Sphinn - A Lesson to Deadbeat Clients: Why you should never, never rip off an SEO

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A Lesson to Deadbeat Clients: Why you should never, never rip off an SEO

Went Hot: September 20, 2008 - 5:58 pm
Posted By: thePuck 290 days ago
Topic Type: News Story (Jump to http://www.blog.marketmou.com)
Category: SEM Industry

A great post on dangers of screwing over people who build reputation for a living.

14 Comments

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Comments

from bwelford 290 days ago #

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The Internet is a very open space so everything is much more visible. Unfortunately some do not realize that we are all held to higher standards than before. Trying to hide in your trench and wait for the noise to abate may bring serious consequences. It's better to create a good reputation than to have to manage your reputation in order to control damage caused by less than honorable acts.

from streko 290 days ago #

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"Sanity won over. I could do them a great deal of damage, but my good friends online (and one really nice acquaintances who I hope will become a friend) managed to talk me out of it.

They are (in no particular order):

Brett Borders (BrettFromTibet on Twitter) of Copy Brighter

Kimberley Bock (SpostareDuro on Twitter) of We Are Facebook"

am i the only one who sees the irony in this?

from Jill 290 days ago #

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Patricia, do you have your clients sign a contract before doing any work? I would highly suggest that to anyone in any sort of service business. At least then you have something to fall back on if necessary. While it's probably not worth taking people to court over a few hundred dollars, the fact that you have a contract sometimes will scare them into paying.

from skinner 289 days ago #

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Yes, but I don't always insist on it. Idiot! :)

from Jill 289 days ago #

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Yeah that's kinda important. The more clients you have, the more you learn. We've all been burned through the years. The trick is not to let it happen twice!

from chowdertime 288 days ago #

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Maybe I'll make my own post and title it "A lesson to ignorant freelancers". Seriously, who doesn't take a downpayment/get a contract signed? You can blame deadbeats all you like, I'll paraphrase because I can't remember the actual quote but "If you get burnt once, shame on them. If you get burnt twice shame on you."

Tighten your game and don't let it happen again.

from skinner 288 days ago #

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A little too trusting I may be, but ignorant I am not. You do tend to get a little too relaxed when you've been at it a while. Too many contracts. Still, that won't be happening again.

from IncrediBILL 288 days ago #

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If you're in the US, small claims court is your friend. It's cheap, no lawyers involved, and most people settle right away once they know it's serious. Forget online reputations, most people don't want a judgement against them screwing up their credit.

from skinner 287 days ago #

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I'm not in the US most of the time: at the moment I'm in the ME and one of the deadbeats is in Northern Ireland--I've never been there. Advantages and disadvantages of working online. :) Thanks.

from onreact 287 days ago # - show/hide this comment

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Even contracts can't save you from getting ripped off so you better get the money before you start to work, at least partly.
Also in the US there is http://www.freelancersunion.org/

from monitis 287 days ago # - show/hide this comment

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Contracts may not matter. We had faced such a situation twice, but luckily one came back after 2 years and decided to pay half of the price. We also didn't acted upon, thinking not to spend our time on unproductive actions, being frustrated on and not contentrate making new business. Its probable is part of doing business online.

from bhicks11 287 days ago #

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I wonder if anyone knows a source for a good contract template? I've not been burned yet but, of course, need a contract.

Thanks in advance.

[moderator note: link removed. Please don't sign your posts with self promotional links. -tamar]

from afzee 286 days ago #

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Only way from not to get cheated by such clients is ask for 50% advance fee or some advance amount. If client agree to pay advance money it's well n good, else you can easily judge what the intention is of that Client.

I too have burned twice, but after such worst experience I decided to work only if Client is ready to pay advance money.

I guess it's demand of online world, trust is also important factor but in current scenario to maintain transperency we need to take this step! You never know which Client is good or bad!

from incrediblehelp 285 days ago #

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I had a piece of garbage agency in Chicago that shall rename nameless that simply dissolved so they didnt have to pay me or other people they owed. They opened up a few months later under a new names. Garbage.