A client in Dallas ghosted me after I sent the final files and I had no backup plan

I was finishing a big website project for a small business owner in Dallas, about $3,500 worth of work. I sent the final login details and all the source files over email, like I always do, and then... nothing. No payment, no reply to my three follow-ups over two weeks, just radio silence. I mean, I had a contract, but it felt useless. I was sitting at my kitchen table just staring at my inbox, feeling totally stuck. I didn't have a clear next step written down for this exact situation. Eventually I sent a formal demand letter, which did nothing, and I had to just write off the income. It sucked. Has anyone else had a solid process for chasing down a ghosting client that actually worked?

2 comments

2 Comments

andrew_sanchez9414d ago

Yeah I read this thing about putting a "kill switch" in the code for web projects. Basically you build in a bit that makes the site go down to a holding page if the final invoice isn't paid by a certain date. You gotta put it in the contract super clearly though, so they know it's coming. It sounds harsh but it gets their attention real fast when their site stops working.

faitha4014d ago

Man, I've been too scared to try that. What if my own code glitches and I take down a site that actually paid me? It feels like a great way to give myself a heart attack.