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Ask HN: How to Deal with Uneducated Contractors?

8 points by trifit 4y ago

Hired a dev through a popular website, but they’re holding code hostage unless I increase payment by 50%.

donutshop 4y ago
Is there legal action you could take?
yosito 4y ago
What kind of contract did you sign with them? That's really the key. A popular agreement is 50% payment up front, and 50% payment after deliverables have been received. It sounds like you may have paid before receiving the deliverables. In that case, I suppose it's a lesson learned the hard way, unless the developer violated an enforceable contract and you're willing to take legal action.
- trifit 4y ago
  It was one time amount to be paid after deliverable. They have yet to be paid and are now not replying to messages. Plus the platform is now saying that our chats under review. \_0_/ | / \
  - Ekaros 4y ago
    If you haven't paid anything yet, what is the problem? Just go to someone else. After making clear notification that they either accept agreed rate or nothing.
  - solumunus 4y ago
    Absolutely just move on, don't reward scammers. They probably don't even have any code for you.
  - lzaaz 4y ago
    When it becomes clear to him that you won't pay the 50% increase, he'll probably offer to give you the code for the price you agreed on before. Don't fall in that trap because if you pay first he won't give you the code until you pay for the increase as well.
necovek 4y ago
What does this have to do with education: this is obviously a business disagreement (they probably believe they did work on top of what was agreed to originally)? I am sure a "popular website" can help you recuperate any costs you had so far if you mark the project as undelivered, so you can look for another contractor. Without any further details, it's hard to take sides here.
anigbrowl 4y ago
Where is the 'uneducated' part? Getting tired of these shitty one-liner 'ask HN' posts that never include sufficient context to be worth analyzing.
- WheelsAtLarge 4y ago
  Looks like they meant unethical.
  - necovek 4y ago
    Perhaps they need education on what each word means?
WheelsAtLarge 4y ago
Unless it's in the 10+ thousands, your best bet is to pay and never do business with them again. Anything else will cost you more. Also, make sure you get what you think you should get by using some kind of 3rd party verification. It's impossible to trust someone once they pull this BS.
shapefrog 4y ago
> popular website Dispute resolution on said popular site.
prepend 4y ago
This seems like a screening problem and a checkpoint problem. Immediately, I’d just cut them loose and hire a new dev to recreate the work. Screen the new one better and have lots of checkpoints. By screening, maybe adjust your interview process to cover previous work and culture fit. Check references. For checkpoints, set up daily check-ins for code with an automated build and test that checks that it at least compiles and does something. And check-in with communication to talk with them as much as you can to include them in design and requirements decisions to share context and get their input.
hackerman123469 4y ago
If you walked into a grocery store to buy milk, let's say for $1 and then the cashier refuses to give you the milk for $1 and demands $2 instead. How would you respond to the situation in that case? This is exactly the same. If it was me, then I would just refuse to do business with them and let them keep the milk and I keep my money; would most likely find another grocery store where I can buy milk for the price given.
- necovek 4y ago
  If the price for milk has changed and they failed to update the sticker on the shelf, the cashier might be unable to sell you milk for $1 if the register system says $2: you can either pay $2 or go home without the milk. (While there might be a law that a sticker price must be honored, the cashier might not know how to override the system.) This is mostly to say that even in a milk-price situation, you'll want to decide on the circumstances and how much is milk urgent for you. OTOH, can you imagine a (non-trivial) contracting job where there was not a single change in requirements along the way?

8 points by trifit 4y ago

Hired a dev through a popular website, but they’re holding code hostage unless I increase payment by 50%.

donutshop 4y ago

Is there legal action you could take?

yosito 4y ago

What kind of contract did you sign with them? That's really the key. A popular agreement is 50% payment up front, and 50% payment after deliverables have been received. It sounds like you may have paid before receiving the deliverables. In that case, I suppose it's a lesson learned the hard way, unless the developer violated an enforceable contract and you're willing to take legal action.

trifit 4y ago
It was one time amount to be paid after deliverable. They have yet to be paid and are now not replying to messages. Plus the platform is now saying that our chats under review. \_0_/ | / \
- Ekaros 4y ago
  If you haven't paid anything yet, what is the problem? Just go to someone else. After making clear notification that they either accept agreed rate or nothing.
- solumunus 4y ago
  Absolutely just move on, don't reward scammers. They probably don't even have any code for you.
- lzaaz 4y ago
  When it becomes clear to him that you won't pay the 50% increase, he'll probably offer to give you the code for the price you agreed on before. Don't fall in that trap because if you pay first he won't give you the code until you pay for the increase as well.

necovek 4y ago

What does this have to do with education: this is obviously a business disagreement (they probably believe they did work on top of what was agreed to originally)? I am sure a "popular website" can help you recuperate any costs you had so far if you mark the project as undelivered, so you can look for another contractor. Without any further details, it's hard to take sides here.

anigbrowl 4y ago

Where is the 'uneducated' part? Getting tired of these shitty one-liner 'ask HN' posts that never include sufficient context to be worth analyzing.

WheelsAtLarge 4y ago
Looks like they meant unethical.
- necovek 4y ago
  Perhaps they need education on what each word means?

WheelsAtLarge 4y ago

Unless it's in the 10+ thousands, your best bet is to pay and never do business with them again. Anything else will cost you more. Also, make sure you get what you think you should get by using some kind of 3rd party verification. It's impossible to trust someone once they pull this BS.

shapefrog 4y ago

> popular website Dispute resolution on said popular site.

prepend 4y ago

This seems like a screening problem and a checkpoint problem. Immediately, I’d just cut them loose and hire a new dev to recreate the work. Screen the new one better and have lots of checkpoints. By screening, maybe adjust your interview process to cover previous work and culture fit. Check references. For checkpoints, set up daily check-ins for code with an automated build and test that checks that it at least compiles and does something. And check-in with communication to talk with them as much as you can to include them in design and requirements decisions to share context and get their input.

hackerman123469 4y ago

If you walked into a grocery store to buy milk, let's say for $1 and then the cashier refuses to give you the milk for $1 and demands $2 instead. How would you respond to the situation in that case? This is exactly the same. If it was me, then I would just refuse to do business with them and let them keep the milk and I keep my money; would most likely find another grocery store where I can buy milk for the price given.

necovek 4y ago
If the price for milk has changed and they failed to update the sticker on the shelf, the cashier might be unable to sell you milk for $1 if the register system says $2: you can either pay $2 or go home without the milk. (While there might be a law that a sticker price must be honored, the cashier might not know how to override the system.) This is mostly to say that even in a milk-price situation, you'll want to decide on the circumstances and how much is milk urgent for you. OTOH, can you imagine a (non-trivial) contracting job where there was not a single change in requirements along the way?