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After loosing my job due to covid middle of 2021, I created a website to advertise freelance website design.
Somebody found the website and we spoke for a few weels about details about what they wanted and they asked if I could do it. I said I was willing to do my best and didn't forsee any issue.
I quoted all the pricing and agreed £200 inital payment for the setup, so basically they payed for me to design something which they could see and use before malign further payment towards the agreed price, a deposit.
The customer was happy with work and I fleshed out the website and fine tuned it to work on multiple devices and tidied up loose ends.
The customer then wished to look at adding a store front toget away from ebay who had recently increased seller fees at the time. Not a problem I told them, gave many options, they agreed one and paid for the setup.
In payments I had received around £900 so far, with just a balance of what I asked for support and ongoing changes etc to be made.
One Saturday morning whilst I was out with family the customer called me and started to verbally abuse me on the phone as I hadn't replied to their email, sent that morning. Bi explained I was not working that weekend and haven't committed to working at the weekend , this led to more abuse and I hung up the phone. Shortly after the customers husband called me, again threatening but I managed to explain that I would listen to the issues and then roll the husband that given how I was spoken to by his partner it would male things very difficult for a working relationship going forward, and that I cannot simply just hand over the website in entirety as the contacts were in my name, the agreement I had was to transfer ownership at a later stage as this was quite a complex thing to do with a particular website hosting company. The husband seemed to understand what i explained and we agreed verbally I would send £300 back to them and we both walk away.
So after the call I refunded £300 back to them. The website was taken down as I wasn't going to continue paying for it or support it, it was deleted and contracts with hosting company terminated.
I heard nothing on the matter until I notice a CCJ on my credit file, I have a warrant to collect a sum of £800 issued to a previous address apparently. I have completed an N244 form for the claim to be set aside and paid the fee to do so.
I am wondering where I may stand on this matter as much of this deal was done verbally and from what I can gather the customer is basically looking for a full refund.
Not sure if relevant but I did suggest to the customer making payment via paypal or bank transfer. The customer sent money and without me asking, user friends and family, which meant I have no protection for the payment from them as a buyer - even if I did, I expect it would be expired by now.
I have looked online and presume the next step is wait for a court date where I'll have to attend in person and plead my case.
Any help is welcome, or advice or anything really! Hope I've put this in the right place on the forum..
Many thanks and good evening/day to anybody who took the time to read this.
Thankyou
Somebody found the website and we spoke for a few weels about details about what they wanted and they asked if I could do it. I said I was willing to do my best and didn't forsee any issue.
I quoted all the pricing and agreed £200 inital payment for the setup, so basically they payed for me to design something which they could see and use before malign further payment towards the agreed price, a deposit.
The customer was happy with work and I fleshed out the website and fine tuned it to work on multiple devices and tidied up loose ends.
The customer then wished to look at adding a store front toget away from ebay who had recently increased seller fees at the time. Not a problem I told them, gave many options, they agreed one and paid for the setup.
In payments I had received around £900 so far, with just a balance of what I asked for support and ongoing changes etc to be made.
One Saturday morning whilst I was out with family the customer called me and started to verbally abuse me on the phone as I hadn't replied to their email, sent that morning. Bi explained I was not working that weekend and haven't committed to working at the weekend , this led to more abuse and I hung up the phone. Shortly after the customers husband called me, again threatening but I managed to explain that I would listen to the issues and then roll the husband that given how I was spoken to by his partner it would male things very difficult for a working relationship going forward, and that I cannot simply just hand over the website in entirety as the contacts were in my name, the agreement I had was to transfer ownership at a later stage as this was quite a complex thing to do with a particular website hosting company. The husband seemed to understand what i explained and we agreed verbally I would send £300 back to them and we both walk away.
So after the call I refunded £300 back to them. The website was taken down as I wasn't going to continue paying for it or support it, it was deleted and contracts with hosting company terminated.
I heard nothing on the matter until I notice a CCJ on my credit file, I have a warrant to collect a sum of £800 issued to a previous address apparently. I have completed an N244 form for the claim to be set aside and paid the fee to do so.
I am wondering where I may stand on this matter as much of this deal was done verbally and from what I can gather the customer is basically looking for a full refund.
Not sure if relevant but I did suggest to the customer making payment via paypal or bank transfer. The customer sent money and without me asking, user friends and family, which meant I have no protection for the payment from them as a buyer - even if I did, I expect it would be expired by now.
I have looked online and presume the next step is wait for a court date where I'll have to attend in person and plead my case.
Any help is welcome, or advice or anything really! Hope I've put this in the right place on the forum..
Many thanks and good evening/day to anybody who took the time to read this.
Thankyou
