Forum Moderators: LifeinAsia
Mack.
And if you decide to stick with your current webmaster, as Mack suggests, get a watertight contract drawn up and signed before paying any more money. Other things I would consider right now are:-
1) is the domain registered to you and not the webmaster?
2) do you have a copy of all relevant files for your website?
3) do you have server access and the ability to change passwords to block your current webmaster should things turn sour?
and so on. Be Prepared.
Onya
Woz
Wos, Now you have put my head in a spin, All the questions you have laid out the answers are no. we are having a battle with him at the moment as our domain runs out soon and discovered he has registerd that in his name, he has never allowed us to have any dealing with our site, we are airbrush artists and have spent a lot of money on our site and cant afford to let him kill it off, Yes we did give him chances but now we would like to change for someone new after now discovering that he is a third party reading our incoming and outgoing emails via our website, he commented on a painting we emailed to a customer, so now is the time he has got to go but we have a huge battle.
Regards mel (twinclaire)
my webmaster has been puting google ads on my website I was furious and told him to get them off, then I discovered that he had also put them on our thank you page hidden from us only in view of those sending emails, off they came again,
twinclaire, it's time to find a new webmaster. Try and get him to transfer the domain to your name and give you access to the website server.
If he refuses, I would threaten him with turning him over to Google for violating their AdSense TOS. You stated that he placed AdSense on your site without your permission, that is not allowed. He can only place ads on his own site or on sites he has permission from the owner.
I am sure he will not want to lose his AdSense account and will probably transfer the domain to you. Only threaten him as a last resort, he may retaliate.
Good luck.
Onya
Woz
I would not try to stir things up over AdSense or E-mail reading at this point. He has you at his mercy since he has your domain and site. The last thing you want to do is give him another reason not to cooperate by having his AdSense canceled.
Once you get the domain and site, then find a new webmaster.
From that point onwards, as part of my own customer service, I've always simply sent the customer passwords for their site and their domain name. No-one uses it (thank heavens!) but I feel better!
Unfortunately, this sort of thing happens way too often. The best thing you can do, I am afraid, is negotiate a reasonable "hostage fee" to get him to transfer the domain to you.
If you're still really upset, sue him in small claims court after paying the hostage fee and gaining control of the site.
Priority #1, and I repeat #1, should be to get the domain in your name ASAP. Priority 2 would be to get a copy of the site's files and databases.I would not try to stir things up over AdSense or E-mail reading at this point. He has you at his mercy since he has your domain and site. The last thing you want to do is give him another reason not to cooperate by having his AdSense canceled.
Once you get the domain and site, then find a new webmaster.
I whole-heartedly second Blueheelers' comments.
As long as you have a copy of your site (which is publicly available to anyone), control of the domain is everything. Ignore everything else and get the domain name.
Then, find a webmaster who'll run your site for you rather than himself.
[edited by: SiteChemistry at 12:46 pm (utc) on Jan. 10, 2007]
I agree with others, you must get control of your domain first and foremost. Once that is done than get copies of the web pages and change the passwords for everything to stuff only you guys know.
I had a similar issue a year ago when a client of mine (lawyer) called and told me one of his clients was being held hostage by his webmaster. I ended up intervening and talking the other webmaster off the ledge, but it was not easy and could certainly have ended worse.
Part of the problem here is people and businesses setting up web sites and not understanding even the basics that go into it. I understand business people are busy, but I think you need to understand the basics of this stuff to avoid getting into jams.
Some if not all the domain registrars allow you to register your domain, but give limited access to a webmaster for purposes of managing a site. This helps because you still control the key item, the domain, but don't have to manage every detail yourself.
Fortune Hunter
How many CEO's of large companies are there that personally renew the company domain year after year? My guess is zero. It's a job that's left to webmasters.
Bzzzzzt! Wrong answer!
Sure, left to webmasters - but not outside companies.
It's like letting your real-estate agent put the title deed in their name.
Don't be surprised if the county registrar is skeptical.
The deed's in Snidley Whiplashe's name, and Little Nell is tied to the railroad tracks. Hope you have your paperwork in order!
Regarding internal fraud (which this isn't) - it's an interesting hole in most company's procedures. Most companies have procedures in place that would catch this quickly if, say, an accountant were writing checks to themselves instead of to vendors. But domain name registrations?
He said he puts all the domain names in his name to basically lock his customers to him. Legal - depends on the contract. Ethical - no.
Take it with baby steps. You can always get your data - hopefully he gave you an FTP account. He might be going through a reseller for the domain registration and worse case, you can call him.
With corporations, my roommate actually managed all of their company's domain names for the longest time - and of course they were in the company name. This helped to protect the company in case the employee was no longer working for that company.
Good luck with it though. I know exactly what you are going through, I have helped a few people take back their domain name. It takes a lot of patience and persitence.
I would start off by just asking him in a non-chalant manner about the domain name - that you don't get any renewal notices for it from (like Godaddy). Open the door slowly. Don't kick it down
-Corey
When I take over a site or set up a new domain I send the clients all registration and hosting info (including passwords) re their domain and emphasize they keep all such files in a safe place in case anything happens to my files, i.e., I train them in keeping records for their own domain. I just had one client write me yesterday re a company wanting them to renew their domain who wasn't the registrant and the domain wasn't due for 2 more years which was a scam.
I also keep a list of all client's domains arranged by due date and check it every month to make sure they are all paid up.
