I hired a website developer, Joseph Jarrell (aka Joe Jarrell), who utilizes the username "glorycoder, " via ScriptLance.com to complete a Textbook Buyback Website project (to allow me to purchase used textbooks from customers via the Internet) for $1050 with a timeline of 21 days. The start date was June 20. It is now December 20, and the project remains incomplete. I've already given him 3/4 of the money, which amounts to $787.50 because he completed 3 out of the 4 tasks that we agreed upon. However, I have three issues:
1. The work he performed for these 3 specific tasks remains on his test server. The work is NOT on my server. Therefore, I have no evidence that he performed any work.in addition, work on his test server does not constitute delivery of a website as per our contract.
2. The 4th and final task entails the core functions of the entire website, which include linking my website to both a United States Postal Service merchandise return service account (which would allow my customers to send their textbooks to me) and a textbook database (which would allow my customers to search my website for the books they would like to send to me). Because this task remains unfulfilled, the entire website is nonfunctional.
3. Joe relied on me to scour the Internet and find the textbook database. This is an atypical task for a client to be forced to complete. Prior to the start of the project, Joe told me a particular database could be used to complete the project. However, several months later, after having received 3/4 of the money, he admitted the original database could not be used.
He placed no effort toward finding a new database. I have no web development knowledge, yet I was forced to expend hours toward researching viable database alternatives.
There were additional costs that were also involved in this project including:
- Purchase of a merchandise return service account (in order to have customer textbooks sent to me) from the United States Postal Service for $796.55
- GoDaddy domain registration for $18.11
- Purchase of a HostGator web hosting plan for $66.72.
All of these costs including payments to Joe amount to $1668.88.
I am immensely disappointed and utterly disgusted with the service I have received from this developer. He has exceeded his initial project deadline by approximately 150 days. An initial agreement of 21 days has now morphed into a succession of excuses that turned a simple project into a nightmare.
At this point, all I want is for him to give me a refund of the money I expended toward this project and for us to peaceably go our separate ways.
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