Completely robbed by a web developer in UK - anything I can do?

wibbler

I approached a Magento ecommerce developer company on peopleperhour.com. I never got round to accepting their proposal because one of the guys at the company chatted about the job over email and skype and started the job. I assumed all was well, and he asked for payment through bank transfer or Paypal. He eventually needed all the money up front (£650) to get it done quickly.
He hasn't given me anything, and now laughs in my face when I try to get the money back. Is there anything I can do? My mistake was paying independently of PeoplePerHour, I know. The bank won't do anything unless the police are involved, and Paypal won't do anything because I didn't classify paying as a "service or product".

He apparently doesn't work for the company any more, and has moved. But he has my address thanks to a paypal invoice, so I'm a little apprehensive about aggravating him...

NBLondon

So - you used an agency (People per Hour) and found a company (unnamed) and a programmer talked to you about the work. You sent money but didn't formally agree any contract with either the agency or the company?

Did you send the money to the company or to the programmer as an individual? Sounds like the latter - and he decided to take you for a ride as he was leaving soon.

So you have a verbal contract for the work with someone who you now have no contact details for. Either you call the police and make a complaint (fraud, obtaining money by deception) or you sue him as an individual for breach of contract.

Both of which are hard if there are no contact details. The police might be able to get his ex-employer to divulge any other info they have but that means you have to say its fraud.

wibbler

Hi,

I have his phone number, email address and website, and i have kept the numerous texts and emails. Is that enough, do you think?

paddyrg

wibbler wrote: »

Hi,

I have his phone number, email address and website, and i have kept the numerous texts and emails. Is that enough, do you think?

Can you find his postal address? Are you certain he is UK based? If so, sue him through small claims court.