clients 2626 Responses

Last post: 4 years, 1 month ago | Thread started: May 19, 09, 7:12 a.m.

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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

  May 19, 09, 7:12 a.m. – Permalink

• doesnotexist

  if you haven't been paid yet sounds like you have no contract so no. 2 would be impossible.

  

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  Dog-earMay 19, 09, 7:14 a.m. – Permalink

• centro

  The best man will win.

  

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  Dog-earMay 19, 09, 7:14 a.m. – Permalink

• Moo

  so basicly if they use the jpeg artwork I've emailed then theres still nothing i can do??

  • unless you have a contract, yes.– sputnik21/2

    you own the copyright!– trooperbill2/2

  

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  Dog-earMay 19, 09, 7:21 a.m. – Permalink

• TheBlueOne

  Two web designers enter, only one web designer leaves.

  • welcome to thunderdome!– bulletfactory

  

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  Dog-earMay 19, 09, 7:22 a.m. – Permalink

• sputnik2

  invoice them for the time you've already invested in the project.

  • thanks sputnik2
    – Moo1/2

    Well, he's right. Unless you proceeded without their approval you are owed payment for your time.– Josev2/2

  

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  Dog-earMay 19, 09, 7:23 a.m. – Permalink

• Moo

  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 TheBlueOne– Moo1/2

    You took my humorous comment to seriously. Didn't really deserve a retort.– TheBlueOne2/2

  

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  Dog-earMay 19, 09, 7:23 a.m. – Permalink

• acrossthesea

  First things first, properly invoice them for all work up to this point. GET PAID.

  

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  Dog-earMay 19, 09, 7:25 a.m. – Permalink

• dMullins

  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."

  

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  Dog-earMay 19, 09, 7:30 a.m. – Permalink

• OSFA

  please tell us you have a contract?

  • <<– baseline_shift1/4

    I bet no :(– dyspl2/4

    <– alicetheblue3/4

    Nope as it was all done through a friend– Moo4/4

  

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  Dog-earMay 19, 09, 7:32 a.m. – Permalink

• monospaced

  oh shit, it was a "friend" contract

  you're fucked...write that invoice now

  

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  Dog-earMay 19, 09, 7:36 a.m. – Permalink

• Moo

  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.– harlequino1/3

    would you sue your friend?– monospaced2/3

    sure, if you have about 10K to spend on a lawyer to take them to court.– OSFA3/3

  

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  Dog-earMay 19, 09, 7:38 a.m. – Permalink

• thebottlerocket

  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

  • I have to agree.– dMullins

  

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  Dog-earMay 19, 09, 7:41 a.m. – Permalink

• harlequino

  People, I don't care if you're doing work for your nanna, have a damn contract. :/

  • hahahaha, friends often think contracts ruin the frienship– monospaced

  

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  Dog-earMay 19, 09, 7:42 a.m. – Permalink

• Moo

  i guess i'm going to have to leave it then and learn from this not to do any work without a contract

  • +1– d_rek

  

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  Dog-earMay 19, 09, 7:47 a.m. – Permalink

• thebottlerocket

  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.

  

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  Dog-earMay 19, 09, 7:49 a.m. – Permalink

• thebottlerocket

  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?

  • vent over– thebottlerocket

  

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  Dog-earMay 19, 09, 7:53 a.m. – Permalink

• fodcj

  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 copyright– Moo

  

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  Dog-earMay 19, 09, 8:01 a.m. – Permalink

• Moo

  the way i tend to do business is go to them with an initial design agree a fee and send over a sign off but I'm still waiting for this to be done

  • The fee discussion should come BEFORE the design. Don't work on spec.– Josev

  

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  Dog-earMay 19, 09, 8:01 a.m. – Permalink

• bulletfactory

  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 interested– Moo1/2

    ah - i see– bulletfactory2/2

  

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  Dog-earMay 19, 09, 8:04 a.m. – Permalink

• WeLoveNoise

  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

  • yup– zenmasterfoo1/3

    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 £– WeLoveNoise2/3

    i dont mind who builds it as long as i get something for the work done to date– Moo3/3

  

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  Dog-earMay 19, 09, 8:08 a.m. – Permalink