[Scott]

Did a website just under two years ago.

I've been updating it for the client for 'free' just simple text changes every few months if needed.

Everything is fine, until the other day I receive an email saying:

"My grandson is a wiz on the computer and he has been helping me out if I needed help with anything to do with computers, all his friends have summer jobs lined up and he wants some pocket money, he has been asking me for ages if he can do a website for me. I'd like to give him the chance to host it for me and him take charge of the website. I'm sorry to lose you but wish you the best of luck in the future"

I got an email off her grandson, asking for the login to my hosting account so he could take the site and the login to my domain registrar so he can switch the site over to his server.

I emailed back saying that this is fine if he wants to re-design the site I'll transfer the domain namesevers over to whatever he wants them to be. However I do not want anybody else other than myself to update/maintain this website in case of any mishap/mess up and things go wrong. It has my name on it and it is pretty self explanatory.

Just got an email back today saying:

"I understand what you are saying but as I paid you to do the website for me
surely the website belongs to me."

I don't want to leave on bad terms with this client, however I certainly don't want to hand over the website I did to some 15 year old kid who has his own illegal copy of photoshop/dreamweaver. There was no contract made or signed, as this was just a pure and simple get the job done, based on trust. I have recently re-registered the domain name for the client and I paid for this myself, never asked the client for any money. So technically the hosting, design and domain name is all registered to me.

Any advice? What to say next?

[datahound]

Keep it all sweet. You never know, chances are it will all get fucked up and they will come back so keep a backup.

Take your name off the site.

Ask for the payment for the domain and hosting and arrange transfer into their name. Registering domain name for clients in your name is very bad practice and very 1990.

These things happen, he may still recomend you to someone else in the future.

[CharmingMan]

wite a disclaimer that ur clint can sign saying that once the exchange has taken place you will take no further responsibility for anything that goes wrong

[Scott]

Datahound: Cheers, I'll do that. The hosting doesn't run out till October, so I can't really charge her that.

Would you charge a transfer fee? I'm not too fussed about it but its just the pure cheek of it, I had taken extra photos free of charge and added those to the site as well.

[woodss]

If it was me, i'd smile through gritted teeth and take the good referrals that MAY come about if you just do as she says. Any potential good words are better than virtually guaranteed bad mouthing if you dig your heels in - and for what? It sounds like a "non-client" anyway.

Besides, she'll probably come crawling back when her grandson kills the site

[mx]

Originally Posted by BlueSteel

Would you charge a transfer fee? I'm not too fussed about it but its just the pure cheek of it, I had taken extra photos free of charge and added those to the site as well.

You can't start charging for elements that have already been provided free-of-charge. Neither should you try and charge a transfer free. It's their site, they paid you for it and if you neglected to charge for elements or services; then that's your problem, not theirs.

Remove your name from the site, make sure they understand that you will no longer be responsible for any problems that may arise when the maintenance is taken over and move on. If they come back to you (which they may well do), you can renegotiate terms then, but not now.

[Scott]

Yeah, cheers woodsy

Thanks MX. I wasn't intending on doing so, a few other people have mentioned this before but thought I'd ask first!

Thanks again.