Hired A Bad Developer From Bark? Here's How To Recover Your Website (And Your Money)

When a developer takes your money and doesn't deliver, you have four things to do: lock down your assets, attempt a chargeback through your bank, pursue legal recovery if needed, then decide whether the code left behind is worth saving. The order matters — here's how each step works in Ireland.

Step 1 — Document Everything Before You Do Anything Else

Before you dispute anything or contact anyone, get your documentation in order. The quality of your paper trail determines how much leverage you have at every step that follows.

Get Your Assets Out First

If you still have any access — to the staging site, the hosting account, the GitHub repo, or a shared folder — download everything now. Code, images, database exports, login credentials. Do this before you raise any formal dispute, because developers sometimes revoke access once a complaint is filed.

Contact the domain registrar directly if the domain was registered in the developer's name. Most registrars (GoDaddy, Namecheap, Cloudflare) allow transfer requests by email. If the developer is unresponsive and holding a domain you paid for, document that it was purchased as part of the contract — you'll need this for any dispute.

What to Document

Pull together everything into one folder:

• The original contract or scope agreement — a WhatsApp thread confirming the work and price is a contract in Ireland
• All invoices and payment receipts
• Screenshots of what was delivered versus what was agreed
• All messages (email, WhatsApp, Slack, Bark messages) with dates
• Any missed deadlines or unanswered messages
• The URL of the developer's Bark profile

Strong evidence of what was agreed versus what was delivered is what gives you options at every step that follows.

Step 2 — Your Options for Getting Your Money Back

You have three routes. They're not mutually exclusive — start with the fastest and work down.

Bark's Dispute Process

Bark has a dispute reporting process accessible through your account. You can flag a seller for non-delivery or poor service.

What Bark can actually do is limited. It cannot compel a refund, force the developer to complete the work, or act as an arbiter. It can suspend the seller's profile and in some cases facilitate a resolution conversation. Bark's Terms of Service are clear that the contract is directly between you and the seller.

File the dispute anyway — it protects other buyers and creates a formal record. But it won't recover your money on its own.

Chargeback via Your Bank or Card Provider

If you paid by debit or credit card, a chargeback is your fastest and most effective route.

Contact your bank or card issuer directly — not the developer — and raise a dispute for services not delivered or significantly not as described. For Visa and Mastercard, the standard chargeback window is 120 days from the transaction date. Some providers extend this to 540 days for service disputes where non-delivery only became apparent over time.

You'll need to show:

• What you paid for and what the agreed scope was
• What was actually delivered
• Evidence you attempted to resolve it with the seller first

Keep it brief and factual when you contact your bank. "I paid €X for a website build. The developer has not delivered the agreed work and is unresponsive. I have provided written notice and received no response." Attach screenshots of your documentation.

The process is free and managed entirely by the card network — not the developer. It's worth attempting before any legal route.

Irish Legal Options

If the chargeback window has closed or the attempt fails, two legal routes are available in Ireland.

The Small Claims Court handles disputes up to €2,000. The filing fee is €25. You apply online at courts.ie under the Small Claims Procedure. No solicitor is required. The court can compel repayment but cannot force the developer to complete any work.

The District Court covers disputes up to €15,000. This route involves a solicitor and more time, so it makes sense only when the amount is significant and the developer has a registered business address in Ireland.

The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) at ccpc.ie can advise on consumer rights and escalation options — particularly if the developer operated as a registered business. They can't recover money directly, but their guidance is free.

One practical note: if the developer is UK-based (common on Bark, which originated in London), they cannot easily be brought to an Irish Small Claims Court. In that case, the chargeback route is more practical than legal action.

Step 3 — Rebuild from Scratch or Salvage What's There?

When Salvaging Is Worth It

Keeping the existing code makes sense when:

• The underlying structure is clean — a standard WordPress install, a basic Next.js project, or a recognisable framework with readable code
• The design is mostly complete and what's missing is content or copy, not architecture
• There's real data in the database (customer records, product listings) that would take significant time to recreate
• The build is 70–80% complete and the remaining tasks are clearly defined

A developer who inherits clean, well-structured code can often complete a near-finished project in less time than a full build. The key question is: can a new developer understand what they're looking at within a reasonable amount of time?

