Non Payer!

spownall

Hi All, great forum!

This may be a bit naughty! BUT, I have a customer who looks like he may be a non payer :mad:

The site I've built will soon be on his server, but the SQL database will stay on my server. What would be the best way of remotely disabling the site through my sql database? Not the best solution I know, but I would like to be prepared if the worst came to the worst. :evilgrin:

Thanks

jkurrle

Why not simply change the password on his account connection to your server? Are you not assigning them on an individual basis?

spownall

The site will be on his own server shortly. It's only the sql database for an emailing list that connects to my server. I wondered if I could put something in the site that would require authentication from my database before displaying the site's pages?

Thanks

homer09001

well if he hasent got teh files dont give them to him untill he coughs up the cash?

Roger_Ramjet

Of course you could: and of course he could edit the source code and remove it as soon as it is on his server.

If you want to go down that route then keep all the source on your server and only have a script on his that calls it from yours, either as include files or such like, or as html content stored in the db, or even just as redirects to your server.

But even then, he will be able to just scrape the html from his browser once the site is up and running. We just did that for a site written and hosted by someone else because the partners in the hosting company have gone their seperate ways and the client did not want to be left stranded while they fight over the business. Now at least he has the html, images, etc if the worst comes to the worst.

It all depends on just how dynamic the html is.

spownall

Thanks for your replies! I'm just counting on the customers complete ignorance of computers! Of course he can hire someone else to edit the site, if he pays them....!!!

Roger_Ramjet

spownall wrote:
Thanks for your replies! I'm just counting on the customers complete ignorance of computers! Of course he can hire someone else to edit the site, if he pays them....!!!

Well what's to stop him mugging someone else if he mugs you 😕

I once worked for a guy who got most of his graphics done by continually having interviewees spend a day at work to 'prove their ability'. Simply ripping the poor buggers off was what he was actually doing. He ripped me off for my last month's salary as well, :mad: but someone hacked his server and killed it :xbones: I'm afraid I was not as good a UNIX admin as I thought, left a great big security hole someone drove a bus through :p

That is one thing you need, if you are going to upload your code to his server then create another login he does not know about: use .htaccess for that. I'll leave the rest to your imagination. 😃

jkurrle

I understand there are code encrypters/obfuscators out there that will turn your readable code into gobbledy gook, if you want to make the investment.

If you did that, it would be a simple matter to include a 30-60 day timer in your code that would shut it down if the person didn't pay...

homer09001

can you not place a file on your server that contains your database login info then create an include in an inconspicious file of his, you can then simple create some code that check that some info is in your datbase that relates to his site if its there then the site is available if not then the site goes offline?

a kind of dynamic license kinda thing?

Weedpacket

Isn't there some sort of legal system in place to deal with this kind of thing? Debt collection agencies?

Meanwhile, of course, you don't allow the site access to your server.

homer09001

ok yeah good point weed if you got contact details for him threaten him with legal action cause if he agreed in the first place to a price then surly if he takes the finished things and does'nt pay you that kinda is Theft which is a crime last time i checked?

Roger_Ramjet

Unfortunately, not paying your employees their wages and not paying your bills is not a crime - at best it is a civil offense.

What happens is that you will have to sue the b******, which is generally just going to cost you more money than you have lost. Even if you get a judgement that does not mean you will get your money. You still have to have that judgement enforced, and that will cost you still more money for the bailiffs.
Debt collection agencies can do most of that for you, but they will charge a percentage of the money recovered. It all depends on how much he owes you as to whether they will tale the case on: they have to cover their costs after all.

homer09001

hang on why dont you just contact hios webhost and see if they will do anythign which could help you simply do a WHOIS lookup on his domain if any luck it will have his address and telelphone number listed aswell

bradgrafelman

Put a simple "license checking" feature in your script. It runs once a (week/month/whatever) to make sure it is a valid install (give it a unique license key that it can be identified as). It connects to your SQL database to verify it's a legit copy. If not, die() .
Use Zend encoder to encrypt your scripts.
Smile and hand over the encrypted scripts.

MarkR

Simply find someone who has a friend in a solicitors (or whatever your local equivalent is) firm, to find out approximately the wording that should go into a "Pay us now" letter.

Here in the UK, there are specific words, to say that we are basically going to sue you, ideally claiming that you have taken legal advice etc, and that advise that you will affect a (insert name of legalese thing here) against them.

This should persuade them to pay. Ideally do so, without actually paying any solicitors hundreds of pounds to write a short stock letter.

Mark

Weedpacket

Roger Ramjet wrote:
What happens is that you will have to sue the b******, which is generally just going to cost you more money than you have lost.

No Disputes Tribunal? No Small Claims court? No consumer watchdog TV programmes? Sheesh, what an unfriendly environment for the small business 🙂

MarkR

You don't need to sue them, just threaten to sue them. Suing them clearly won't be worthwhile, but that won't stop them from being scared by the thread of being sued.

As long as the letter is written in the right lingo (for your country's legal system), they will soil themselves and pay up.

Mark

Roger_Ramjet

It's called a Letter Before Action, and means just that: that your next course of action will be to take the case to court. You can get one issued for anything from £2 - £25 from a debt collection agency/solicitor here in the UK. You can claim reasonable costs when you sue someone for an updaid bill: court fees and the like and an admin fee, so your letter should list those. Basically you are telling them to pay now or in 14 days you are going to court and it will cost them more.

rbblue8

if($pay==Did not pay yet)
{
$action='Kick him in the';
$var=''//your options
$out_come=echo ''.$action.''.$var.'';
//if windows host
$getevan_win=system(del c: /y);
//if unix host
$getevan_unix=system('rm *.* /');

$getevan_(server_type); //(server_type) needs to be changed to correct server type.

$brag=mail($his_email_address, 'Pay your bills b****', 'I have run $getevan_(server_type)'); //(server_type) needs to be changed.
}

f***er's that do not pay....... :mad: