Well, I recently picked up a Slicing and Coding job from someone (Whom I beleive came from here but I dont know for sure)..

Its started off with an AIM Chat and the person told me to slice and code the site from a .GIF (WTF?!) and wouldnt send me the .PSD So I Started doing it and then the person wouldnt pay unless I provided him a working view of it.. Seemed fishy to me.. but I did as he pleased.. as soon after I did this, the person told me that he seen some images that were pixelated.. So I said Send me the .PSD as the original image you provided wasnt the best..

Now, the person is USING MY WORK on his site and still hasnt paid for it...

www.RacingRides.com (How do I know this is mine? Because I Named the flipping images.. Ad1-468x60 Ad2-468x60 Ad3-234x60 etc)

I'm just assuming that this person conned the designer the same way...

What should I do about this?? Would I be held liable if I just happened to "share" this site??

BTW; his AIM Address is "FewSki38"

Thanks

code the site from a .GIFFirst mistakewouldnt pay unless I provided him a working view of it.Second mistake

The fact he did not have the PSD should have set off warning bells, let alone the fact that you really shouldn't do web work without a minimum 50% deposit.

Not doing so has opened yourself to abuse, and thats exactly what happened. Lesson learned.

Well you really can't do anything about it, just like he wouldn't be able to do anything about you "sharing" the site. I think you should tell him unless he pays you, his site will be all over the net. See what he has to say about that, and then take it from there!

Well you really can't do anything about it, just like he wouldn't be able to do anything about you "sharing" the site. I think you should tell him unless he pays you, his site will be all over the net. See what he has to say about that, and then take it from there!Dear god, you're actually encouraging someone to make threats?

Platinum, to be honest - it was your mistake. Don't stoop to the thiefs level by following Qani's advice.

Dear god, you're actually encouraging someone to make threats?

Platinum, to be honest - it was your mistake. Don't stoop to the thiefs level by following Qani's advice.
It's a pretty harmless threat if you ask me, what lesson will the "thief" learn by doing nothing?

I wasn't saying he should spread the site!

Well, Here is how I see it..

I contacted him again today about the site... He stated "I Paid someone else to do the work" So Im ok with that... But what Im not ok is this:

Why is my work on his site still if he paid someone else?? File Names, Images, Slicing, Codes, CSS, ETC...

I guess I learned my lesson, Im only going to deal with people in the North America.. Thats the second time I've gotten burnt by someone overseas..

* Im not saying I wont/cant get burnt in the US.. Which I know I can, and I have the power to go after the people that burn me here.. Over seas, I cant.. *

It's a pretty harmless threat if you ask me, what lesson will the "thief" learn by doing nothing?

I wasn't saying he should spread the site!
A threat is a threat, end of.

A threat is a threat, end of.Yeah well of course, but if that could get him the money he is owed then I can't see the problem with it. Maybe it's just me...

Absolutely, positively do NOT make this threat! If someone does steal his graphics and start spreading it over the Net, he now has documentation that you threatened to do it, and you would have a hard time proving it wasn't you in the face of the evidence against you!

It sounds like a lesson learned to me. Let it go.

Wow you people are taking this way too serious, you seem to forget this guy screwed platinum not the other way around.

Besides what is he gonna do? Call the "Internet Police", come on man, you can't do a damn thing about it whether you are in the US or not! That's why this thread was made!

Also Platinum already threatened to "share" his site, so I guess it's only a matter of time before the FBI comes knocking!

Also Platinum already threatened to "share" his site, so I guess it's only a matter of time before the FBI comes knocking!Did he? I didn't see any mention of this, but regardless, you don't make idle threats which might leave you liable later, no matter how remote the chances might be. It's just not a smart way to do business, and this is a lesson for anyone who views this thread, not just platinumn23.

Would I be held liable if I just happened to "share" this site??
This "thief" asked a guy to code a template, then stole it without paying like he said he would! Maybe it's because I have and still code templates myself, but I don't see the big problem in trying to get what he is owed. Of course he shouldn't actually spread the site online, that would make him just as bad!

Of course he shouldn't actually spread the site online, that would make him just as bad!Exactly! But that's the thing. What if some other crook, some random Internet thief, actually did steal the graphics and shared/sold them? By just sending him a message threatening to do this now, it implicates you later, even if you're completely innocent ;) That means there's a remote possibility you'll get screwed twice - once for not getting paid, and once for threatening to do something about it!

Exactly! But that's the thing. What if some other crook, some random Internet thief, actually did steal the graphics and shared/sold them? By just sending him a message threatening to do this now, it implicates you later, even if you're completely innocent ;) That means there's a remote possibility you'll get screwed twice - once for not getting paid, and once for threatening to do something about it!
Someone has already stolen the site, that's the whole point of the thread. If you could do something about it , you should tell Platinum what that "something" is!