When You Should Start Over

Starting fresh is usually the right call when:

• The code is poorly written, undocumented, or built on outdated or incompatible dependencies
• The developer used a page builder (Elementor, Divi, Beaver Builder) when you expected custom code
• The site has security problems — outdated plugins, no SSL, open database access, hardcoded credentials
• The hosting, domain, or codebase can't be handed over cleanly
• A new developer quotes more to fix it than to rebuild it from scratch

The assumption that "it'll be cheaper to fix than rebuild" is often wrong. A developer who has to read and understand someone else's decisions before fixing them is being paid for that reading time. Get a clear quote for both options before you commit.

If you're not sure which situation you're in, a second opinion gives you a written assessment of the existing code — what's salvageable, what's broken, and what it would cost to go either direction. It costs €99 and takes three working days.

Step 4 — How to Hire Properly the Second Time

Pay in stages. A standard arrangement is 50% on agreement, 50% on delivery. Any developer who requires full payment before showing any work is a risk. Milestone payments (e.g. 30% on agreement, 40% on staging approval, 30% on launch) give you natural exit points if things go wrong.

Get the scope in writing before work starts. An email or WhatsApp thread confirming the work, the price, and the timeline is a contract in Ireland. A formal written contract is better. It should state what will be delivered, by when, who owns the code, and what happens if a deadline is missed.

Confirm code ownership explicitly. Some developers retain copyright by default. Make sure the agreement states that you own all code, assets, and content once payment is made — and that the domain is registered in your name or transferred to you at launch.

Ask for a staging URL before the final payment. This creates a natural checkpoint where problems surface before the final invoice is settled.

Check reviews outside the hiring platform. As the Bark.com review covers in detail, marketplace profiles show curated reviews — not independent ones. Search the developer's name on Google, check their own website, and ask for at least two references from recent projects before committing to a significant build.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get a refund if a web developer doesn't deliver?

Yes, in many cases. The most reliable route is a chargeback through your bank or card provider — contact them directly and explain that services were not delivered. You have up to 120 days from the transaction date for most Visa and Mastercard disputes. For amounts under €2,000 in Ireland, the Small Claims Court is a straightforward option if the chargeback doesn't succeed.

How does Bark's dispute process work?

You report the seller through your Bark account. Bark can flag or suspend the profile but cannot compel a refund or force the developer to complete the work. Filing the dispute creates a record and protects other buyers, but it won't recover your money on its own. Use it alongside — not instead of — a chargeback or legal route.

How long do I have to raise a chargeback for a web developer?

Generally 120 days from the transaction date for Visa and Mastercard. Some providers allow longer windows — up to 540 days — for service-based disputes where the failure to deliver only became clear over time. Check with your specific bank or card issuer and act as soon as you know there's a problem.

Can I take a web developer to the Small Claims Court in Ireland?

Yes, for amounts up to €2,000. The filing fee is €25 and the process doesn't require a solicitor. You apply online at courts.ie. The court can order repayment but cannot compel the developer to complete the work. For disputes above €2,000, the District Court handles cases up to €15,000, but this typically involves a solicitor and more time.

Is it cheaper to fix a broken website or start over?

It depends on the quality of the code left behind. If the existing build is structurally sound and mostly complete, salvaging it can save time. If the code is poorly structured, insecure, or built on the wrong foundations, starting fresh is often faster and cheaper than paying a new developer to interpret and fix someone else's work. Get a quote for both before deciding.

How do I avoid this happening again?

Pay in stages — 50% upfront, 50% on delivery as a minimum. Get the scope in writing before any work starts. Confirm in the agreement that you own all code and the domain once payment is made. Ask for a staging URL before the final payment. Verify reviews independently from the platform you used to hire.