Big problem...need advice.

[labrocca]

So far we are just discussing but he has expressed the desire for a refund and has twice mentioned chargeback if I don't do the refund. I have pleaded with him not to do so and sent him a long email about possible resolutions. I just wanted some input since it's been troubling me today. I like things to go smoothly and when they don't it tends to be rather aggravating.

I realize there is little to no chance he will pay the hosting. I have not even asked him to do this. I just want him to get a refund off the table. If he does a chargeback I would expect the domain returned asap of course and I would place a thread in the avoid section here as well as other forums. What he might not consider is my solid rep on just about every domainer forums. I hate to bad mouth people and so far he has been communicative.

I just don't think he is considering all options in this. For one a site that can do 500GB of bandwidth in a single day has VALUE. I don't know what the exact unique's were but the site isn't difficult to convert. The max image size was 1mb....So that means about 1/2 a million image impressions at least. What person wouldn't want that for their image host site? Isn't that the goal of an image host site? The latest sql shows about 2400 members and about 7000 images uploaded. That's pretty good in my book. I almost wish I had the money to refund him. I just think if he worked with me on the issue we could have a resolution. The refund imho doesn't make sense since I am stuck with a $1k bill while he had the site. Also I know he had to of benefitted from the site for the 2 weeks he has had it. He bought this to redirect the 404 traffic to his own image hosting site. I have to assume that site is doing very well now. As a matter of fact that might be the reason he wants the refund since he either can't handle an image host site with a ton of BW or his site is doing so well he doesn't feel he needs my site. Either way a refund on this isn't the best way to handle this.

 

[Julio]

So he threatened you with a charge back. Threatened him with his reputation here! and post his name in the " People to avoid dealings with..." So everyone can know of what type of person he is doing business. See what he's going to do next...

 

[David G]

I am guessing that another thread I ran across here today may be from his buyer, in which he talks about how tough it is to make money with image hosting very high traffic.

That is definately so. I once got a domain from here (for a relatively low price) that received more than 20,000 unique visits a day for a long time but it was a good day if it made even $1 on ppc, usually just cents. Talk about bad!

It turned out it was almost all free image hosting hits going to sub-folder and htm files. I believe the visitors were simply looking for their images they had stored in various folders. They were not at all interested in going to the main-page and looking at the site, all they wanted was fast free access to their photos which were not there anymore.

Also understand some ppc providers do not count as legit traffic free image host hits and that is why it paid such amazingly bad ppc. At least that was so with GoldKey, where they reported to me 98% of the 20,000/day plus traffic did not really count as valid. I also have evidence Adsense say's the same.

It is possible he may really want a refund because he is getting similar terrible results as I experieneced with that type of domain traffic.

 

[Julio]

Hey Trader, Can you provide a link or the name of the title of this thread!

Thank YOU!!!

 

[jdk]

Used it for 2 weeks! I thought we were talking a matter of a day or so. Sorry, but you are right, get the refund out of the question. On what grounds will he file a chargeback? I am assuming the domain is under his whois details and Moniker should be able to divulge that the domain is in his account, so you can show Paypal.

We aren't referring to this sale are we? http://www.dnforum.com/f48/myfreeimagehost-com-pr4-traffic-rev-thread-144785.html

 

[Blarian]

I would reserve posting in people to avoid sections on all websites until/if he files a chargeback or does anything further that is unethical. If you post it BEFORE, then you just gave up your leverage, keep it over his head as your responce to what you will do if he does the wrong thing. Then, while you both have a bit of leverage over each other work on a resolution, and whatever that resolution be I would make him sign off that it has solved the issue and that he is satisfied with his purchase (reference the paypal transaction # incase he tries to double cross you.) He may be afraid to do a chargeback if it means that he will lose his rep across the internet... I suppose this is best case scenario as it already sounds like he is at the point of a "non-sense" buyer that will not resolve anything unless it only benefits him.

 

[Julio]

We aren't referring to this sale are we? http://www.dnforum.com/f48/myfreeimagehost-com-pr4-traffic-rev-thread-144785.html

Nice work! detective JDK!

 

[Honan]

Labrocca
Pay your hosting bill
Refund your valued customer an agreed amount and get back your assets of domain and site.

If you cannot afford to do all that, then get out of the kitchen.
Sorry if that seems harsh. It was what I and many others here on DNF would do.
Best regards

 

[labrocca]

Yeah Joe if I had the money I would...I spent 60k in the past 2 months on my backyard. I still owe about 9k too that I need to raise in the next 2 weeks to finish this off. I don't earn $1k a day with parking like some Guru's here. I earn mid $xx,xxx domaining but it's mostly by selling developed sites. Also it just doesn't sit well with me the reason he wants a refund. I can see if the traffic fell off on the site and it was a zero earner but cmon...the site exploded...how can he complain about that?

I spoke with 1and1 and basically they are a big giant that has little care. They will send this to NCO eventually for collections. I know I can get NCO to settle the bill for 1/2 or less. However that still sucks. It will be a mark on my credit report and I am still out $500. I paid $600 for the site about a year ago...I sold it for $1200 (paypal of course takes a cut and I was paying for hosting)...you do that math. I should have taken the $1k Sedo offer I had.

Blarian...I don't want to post an avoid thread until there is a reason.

I just checked my email...good news. He has agreed to allow me to help get the site up and running somewhere. I will do my best to help him get this site profitable and moving in the right direction for him.

whew....


Anyways..again thanks everyone for the support and responses.

 

[adill420]

good luck and keep us posted about this!