******* Legal Advice Needed ASAP ******** (2 Viewers)

[keepoursaints]

$1500 for a 15 page site seems extremely high. Are you sure he knew what he was agreeing to? Perhaps he asked around and realized that your price was not jut a tad bit high, but very much so overpriced, as per market value.

That's my price and has been for years and I've had numerous clients at that package. He had my website BEFORE we even discussed anything.. in fact the first email I got from him said that someone had referred me to him and that he had checked out my sites and loved my work and thought the prices were great. I wish I still had that email, but unfortunately my email provider use to purge them and only about 6 months ago started keeping them all. I apparently didn't click Save as New.. so it's gone.

It says on my site that I charge a $40/hr fee for work, but you could talk to my clients and find out that I don't charge for updates.. I just put that out there incase I run into a client that is over demanding changes.. and I point that out to them along the way as well.

I could get into more about my prices, but that's beside the point as he had access to the same prices which have been up on my site for years and haven't changed. I'm not asking for a unique amount for him.

Edit: That price includes all of the image sizing, editing, watermarking etc. All he gave me to work with was a powerpoint file with embedded images that he wanted cropped, sized, thumbnailed, etc.. I spent nearly 50 hours on the site and at $40 that's 2000

 

[CanadianSaint]

500$ for hosting ....Goodness, is that for life.

 

[Lurkaholic]

I wish I still had that email, but unfortunately my email provider use to purge them and only about 6 months ago started keeping them all. I apparently didn't click Save as New.. so it's gone.

LOL, grats on AOL.

 

[jimwnola]

Take whatever amount he is willing to give you voluntarily. Unless he is slick and puts the correct language on the check, a partial payment does not preclude you from seeking the whole amount. Send him a letter reiterating your position and requesting that he send you, at the very least, the undisputed amount. You both agree he owes you , at least, $700, ask him to at least pay that amount now, without suggesting it would be a full payment or end the dispute.

Anything you get is better than nothing and is a start.

From there, you will have to make you a decision. If he gives you nothing, that will point you in 1 direction. If you get $700, it largely becomes a cost-benefit issue. If you make $40 an hour, do you want to spend 10 hours trying to collect $1300, when you know you can make $400. Now, you are down to debating over the effort to get the extra $900.

If you ask him to pay something, you will be in better posture. If he pays nothing, he will look like a jerk and likely force you to take some action. Then, if you do, you will look like the good guy. If he pays something, you have the money, and, if you pursue it more, there is good chance the court might move toward a compromise. Better to compromise over the remaining $1300, with $700 in hand, than compromise over $2,000.

Consider a Justice of the Peace court. Call your local one and ask about what you need to do and about the costs and its jurisdiction. They are rather informal and you might only have to show the court the website, and your prices to put the guy on the defensive. Generally, a verbal contract is permissble in LA.

 

[keepoursaints]

Take whatever amount he is willing to give you voluntarily. Unless he is slick and puts the correct language on the check, a partial payment does not preclude you from seeking the whole amount. Send him a letter reiterating your position and requesting that he send you, at the very least, the undisputed amount. You both agree he owes you , at least, $700, ask him to at least pay that amount now, without suggesting it would be a full payment or end the dispute.

Anything you get is better than nothing and is a start.

From there, you will have to make you a decision. If he gives you nothing, that will point you in 1 direction. If you get $700, it largely becomes a cost-benefit issue. If you make $40 an hour, do you want to spend 10 hours trying to collect $1300, when you know you can make $400. Now, you are down to debating over the effort to get the extra $900.

If you ask him to pay something, you will be in better posture. If he pays nothing, he will look like a jerk and likely force you to take some action. Then, if you do, you will look like the good guy. If he pays something, you have the money, and, if you pursue it more, there is good chance the court might move toward a compromise. Better to compromise over the remaining $1300, with $700 in hand, than compromise over $2,000.

Consider a Justice of the Peace court. Call your local one and ask about what you need to do and about the costs and its jurisdiction. They are rather informal and you might only have to show the court the website, and your prices to put the guy on the defensive. Generally, a verbal contract is permissble in LA.

Thanks for the advice..

 

[keepoursaints]

LOL, grats on AOL.

yeah when I started the business and setup the email over 5 years ago that's who I had and then it was printed on all my business cards so I've had to stick with it. I don't have AOL on my computers, just use aol.com. Hey it's free and didn't require me to make any changes.


And to the comment on the hosting cost... although I really have no reason to have to defend my prices, I'll just say that a major company in BR charges $100 an hour and over $100 a month for a similar sized site. I have the paperwork to prove it. There sites aren't nearly as customized and they DO charge for everything they do, while my monthly fee for hosting includes all changes, flexible storage, pictures, etc. I've had numerous customers switch over with existing sites to get my hosting prices, so they can't be THAT bad.

 

[theSpaniard]

500$ for hosting ....Goodness, is that for life?

:_rofl: