Problem with guy who hired me

Last month, I shot the Illinois high school boy's state track meet for an online news for HS running (DyestatIL)

I have shot for them in the past, and I was under the same impression that I shoot for free for them (giving them the shots), but I get to keep the revenue from my photo sales.

In the past, they were using LifePics which paid about 20% total commissions, and at the time I didn't look into anything else. I just switched us over to photoreflect before this event, giving them the email and password, along with putting down their information.


I change the contact us to my name/address since I didn't realize that for prints I needed to enter my credit card information
Well after selling now $270 of total net profits (my previous high was $55 from the old LifePics), all of the sudden, I can't access the account and all the info is changed back.

They never called me to ask why it has changed, since when I did it, I couldn't get through and orders were behind.

lucky me, I know the password to their webserver and was able to get the password for the account by diverting email sent to my personal email account. I called them 3x and left two messages and emails since Sunday, but haven't heard back.

Heres the question - do I log in, change the info back to my info and reset the password so only I can access (thus I get paid for sure) and leave them in the dust, or wait it out?

IMO, and its just my opinion, I would change the password back immediately. IF you set up your account with your CC, that could lead to potential identity theft and fraud. Do you want to risk that?

Whos name was it under to start with? If it was yours to start off with, they had absolutely no reason/right to change any information. It is ridiculous that they thought they could on the same note, it is not theirs to start off with.

It was under their name to start with as it was a link on their website to the place where I was selling photos (thus I was selling under their business name). I didn't realize about the credit card thing until about 3 days after we set it up, and I was leaving for vacation and I couldn't get a hold of him, so I just changed it.

The thing that bothers me is that he hasn't called back in over two days since I called and left a message, he changed the password (which I effectively had to get into their webserver to reroute the emails in order to be able to access it). I've been doing this freelance stuff for them for three years, but never for anything over $75 before.

The reason it was in their name to start with is that they do other events which I don't photograph and they will use other photographers for those events, but at the moment, only my photos are up there.

I'm thinking that if he hasn't called back by tomorrow, I'll just change everything over. I mean I want the money. There was no written contract, but as far as I am concerned, I shot the photos with my equipment and was under the same assumption like in the past where I keep all sales, thus they are mine. The kicker is that my last check from them (for my fall sales) took 5 months to get.

I would be done with them. Just move on. While money is money. They are not a big enuf client to worry about. You are trying to solve a problem while you could be working on another project. Put it all in your name then walk. If they want you again, they will come back. If not, get a better paying client.

I have to qualify that I have no problem turning my back on a client. Some are afraid to. I will do it in a heart beat if they do stuff like this to me.

I would take the account, lock it down, and move on. If they come after you, turn your back. Although it might look good on a resume when you try to gain a job elsewhere, I would not put myself through the headache of messing with someone of this nature.

If you really want to get him where it hurts, let him keep the account but contact him with a cease a desist letter but also send a copy to Photo Reflect. That way he can keep his beloved PhotoReflect account, cannot sell your images, and you walk away a winner in some instances.

- Get everything in writing from here out. Even if you're shooting for free technically and collecting on orders only (spec) it should be worked out prior as to where the pics are being sold and who's in control of the money. Right now it seems like he wants control, but of course you want to be able to log in and check things as well. If he hasn't paid you for your time then he doesn't own the images, it's not a work for hire.

- If YOU set up the account it's yours, so change it out and get it taken care of. When I left the music business the owner of the label did the same exact thing. I ran the site, I set up the store online in my name, my info, my CC, etc. When I quit he logged in and changed it and tried to withdraw the money - problem was it wasn't his money, the only CD's that money left in there was from another artist I alone was working with. The site we used changed all the info back for me, cancelled his check, sent me a new one because my CC was used to start the site, and then they cancelled the account totally to get rid of the situation. PhotoReflect you're paying a monthly service charge on your CC right? It's your account, change it before he changes it and it creates a worse problem.