Please help - developer asking for more after mostly done

[Pantheon Brian]

OK, the developers I hired (one to do the front end, the other to do the back end. They're friends [edit to clarify that they're friends with each other - I didn't know them beforehand], and basically came as a package deal) are now asking for more money to finish the deployment of the app. I've paid them half ($300) with the rest due after deployment. As part of their compensation for developing the app, they each have 10% of the partnership (the development of the MVP is done - with the exception stated below - so the only thing left is the deployment). They get no more equity for deploying the app. This is the e-mail I received from one of them today:

"The app is mostly released for both Android and iOS. Android is nearly complete, but we've encountered a bit of a hiccup for iOS. We were both unaware that Apple has made a policy of not allowing any in-app purchases, including subscriptions, to go through anything but their own payment system so that they can take their share of the sale. Our app does not meet this requirement, so they have prevented the app from being published until we fix the issue.

Most apps get around this by linking in their app to their company's website, where they can purchase a subscription, rather than allowing users to purchase the subscription directly in the app. This is the way we plan to get around it as well, but it will unfortunately require a few more hours of development work to get the subscription management built and deployed to the website.

We hate to have to ask for more funds, but we both just have so many different demands on our time at the moment [me: this sounds kind of like a veiled threat that they won't do anything else with it unless we pay up]. We've estimated that this fix will take a total of 5 hours of development work. At $60/hour, this will cost a total of $300.

Again, we are so sorry this happened, we will press forward with Android deployment, and I will send another email as soon as that's done with instructions for hitting the final publish button. On Apple, TestFlight can still be used. I can send more info on that if you are interested in letting some iPhone users test out the app."

Questions:

1. How would you handle this? I'm of the mind that they agreed to do the deployment for a set price and they should stick to it, even if it means a lower hourly rate for them. They said they've deployed other apps recently, so they should have known about this situation with the Apple Store. It's (in my mind, at least) like hiring a contractor to build a house for you and he says "It'll cost $200K to build the house you want" then coming back halfway through and saying "Well, lumber cost more than we thought, permits are more expensive for your area than in other areas, and due to the type of soil on your lot, we had to do more compacting before laying the foundation, so we're going to charge you $300K." Those are all things the contractor should have known about (like Apple's policy, and what it would take to work around it), and it's not the home owner's fault the contractor didn't know about those issues. Needless to say I'm going to push back against this, and plan on using this as an example. I know it's only $300, but to me it's more the principle of the matter. That, and historically I've been the type of person to just say "Oh, okay" and get taken advantage of. I know that if I'm to be successful I need to be able to draw a line in the sand and say "No, that's not right."

Question 2. At this stage of our relationship, if they wanted to, how badly could they mess me up? I don't have any of the source code of the app yet.

Question 3. If we decide not to pay them the extra money and they decide not to continue with the deployment, what are my options? Are there tech-savvy people out there who would be able to pick up where they left off and finish the deployment?

Thanks for reading this and your advice.

Brian

 

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[Actionary]

If you have the money (and its not going to set you back)

You can give it to them once its completed in submitted,
You could take back the rights to ownership in exchange
or you could pay them in milestones.

When you made them part owners, you messed up a bit.
Also, dont work with family or buddies

 

[Pantheon Brian]

If you have the money (and its not going to set you back)

You can give it to them once its completed in submitted,
You could take back the rights to ownership in exchange
or you could pay them in milestones.

When you made them part owners, you messed up a bit.
Also, dont work with family or buddies

They were friends with each other. I didn't know them beforehand. I'm going to change the OP so it's more clear.

 

[AlanBayWalker]

Next go around you should probably have access to the repo. The fact that you don't have any of the code is a major disadvantage and pretty risky.

 

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[Davejemmolly]

For the sake of $300 is it worth the pain / heartache of not getting the product finished.

Just pay them, and ask them to get cracking on it ASAP!

To be honest, it’s not really like the $200k vs $300k argument.

You’ve probably wasted $300 worth of time worrying about it already!

 

[Get Right]

Sounds like you learned a lot for $300.

In this case I would agree to pay after they sent me their code/files whatever so they can't charge you again without consequences.

Tighten up your contract(s) so you don't have to learn this again.

