My client did not pay me - How can I make him ? Can I sue him ?

Hi,

My client did not pay me. How can I make him. It's not a big amount but it's the matter of honestly and reliability which really makes me feel bad. Can I sue him ? What are the laws which protect me and where can I file an online complaint ?
We are both from India.
I have many contacts with lawyers etc.. but if anyone has faced this before and can help, it would be much appreciated.

Thanks!

 

Was there a contract? If not you may have a very hard time doing this.

If you have contacts with lawyers, contact them since they will know the law better.

 

If he didn't pay you, then yeah you could sue him. You've basically been had.

 

If you can prove that there was some sort of agreement between you guys then you might have a fighting chance.

Do you have any past records of you guys discussing the project that you did for him? (old e-mails or phone conversations)
Do you have proof that you actually provided a good or service to him?

If it's only a small amount it's probably not worth your time to sue. The legal costs will make it not worth it to get your money back if it's only a small sum.

 

Oops no contracts.

 

I have email correspondence + chat transcripts for everything.
Yes, proof of good service is also there on record.

 

Emails are often useless and chat logs are always useless. Its just as bad as a verbal agreement, binding but rarely enforceable.

 

You'd better check your facts before you blatantly post anything. A chatlog maybe passed off as a verbal agreement, but emails are electronic transcripts and are enough proof to prove in the court of law that a deal has taken place.

 

Both my criminal justice teacher (a former prosecutor) and business law teacher (a practicing real estate lawyer) said that to me. I'm not just going around saying random things.

 

Yes and no. I think what you're trying to say (and perhaps lost in type) is that you have enough to establish a contract... but that still doesn't mean you can make him pay. Unfortunately, that is what going to court is for...

 

First of all be polite and if then they didn't listen to you then sue them.

 

Firstly, none of us can give truly accurate advice unless we know what work you did for the client, and the price range. Depending on the type of work (design vs content) there are different types of laws that apply. The price can determine whether a law suit would be an option or if it just wouldn't be worth it.

My baseline advice is never to pursue a lawsuit unless you really have to. The fees won't only be outrageous, but the time it takes before you would ever get any money from it often makes it a worthless idea. First, figure out what options you have (I would recommend searching Google for more region specific information opposed to asking on DP). Once you know what routes are available, make the logical choice. If the client is a business, you may be able to file something with a "better business bureau" or the like, it all just depends.

Either way, I wish you luck in getting your money =)

 

These are good pertinent documents. These should be on your property in order to sue him.

 

unless you want constant stress, make peace and move on with your life.

Once you give your money back, it can be costly/difficult to get it back...
(from those that maybe conned you)

 

Like someone mentioned in an earlier post, always write up a contract before you do any business. Saves you the trouble of guessing who's right and who's wrong.

 

Do you still have ftp access, or anything interesting like that? ^_^

 

Does india have a small claims court or equivilant? If so you're best asking them

 

yeah indeed,
for sure if it's about a big amount of money

 

If no contract ? Dont bother unless its a serious ammount. If you have a contract, and the lawyer is cheaper than what the client owes you. Do it, its always a good feeling when kicking someone in the ass when they cheated someone

 

Customers try to scam businesses all the time, unfortunately that is a part of business. Do what you can but at the end of the day, just learn to accept payment upfront