When a client or customer does you wrong and fails to pay up, you may have considered legal recourse to get hold of your just desserts. However, for smaller sums, legal action can be a long, stressful undertaking which sucks up your time and valuable resources for very little gain. But it's not always easy to let sleeping dogs lie, or to let bygones be bygones. If you've been cheated by a business, chances are you want revenge. And in the internet age, it's easier get it than ever before.

But it doesn't have to end with vengeance, bitterness and legal ramifications. RM Online are a company who specialise in preventing non-payment situations before they strike. By offering a free credit check service alongside a number of other insight-generating tools for businesses, their service and others like it allow you to scrutinise the finances and payment histories of potential clients, before you choose to work with them. If you have taken on a non-paying client, however, and you're considering wreaking revenge, here are a few considerations worth reading before you jump in...

Do you want to incur a libel claim?

If not, don't take a leaf out of this web designer's book. When her client failed to pay up, she replaced their website with a picture of an invoice. For those of us who have experienced the fury of non-payment, this might sound like a cool move, but it could land you in a whole world of libellous pain. If the “victim” chooses to sue for libel and can prove that there were legitimate reasons behind non-payment, the designer could be successfully sued for libel.

How about getting accused of blackmail?

Because that's what happened to this web developer who took matters into his own hands by replacing an ex-client's site with a long rant and demands for payment. Alongside a strong potential libel case in the making, the company the developer had taken on as a client suggested that he was blackmailing them – another very dangerous charge which could get you in some very hot and expensive water.

And what about your reputation?

Do you want to come across as a vengeful maniac? Unfortunately, no matter how justified you are in seeking revenge, exacting it always comes at a price: your reputation. Prospective clients are likely to think twice if they discover that you have behaved negatively and unprofessionally, even if you have been the victim of non-payment.

So what should you do?

Well, first things first, exercise caution with every new client and perform due diligence when checking them out. Use a company checker to make sure they haven't got any non-paying skeletons in the closet. Secondly, if the worst comes to the worst, use the appropriate channels to get your concern dealt with. If the debt is undisputed, you can lodge a statutory demand which will give your client 21 days to cough up. After this period they could face a winding up petition. Often this is enough to persuade them to do the right thing.

Have you ever been the victim of non-payment? How did you handle it? Drop us a line below to share your acts of revenge or legal challenges.