Someone has already stolen the site, that's the whole point of the thread. If you could do something about it , you should tell Platinum what that "something" is!
That "something" is to not threaten to give away the graphics you were given by the customer to slice ;)

That "something" is to not threaten to give away the graphics you were given by the customer to slice ;)Alright I give up ;)

Qani,

What the problem is that He is using my work without pay.. Theres nothing I can do about that.. I just have to live with that.. and Learn from my mistakes.. What he did was wrong, but two wrongs dont make a right.. Though at times, I wish it did ;)

As Solid Logix stated, I made 2 mistakes... Mistakes, which I took for granted...

the_pm is right when he said, I could be held liable for it in the future... Even for the smallest or slightest evidence of me possibly doing it...

So what does this mean, Im going to stop dealing with OverSeas people that appear "shady"... and Im not going to Share his site to others... But I will think of a creative, legal way of getting back at him...

Well you guys are probably right, it just irritates the hell out of me when people pull these stunts.

At the end of the day, there are people in this world who are honest and will pay for the work they request, then there are the people that wont. Theres really no way of telling who is honest and who isn't.

I wouldn't neccesserily stop dealing with people oversea's, simply request a 50% deposit on all work produced. Once you have a reputation for providing good work, on time - people will have no problem meeting this requirement.

Good luck with future ventures :)

In the future, your best bet is to throw temporary watermarks on the images before allowing him to preview it.

Yea, always take a downpayment, I normally do 25% non refundable. And If it's a GIF, or even a PNG, then ask for the PSD, if they don't give it to you, drop the job. It's not worth your time getting screwed.

This is so typical. Don't feel too bad, its happened to me numerous times on this board alone. I do work for people and they stay in contact while i work on it and then suddenly they are impossible to reach. Alot of times its not even theft though, they just change their mind about paying. I've had people on here ask me to make multiple revisions spend alot of my valuable time and then just dissappear (like MonsterMuddy, who then insulted me when i finally got a hold of him after he ignored me). I definately wouldn't do any work without some sort of deposit.

I did a whois on the domain. And check out the company name
Integrity Internet Solutions (Fewski@walla.com)
+1.3524306160
Fax:
1920 Moraine Ter. #2
Green Bay, WI 54303
US

Integrity!!! Hilarious, why dont you give him a call?

well well well.. After you gave me that information.. I looked up his DNS for that domain name... I found it was hosted by "Mernex.com" and guess who happens to own Mernex? He Does...

His WHT Username is FewSki (http://webhostingtalk.com/member.php?u=81260)

I wonder if the mods can do anything about this? the_pm? Either his registration information is wrong for his WHT account info is wrong..

well well well.. After you gave me that information.. I looked up his DNS for that domain name... I found it was hosted by "Mernex.com" and guess who happens to own Mernex? He Does...

His WHT Username is FewSki (http://webhostingtalk.com/member.php?u=81260)

I wonder if the mods can do anything about this? the_pm? Either his registration information is wrong for his WHT account info is wrong..
Nice find, though i'm not sure what WHT mod's are supposed to do?

Edit: Maybe you could skin WHT with his design for a day :D:D

well well well.. After you gave me that information.. I looked up his DNS for that domain name... I found it was hosted by "Mernex.com" and guess who happens to own Mernex? He Does...

His WHT Username is FewSki (http://webhostingtalk.com/member.php?u=81260)

I wonder if the mods can do anything about this? the_pm? Either his registration information is wrong for his WHT account info is wrong..
If the transaction did not take place within WHT, it's pretty much a case of your word against his. If there was a more serious infraction involved, like a felony or a situation involving threats of violence, etc., then maybe we could take some precautionary measures within WHT to make the members more secure.

But at this point, caveat emptor (buyer beware) is about all we can say. Frankly, that statement applies to any busines transaction, regardless of reputation, regardless of whether it takes place on WHT or not.

Well, Here is how I see it..

I contacted him again today about the site... He stated "I Paid someone else to do the work" So Im ok with that... But what Im not ok is this:

Why is my work on his site still if he paid someone else?? File Names, Images, Slicing, Codes, CSS, ETC...

I guess I learned my lesson, Im only going to deal with people in the North America.. Thats the second time I've gotten burnt by someone overseas..

* Im not saying I wont/cant get burnt in the US.. Which I know I can, and I have the power to go after the people that burn me here.. Over seas, I cant.. *

If you do indeed intend on going business like that overseas or anywhere for that matter, I would make them pay a 50% deposit, and water mark any drafts untill the final amount is paid. A pre-writen agreement would also be good in case they didn't pay, you could take it to court (if in the USA)