I normally won't even do work with out a 50% deposit of projected costs, and that deposit covers any work I do up untill the point you like the finish product, or you don't want my work. (all part of the contract)

Yeah but for your level of credibility allows for such a request.

Well, there are as many dishonest customers as there as dihonest coders, if not more. And that hurts customers as well. Many similar stories can be said for customers who never pay after delivery, and this is why many developers insist on a percentage in advance.

Depending on the size of the job and factors about the credibility of the client, I normally charge a Deposit...

If a client was someone I knew well and trusted, I may levy that deposit if I know they will pay at the end of the project ;)

Satan

I'm another that does not accept any project without a 50% deposit.

I do however, offer (toll-free) telephone support, a paypal business account, a registered business in the state of NJ, and, if requested--references (from accountants, store owners, vb members, etc) ...

Here's a good list in conjunction with what is already here when looking for hired help:

1. View current work that coder has done.
2. View coder's responses to questions posted here.
3. How long has the coder been a vb member?
4. Ask for full name/address
5. Hire people locally (county, state, nation)
6. Hire only those that you can verify ... if in doubt, do not hire
7. Ask for references
8. Ask for a telephone number (very important - you can verify address/locality of person with a phone number)
9. A big PLUS -- Depending on type of project make sure coder has a good understanding of USABILITY ... without usability in mind great projects fail.

VBcore - Respectfully - You should not have published his name in this forum. There is still a chance that he will see the error here and refund at least a portion of my moneymy money. Now that you have published his name the damage is done.

My intent was to warn others to be careful NOT to start a flame war or bring the petty details of this into this forum. I had hope that he would see that if he did not work with me on this his reputation would suffer by word of mouth.

As with any story there are two sides. In this persons defence, I know he did not start out to defraud me. I was hoping most of all he would learn a bit of a lesson from this matter and bemore careful in the future.

I regret sharing his name with you in confidence VBcore and would not have done so if I thought you where going to publish it in the forum. I respectfully ask you or the moderators to remove that.

For what it is worth, name removed.

vBCore, if LNON chooses not to make that name public, you should not go against that wish.

I concur ... I do think it was wrong in posting the name.

Can you imagine if this type of flaming was aloud? Reputation can be tarnished without a word from all parties AND we don't even know all the facts.

Its threads like this that will pressure him to refund your money to save face. Kind of wierd to post a thread saying you were ripped off and then refuse to give out the name so another person can get ripped off. What if he had done this before and that person didnt post what happened so then he ripped you off? How would that make you feel?

He did offer to give more details in PM, and it is his good right (and i personally thin a very professional attitude towards this) to do so. And it is more that people are aware of the risks when offering or accepting an online agreement, then that a name have to be mentioned. This can be a one time slip.

If this kind of reports are made often against a certain member, i am sure Staff would try to hear both parties and if reason to do so give a warning with name. That has happened in the past also.