My 68c modification story..Tell me if I'm wrong

[GPM55 +]

Ok well I will try not to make this too long of story, but I would appreciate some input.

I hired someone, who will go unnamed at the moment, unless he wants to chime in, to modify my 68classifieds website. There was something specific that I needed done, he said he would do it and make it universal so he could sell it to his clients. I said fine as long as it does what I need it to do. So we started on this project which I believe took about a month and cost me $700. He installed it on my server and we got a more or less beta version working, but there are still some bugs and things that need to be fixed. He left on vacation or something for a few months and I never heard from him after that. Before he left I told him there were some things not working and he said he would fix it and turned off some features until he came back.

During this time someone else contact me, who also will go unnamed, who wanted this modification. I told him to email the person that I originally hired to do it for me and he would be able to help him. Well after weeks went by this guy never heard back from the person that created the program. I believe I even sent the person that I hired an email telling him someone wanted him to do some work for him. Finally, I offered to sell the modification to this individual that wanted it and install it for him for a price less than what I paid, since it cost me $ to have built and it would take up my time getting it for him.

Well now a few months later the guy that built it for me came back and is mad that I tried to sell it and said "I went behind his back" and he has decided not to fix any of the bugs for me or give me future updates which was originally part of our deal and was included in the price that I paid him.


So tell me, did I really go "behind his back"? I put the prospective buyer in touch with him many times, even though I feel I really didn't have to. As a consumer I bought something, I paid for it, it was mine... I thought I had the right to do what I please with my website and sell it if I wish.

If you have someone build a house for you and you decide to sell the house before it is finished do you think the builder will say oh well you tried to sell it, now I am not going to finish the house and I am not going to give you your money back or give you any kind of compensation? I don't think so. Regardless of how the builder feels towards the customer they had a mutual agreement. The customer paid for something, are they not entitled to receive the full service that they paid for? Shouldn't the builder live up to his end of the bargain? The consumer did, he paid his debt.

I feel like I'm the one thats getting stabbed in the back. I tried to help these two people and now I paid $700 for a broken software and no updates that was originally part of the agreement.

Oh and I'll also add that I never sold anything to anyone, it was all just me offering to sell it to someone because he needed it and I was really his only resource at the time.

So what do you think? Is it really justifiable and professional for a freelancer to tell his client, tough luck, I'm not finishing this for you... and I'm not giving you any money back?

Regardless of how the seller feels about their customer's or client's shouldn't they still be obligated to provide the customer with what they paid for and if not compensate them for their losses and be on their way?

I believe I kept this post as unbiased as possible and this is exactly how it played out. If I am wrong, you know who you are... Feel free to add to this, but lets be mature here. I just want some honest feedback...

I apologized for any misunderstandings, but as a consumer I feel I did nothing wrong.