To Bill or not to Bill...
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- unknown
OK, here's the scenario:
I spent five hours last night working on a last second job request for a freelance client (to "save their asses").
Finished the job, sent them jpeg proofs...
They approved, and this morning I tried to burn the prepressed file to a CD and...
PRESTO!!!
...the entire file is completely gone from my piece of shit hard drive.
So I figure, missed the deadline, my shitty disk drive, my $$$ loss, right?
BUT, later today, the client calls and says "it's a good thing we didn't send that thing to print, because our legal department found out that the headline is already copyrighted. Let's put the whole thing on hold..."
So... to bill or not to bill?
- dopepope0
hmmm...this is tricky. If they don't know all that went wrong on your end, bill 'em. If they do, and it's no sweat off your brow, then don't. Was it good $$$?
- mayo0
I'd say bill for the time you actually worked on it. A dishonest person would put both the original time and the recreate time on the bill. If i were you, i would recreate the file so that it is ready when they need it, but don't bill them for that time.
- unknown0
Already told them that the file was trashed. I broke the news to them this morning, and said that i'd be happy to rebuild it this evening if they could push their deadline...
I have a great relationship with this client. I made big $$$ with them last year, but this year they haven't had much work for me (tighter budget).
p.s. I'm trying to build a house.
p.p.s. i think i just answered my own question
- dopepope0
Just because a project gets put on hold doesn't mean one shouldn't be paid for time and resources invested. But I didn't mean to imply dishonesty either.
Word up maYo!
- unknown0
yeah, but you know how clients think:
"We dropped the project AFTER he missed the deadline. We don't need to recreate the file. Why should we pay for something that was never delivered, that we don't need anyway."
It's just a weird situation.
Kind of indicative of my day today.This morning a (male) model showed up at my photoshoot with no undies on. I'm all for commando style now and then, but there's no need to be rubbing your giblets all over my samples, dude.
effin' wednesdays.
- dopepope0
Yeah...that's exactly why I asked if they knew. Not to be dishonest but just to avoid that whole angle.