Right folks, some of you may have noticed ive recently sold a couple of designs in the Sales area on here.

WELL...
I've always advertised il give a little help but nothing major (as nothings free in life right?) and that is what i stick too.

I also state that once a sale has gone thru files are destroyed and i hold NO copy of it!

And now i've sold my most recent (MediaTier Design).

The customer at first *i wont mension names as i wont stoop that low* come on MSN and said "Ring Me" and give me a Mobile (Cell) Number to call him on, So i did, He sounded to be about 12/13years old but i can't judge age is nothing! I agreed with him i would Sell him my template for £30 (GBP) and id also licence & install WHM:CS for him for £12.50/per month (This covers the licence/my fee's & managment for him). Well anyway he hasnt stopped rining me since the other night when i called him, he wont leave me alone all day & night the phone is on & on & on but i cant turn it off due to other commitments. (My wife would get the wrong ideas!)

He's now demanding that i edit files for him etc, I've re-read my post and confirmed i only offer the PSD & HTML files i CURRENTLY have in-use at my site. Nothing More! Well this guy is getting very funny, demanding refunds, and wont stop SMS & Calling me on my private phone number.

What grounds do i have to stand on? I'm not out to be a bad business but he's calling me a scammer & all sorts now, I've told him if he calls me on that line again i WILL be proceeding towards reporting him for harrassment.

I've delivered what i sold him, what do i do now? block him & ignore him until his next payment is due and hope by then he's sorted himself out? I don't think by saying No to him it turns my simple sale into a scam but i don't want the bad-name against me etc.

P.S.
I also offered to make him a 100% unique design for his company at just £65gbp (I offered it to him for £35 as he gave me £30 for the other design).

To be honest, if you have delivered what you have promised and he doesn't have any real reason for contacting you then I'd tell him that you need to start charging for your time at £xx per hour. This is only fair, as it is your time and your time has a value.

Be sure that after a week to send him the invoice for the amount, he then needs to pay it. If he then decides he doesn't want to pay but continue to phone you then call your phone company and ask to block the phone number on the grounds of harassment.

BT are very good for this and it's pretty much any number you ask them to block, they will!

Just report him to your local authorities.

I would agree that you need to stand your ground. If he is harassing you (whichs seems to be the case now), you should report him. You offered something and was paid for this, there is no reason to be forced to do something you don't have to. Please keep us posted on how it's all going

Unfortunately, it isn't that unusual for customers to ask for more than they've paid for or ask for a refund when it isn't appropriate. The important part is always being clear on what you're delivering. Even if you have a phone call with someone and agree on what is to be done and for how much, make sure and follow it up with an email or letter in the post with, "This is what we've agreed to...".

Having said all that, there are people that just aren't worth having as customers. First, be clear to him that you've already provided what was agreed to, charge him if he wants additional assistance, but also think about cutting your loses. It might be reasonable to give him 30 days notice to find another web host and get rid of him after that.

Take his calls, put him on hold and continue with your work. Once his lovely telephone bills will start coming he'll get the message and realise hes eventually paid more to the govt !!! (the govt will probably thank you personally :)) .

On a reasonable note - can't you get your mobile phone company or telephone company to bar his number /or/ complain for abuse and phone spam or whatever?

If you have details (proof) just send him an email with all the details exactly as it is , explain each thing mentioned and since he's paying per month - cancel his future monthly contract and say bbye and good ridance.

If you were in the US you could totally call the police and report him for harassment, not sure if it works that way elsewhere :)

Theoreticly it does work that way here,

Luckily for me he IS only a design customer, he bought a design i had for sale here, hes since decided he didnt want it, i then told him if he moved to my company (purchased his reseller plan from me) and stayed on for 12 months i'd get his site finished for him, (i think this is VERY reasonable). He's now seen this thread and told me it makes him "sad!" and then said he doesnt want to move to us.. So i think i've got shot.

On another note He sent me a text message at about 11:45pm last night saying good night, then a randomer at about 5pm today saying "u kool" i just DO NOT get it...

You have really found a place in his heart since you are getting nice text messages now (hope you have a good text messaging plan). :)

If you are having this much trouble with him why would you want to have him as a hosting customer? That just sounds like disaster waiting to happen. Once a design client starts crossing the line I try to discourage anything related to monthly/yearly fees or long term contracts. I've learned they are more of a hassle than the amount that they are paying me.

One more thing, when I take on clients that annoy me I find that I hate working with my own web hosting/design company. As I've learned...choose your long term contracts wisely! LOL

Point Taken, Action also taken, hes been given what hes had and told that i couldnt care less what "scam" title he tries to get me & my company. He can do whatever he wants with what hes bought as far as im concerned.

Just a note: In the US, if he is a minor you can not legally enter into a contract with him. That means that if he decides he doesn't want the design 6 months from now you have to give him his money back.

