Don’t Hire Web Services Outside the United States
If you have done any business on the Internet, you’ve surely noticed how many companies and freelancers - ready to take your business - that are NOT based in the United States. This includes companies in Canada and other countries that the US has trade agreements with - it’s not as easy as you may think to protect yourself. We want to caution you to know who you hire and know your rights and obligations up front.
Many of these non-US folks are only in it for a quick buck and do not care about your results. Why should they comply with US laws or deal fairly with you? What happens when one of those so-called SEO experts gets your site banned from Google for using shady tactics? They know that if you do have a problem, it will be nearly impossible for you to seek relief from them. And why would they care? They have your money and have already moved on to another sucker.
Let’s say you hire a non-US company or individual to design a website or to write some content for you. And a few months later, you get sued for stealing the design and content because your designer ripped off another Realtor or company? Or worse, what if several different people sue you?
You are responsible for the damages - whether or not you were aware that it was stolen.
Do you think your Canadian or Indian designer will now come to your rescue and defend your lawsuit? Or refund your money? Or even respond to you when you decide to sue them for your damages?
It is virtually impossible and incredibly expensive to seek any relief whatsoever from someone outside the US. Even if you win a lawsuit against them in US Federal Court, how will you collect on that lawsuit? Not to mention paying your attorney fees (and likely your psychiatrist bills for all the headaches and mental anguish)!
If you do decide to contract work with a non-US company - against better judgment, of course - ask them to put up a US performance bond of significant value. You could also ask to be named as an additional insured on their general liability insurance policy (in the rare event that they actually have one). Tell them this would cover you in the event you are sued for their failure to comply with US and International copyright laws or for any breach on their part that causes you damage.
Better yet, find a reputable company in the US. You will be better off… not only with your results, but also with your mental peace of mind.
You know Jim when you had first told me that on the phone I had a hard time believing in you. Now I perfectly understand.
March 24th, 2007 at 11:11 amThis makes an excellent point. US laws are designed to protect its citizens WITHIN the confines of our own borders. Seeking help to rectify a bad situation like this is about as easy as making an apple pie out of a tractor tire!
March 27th, 2007 at 10:53 amWe should always do business with someone in the U.S.
March 27th, 2007 at 8:25 pmThe country is here to protect us.
This article is exactly correct. No one outside of the country will come to your defense. They don’t care. You are setting yourself up for problems by doing biz outside of the U.S. They got their money and its on to the next person.
March 27th, 2007 at 8:31 pmThis is a really interesting article. I didn’t know that you could actually ask for a US performance bond. Interesting information!
March 28th, 2007 at 8:36 amNever really thought about what my recourse would be when working with a non US company. Interesting to say the least. Have found in general the saying “you get what you pay for” is very true when it comes to the online industry.
March 28th, 2007 at 3:49 pmThat is a very real issue presented and I couldn’t agree more. I relate it to doing business with people that are trusted and have proven themselves trust worthy and reputable. It would be a bad deal for a company, especially one that is small like my own, to have legal actions taken upon them not knowing that anything they did had a negative impact.
March 29th, 2007 at 12:45 amI think people will tend to use out of country web services due to the difference in pricing to get a task, assignment or project completed.
April 1st, 2007 at 7:10 amThank you for the caution. However, you can also be ripped off by a US company. Make sure you check with the Better Business Bureau in the city the company is located. Also, check references with agents who have used their services. Remember, just like health clubs, a lifetime membership is only good for the life of the club.
April 16th, 2007 at 3:10 pmI can’t fully agree with this statement here. You should not hire any service just because it is lowly priced (This applies to service inside and outside US). Only those companies will not worry about their credibility. You can very well hire service from provider outside US, before that do the basic; “Research about them, before you invest” If you do that correctly, you won’t end up in mishap.
June 7th, 2007 at 1:06 pmInteresting article, although it has a lot of generalizations I must add. The integrity of the person is far more important the location in which he resides IMO.
July 29th, 2007 at 2:26 amGuide Study,
Please quote the parts that are generalizations.
July 29th, 2007 at 11:08 pmWow. I soooo agree with you. I’ve dealt with several low-bid-from-hell companies and I can’t imagine ever going back to that again. Slow delivery, 2-day delays whenever they have a stupid question, change orders every time you answer the stupid question even if it meant no additional work… just a stupid way to do business.
IBM can get away with it by just running their own show over there. Small businesses can’t.
For some of the reasons you listed (and many more), I started a web directory of freelance consultants organized so that clients could find local freelancers easily. It’s at http://www.freelancelocaltech.com and we’re adding about 50+ consultants to it each week and our analytics indicate that we’re getting about 30+ clients come to the site daily (some post their needs, most just look for a consultant in their area to call directly).
Check it out! Clients: keep your dollars in your community! Freelancers: stop trying to be the low-bidding-faceless grunt for a faceless client!
August 8th, 2007 at 9:27 am