ibaker
Well-known member
I am making this post as warning to other XF users that may wish to obtain the services of an external developer to create an enhancement for your site. We all know that there can be problems when dealing with people who claim to know what they are doing and yes there are many "Don't Do's" derived from the unfortunate experiences of others and that is what this post is about. This is one of those experiences and hopefully others may learn not to deal with this person who calls himself Waindigo (real name Jon Wainwright) or if you choose to then at least hopefully this post will serve as an advisory caution when doing so.
I had a mod on my old vb site that needed to be converted to XF. I am currently using a version that has been amended to work in an iframe on an XF page however the work load to manage it is enormous given it is not integrated with XF and sits in a vb install within my XF site.
I approached Waindigo to provide a price to convert the mod to XF. A price that you hope will be for what you are asking for and that a certain amount of professionalism and knowledge in providing a quote for what you are asking for.
It is important to note from the outset of what I provided Waindigo for him to provide a quote from:
All the vb files of code, including the php file, the xml file of templates used and their code, the database tables needed and the fields within those tables that are needed.
The comprehensive manual of the mod including screen shots, field lists, installation and use
A link to it being used on my own web site
...ALL of the above was provided so he could perform a comprehensive analysis that would enable him to provide a reasonably accurate price PLUS the ability to know EXACTLY what was needed.
Waindigo submitted a price to create the XF version of the vb mod of which I accepted.
The first example of his work contained hardly any of the features of the example that was given, included bugs and had obviously not had any testing. When asked about all the other features his reply was "I hoped you didn't want them". When I said that I did he said he would only include some of them.
He also advised then that he hadn't any knowledge in the technologies used by the mod but that he wasn't charging me for him to learn about it. Note he didn't advise prior to accepting payment that he didn't have any knowledge in what was needed.
He provided a 2nd version with some bug fixes but still without the features that replicated the mod that was to be converted like not having a field that records the user who entered an entry even though the first page of the manual, plus more, had a screen shot of all the fields that were required.
He then tried to tell me that he has the right to change any of the requirements in any way he wanted to.
I advised him that the mod was not what I needed and paid for, it didn't do what the vb mod example, that I provided him with, does and thus is not usable.
At this stage he then says that he owns the code and says "oops, sorry I didn't tell you".
I advised him that as I was paying him to provide a service, and that I provided him with what I needed, and he didn't advise in his quote or prior to accepting money from me, that I owned the code PLUS would he provide the service that I paid for based on the details of what was given to him.
Now, he will not provide anything that is usable, his previous work, that is missing the required components of the mod, contains many bugs that he admits to, yet has not provided anything that has them rectified, and has now undertaken to extortion in saying that he won't provide the product, that doesn't include what I asked for, until I pay him more money.
I have attached a text file that shows the conversation with him from day 1 about all this for you to see exactly what he, what I can only call a crook and thief, is like. You can see for yourself what you may have to go through if you ever get Waindigo to do any kind of work for you. Sure, there may be a small job that he has done for others that, only by the grace of God, have worked out for them but are you prepared to risk dealing with him given this outcome and that you can see exactly for yourself, what he is like?
I am now out nearly $300, do not even have a bug free product of any kind or a product resembling anything like what I asked for, based on what was provided to him.
Things to note in the attached text file conversation with him are:
- There were no questions about the work to be done prior to his quote, acceptance of his quote, payment requested and payment made so one can only assume he was fully aware of what was required
- His admission that he didn't know anything about the technologies that were required to be used in the mod.
- His arrogance towards his customer e.g. talking about how many hours he has been on this planet, his statements on how I should run my site and if I don't run my site his way then he will not provide me with the tools that I need, and have paid him to provide, to do so etc
- His demand of changing the deal that was entered into by later changing the conditions of engagement by saying he owned the work that I paid him to do...even admitting that he didn't tell me of a condition prior to paying him money to provide me with what I required.
As a footnote I will say that I have used many developers to either create addons or perform work for me and every single one of them has conducted themselves professionally, with integrity, and delivered EXACTLY what was required and paid for without any trouble what so ever. These include people here on XF like Naatan, Slavik, Blandt, Steve@Codiums (he created the XF version of my vb mod "News Reader" http://xenforo.com/community/resources/news-reader.417/) plus others, also developers when I was using vb, so I guess that I have been lucky till now. The above are great people and I would recommend them without hesitation.
Waindigo has conned me out of nearly $300 so I am posting this as a caution for all XF owners to hopefully take note and be more informed when dealing with Waindigo...you could be lucky OR he could put you through what he has done to me, take your money and give you nothing.
I have many more mods, enhancements etc that I need to get done so I will be looking for someone that is reputable, professional and capable to do them...then this character?
Thanks for listening
I had a mod on my old vb site that needed to be converted to XF. I am currently using a version that has been amended to work in an iframe on an XF page however the work load to manage it is enormous given it is not integrated with XF and sits in a vb install within my XF site.
I approached Waindigo to provide a price to convert the mod to XF. A price that you hope will be for what you are asking for and that a certain amount of professionalism and knowledge in providing a quote for what you are asking for.
It is important to note from the outset of what I provided Waindigo for him to provide a quote from:
All the vb files of code, including the php file, the xml file of templates used and their code, the database tables needed and the fields within those tables that are needed.
The comprehensive manual of the mod including screen shots, field lists, installation and use
A link to it being used on my own web site
...ALL of the above was provided so he could perform a comprehensive analysis that would enable him to provide a reasonably accurate price PLUS the ability to know EXACTLY what was needed.
Waindigo submitted a price to create the XF version of the vb mod of which I accepted.
The first example of his work contained hardly any of the features of the example that was given, included bugs and had obviously not had any testing. When asked about all the other features his reply was "I hoped you didn't want them". When I said that I did he said he would only include some of them.
He also advised then that he hadn't any knowledge in the technologies used by the mod but that he wasn't charging me for him to learn about it. Note he didn't advise prior to accepting payment that he didn't have any knowledge in what was needed.
He provided a 2nd version with some bug fixes but still without the features that replicated the mod that was to be converted like not having a field that records the user who entered an entry even though the first page of the manual, plus more, had a screen shot of all the fields that were required.
He then tried to tell me that he has the right to change any of the requirements in any way he wanted to.
I advised him that the mod was not what I needed and paid for, it didn't do what the vb mod example, that I provided him with, does and thus is not usable.
At this stage he then says that he owns the code and says "oops, sorry I didn't tell you".
I advised him that as I was paying him to provide a service, and that I provided him with what I needed, and he didn't advise in his quote or prior to accepting money from me, that I owned the code PLUS would he provide the service that I paid for based on the details of what was given to him.
Now, he will not provide anything that is usable, his previous work, that is missing the required components of the mod, contains many bugs that he admits to, yet has not provided anything that has them rectified, and has now undertaken to extortion in saying that he won't provide the product, that doesn't include what I asked for, until I pay him more money.
I have attached a text file that shows the conversation with him from day 1 about all this for you to see exactly what he, what I can only call a crook and thief, is like. You can see for yourself what you may have to go through if you ever get Waindigo to do any kind of work for you. Sure, there may be a small job that he has done for others that, only by the grace of God, have worked out for them but are you prepared to risk dealing with him given this outcome and that you can see exactly for yourself, what he is like?
I am now out nearly $300, do not even have a bug free product of any kind or a product resembling anything like what I asked for, based on what was provided to him.
Things to note in the attached text file conversation with him are:
- There were no questions about the work to be done prior to his quote, acceptance of his quote, payment requested and payment made so one can only assume he was fully aware of what was required
- His admission that he didn't know anything about the technologies that were required to be used in the mod.
- His arrogance towards his customer e.g. talking about how many hours he has been on this planet, his statements on how I should run my site and if I don't run my site his way then he will not provide me with the tools that I need, and have paid him to provide, to do so etc
- His demand of changing the deal that was entered into by later changing the conditions of engagement by saying he owned the work that I paid him to do...even admitting that he didn't tell me of a condition prior to paying him money to provide me with what I required.
As a footnote I will say that I have used many developers to either create addons or perform work for me and every single one of them has conducted themselves professionally, with integrity, and delivered EXACTLY what was required and paid for without any trouble what so ever. These include people here on XF like Naatan, Slavik, Blandt, Steve@Codiums (he created the XF version of my vb mod "News Reader" http://xenforo.com/community/resources/news-reader.417/) plus others, also developers when I was using vb, so I guess that I have been lucky till now. The above are great people and I would recommend them without hesitation.
Waindigo has conned me out of nearly $300 so I am posting this as a caution for all XF owners to hopefully take note and be more informed when dealing with Waindigo...you could be lucky OR he could put you through what he has done to me, take your money and give you nothing.
I have many more mods, enhancements etc that I need to get done so I will be looking for someone that is reputable, professional and capable to do them...then this character?
Thanks for listening
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