave the chat. He then tells this developer working on the project, that he is basically incompetent and not as dedicated as we claim to be.

What seriously pisses me off, is that

A) He failed to give a turn around date, we assume we can work on it at leisure.

B) He tries to change the agreement when he feels like it without infoirming us untill he decides he needs a client login area with a full backend system integrated into the design itself, not a part of this deal.

C) He then has the nerve to tell the developer working on this project that we are not who we say we are, are not dedicated to our work and cannot handle such a project.

Not long before he told my designer he was not dedicated enough to join the project, he offered him a full time salary of 40, 000$ / year. The developer simply laughed and turned down the proposal, stating he would rather would work with friends and a decent wage.

I will not post this persons identity, but I have no doubt he is a WHT member and will most likely read this post. Beware of such business proposals, we nearly fell into something that would of worked out very badly.

Just a quick question; what makes you think he isn't trying to lead you guys on, and make you work for nothing? He probably is a 12 year old looking for a freebie from the sounds of it.

We tend to have trust in such deals because we would of had contracts/agreements signed so a breach of contract would result in legal action.

We now do think he doesn't have a clue what he is doing, and without us he is screwed. Unless he manages to find a company that don't want agreements signing.

I am the designer that was assigned to this project. Yes this client was a very difficult one to deal with. We could just say he wasn't the brightest one in the bunch. Tonight he came to me and asked for a full client system developed along with the frontend I Was developing all in a timeframe of about 5 hours. Which I believe is next to impossible.
When we say no to the change in plans he thens starts talking about me and how I am not dedicated enough to projects for him. This was basically a free project and I was sticking to the requirements he originally gave to us. A full frontend. I had the frontend finished when the backend demand was made. We said we would do it for a fee and that is when he really came on with the unkind words about my partner and I Paul. This is when I decided to terminate any relationships with this client. He claims he is a great designer and owns a datacenter. I believe that this is well a load of bull. He promised me a project worth 15000 dollars right off the start. Then he told me the only available project after I was done was for $500. He offered me a yearly salary of only 40000 dollars CAD. (He wanted me to work fulltime for him). The fact finally hit me. This must be a 12 year old trying to get a free design. We all know that a webdesigners wage is around $200000 a year, and can be alot more. I would say this was one of the worst clients I have ever dealt with and is someone who should be watched out for. Thats my story.

Edit: When I approached him with a document that needed to be signed and faxed back he simply said that there was no agreement for paperwork and that he didn't have any time for this "legal crap". Even though the paperwork simply stated the agreement so he could be to it. I had doubts from the start of him holding his part of the agreement. When I asked if he had a fax machine at his "office/datacenter" he said no. I'm pretty sure a business should have atleast have a fax machine. I am also positive that business to business deals would be all done through paperwork not by word. This is when my doubts of him got really high.

Regards,
Matt

Where was your contract?

Where was your contract?

On paper? I wanted to fax it to him but he told me he had no fax machine or didn't want to have anything to do with this "legal crap".

Is that what you meant? I didn't quite understand totally what you were asking about.