What did the site look like before? Can't find anything in the Wayback Machine.
Google's cached image for this website shows this:
http://img402.imageshack.us/img402/6597/fitnesssf.png
Website Impounded
21–30 of 156 posts
Re: Website Impounded
#22My suspicion is that this is being done because it's international. If Fitness SF is as I suspect in San Francisco while the developer is in Europe, collections will be a real headache. Sue? Sure, probably where you are, probably win. Then collect from the European presence of a California fitness club. I see a potential disconnect. Sue in California? How much is THAT going to cost someone based in Europe? And really…
Editing on a phone is quirky, so further detail: the AdWeek profile lists him as being in Germany. Also, of all the cities in the USA, Fitness SF was unable to find a designer they liked in San Francisco? Please.
Re: Website Impounded
#23I don't get it. A legally binding contract was signed before they took on the job, right? Doesn't that offer legal protection?
Assuming you can afford a lawyer. In this case, the developer's apparently in Europe, making that even more difficult.
Re: Website Impounded
#24What did the site look like before? Can't find anything in the Wayback Machine.
They posted some screenshots (along with some ranting) at http://talent.adweek.com/gallery/Fitness-SF-Website/7075381
Re: Website Impounded
#25This is unprofessional, this is going to be a nightmare for the developer and probably wont result in him getting paid. It's not the right thing to do. I agree with most of the other comments here, but I'm still impressed. It's always fun to see someone really going for it.
Anyone doing this has generally already resigned themselves to not getting paid for the job.
Re: Website Impounded
#26My suspicion is that this is being done because it's international. If Fitness SF is as I suspect in San Francisco while the developer is in Europe, collections will be a real headache. Sue? Sure, probably where you are, probably win. Then collect from the European presence of a California fitness club. I see a potential disconnect. Sue in California? How much is THAT going to cost someone based in Europe? And really…
Editing on a phone is quirky, so further detail: the AdWeek profile lists him as being in Germany. Also, of all the cities in the USA, Fitness SF was unable to find a designer they liked in San Francisco ? Please.
Design is a global market to a large extent, there is no reason why they should choose a local one.
Re: Website Impounded
#27I don't get it. A legally binding contract was signed before they took on the job, right? Doesn't that offer legal protection?
And 'legal' protection means waiting years in courts, then potentially years more to collect on that judgement (assuming you actually win). I don't know the story behind this, but they may have already waited months before taking this sort of action.
And as someone else said - really? An SF-based company contracted with someone in Germany to do their website? Seems to be they were doing this on purpose, to avoid paying. I had a similar situation with someone in NYC who didn't pay - found out later his company had a habit of doing this to small contractors out of state - you're telling me you can't find a web developer in NYC?
In my case, yes, I sued - drove to NYC and filed a suit. It's been 4.5 years, and I still don't have a court date.
Re: Website Impounded
#28I can empathise with this a lot, but would not recommend going this far, if nothing other than for your own reputation and professionalism. Other clients could see this without fully understanding the situation, potentially losing business. In previous cases ive been involved in, taking down the site sending in debt collectors is often the easiest and cleanest method of getting back your money.
" if nothing other than for your own reputation and professionalism"...
And the professionalism of fitnesssf - of not paying their vendors - gets swept under the rug for dozens of other vendors to have to discover on their own, individually, in silence. Great.
"Professionalism" really has to work both ways. If you want me to treat you professionally, treat me professionally. What lines does someone have to cross before they lose that professionalism from you? Financial abuse? Emotional abuse? Verbal abuse? Physical abuse?
"Other clients could see this without fully understanding the situation, potentially losing business."
There's not that much to understand. What's easy to understand is that if you don't pay your bills with developer X, they will take public action against you. If you're the type of person who plans on skipping out on bills, you may avoid developer X. I think developer X would be thrilled to have potential 'business' like that self-select out of his customer base. I know I would be.
Re: Website Impounded
#29Earlier quoted context omitted.
Editing on a phone is quirky, so further detail: the AdWeek profile lists him as being in Germany. Also, of all the cities in the USA, Fitness SF was unable to find a designer they liked in San Francisco ? Please.
Design is a global market to a large extent, there is no reason why they should choose a local one.
Especially if they planned from the beginning not to pay.
Re: Website Impounded
#30Developers look up extortion in the dictionary ... We're new to it, though. If we had more experience...