Escalation works in a fixed order — document, demand in writing, complain publicly, then use the consumer or criminal route — and skipping straight to threats usually slows everything down. Each step is cheap, and each one strengthens the next.
Before any of it: decide what outcome you want. Getting the site finished, getting your money back, and getting your domain released are three different objectives, and they call for different pressure.
The moment it happens
Your developer is ignoring you, and the step-by-step escalation ladder matters because the instinct at this point — sending angry messages daily — is the one thing that reliably fails. It produces either silence or a placating reply, and it exhausts you.
Step 1: Document, before you send anything else
Twenty minutes now saves weeks later.
- Export the full chat thread (WhatsApp: Export chat, with media).
- Save the payment reference — UPI transaction ID, bank statement line, or receipt.
- Save the quote, any invoice, and any message where scope or date was agreed.
- Screenshot the current state of the site or staging link.
- Note names, phone numbers, the company name and GST number if you have them.
Put all of it in one folder. Every later step asks for exactly this.
Step 2: The written demand
One message, on WhatsApp and email both, factual and dated. No accusations, no adjectives — those weaken a document you may later show to a third party.
On [date] I paid ₹[amount] for [scope], with delivery agreed by [date]. As of today the work is incomplete and I have had no response since [date]. Please either (a) complete and hand over by [date + 7 days], or (b) refund ₹[amount] and transfer the domain and hosting access. If I have no response by [date], I will file a consumer complaint and a police complaint.
State the consequence once. Don’t repeat it weekly.
Step 3: Public record
If the deadline passes, file a factual complaint on a consumer complaint forum — India’s hosting and web design category exists precisely because these disputes are common. Keep it to facts and amounts; emotive posts are easier to dismiss and riskier for you.
A factual Google review has similar effect. Some vendors respond at this stage because a public listing is worth more to them than the disputed amount.
Step 4: The formal routes
Two exist, and they are not alternatives — the choice depends on amount and on whether money was taken with no work delivered.
Consumer commission. Suited to disputes where a service was paid for and not delivered. Send a formal notice first, then file at your district commission. Realistic where the amount justifies the effort — generally above roughly ₹10,000.
Police complaint / FIR. Where an advance was taken and nothing delivered, this can be treated as criminal breach of trust under Section 406 IPC. Legal explainers note a practical consequence worth knowing: once an FIR is registered, the bank accounts involved can be frozen and the disputed amount placed under lien. Cyber cells accept complaints for online transactions.
| Amount | Realistic route | Expected outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Under ~₹5,000 | Written demand + public complaint | Sometimes refund; mostly a record |
| ₹5,000–15,000 | Demand, public complaint, then FIR | Refund pressure via account freeze |
| Above ~₹15,000 | Consumer commission and/or FIR | Formal order or negotiated settlement |
Step 5: Recover the assets, separately
Run this in parallel with everything above, because it’s often easier to win. Ask specifically for: the domain authorisation (EPP) code, the registrar account transfer, hosting login, and the site files. Vendors sometimes release assets while still refusing a refund — and a half-built site plus your domain is worth real money.
If the domain is registered in their name and they won’t transfer, the registrar has an ownership-claim process; invoices, trademark or business registration in your name, and proof you paid all carry weight.
What to do this week
- Build the folder: chat export, payment reference, quote, invoice, screenshots.
- Send the written demand today, on both channels, with a seven-day deadline.
- Diarise that deadline. Don’t send anything in between.
- Ask for domain, hosting and files in a separate message — it’s a different request and often gets answered.
- Decide your route now based on the amount, so the day the deadline passes you act rather than deliberate.
If you want it done the certain way
Bring us the folder — chat, files, whatever domain situation exists — and we’ll tell you honestly what’s recoverable, what’s worth chasing, and what to write off. When we build, the date is in writing with a refund behind it and the domain sits in your name, which is what makes this ladder unnecessary. WhatsApp us; we reply in about five minutes between 9am and 7pm.
Related reading
- Developer took the advance and disappeared: the recovery path
- Your web developer stopped replying: read the pattern
- Website refund request letter: a template
- Cheated once? The safe-rebuild guide
FAQ
Can I file a police complaint against a web developer in India?
Where an advance was taken and nothing was delivered, it can be pursued as criminal breach of trust under Section 406 IPC, including through a cyber cell for online payments. Legal explainers note that accounts involved can be frozen once an FIR is registered.
Is a consumer complaint or an FIR better?
They serve different purposes. Consumer commissions handle service-not-delivered disputes and can order refunds; an FIR applies where money was taken with no work done and creates faster financial pressure through account freezing.
What if I only have WhatsApp messages as proof?
A chat thread showing scope, amount and dates, together with the payment reference, is usable evidence in both routes. Export it properly rather than relying on screenshots alone.
