Client OWES 700!!
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- kala
well, it's been 6months and he still hasn't paid up. I control his domain, (which he doesn't use anymore) and I shut him down.
I have done the work for him and he never got back to me, when I went to visit him he said to "put the site on hold" and he doesn't want to finish the site. I've been paid a few times by him but he still owes 700 for work done and photos I shot etc, he has some of it saved on his computer, but I don't think all, I took the rest of the work off the site... he said he'd pay me by April, (which is over, he doesn't reply to my emails) he's just stalling...
I don't think he'll pay up, should I take him to a collection agency or small claims? Or just chalk it up as experience?
I didn't have much "materials" lost here, just put in lots of "labor". which is what I'm loosing, "labor money"...
thanks for any advice...
- Nirvous0
A collection agency will usually charge you 5 - 15% of the money that is collected.
Worth a shot. If nothing else it will put a blemish on his/her credit score.
- neeko0
sorry to hear that... i dont know how small claims court works where you live, but its a sham here. My friend won his case and was still never able to collect on 3 months salary from a shady startup. I'd keep pestering him about it, but hopefully youre in a situation where a loss of 700 bones wont kill ya.
If it makes you feel any better, pretty much everyone i know doing web development work has been screwed over on the payment end at least once.
- kala0
yeah, I could take the 700 loss, but don't really want to.... hahah...
too bad that small claims is a sham, doesn't it make it so legally the other person has to pay you back? what if they dont? hrm.. I guess small claims isn't worth the time for government enforcment or something...
yeah, I guess people do get screwed in this business... gotta keep in control of the work until the check clears I guess...
I didn't have a formal written agreement upon start of the job, but was verbal... *ugh* don't even know if I can take it to court.. maybe I'll just bug him and hope he pays up. maybe the threatening of court will make him pay??? :(
actually I'm not all that concerned about the $$, just want to get it settled either way...
- monNom0
well I think the fact that he's payed you up until now is pretty good proof of an agreement.
ty the collection agency, small claims seems like a waste of time, as you'll probably end up using the collection agency anyways. *after they make their decision*
- DeviceUnseen0
I would send him a official letter with signature confirmation indicating what action you will be taking (collection agency, small claims court, etc) if the matter is not resolved within 30 days. All these avenues are just as much of a pain in the ass to him as they are to you.
Do you have signed contract or documentation of the conditions for the work preformed? Without any of these, the letter maybe you final course of action.
Figure out how much time you want to spend getting this money (your time is worth something) and set out a plan to work within that. Months and months of headache isn't worth $700.
- vern0
i've had this happen to me as well... honestly you will be wasting more time and money tryin g to do something about it. it isn't worth the effort.. not over 700.
i am sorry about this. clients like that suck.