Comments on: Checks, Lies, and Silly Red Tape

By: Lori

Lori — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 14:02:48 +0000

LOL! Love it, Peter! It's a much nicer way than threatening litigation. :)

I did have one company that danced with me for nearly five months. I'd call, they'd claim the check just went out. The last call they made after reading my "litigation" line. The dude claimed he'd never received the three prior invoices. No? Not even the one in which you said payment had just been sent my way - three months ago? He asked for more time than the 10 days. I said no thank you. The check came on day 10.

By: Peter Bowerman

Peter Bowerman — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 02:30:03 +0000

I've actually been pretty lucky and only had a handful of clients over the past 16 years who've stalled or taken too long to pay (the commercial field in general, and my clients in particular have been solid).

In most cases, they really were in dire straits and kept me in the loop on where they were and when I could expect payment. I'll be enormously forgiving of slow payment if a client regularly communicates with me; it's when they stop communicating or returning my communication and just vanish that I get pissed.

Used a clever strategy recently to get some money out of a client. This guy still owes me $1500 on an original $3500 gig dating back to 11/08. I was planning on making a $1000 contribution to this local charity I've supported for years.

I told him I was only planning on giving $500 this year, but that if he gave me a check for $1000 (all of which would be credited to his debt, of course), I'd make sure the charity knew that he was the donor of half of it.

He didn't come up with the $1000, but did pony up $500. I donated $500 plus "his" $500 and identified him as the donor of half to the charity. He gets to feel like he makes a difference (it was a charity that I KNEW he'd resonate with) and we chip away a bit further at his debt. Win-win.

PB

By: Jenn Mattern

Jenn Mattern — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 01:24:02 +0000

LOL Wow, some of these stories are hilarious! You should all compile them into a little "it could be worse" book with daily horror stories to remind us how non-serious most of of our everyday issues are. ;)

My favorite is always the "my friend said..." one. I had one client in particular who used this one often, which always resulted in an extra edit (why I limit edits more strictly now). It's the same client who guilt trips and constantly asks for "favors." Their projects were finished up quite some time ago, so I've gotten to the point where I just have to ignore the emails or I'll get sucked in again, and I just don't have the time for it anymore. Fortunately those clients are few and far between though. :)

By: Lori

Lori — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 20:00:55 +0000

Marna, that's nuts! Oh my lord, the lengths they'll go to in order to avoid payment!

Good luck, though I think luck and common sense are all on your side. :)

By: Marna

Marna — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 16:49:40 +0000

Hi. I am actually involved in litigation with one client. They filed a counterclaim for a huge amount in response to my claim, claiming that I caused them damages, because they couldn’t publish my articles with adverts alongside. This is for the reason that their sales person quit her job as she allegedly got frustrated with me and they were unable to replace her. Then they invented a name for her forgetting that I know her, because they introduced us. I couldn’t believe that they put this on a formal statement, which includes an oath of truth. After she stop laughing when I told her the above, she signed a witness statement in my favour. The court hearing is in April. Whish me luck.

By: Lori

Lori — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 18:45:38 +0000

Eileen, he actually said that? Did he account for the hundreds he'd also have to pay in workers compensation coverage for said employee? They don't get it. As for me, I've been DYING to tell someone that. :)

Carson, I find that they come round the moment I put a deadline on my litigation threat. "Please pay within 10 days to avoid litigation" has worked every single time I've been forced to use it.

By: Eileen

Eileen — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 18:29:03 +0000

I've never said "go ahead" to the folks who claim they could write it themselves, they just didn't have the time. But one time, I had a guy who did not want to pay my rates. He said in frustration, "I could put a writer at a desk here at my office and pay him $30 an hour to do what I'm offering to you!" So I said, "Well, that sounds like a much better way to go, given your business model." No, we never did end up coming to terms.

By: Carson

Carson — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 17:49:42 +0000

"We're having difficulties with our PayPal account/credit card."

Strange how quickly people either resolve those problems or come forward with the truth when you give them a mailing address for a check and a FedEx account number to use.

By: Lori

Lori — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 15:28:03 +0000

Ooo, she pulled out the guilt trip, didn't she, Kathy? Begging for sympathy by insulting you - she's low.

Allena, I hear that, too! What's that supposed to mean anyway? "We're now changing the rules because we can." Jerks!

Devon, true. If they value you, they can show it by meeting your price. Otherwise it's just lip service.

Eileen, how many times have you said, "Then go ahead. As you say, it shouldn't take you half an hour"? The temptation! LOL

By: Irreverent Freelancer

Irreverent Freelancer — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 15:11:36 +0000

I've pretty much heard all of these or some variation thereof. A recent favorite of mine was a client who kept saying that because of all the time she'd been caretaking for her mother (Hello? But you, Lori, and she knew that I had massive caretaking duties of my own), she must have overlooked it. When I still didn't receive payment 45 days later, received NO response to my final notice and then threatened immediate collective measures, she finally admitted that until that day (conveniently) she hadn't had a dime to send me. She then added, "My wish is that you and your business is [are] never treated the way you have me." I meant to blog about it, because it was a definite Screw You! experience, but I actually felt sorry for her patheticness.