clients
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- Moo
Just had a call from a friend that works for a company which I've been designing a website for (3 months) and he just told me that another web design company have been in to see the big boss about it also. I've spent about 3 months chasing around doing emailers, banner ads and changes upon changes on the website design I've proposed and also designed all the individual pages 30 in total to show layout etc.
What do you guys think i should do??
I've had emails from the company saying that the site looks great etc but I haven't been paid for the work so far and I get the feeling I've just been used.
Should I -
1. just invoice them telling them that I no longer wise to continue with the job?2. wait and see what happens and hope that the new design company use my work and then take them to court?
3. just forget about it altogether and walk away
cheers m00
- doesnotexist0
if you haven't been paid yet sounds like you have no contract so no. 2 would be impossible.
- centro0
The best man will win.
- Moo0
so basicly if they use the jpeg artwork I've emailed then theres still nothing i can do??
- unless you have a contract, yes.sputnik2
- you own the copyright!trooperbill
- TheBlueOne0
Two web designers enter, only one web designer leaves.
- Moo0
I agree with that if it was at the start of the job but not now after 3-4 months of hard work and time spent chasing around after them
- this was to TheBlueOneMoo
- You took my humorous comment to seriously. Didn't really deserve a retort.TheBlueOne
- acrossthesea0
First things first, properly invoice them for all work up to this point. GET PAID.
- dMullins0
I would invoice them for the work done and time invested thus far.
If they don't pay, just drop all work you're doing for them, and chalk it up to "I should have drafted a contract."
- OSFA0
please tell us you have a contract?
- <<baseline_shift
- I bet no :(dyspl
- <alicetheblue
- Nope as it was all done through a friendMoo
- monospaced0
oh shit, it was a "friend" contract
you're fucked...write that invoice now
- Moo0
surely if they use the work I've done then i will have them on copyright laws wont i??
- Maybe. You'll pay through the nose for a lawyer to enforce it.harlequino
- would you sue your friend?monospaced
- sure, if you have about 10K to spend on a lawyer to take them to court.OSFA
- thebottlerocket0
How the fuck do you get to a position where you are working with no contract, no purchase order and only on the hope that these people will 'dig your work' and pay you?
Insane
- harlequino0
People, I don't care if you're doing work for your nanna, have a damn contract. :/
- hahahaha, friends often think contracts ruin the frienshipmonospaced
- Moo0
i guess i'm going to have to leave it then and learn from this not to do any work without a contract
- thebottlerocket0
I beggers belief that this sort of 'amateur hour' shit goes on, especially at the moment in the current economic climate.
The one thing a recession is good for is for streamlining all these bullshit work practices and the stark reality of working in an industry that can now no longer afford any more crap like this.
- thebottlerocket0
And its not like there are not resources for this sort of thing. Professional bodies, AIGA and the Design Council regulalry provide information on billing, etc. There are plenty of books about, which talk about the 'design business' and how to run a design business.
Going by the fact you've worked for 3 months for NO MONEY, with no contract and no purchase order, I suggests you sit down and read a few of these, and see amazon as a far greater resource than anything this site can offer.
I mean, for 3 months?
- fodcj0
Are you in the UK? If so you own the copyright of your own work whether there is a contract or not.
Personally I would send a polite letter requesting the payment for the current work you have done but wording it as such that you will then complete the job once payment has been made. Perhaps in this letter you could also put a subtle line at the bottom saying nothing belongs to them until full payment is made and the contract/job is complete.
- thanks fodcj i was thinking of keeping it sweet and emailing them an invoice for payment and on the bottom of the invoice is a small line stating that all artwork produced is subject to copyrightMoo
- bulletfactory0
my contracts state 50% up front (or after initial concept is approved) and 50% upon completion, so there is incentive for both client and designer to follow through. Clients tend to take projects much more seriously and speed up communication when they've already invested some cash.
- i do this but with no written contract but I also present an initial concept to show the client I'm interestedMoo
- ah - i seebulletfactory
- WeLoveNoise0
if they pay you to design it then why cant someone else build it out - happesn alls the time
by the sounds of things - ur being phased out
- yupzenmasterfoo
- meaning court cnt do shit unless u have a solid contracts that states u will be building the site. in which case they owe u £WeLoveNoise
- i dont mind who builds it as long as i get something for the work done to dateMoo