What would you do?...
- Started
- Last post
- 20 Responses
- Dno
I have a client that is really starting to try my patience. Basically I am still chasing money from two and three months ago.
I do all of their new media/interactive work and most of the clients are of national profile, so it is regular work.
In January they owed me best part of 10k, this was already 3 months overdue. When I mailed them I got arsey mails back saying that they are busy so they can't look at my invoices yet!!!!
They currently owe me 2.5k - which again is three months overdue, they no longer reply to my emails and if I phone the relevant person is always in a meeting and can't take the call. Which is b*llox as the person never needs to go into meetings!
The amount owed is for yet another lightning turnaround job (phone call on a friday asking for a weeks work to be done in two days) - yet the payment takes months and months!!!
I am almost tempted to take the section from the site as it is not paid for and I can't see them paying too quickly - but this seems a slightly childish approach.
Also if I tell them go get f***ed would I need to give them the fla files of the sites I have done? or is that my property and they only get swf files?
...if they were struggling financially I would sit tight and wait - but when you see the boss getting into his new 911/boxster it does leave a slightly bitter taste in the mouth!
What would you lot do?
(ps - sorry to whinge on and on - but they really are taking the p**s!)
- Nac0
take that portion of their site down....don't do anymore work for them...send their account to a collections agency...just to freak em out
- PonyBoy0
are they still requesting work from you? Do you have regular things that they expect from you (are they that regular?)... I only ask - because you should cut them off completely until you speak w/someone in accounting in person to resolve a billing dispuite.
If they're not wanting more wore - I'd threaten suit.
It's a shitty situation - but people take advantage of designers terribly in a freelance situation (or small company).
- tommyb0
If you're constantly getting jobs from them you're in a good situation because you have leverage to withhold any new work till they pay you. If you do good work, they may recognize that you can't be repalced easily.
What I've done before is get one of my lame friends to call on my lame client and they hired him. instead of me for the next job because I witheld work till I got paid. He purposefully did a shite job and they came running back to me. His rep's not hurt because he used an alias.
Genius? Stupid? It worked.
- Dno0
...Yhe, thanks people - I think it might come into the equation.
The work is like buses - no contact for weeks then three or four suits contact me at the same time, with different projects.
Like a fool I never say no (you can see the kerrching in my eyes!).
What really did it for me - was a recent request, I gave two options at two different prices they opted for the cheaper and then basically 'tweaked' it up to the more expensive option, and when I said the price - it was "errr, well I have told them that it is the other price" - bastards!!!
My problem is that I want to kick them into touch but with my second nipper due at the end of June I don't want to lose work - but don't know if they are just more trouble than they are worth!
- agentfour0
throw bricks at the boxster
- ********0
a good solid Slugger will talk most people into cough up the cash
- Dno0
ha ha ha - yeh both of those options have entered the equation!!!
- emecks0
make a lovely large GIF
in the form of a rubber stamp that says "unpaid"Send them a jpg of what it will look like within 48 hours if no payment is in your account by then.
Either they pay up or you put it onto every section of their site that is as yet unpaid.
- silencer0
Fuckin kill them all man
http://www.limmy.com/videos/what…
- PonyBoy0
video tape yourself getting really really angry at YOU and then beat yourself senseless. Once you awake - send the tape to your client and tell them that this is you beating the shit out of yourself until you're near dead - imagine what's going to happen to them if they don't pay up. That Fight Club shit'll get 'em everytime.
- shaft0
Accept new work from them, but then make sure they know you don't start until previous jobs are cleared out. They should feel that they are the part that causes the delay. If they say you're being unprofessional or something like that, say that you enjoy working for them, but you have to make a living too.
- silencer0
Shaft speaks the truth.
- Dno0
Yeh, I am trying to keep it as positive as I can, after all there is a fair but amount of work that comes out of them, but it does take the proverbial - chasing them all the time - balance of outstanding invoices being sent!!!
...although a couple of those other suggestions sound appealing!! :~))
- jamble0
I'd send them a written notice giving 48 hours for payment to be made otherwise the section of their site will be taken down and replaced with a notice explaining the site has been removed for non payment.
A strongly worded letter or email explaining that not only is it unacceptable to be failing to pay invioces without explaination along with instruction that any further overdue invoices will be subject to an overdue charge would be the best bet followed by removal of the work.
Don't give them the source files unless they've paid for them as part of the contract. They don't need them and normal practice is to deliver the final product not the workings.
I wish I could avoid paying my bills because I don't want to but unfortunately if I don't pay the electric or gas bill, they don't phone me loads of times and not do anything, they cut me off. If my bank account is overdrawn, they don't just ignore it, they stop my cash card and charge me the earth. I don't see why we should be any different just because we work in design.
- PonyBoy0
Enter response:
force them to watch a 24 hour marathon of trading spaces... andddd... ummm.....
.... puppy!!! I gotta new puppy!!!
- shaft0
Yeah, try to turn this around so they start to hurt themselves by not paying you.
Be nice, say they're a very good client of yours. You are all prepared, ready and willing to work, and wait for them to let you start. Even call them to ask when they think they are going to allow you to begin, because you are updating your schedule. That would tell them indirectly that meanwhile you concentrate on paid work.
- shaft0
or call them
- UndoUndo0
I'd take shafts advice [part from the last one]. turn this around on them so that they[you] control when the work starts
- digilee0
contract
- Dno0
yeh, I am thinking about an acceptance of terms area, that clients must read and agree to with terms of business on there from now on.
I guess I'm not alone in this field, it is so bloody irritating!!