My Developer showed us a great site on Test Version but now it's live it's awful

[#1]

I'm gutted. We paid $1700 for a website to be made for us, and the developers kept hassling us to pay them.   My staff member paid them because they promised the website would work on the live server and it was just running slowly because it was on a testing site.  They said they wouldn't put the site on the live server unless we paid them. As soon as we paid them they lost interest in us.  They have now made the site live and it had a huge effect on the rest of our microsites. The developers just don't want to know.  i want to get my money back, could someone tell me how I could get a refund. 

[#2]

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@Sean C wrote:

They have now made the site live and it had a huge effect on the rest of our microsites. "

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what do you mean by that?

[#3]

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@Sean C wrote:

I'm gutted. We paid $1700 for a website to be made for us, and the developers kept hassling us to pay them.   My staff member paid them because they promised the website would work on the live server and it was just running slowly because it was on a testing site.  They said they wouldn't put the site on the live server unless we paid them. As soon as we paid them they lost interest in us.  They have now made the site live and it had a huge effect on the rest of our microsites. The developers just don't want to know.  i want to get my money back, could someone tell me how I could get a refund. 

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 How long since you released the funds? The developer was wrong to ask for the funds to be released before handing the work over. The whole point of Escrow is that both parties know the funds are secure and neither party can just run off with either the money without getting the work or run off with the work without paying.

But what is done is done. The answer what can be done depends on how long ago you released the last milestone.

[#4]

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@Petra R wrote:

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 The developer was wrong to ask for the funds to be released before handing the work over. The whole point of Escrow is that both parties know the funds are secure and neither party can just run off with either the money without getting the work or run off with the work without paying.

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 There is nothing wrong. They buyer can refuse to realease funds for ever.  Freelancer also has to protect his product (in this case the developer could be a scammer though).

[#5]

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@Prashant P wrote:

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@Petra R wrote:

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 The developer was wrong to ask for the funds to be released before handing the work over. The whole point of Escrow is that both parties know the funds are secure and neither party can just run off with either the money without getting the work or run off with the work without paying.

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 There is nothing wrong. They buyer can refuse to realease funds for ever.  Freelancer also has to protect his product (in this case the developer could be a scammer though).

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 It *IS* wrong as per the way the workflow is designed to work. The client has 14 days to check and test the work after it was *SUBMITTED* - the client can only do this when the milestone is completed, submitted and in the client's hands (on their server.)

The client can not "refuse to release funds forever" either.

[#6]

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@Petra R wrote:

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@Prashant P wrote:

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@Petra R wrote:

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 It *IS* wrong as per the way the workflow is designed to work.

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 It may be.  If everything worked as designed there wouldn't be cheating by buyers or scamming by freelancers. However, it could be actually ge 44 days till a freelancer's money is at risk.  They can make arrangements with their buyers such that their interests - work products are protected.  I have seen postings by high end freelancers who require substantial down payment even before the work has begun.

[#7 · Accepted solution]

I'm sorry to hear your experience, Sean. I checked your account and can see that you have active hourly contracts with your freelancers. I'm not sure which contract you are referring to, but please know that you can dispute the hours logged by your freelancer after the work week has ended. 

You may read more about filing disputes for your freelancers logged hours through this help article.