Other What to do With a Developer you hired but Can't reach?

yavuz

yavuz

Well-known member
Imagine you have hired someone to code you an add-on... Months have passed and still not a bug-free, working version delivered to you...

You need to wait sometimes weeks to receive a decent answer, possibly trying every other way of communication just in case that he/she hasn't gotten your messages... And this person you know is online, writing and answering everyone else just not you...

You even purchased a package from the developer’s website where you are promised to get an answer - within 24 hours - because of your "user status" but you are still waiting for three days...

I'm really trying to be patient but I'm at a stage where I haven't left any... Would you just bombard this person publicly (which I hate really) or just tolerate this treatment?
 
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Did you sign a proper contract when you employed this developer? If not, there's not really a great ton you can do. Sucks, I know.
 
If months have passed. You should make it publicly known who it is so others also don't get burned. You could also try talking with your bank to see if they will assist in a charge back for you. Show your bank documents of having to continue to wait. It's understandable real life comes up, delays with waiting on replies from other parties, etc.. But you have to draw a point where enough is enough.
 
Mike Edge said:
If months have passed. You should make it publicly known who it is so others also don't get burned. You could also try talking with your bank to see if they will assist in a charge back for you. Show your bank documents of having to continue to wait. It's understandable real life comes up, delays with waiting on replies from other parties, etc.. But you have to draw a point where enough is enough.
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This !
 
Mike Edge said:
If months have passed. You should make it publicly known who it is so others also don't get burned. You could also try talking with your bank to see if they will assist in a charge back for you. Show your bank documents of having to continue to wait. It's understandable real life comes up, delays with waiting on replies from other parties, etc.. But you have to draw a point where enough is enough.
Click to expand...

euantor said:
Did you sign a proper contract when you employed this developer? If not, there's not really a great ton you can do. Sucks, I know.
Click to expand...

The developer in question is a XenForo member as well, well known one... I hired the person several times before; to give him credit I was quite happy with the service. I received a quote, we shook hand on it and that sealed the deal. The problem is the pay isn’t very significant, 50-150 $ top. I was reluctant to demand a contract.

I could call this out in the open months ago but just for the sake of the previous successfully made contracts I waited this out so long.

Oh, and all payments made via PayPal. Since, we agreed to handle the payment after the work is finished there isn't lost anything money-wise. Just an aweful lot of nerves, patience and trust...
 
This is why I generally like to work with milestone payments for new developers. I have experienced way too often that new developers become silent or unresponsive after receiving upfront payment.

If a developer becomes unresponsive then make it clear that this worries you. In my experience it can help to let the developer know that you will write a full and honest review on his services.
If the developer is well known here then chances are that he is bombarded with projects. This is a matter to consider. If this is the case, then just ask for time frames and project queue.
 
It's obvious who the member is... (at least to me)

Which is surprising, to say the least.
 
yavuz said:
Imagine you have hired someone to code you an addon... Months have passed and still not a bug-free, working version delivered to you...

You need to wait sometimes weeks to receive a decent anwser, possibly trying every other way of comunication just in case that he/she hasn't gotten your messages... And this person you know is online, writing and answering everyone else just not you...

You even purchased a package from the developers website where you are promised to get an answer - within 24 hourse - because of your "user status" but you are still waiting for three days...

I'm really trying to be paitiend but I'm at a stage where I haven't left any... Would you just bombard this person publicly (which I hate really) or just tolerate this treatment?
Click to expand...
This sounds a little like someone I know here (not sure if it's the same person, but would not be surprised).

I do sincerely sympathise with your frustration and completely understand how frustrating and even disappointing it can feel to be a paying customer, but "pushed aside" as though you were begging for free scraps.

My advise is during such times is to seek out another and better individual. I would recommend @sonnb @Chris Deeming @xfrocks and maybe @cclaerhout as their work here on XenForo have been proven to be above & beyond.
 
Adam Howard said:
This sounds a little like someone I know here (not sure if it's the same person, but would not be surprised).

I do sincerely sympathise with your frustration and completely understand how frustrating and even disappointing it can feel to be a paying customer, but "pushed aside" as though you were begging for free scraps.

My advise is during such times is to seek out another and better individual. I would recommend @sonnb @Chris Deeming @xfrocks and maybe @cclaerhout as their work here on XenForo have been proven to be above & beyond.
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Well, it would be kind of awkward to follow your (specific) suggestion, but thanks :)
 
I don't have a problem naming them. I just can't see how others don't make the connection.

It's just not my issue.
 
yavuz said:
+1 It certainly wasn't my intention either. Just wanted to gather some thought before I say something that I can't take back.
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If I were you I'd name them, just put all the facts and give them time to reply without getting emotional about it.
 
To keep things out in the open, I believe this may be in relation to a project @yavuz contacted me about over a year ago. I agreed to work on it but after completing some work it became clear that I wouldn't have time to complete the job so we agreed that he would find someone else.

Regrettably I wasn't always as responsive as I could have been, but it all came good in the end. I didn't charge for any work I had already completed. I think I actually did a similar thing with @Adam Howard at one point.

But I believe @yavuz to be talking about another developer. But I just wanted to end some of the speculation straight away :)
 
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