Here's a good example from one of my early law classes: If a minor purchases a car and drives it off the car lot, drives it for 6 months, totals it and has it towed back to the car lot, he can force the dealer to give him his money back.

Never do business with children. Ask for a parent to sign the contracts and/or complete the deal with you. Then you have something.

Just a note: In the US, if he is a minor you can not legally enter into a contract with him. That means that if he decides he doesn't want the design 6 months from now you have to give him his money back.

Here's a good example from one of my early law classes: If a minor purchases a car and drives it off the car lot, drives it for 6 months, totals it and has it towed back to the car lot, he can force the dealer to give him his money back.

Never do business with children. Ask for a parent to sign the contracts and/or complete the deal with you. Then you have something.

OH MY..i totally missed that..the same law applies in India.... a MINOR is pretty much safe from almost all offences (Except criminal murder,etc....)...he is free from all commercial issues,etc...so you may want to work something out...at the same time though he may be guilty of various things...under the law (since I believe the USA and Indian law work the same way under MINORS)...he would be safe from everything :( However, you wont! :(

Just a note: In the US, if he is a minor you can not legally enter into a contract with him. That means that if he decides he doesn't want the design 6 months from now you have to give him his money back.

Here's a good example from one of my early law classes: If a minor purchases a car and drives it off the car lot, drives it for 6 months, totals it and has it towed back to the car lot, he can force the dealer to give him his money back.

Never do business with children. Ask for a parent to sign the contracts and/or complete the deal with you. Then you have something.

As far as I know, that is not strictly true. When you purchase something from a store that is a contract of sorts. Once purchased then both the buyer and seller have entered into agreement. Such as the product must be free from manufacturing faults and defects.

Just because somebody is under 18 doesn't mean they can go and buy a candy bar and then return it the next day because they didn't like the flavour.

I think what you are referring to is that the minor can not enter into a binding contract. That is that payments can't be enforced nor can collection agencies collect against a minor as they didn't have consent to enter into the contract in the first place.

So because this was a standard buying to merchantable goods, then the buyer can not come back 6 months later and demand a refund.

Actually this was a binding contract...you do the graphic template thingi and support for some other script or something....so it is a binding contract, for which he may cancell. HOWEVER, the fact is the only way he can really get his money back is by chargeback (through paypal or whatever) or legal processes in which he can get his money back - HOWEVER, unless he is willing to do the paperwork (or get lawyers) and do the same...he really doesnt have proper grounds. Further, this deal was a "SERVICE" and not a product or good...in the case of bad candy bar..he doesnt go back to the shop keeper...he has to go to the CANDY BAR PROVIDER (the company that made it..thats why you have that option on the wrapper contact 1800xxxx for complaints and suggestions,etc).

So in fact he could very well cancel and get his money back through legal ways on the basis he was a minor..however he would have to go through a full legal process before it goes to the court for ruling and in my opinion...he (the kid) wont do that ... unless he's gonna get massive damages (for what! lol)....

But yeah remember this was "Service" and not a regular good where you cant ask a refund from the shopkeeper (though you could have a case against the mfg...what happens there is fate).

I would change your ads too, like mention that after you have made initial changes that you will charge the standard fee of $XX / hr. We sell a lot turnkey websites and once they are sold, we make the usual adjustments to the site (we sell them with hosting) like their adsense pub number, email address, paypal address, etc. Once that is complete, they need to pay $XX / hr for any customizations, text changes, image changes, logo changes, etc. If you don't make this absolutely clear in the ad or auction, you are going to get a lot of people who won't hire a webmaster to do these things for them and think "you" are their new webmaster.

And sms? :eek: WTF, I would go crazy on a customer if they SMS'd me. Get a cheap Vonage line or something for your business and let it ring and ring if you see the number is from your abusive customers. You don't need to be trampled on to be a good business person.

Well i told him strait, if he contacts me via private lines again there will be problems, Fortionatly we are Both in the UK and we BOTH have the right to this deal. He can attempt legal proceedings as mensioned above but his 1st letter from a solicitor will cost him in excess of £100 and the same for each & every therafter.

He also continued to SMS me! Stupid things, asking if im Ok, Trying to find out where i am or what im upto :| I've labeled him the stalker type to be honnest. He's gone way overboard for nothing had he not already had my source files for my work id have issued a refund and said goodbye for good by now. Ive put in a request for his number to be blocked from SMS & Phone calls with my provider also.

And at last... he got the message :) all is now sorted.

Wow...this is almost unheard of. Glad to see you got it all sorted out.:)

If the phone is still ringing off the hook, and you have already tried to talk with him about his unacceptable behavior, perhaps you can call your phone company and get the number blocked or ignored. This can be a lesson to be very careful with giving out important information over the internet, and certainly home phone numbers should never be given out, as home addresses can be looked up with that number. Skype or other VoIP clients are handy, as well as instant messaging programs. :)