'She refused to pay, and stopped answering my calls': Web designer creates website, pivots to malicious compliance after entitled owner won't pay the bill

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    Cheezburger Image 9762177792
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    Font - r/r/MaliciousCompliance Posted by u/shady_emoji Client said she wanted her website to show "the best interior design service"
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    Font - Love this sub so thought I'd post a story from about 12 years ago: At university, I designed websites to make some extra cash and pay for tuition / rent etc. I got pretty good at it, and had a great network of clients around London (UK). One day, I was introduced to a lady (we'll call her Debbie) who ran an "interior design" agency in West London. I put the speech marks there because all of her clients were her friends, or friends of her husband.
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    Font - She was extremely wealthy, lived in a house on Warwick Ave in Maida Vale, and had a chauffeur on call. All of her money derived from her husband, who seemed very sketchy. She also had these two sons who just sat around the house all day despite being in their late 20s.
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    Font - Anyway, I designed a website for her which she was very pleased with. Her exact brief was: "I want this website to show the best interior design service in London". I quoted the price, she agreed and I built it, but then when it came time to pay she suddenly started complaining that the website wasn't quite right (despite being live and generating lots more traffic than before). She refused to pay, and stopped answering my calls.
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    Font - What she didn't realise was that I owned the domain name and could legally do whatever I wanted with it. So I redirected it to her closest competitor, a nearby interior design agency run by a rival of hers she hated. Within 6 hours I got a phone call from her going ballistic that her website was "broken" and that it had to be fixed ASAP. I explained that I couldn't really do anything, but vaguely suggested that if she stumped up some cash then maybe I could do something. I won't repeat th
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    Font - zeus204013 +1. She refused to pay, and stopped answering my calls. A common issue I saw in a lot of people with money...
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    Font - Kidiri90 +1. Well, you don't get rich by spending money.
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    Font - darthvadercake +1 It's why as a website designer it's always the best idea to host as well as build it if you haven't been paid yet. People suddenly know how to call once their site goes down.
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    Font - MA tyleritis +1 Well you did say "maybe"
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    Font - Lay-ZFair +2 "who seemed very sketchy" hope not so sketchy that you had to start looking over your shoulder. Anyway you're still alive so good on you for not worrying about the sketchy guy.
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    Font - Ken-Legacy F rich people who think they can take advantage of others for their own personal gain. Shameless doesn't begin to describe the state of wealth today.
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    Font - Beach Original15. As a website designer I'm taking notes.
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    Font - Cybermals +3 "Nice website you got there. Be a shame if someone changed the domain for non- payment..." Beautiful work, OP. I applaud you. بی بی
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    Font - Khayasin Love this. You beat her at her own game, and then you just know that 12 years and likely a name/career change later she still occasionally checks the website and each time she loses yet again.
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    Font - Geminii27 +3. "I'd love to discuss this issue, but first there's your outstanding bill, plus additional fees for refusal to pay..."
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    Font - betam4x That is why I require partial payment up front, and payment in full before the goods are released. Probably lose some sales, but definitely saves some headaches.
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    Font - Catronia +1 LMAO!!!! Good on ya :) Designing websites can be a pain, especially a client constantly wanting unnecessary changes that often make the site worse...

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