Would you publicly call out an non-paying client?

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3290399

by jentulman • 15 years ago

7 11 15 years ago

news.ycombinator.com

I just found this via twitter..

http://bsglogistics.co.uk/

Here a developer has suspended hosting and publicly called out a client for non payment of bills. Personally, whilst I might suspend a clients service, I don't feel that this kind of name and shame tactic would reflect well on me professionally.

Would you do the same?

asto• 15 years ago

Yes I would call them out. People do these things because they believe the consequences are painless.

I wouldn't do what this guy has done though because I doubt clients publicise sites before they are live, so no one's going to see that notice anyway.

mrkmcknz2• 15 years ago

What 'freelance' developer would build a site, host it and put it live without one payment.

bjplink• 15 years ago

This was my first thought as well. This is a good reason why you need to take down payments.

There probably isn't a freelancer out there that hasn't wanted to do what this guy has done to a deadbeat client. I just don't see how going this route benefits you in any way though. Now everyone involved looks like a jerk.

marquis3• 15 years ago

Downpayments aren't often enough. I've had friends whose clients never paid the last installment and the owner has changed the access credentials. It's a difficult path - what can you do when the site is live and you can't get access anymore, and the client won't pay the last installment before it's live?

damoncali• 15 years ago

Ask yourself this: What good does it do you to publicly air this stuff? Take the site down if you must, but enraging your clients, even deadbeat clients, I would guess is bad for business overall. You have to leave them room to save face.

JoeAltmaier• 15 years ago

Anything can be done gracefully. A simple announcement that due to failure to make payments, service is suspended. Kind of like those emails about Ken 'pursuing other opportunities'.

Would you publicly call out an non-paying client?

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