Legal question: Dispute with client

[DirtyDog]

On another note, why would you resign if there were no issues with your attendance and performance?

Because you found something else to do? Because you wanted to leave? Because you were no longer enjoying the project and the whole point of being a freelancer is that there is an element of freedom involved?

There are plenty of reasons to stop working with a client.

On another note, having work files accessible from home shows a lack of performance or otherwise not managing your time well or their expectations on the deliverables

Or an indication that you were dictating to the client that occasionally you worked from home. I permanently work from home - does that indicate that I'm not managing my time?

[ap2013]

Just to give an update. I have just found out that the client has accessed my personal Dropbox account AND had a dig through my files. Not only that but some of the clients that I was doing work for (when I did run my own consultancy company) they have emailed saying I have documents of theirs! (which I had an agreement with them saying that I could in regards to providing support further down the line).

Surely this breaks all kinds of laws?!

[northernladuk]

Just to give an update. I have just found out that the client has accessed my personal Dropbox account AND had a dig through my files. Not only that but some of the clients that I was doing work for (when I did run my own consultancy company) they have emailed saying I have documents of theirs! (which I had an agreement with them saying that I could in regards to providing support further down the line).

Surely this breaks all kinds of laws?!

If it does are you really in a position to start firing shots off? How have the other clients found you have documents of theirs on your drop box?

[ap2013]

Because the client has emailed the other clients basically saying I have files / diagrams, etc. I got an email from an old client today essentially saying the same thing.

I keep my documents in quite an organised structure broken down by client ID and the name of the company.

I had agreements with my old clients stating that some of the work was being held in Cloud storage to which they agreed was fine (some of the clients are very small non-financials).

[eek]

Just to give an update. I have just found out that the client has accessed my personal Dropbox account AND had a dig through my files. Not only that but some of the clients that I was doing work for (when I did run my own consultancy company) they have emailed saying I have documents of theirs! (which I had an agreement with them saying that I could in regards to providing support further down the line).

Surely this breaks all kinds of laws?!

It may do and probably does but you won't have the money to pursue them so don't try. We can't help you here beyond moral support so go and get legal advice and keep us informed...

[northernladuk]

Because the client has emailed the other clients basically saying I have files / diagrams, etc. I got an email from an old client today essentially saying the same thing.

I keep my documents in quite an organised structure broken down by client ID and the name of the company.

I had agreements with my old clients stating that some of the work was being held in Cloud storage to which they agreed was fine (some of the clients are very small non-financials).

I don't know about anyone else's situation but I am finding some of this a bit hard to swallow. Some of I guess you could put down to a one off problem i.e. not getting to see the security policy but all this breaking in to your dropbox, emailing other clients, having their permission to store stuff on the cloud. It's all sounding very strange to me.

[SueEllen]

Just to give an update. I have just found out that the client has accessed my personal Dropbox account AND had a dig through my files. Not only that but some of the clients that I was doing work for (when I did run my own consultancy company) they have emailed saying I have documents of theirs! (which I had an agreement with them saying that I could in regards to providing support further down the line).

Surely this breaks all kinds of laws?!

If you had done what was already suggested and got your own solicitor involved then you may have had a leg to stand on. Now you haven't - instead of wailing here go and get yourself a solicitor and sort the issue out.

Also you have learnt an important lesson for the future about online security.

[SueEllen]

I don't know about anyone else's situation but I am finding some of this a bit hard to swallow. Some of I guess you could put down to a one off problem i.e. not getting to see the security policy but all this breaking in to your dropbox, emailing other clients, having their permission to store stuff on the cloud. It's all sounding very strange to me.

It's not that strange the former client is being spiteful.

They realise they probably can't get the money back from the poster and that he doesn't have the money to fight them in court so they are just being nasty because they can.

I've come up against some spiteful companies but I can be as nasty as them.

[CheeseSlice]

Just to give an update. I have just found out that the client has accessed my personal Dropbox account AND had a dig through my files. Not only that but some of the clients that I was doing work for (when I did run my own consultancy company) they have emailed saying I have documents of theirs! (which I had an agreement with them saying that I could in regards to providing support further down the line).

Surely this breaks all kinds of laws?!

Although this all sounds completely wrong, I think you need to improve your own secure practices when using IT. Since this has happened, why haven't you changed your online dropbox account password? Why didn't you uninstall all that stuff from your work PC before leaving clientco? Is there anything else they may have access to? can they get into your gmail/hotmail through the use of stored passwords on your web browser? have you changed those passwords?

[Wanderer]

Just to give an update. I have just found out that the client has accessed my personal Dropbox account AND had a dig through my files.

They have committed a criminal offence by doing this and I would write to them immediately to tell them this and demand that they cease and desist.

However, it's pretty poor practice on your part to leave your dropbox accessible like that...