Dan Rud of Pioneer Info & Marketing, Inc (former company name), Pioneer Information, Inc (new name) contracted me to write software for his mortgage lead company. He wrote in several email messages that he would pay whatever it costs for me to complete a program unfinished by two former programmers.
Dan acted disgruntled toward the two former programmers, but, didn't say why they left the project. I now know why. Dan lacked the ability to personally communicate specifications to them. He had a written summary list, but could not understand what was on the list most likely because the list was written by a real programmer.
I quoted a price to get his program working based on the first spec list. This is when he said he "would pay whever it costs to finish the program". I corrected and completed every item on Dan's first spec list to his full satisfaction. He was sent the software and told "Do not pay unless and until you consider it done." He paid for the first spec list, confirming that it was completed.
Then Dan added a second spec list. I completed this second specifications list to his full satisfaction. When I completed and delivered this, he did not pay for the work. He used the software for 65 more days. I didn't hear from him. He most certainly did not ever specify that there was any software problems. He confirmed that it did exactly as the spec lists had required.
More time went by. He hadn't paid for the additional work and still no complaints.
I did recommend that he stop running the software on an old slow computer because of the nature of the program and because it was running on a Microsoft Access 2000 database. He failed to see the signigicance. Talking to him was like talking to a 2 year old because he didn't have basic computer knowledge. He did't know what a folder or directory was. When it came time for him to install the product, he was lost.
He then asked me to write the entire system in another programming language fully expexting me to not be paid anymore for that additional work. Imagine Dan having a a house built then, paying only for a part of it, demanding his money back, then asking the contractor to rebuild another for free!
He then asked via email for some minor support help but not related to any problem, outside of the free support time I allowed, 30 days. Again, his email message said, "I will pay whatever it costs to receive the support." During the support phone call, Dan reiterated that he would pay the cost he agreed to. I provided him with the support and sent an invoice for the agreed cost.
In the following weeks he sent a nasty email saying he would not pay for the additional software work, not pay for the support and demanded all his money back. Again, no declaration or communication on any problems. Without a problem being specified to a company, there cannot be any cure.
Then he emailed the web site that connected us as a contract broker to compel them to make me give back his money, again without specifying any concrete problems. They contacted me. I then listed every one of the spec, the completeness of each was explained, the fact that each was done to Dan Rud's complete satisfaction. Dan was running a scam to get programming services, then extorting the money back after work was delivered to use the money on new programmers. The site agreed and didn't ask me to return the money.
Dan then filed libel and defamation statements on the contract broker site and flagged my profile as the lowest rating.
All this comes to is:
A. Dan Rud is a chronic liar. Not one of his statements were true.
B. A deadbeat customer
C. An extortion artist working scams to get free programming
D. A masochistic person. There was no reason whatsoever for him to ask for his money back according to ordinary business practice nor any reason for posting a poor rating or libel statments.
As a result, I lost thousands of dolars of new business, existing relationships with clients. The contract profile was defamed into failure.
The costs to sue Dan start from $25,000 and up.
Do not ever do business with this person or his company.
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