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[Aguila]

Hey Im not sure what to do.

I hired a company from india to build me a website. they took about 2 months longer to build the site then what they said it would take.

When they said the website was done, it was full of errors and junk left over files.

I hired a certified zend php engineer to look over his work and he laughed.

I have to rebuild my whole website now because of the poor job this company did. They will not refund me my money to.

I also told them to delete my website of there server about 3 times now and my website is still on there server. I had a custom template designed for me that the company did not design.

I fired this company because I dont trust there work and they wasted alot of time.

I want to take legal actions them and sue them but im not sure if I even have a case. Also im located in canada and india is pretty far away.

What can I do in my position.

Thanks

 

[DNQuest.com]

One of the bad things of outsourcing overseas...

You probably have a good case to get your money back, BUT.... how much will it cost you to do so? would it be more than what you paid? Depending on the amount, it could be a no-win situation. Did you pay all upfront or 50/50?

 

[Aguila]

nm I talked my lawyer and they said I can do nothing.

I swear I have been screwed by atleast 5 people from india.

Never again!!!

 

[Dave_Z]

One of the bad things of outsourcing overseas...

Yup, especially if people don't think long and hard over it.

 

[Aguila]

What are some things you should take into consideration when outsourcing overseas?

 

[Spade]

What are some things you should take into consideration when outsourcing overseas?

Dont pay upfront!!!!!

Always use an escrow service, hold the funds. I never pay for development upfront, just not worth it. If you dont like something theyll fix it, because they havnt been paid yet.... but if you pay them upfront, they have about no incentive to get it done right.

Justin

BTW - I outsource all of my projects. And I am almost always satisfied.

 

[Aguila]

Okay but what if they go and sell your script that you paid to get made?

Then theres 20 sites out there the same as your with different graphics maybe.

What can you do to stop that?

I know a contract is always good but most people wont even bother.

Also say you do use a escrow and everything goes good and gain trust in that programmer and dont bother using escrow and then they scam ya.

Everyone is your best friend when they want your money.

And its true you should always use escrow and I would recommend hiring someone local to check over there work, might be worth the extra $100 in the long run.

Most people overseas are not even certified.

 

[Spade]

Okay but what if they go and sell your script that you paid to get made?

Then theres 20 sites out there the same as your with different graphics maybe.

What can you do to stop that?

I know a contract is always good but most people wont even bother.

Thats going to happen no matter what. Even if they dont sell it, someone at somepoint is gonna hire someone to clone your site, happens all day everyday. Just be the first to do it, and make sure you stay ahead of the competition.

Justin

 

[nmallare]

Why not pay a decent American for the job? Just a thought ..

Nick

 

[Aguila]

Why not pay a decent American for the job? Just a thought ..

Nick

Most people dont have thousands of dollars to waste building a website.

If I call a local place by me and ask for a website to be made, they quote me around $3000-$5000, then I go and make project on scriptlance or something with lots of overseas freelancers and I get the job done for $300-$500

Thats going to happen no matter what. Even if they dont sell it, someone at somepoint is gonna hire someone to clone your site, happens all day everyday. Just be the first to do it, and make sure you stay ahead of the competition.

Justin

Thats not true though, people cant copy your script. Sure they can make something simalar thats about it. Its different when someone is selling your script.

Thats like me and going and buying a phpfox script or something then making a website called phpcat and selling there script, I can just say i just cloned the same thing? Dont think so

 

[nmallare]

You get what you pay for ....

Nick

 

[Aguila]

You get what you pay for ....

Nick

true enough

 

[ChrisChris]

And its true you should always use escrow and I would recommend hiring someone local to check over there work, might be worth the extra $100 in the long run.

Most people overseas are not even certified.

I learnt this the hard way as well. First rule is (now I don't want to sound racist) try to avoid using programmers from 3rd world countries such as India unless they are reputable.

Second rule is don't waste your time with escrow services like getafreelancer and scriptlance. If you're going to use escrow use escrow.com (although its pricey its worth it). These other freelancer companies usually have a clause saying they wont interfere if theirs a dispute - hard to believe I know.

Third rule is (I guess kinda the same as the first 2 rules) avoid hiring people from unreputable sites such as getafreelancer and scriptlance. Although they might have a good feedback score on these sites alot of the time these are just plain lies. Stick to reputable sites like namepros if you want to outsource and stick to people with a decent and reputable TR (Namepros TR is no exception to feedback fraud so look for where reputable members have given a TR).

Fourth rule (which a few people have already mentioned) avoid paying upfront.

Of course there are always exceptions and I'm not saying that all programmers/ designers etc on outsourcing websites are bad but I am saying that from my experiences and from other people who I know experiences most of the time you will end up getting the raw end of the deal with those sites.

Hope this helps and sorry you lost your money.

 

[labrocca]

Most people dont have thousands of dollars to waste building a website.

If I call a local place by me and ask for a website to be made, they quote me around $3000-$5000, then I go and make project on scriptlance or something with lots of overseas freelancers and I get the job done for $300-$500

Why not consider the fact that you keep getting ripped off, delays, and that you have to worry about them reselling your custom script. I would think paying the right price is the important but also making sure the job is done right too. Delays are costly. Cloning can be even more costly as it will dilute your idea. I personally don't use anyone in India or Russia for anything. I prefer teenage americans. I have a handful I have found that are extremely good programmers, coders, or designers. Often they are willing to work for a reaasonable competitive sum. Since they are 14-18....a few hundred for a weeks work to them is great. Better than McDonalds at least.

It may take you years to find some good people to work with but don't give up and I do think you should ditch the Indians. Start being active at sites like this or sitepoint (stay away from DP) and try to befriend some people that seem competent or trustworthy. See if they are willing to work for reasonable sums and start them with small projects to see if they are competent.


Goodluck.

 

[circa1850]

I don't think overseas has anything to do with it.

I have found some tremendous folks with great portfolios and reputations right here on this forum and DNF.

Going with an unknown entity is very risky.

When I was looking to re-do my ceuq.com site, a very complicated project, I had explicit instructions posted on design sites.

I was getting quotes as soon as I clicked submit.

If they did not take the time to read the instructions, the failed the very basic test.

Secondly, had a team from Romania contact me begging for the job replying "we speek very good Englisch"...I kid you not.

I ended up teaching myself Joomla and doing it myself. Good learning practice. Not perfect but successful.

The point to all this is...THIS IS what led me to join these forums.

Not only have I used members in Pakistan, Dubai, Ohio, New Jersey, and other places to totally build sites or assist in areas way over my head, but they have a reputation for all of us to see.

Plus, I have asked for and recieved many great tips and advice on these forums.

Outsourcing is not bad. Knowing nothing about who you are dealing with is bad.