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Going to fire a client today! (long)
This is a slightly ranty story about a sucky customer who I've finally had my fill of.
Anyone remember my "I thought if I kept saying a low price, you'd go with it?" guy? This is him.
A few months back, I designed SC's website. I pushed the envelope for his budget for what he paid, and it definitely showed. His traffic increased exponentially, he even got a nice bump up in his revenue. I even went so far as to go and support him....and in the market he's in, my support carries a bit of weight. He got free advertising as I promoted his site, big time.
Well first I noticed him abusing the PSD template I gave him to install. My bad, I should've included my license with it...but I guess it slipped my mind that day to do so.
When he inquired about me redesigning a piece of his website, I gave him a low quote, and he got upset over it. I told him that was the lowest I could go...couple days later I see that he pretty much pieced together bits of my PSD to make himself his own design. And he rubbed it in my face that he did so. :P
At one point, his site was hacked because he gave backend access to someone he had known for all of three days. Everything was removed...I did my best to help walk him through his legal rights and restoring the website. We're talking, I spent DAYS helping him out. It was like pulling teeth to get him to listen to me, but eventually we got everything straightened out....and I didn't charge him for it. I felt bad about what had happened.
Recently some bigger trouble started. His forum admin (someone he promoted to admin after knowing him for oh...a few days?) held a "make a forum siggy" contest...intrigued, I visited and found that nearly all the entrants were using MY artwork. I politely explained to them that I had creative copyright on the artwork, and to please stop using it without my permission.
....Theforum admin and a mod on the site promptly tried to get me banned for my "uppityness".
Shocked, I told him I was appalled at their behavior, and he apologized and begged me not to stop supporting his site. He even placed an order for another web design and paid almost completely upfront. I admit I was a bit satisfied by this, and started working on the new design.
I completed his website design, and logged in to the website today to see one last thing. Or....tried to log in, at least. Turns out that mysteriously, my password was changed without my knowledge. SC claimed it was not his fault, but the forum admin who had done so. I again complained, and asked what in god's name went through his head to make such an immature person an admin! He shrugged it off, and, again, placed an order for something else.
Well, here's the last straw. I'm looking at an IM right now from my coder. Apparently, SC approached him and told him that I charge too much for an extra addon for the site. He asked him to modify the PSD I gave the coder, and to make him the addons.
This, I may point out, is completely against the terms of the contract I have with the coder, and against the license that SC received. (That would pretty much make it illegal, yes?) My coder vehemently refused to modify it, and now the client is trying to modify things (again, against the license) to do it himself.
I'm sick of it. He's yanked my chain around long enough, as soon as I see him log online again, he's fired. =D
And its going to be a glorious, flaming, WRATHFILLED firing!!
Anyone remember my "I thought if I kept saying a low price, you'd go with it?" guy? This is him.
A few months back, I designed SC's website. I pushed the envelope for his budget for what he paid, and it definitely showed. His traffic increased exponentially, he even got a nice bump up in his revenue. I even went so far as to go and support him....and in the market he's in, my support carries a bit of weight. He got free advertising as I promoted his site, big time.
Well first I noticed him abusing the PSD template I gave him to install. My bad, I should've included my license with it...but I guess it slipped my mind that day to do so.
When he inquired about me redesigning a piece of his website, I gave him a low quote, and he got upset over it. I told him that was the lowest I could go...couple days later I see that he pretty much pieced together bits of my PSD to make himself his own design. And he rubbed it in my face that he did so. :P
At one point, his site was hacked because he gave backend access to someone he had known for all of three days. Everything was removed...I did my best to help walk him through his legal rights and restoring the website. We're talking, I spent DAYS helping him out. It was like pulling teeth to get him to listen to me, but eventually we got everything straightened out....and I didn't charge him for it. I felt bad about what had happened.
Recently some bigger trouble started. His forum admin (someone he promoted to admin after knowing him for oh...a few days?) held a "make a forum siggy" contest...intrigued, I visited and found that nearly all the entrants were using MY artwork. I politely explained to them that I had creative copyright on the artwork, and to please stop using it without my permission.
....Theforum admin and a mod on the site promptly tried to get me banned for my "uppityness".
Shocked, I told him I was appalled at their behavior, and he apologized and begged me not to stop supporting his site. He even placed an order for another web design and paid almost completely upfront. I admit I was a bit satisfied by this, and started working on the new design.
I completed his website design, and logged in to the website today to see one last thing. Or....tried to log in, at least. Turns out that mysteriously, my password was changed without my knowledge. SC claimed it was not his fault, but the forum admin who had done so. I again complained, and asked what in god's name went through his head to make such an immature person an admin! He shrugged it off, and, again, placed an order for something else.
Well, here's the last straw. I'm looking at an IM right now from my coder. Apparently, SC approached him and told him that I charge too much for an extra addon for the site. He asked him to modify the PSD I gave the coder, and to make him the addons.
This, I may point out, is completely against the terms of the contract I have with the coder, and against the license that SC received. (That would pretty much make it illegal, yes?) My coder vehemently refused to modify it, and now the client is trying to modify things (again, against the license) to do it himself.
I'm sick of it. He's yanked my chain around long enough, as soon as I see him log online again, he's fired. =D
And its going to be a glorious, flaming, WRATHFILLED firing!!
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