 

[LittleWolfie]

We were both unaware that Apple has made a policy of not allowing any in-app purchases, including subscriptions, to go through anything but their own payment system so that they can take their share of the sale.

I would have excepted an Apple developer to know that, I did and it is one reaosn I dislike Apple, give up the C with Iphone apps.

Our app does not meet this requirement, so they have prevented the app from being published until we fix the issue.

Most apps get around this by linking in their app to their company's website, where they can purchase a subscription, rather than allowing users to purchase the subscription directly in the app. T

That last part sounds unlikely, it looks like it is against Apple's conditons, so that would be unlikely to be approved.


3.1.1 If you want to unlock features or functionality within your app, (by way of example: subscriptions, in-game currencies, game levels, access to premium content, or unlocking a full version), you must use in-app purchase. Apps may not use their own mechanisms to unlock content or functionality, such as license keys, augmented reality markers, QR codes, etc. Apps and their metadata may not include buttons, external links, or other calls to action that direct customers to purchasing mechanisms other than in-app purchase.

App Store Review Guidelines - Apple Developer

. We've estimated that this fix will take a total of 5 hours of development work. At $60/hour, this will cost a total of $300.

Given their apparent inability to predict time to develop, I would take this prediction with a grain of salt.

Questions:

1. How would you handle this?

Well, I would have excepted the app to be more than ten times as costly, but I would consider asking them to share the source code for what you have paid and leave it at that, if they have nearly finished sneering it should be pretty easy.

I'm of the mind that they agreed to do the deployment for a set price and they should stick to it, even if it means a lower hourly rate for them. They said they've deployed other apps recently, so they should have known about this situation with the Apple Store.

I think so too, did you try out any of their apps prior to ordering?

It's (in my mind, at least) like hiring a contractor to build a house for you and he says "It'll cost $200K to build the house you want" then coming back halfway through and saying "Well, lumber cost more than we thought, permits are more expensive for your area than in other areas, and due to the type of soil on your lot, we had to do more compacting before laying the foundation, so we're going to charge you $300K."

Well yes and I would be pretty suspicious of a contractor who said they could build the house for $20k, as this underestimate then add on extras is a common trick to get the sales

Those are all things the contractor should have known about (like Apple's policy, and what it would take to work around it), and it's not the home owner's fault the contractor didn't know about those issues. Needless to say I'm going to push back against this, and plan on using this as an example. I know it's only $300, but to me it's more the principle of the matter. That, and historically I've been the type of person to just say "Oh, okay" and get taken advantage of. I know that if I'm to be successful I need to be able to draw a line in the sand and say "No, that's not right."

Yes, this might just be a case of them being bad at planning, if the house builder can't get the wood due to a change, then they will use something more expensive and eat the costs. Perhaps you might suggest a change in spec to use Apple's in-payment at the fixed price(they can eat the cost)

Question 2. At this stage of our relationship, if they wanted to, how badly could they mess me up? I don't have any of the source code of the app yet.

Basically your $300 could go up in smoke, with nothing to show for it.

Question 3. If we decide not to pay them the extra money and they decide not to continue with the deployment, what are my options? Are there tech-savvy people out there who would be able to pick up where they left off and finish the deployment?

Your options are to get the code, finish it and deploy it yourself, or hire someone else to, finish it an deploy it or start from scratch.

Bear in mind, it can often be cheaper to throw the whole thing out and start again, than to try and find a tech-savvy person willing to deal with a spaghetti code. You might find someone willing/desparte enough, though.

 

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[Pantheon Brian]

Thanks for all of your input. We got it worked out. I am going to pay them the $300 (1/2 now, 1/2 after deployment, which is one of the original conditions), but with the new contract stipulating that there will be no further expenses for me. If it takes them longer than anticipated, or something else crops up, that's their responsibility.

This has certainly been a learning experience, and I've certainly learned a lot for $300!

Thanks again.

 

[loop101]

Were these guys professional developers, or high-school students? For them to not eat the $300 loss after giving you a fixed quote seems very unprofessional, and not for a lot of money. For them to get 50% of the extra $300 now, split between two people, is only another $75.

Since they broke the last agreement, why trust them not to break the new one? It sounds like they are seeing how much they can get out of you. Sorry to be so negative, from what you described, I don't trust them. I hope it works out well for you.

As others have said, next time maybe use your own source code repo and require them to use it.