My client wants a refund for stopping services
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
My client wants a refund for stopping services
I am a web designer that advertises on Craigslist. A person contacted me asking for my services to build him a website per his instructions and direction. I offered 2,500 for forty pages paid upfront. After 2 months of work he is now requesting for money back because he did a head-to-head test between me and a designer in india. ‘basically, he got to where you finished off in 15 hours over 3 days.’ There was no written contract other than an email and verbal agreement. Cancellations/refunds were never discussed. Do I have to return the 2,500? He only gave me instructions for 4 pages.
Asked on May 5, 2016 under Business Law, California
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 8 years ago | Contributor
No, you don't need to return the money if he cancels the contract (even an oral contract) or arrangement, so long as you did not breach, or violate, what you agreed to do: when party A does or has been doing (until stopped by the other party) what party A was supposed to do but party B decides to stop the project or working with party A, party A is under no obligation to return B's money because in this case, it is B who breached the contract, by either not giving you enough material to work with and/or by pulling the plug. Since the other party made the job imposible (not enough pages or material) and/or decided to cancel but you were doing what you'd agree, they can't get their money back.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.