Recently, I had a client who breached her contractual agreement by changing the password to her Yahoo Small Business account in an attempt to keep me from removing her site offline. At this point I chalk it up to a loss and don't feel like being bothered going after someone who lacks this much integrity - especially since she has already avoided the billing statements and contact phone calls. (I got my monies for site design, but this was the monthly mainenance agreement. Either way, she still has a fully functional site for the duration of FOREVER, while it bears notice that I maintain it when I *don't*.) I tried EVERYTHING to get into that account to remove my graphic work, to no avail. I wish I knew more about how hotlinking works so I can manipulate sites of clients like this.
Anyways... for future reference, how do I go about ensuring this does not happen. Generally I change all of my clients passwards to individual site *anyways* so that I am the only one with sole access. That way they don't get curious and go in moving files around, tear something up and expect for me to restore the site design. But in this case, because she set up her own Yahoo account, all she needed to do was go in, provide her CC# and change the password.
Is there another route to set up client's web host accounts so that I have sole access to the files and am able to shut the sites down when needed? (And WITHOUT me bearing the upfront cost of paying for their hosting services.)