Would you publicly call out an non-paying client?

[jentulman]

I just found this via twitter..

http://bsglogistics.co.uk/

Here a developer has suspended hosting and publicly called out a client for non payment of bills. Personally, whilst I might suspend a clients service, I don't feel that this kind of name and shame tactic would reflect well on me professionally.

Would you do the same?

[damoncali]

Ask yourself this: What good does it do you to publicly air this stuff? Take the site down if you must, but enraging your clients, even deadbeat clients, I would guess is bad for business overall. You have to leave them room to save face.

[JoeAltmaier]

Anything can be done gracefully. A simple announcement that due to failure to make payments, service is suspended. Kind of like those emails about Ken 'pursuing other opportunities'.

[asto]

Yes I would call them out. People do these things because they believe the consequences are painless.

I wouldn't do what this guy has done though because I doubt clients publicise sites before they are live, so no one's going to see that notice anyway.

[mrkmcknz]

What 'freelance' developer would build a site, host it and put it live without one payment.

[bjplink]

This was my first thought as well. This is a good reason why you need to take down payments.

There probably isn't a freelancer out there that hasn't wanted to do what this guy has done to a deadbeat client. I just don't see how going this route benefits you in any way though. Now everyone involved looks like a jerk.