Not getting paid.
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- KingMob
Need some advice here. I did some freelance work for a company ( http://www.emagineit.us ) and they didn't pay me for my work. They demanded source files for some of my projects and i told them i couldn't hand them over without any pay. Under the promise that a check was being cut i handed over a few files. Now i can't get them on the phone and they won't reply to emails. What are the first steps i should take to try and get my money? Has anyone had experience with this?
ps. i had no written contract but i have all the emails between me and the president of the company and have been told that there is an implied contract there. True?
- Mimio0
I'd just go to thier offices and sit there and refuse to leave until they give you a check.
- Soler0
Go see them in person.
- warheros0
burn their building down
- the-saint0
How long ago was this because companies can take ages to payup.
Did they use the work you did for them?
If you can't even get through to them on the phone, that's a bit of a worry.
- shellie0
if theyre doing this to you its safe to say you wont be working with them again. show up at their office.. dont leave until there's a check in your hand.
if the accountant isnt there... or they only cut checks on certain days... thats fine. they always have blank checks there for emergencies. the prez can write you one.
just explain, you were trying to get ahold of them and got no response. you were worried you were being avoided for payment. so, you do what you had to do. any human would understand.
- shellie0
if theyre doing this to you its safe to say you wont be working with them again. show up at their office.. dont leave until there's a check in your hand.
if the accountant isnt there... or they only cut checks on certain days... thats fine. they always have blank checks there for emergencies. the prez can write you one.
just explain, you were trying to get ahold of them and got no response. you were worried you were being avoided for payment. so, you do what you had to do. any human would understand.
- MrDinky0
yea and no
verbal agreement is also a contract and with your email you can sum up your loose contract
you are stil entitled to money for your services but yuo may get less since you lack hard copy of your contractual agreement.
you should take them to small claims court
cause collection agencies need contract and invoice to collect on your behalf
- jevad0
Go there and sit in the office until they give you a check
- Soler0
throw yourself into a glass table and grab the presidnet's knuckles til he bleeds. beat yourself up.
- shellie0
i work with a company that is irregular with how they pay. theyre real small and the president cuts all the checks. every once in a while, i ask him to cut a check by a certain date if i need it for something.. but sometimes he can take up to a month to pay... but that doesnt bother me cos i do not have to rely on that as my only source of income.
but like i said.... all i have to do is say pay me. if you have to do any more than that, there's a problem.
- KingMob0
I didn't want to go there because i have a new job now.
I was hoping to avoid missing work to collect, but i may have to huh? The agency is small (Maybe 4 employees total) and i don't think they even do automated payroll so this woman could have written me the check 2 weeks ago when she said she would. It's been over a month since i completed work for them.
- k0na_an0k0
was it a web site? were you posting live to their server? could you take down the files?
of course you shouldn't have given away the source files until you had check in hand.
i was in a very similar situation. they wanted the source files as well and demanded them. i knew better. i burned a bunch of bogus html files to a cd rom and sent it off.
when a week went by still with no check they finally called and said the files i sent were wrong. i said oops, must have sent the wrong cd. btw. how did my cd arrive before your check, which btw still hasn't arrived, when you said you sent it off 3 days before i sent the cd? no response.
i said again, you'll have the source files once i have my check. my check was overnighted the next day.
you just have to stand firm.
now youre screwed though.
you really have to go in there and face them.
- MrDinky0
30 days is reasonable
since you have a job now, you are position to sit and wait.
just keep reminding them every week (with email and mail them yuor invoice).
they still have 90 days to pay you
- shellie0
Mob, they should at least be able to tell you when to expect a check. Sometimes they cant pay right away if they havent yet been paid by the client... especially if theyre small. But you shouldnt have to sit there and guess.
- MrDinky0
i been not paid for 6 months.
i was reasonable and unstandable.
after 90 days, i sent them to the collection agency, they still didnt pay, so i took them to court.
i got my fee, plus my hourly cost to go to court, plus interest.