When the client doesn't pay
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- benfal990
the classic way :
- hedgehog0
it wasn't printed literature. the job was for some graphical headers for their .asp net application and a logo
- boobs0
It's hard to stay on top of all the administrative things you need to do to protect yourself when you're on your own as a freelancer!
Maybe make up a form to be filled out by the client before work is started and the deposit is paid?
- moth0
"it took them almost two months to pay"
That sound's pretty standard to me. Any account worth their salt usually sit on paying people until the court order arrives..
- moth0
There was no address on their printed literature?
That's just strange.
- hedgehog0
I emailed them the print. And I'll get the address off of the check when I go to the bank today...
but good idea about the registered business info. I am not sure whether they were an LLC or a Corp. or what
but yes, I guess I'll won't give out any final prints in the future until full payment is received. I know that many companies do not pay for 30 days however. When I did a job for a university it took them almost two months to pay.
- moth0
Where did you deliver the print to? You've got an address surely? Or the printers do...
- boobs0
So, your problem is you're trying to find them? If the business was fairly legitimate, they should have been registered with the locality where they did business. So you might want to check with them. Businesses have to pay taxes, and pay Social Security on employees, so the tax authorities would have contact info for them.
If they were incorporated, like an LLC, they would have been more thoroughly registered with the state, and you should be able to chase them down through them.
- MakeBelieve0
Always get contact number and address. Also make sure you do not release artwork (or site) before payment. They can always change their ftp/cp access easily.
- desmo0
time to break some legs
- mistermik0
i generally get an address and a name..
- liveforever0
"When the client doesn't pay"........................ you send the boys round
- hedgehog
Need some advice guys....
I freelance doing web/graphic stuff. I had a client recently who contacted me for a job. I got them to sign a contract and give me a downpayment. Then I did the job, they were happy, and, as per my contract, they had 14 days to pay the rest of the money. They said no problem. Time period goes by and when the money doesn't come I send a polite inquiry to them. No response.
Send second email. No reponse. Yesterday their website went down and is still down today. I sent a final email but am not expecting to hear from them.
Now the stupid part... I only ever communicated with them via email and their website had no phone number on it. I looked up their whois info and called it but it's an old number. I am going to the bank today to get the address off of the check so I can send a letter. I had also called information and can't find any information about them or their business in the phone directory.
So obviously I know I should have fact checked this client before I agreed to work with them. Lesson learned. I know many of you send no files before final payment but a lot of businesses have thirty day (and sometimes more) pay turnarounds. to be honest I do more web stuff and if I have a problem with payment I can usually yank the site down and that solves the problem, but this was a print job.
However, what should I do now, besides send a demand letter (assuming the address on the check is correct). The money is not a huge amount since I had gotten some payment up front but it's still money that would have been nice to have....
Also for freelancers: how much fact checking do you do before you take on a client. I get some peopel saying I should get people's drivers licenses and SSN and while I do want to get paid I don't want to be too invasive either. What's normal protocol? Usually just having a contract and a downpayment weeds out the jerks for me. Obviously not this time....