Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire contract issue

I work for myself and my business relies on having a solid website to attract customers and process payments. For several years I used a subscription service that was based on a monthly fee. I ran into some hiccups with them when trying to upgrade the website 2.5 years ago and switched to a local custom website/marketing company. They had a very detailed contract, that laid out the hourly rate, and how much everything they would do would be expected to cost.

It was not cheap or extremely expensive. The website build ended up costing 25% more than expected. I thought that was BS but just accepted the explanation. The designer I worked with I liked very much. The owner/manager I got shady vibes from and I really don't trust him.

Part of the contract is an annual fee for housing the website. It states an annual rate and does not provided for "subject to change" or anything. So the first year I paid it. The second year I paid it. This year I got the bill and I know it's higher than last year. So I look at the contract and what I paid last year. Turns out he had bumped by $50 already last year I just didn't notice. This year it's over $100 more.

Like I said I already don't trust this guy. I can't see bumping a contracted price without providing explanation. No services are included in this fee, everything is extra, just the hosting. So shot him an email about a month ago and asked if it was mistake. No response.

I don't want to lose the website. Not sure if this falls under picking your battles. Having asked for explanation and not receiving it does not leave me feeling good about it though.

If you’re looking for advice, my advice is to seek advice from a local attorney who does contract work.

I never give business to someone who is shady.

Everything is computers now. I hate it.
I was able to tend all of my timber accounts with a short pencil and a hardback ledger.

If you try to pet a scorpion or a rattlesnake you're going to get bit or stung. It's not a question of "if"- - - -just when it's going to happen. It sounds like you've already learned that lesson. How long will it be before you can terminate the contract and find someone who will deal with you honestly? You need to bail on this crook, and the sooner the better.

If the contract allows you to terminate at any time, I'd terminate and move the site to a new host.

You can host an already built site anywhere, so as long as you no longer need the existing company to manage the site itself you should be fine moving on.

This^
AFTER you secure another hosting company and go over every detail of the transfer process with them, making sure payment processing will be seamless.

This is^^^

In spades

I can definitely walk away from the contract at anytime....but they own the content so I would have to start from scratch. And that annual fee is not enough to want to start over new someplace else. And I would pay it if h would just give an explanation like...yeah my costs on hosting went up.

I'm thinking maybe printing off the emails and sending that with the check, and point out that he didn't bother to answer.

No advice here. Just questions.

What is the chance the OP does not own his website? But paid for building it and is now leasing material copyrighted in another's name?

If I was a shady character, which I am not, I would make sure the OP could not move his business without being on the hook for another development fee.

F that

Oh, I see the answer was posted while I was writing.

I would take the hit, chalk it up to experience, and find a reputable business to work with.

You need to examine the contract closely to verify who owns the content and the Domain name. If it is not you, then you are hosed.

To get setup again with a different provider is going to be painful, but when the trust is gone, what choice do you have? Hire an independent web designer to duplicate what you have without letting the shady guy know you are doing it. That way the new guy has the original site to look at and compare. If you don't own the domain name, then you have a bigger problem.

Jerry

Wait. You paid for the development? And the contractor thinks he owns the content? That makes no sense.

My site is hosted at GoDaddy.com, which is a good way to go. Based on my experience with them, they will probably provide good technical advise. They do have a web development tool that will allow you to do your own web page. If you do that, you pay a monthly fee for use of the tool. It isn't very expensive.