How can I retrieve proof of a past client's website I created?

Shopify Discussion
1

I’m hoping you can help support me with a past client that is trying to destroy evidence of the work I did for her.

I launched her store on November 28, 2022 - then ended my working relationship with her due to her loss of budget and continual verbal abuse.

She then took the site down and launched a defamation attack on me and the copywriter that wrote the site. Because I no longer have access to the website, I can no longer gain proof of the website’s existence.

Is there any way you can help with this terribly unfortunate circumstance? Can I receive screenshots of the site?

2

  • Gather any documentation you have that relates to your work for the client, such as contracts, invoices, emails, and any other written communications. These can help establish the nature and extent of your work for the client and may be useful as evidence in the event of a legal dispute.

  • Consider reaching out to the copywriter who worked on the website and see if they have any documentation or evidence of the work you did together.

  • If you have access to any backups of the website, you should make copies of those for your own records.

  • If you are concerned about defamation, you may want to consult with a lawyer or seek legal advice on how to protect yourself against false or malicious statements.

It’s also important to remember that it’s generally not a good idea to destroy evidence, as this could be considered obstructing justice or interfering with an investigation. If you are concerned about preserving evidence, it may be best to seek legal advice before taking any action.

3

Thank you so much for your advice. I have collected as much evidence as I have which is thousands of design files I’ve created for her - sadly, I don’t have a backup of the site or screenshots. I’m so hoping Shopify can be helpful in some way. I have all the design and branding I have done for her for the past 7+ years, which she is still using on her old site. It’s such a bizzar and hurtful experience. Thank you, again.

4

Hi @chelseabrady

There is an internet archive called the Wayback Machine that captures screenshots of websites and their historical changes. It doesn’t save a copy everyday but you can take a look to see if by any chance a copy of that is stored in the archives.

https://archive.org/web/

Good luck!

Cheers,

Clarice