Most web developers are honest professionals, but the industry has enough bad actors that it's worth knowing the warning signs, especially before any large payment changes hands.
Warning signs before you hire
- Demanding full payment upfront with no milestones tied to actual progress
- Refusing to put scope, price, and timeline in writing
- Portfolio examples that no longer exist, or that belong to someone else's agency
- Pressuring you to decide immediately, with urgency that doesn't match the project
Warning signs during the project
- Long stretches of silence with no update, followed by vague excuses
- Repeated requests for more money with no clear explanation of what changed in scope
- Refusing to give you access to your own hosting account, domain, or admin login
If you suspect it's already happening
- Stop further payments immediately and request access to everything built so far
- Document all communication and payments in one place, with dates
- If payment went through a platform like Upwork or PayPal, use their dispute process
- Change any shared passwords once you regain control of your accounts
How to protect yourself going forward
Always keep your own domain registration and hosting account under your name, use milestone-based payments instead of full upfront payment, and get everything in writing before work starts.
Putting it together
Most of these problems are preventable with milestone payments, written agreements, and keeping control of your own accounts from day one. If you'd like a straightforward, transparent process for your next project, feel free to get in touch.