Ever Had Someone Not Pay You?

KeyboardMonkey · 06-30-2011, 12:27 PM

What did you do about it?

Also, do you simply wait for a check in the mail, or do you have a merchant account for credit carding payments?

TIA

Rezbi · 06-30-2011, 01:24 PM

Nope.

I always ask for payment upfront - before I start working.

Once I get payment and all the resource material from them, then I start work.

When I write copy it takes me ages to get it right. And I let them know this beforehand.

Just writing bullets can take me days or weeks.

I'd hate to put in all that work, only for them to turn round and say they don't need it anymore.

Shadowflux · 06-30-2011, 01:39 PM

I haven't had someone not pay me but I only ever work with people who I think are reputable and trustworthy. I've worked with people who became gradually less trustworthy as our relationship went on and I let them go.

I think that when there are large amounts of money at stake you should always have a contract which details what is expected from both parties. Any reputable business person will gladly sign a contract.

The problem is that this doesn't help much when you're dealing with people on the other side of the globe.

If you're weary of working with someone, and the amount of money is quite large, then you should request at least a portion of the payment up front as a show of good faith. If you can't come to some sort of agreement with the person you're dealing with then you should think about working with someone else.

The most important thing to do, if it does happen, is remain professional and take whatever course of action you can (contact hosting or affiliate companies etc). Don't let some lowlife who refuses to pay ruin your reputation simply because you're fuming mad at the time.

Stephen Dean · 06-30-2011, 03:48 PM

Yup. I used to take half down, then half on delivery of the first draft.

I've been writing copy for 7+ years, and using this policy the first 6 years I only had one issue. Then in the middle of 2010 I had 3 clients skip the final payment in a matter of months. Ever since I've been taking the full fee up front.

I assume the sudden increased risk has to do with the economy. I typically trust people until they prove untrustworthy, but I've had to rethink that. Sad.

Cheers,
Stephen Dean

Cam Connor · 06-30-2011, 09:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stephen Dean

Yup. I used to take half down, then half on delivery of the first draft.

I've been writing copy for 7+ years, and using this policy the first 6 years I only had one issue. Then in the middle of 2010 I had 3 clients skip the final payment in a matter of months. Ever since I've been taking the full fee up front.

I assume the sudden increased risk has to do with the economy. I typically trust people until they prove untrustworthy, but I've had to rethink that. Sad.

Cheers,
Stephen Dean

I agree with this... definitely don't have a large amount of the fee collected at the end, that's a recipe for disaster... if someone wants to hire a great copywriter, they need to assume some of the risk, since the Copywriter is running a business. No one complains that they have to pay McDonalds 100% up-front before they get their food, and it's the same here, just with MUCH larger sums of money. lol

06-30-2011, 12:27 PM	#1
KeyboardMonkey Warrior Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Posts: 5 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Ever Had Someone Not Pay You? What did you do about it? Also, do you simply wait for a check in the mail, or do you have a merchant account for credit carding payments? TIA

06-30-2011, 01:24 PM	#2
Rezbi Senior Warrior Member War Room Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Lancashire, United Kingdom. Posts: 1,547 Thanks: 226 Thanked 215 Times in 181 Posts Social Networking Contact Info	Re: Ever Had Someone Not Pay You? Nope. I always ask for payment upfront - before I start working. Once I get payment and all the resource material from them, then I start work. When I write copy it takes me ages to get it right. And I let them know this beforehand. Just writing bullets can take me days or weeks. I'd hate to put in all that work, only for them to turn round and say they don't need it anymore.
	How To Make A Mint As A High-Paid Expert Free 13-Point Copy Inspection Makes Your Website Sell Like Crazy …

06-30-2011, 01:39 PM	#3
Shadowflux ConvertingContent.com Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Rochester, New York Posts: 271 Thanks: 35 Thanked 88 Times in 64 Posts Contact Info	Re: Ever Had Someone Not Pay You? I haven't had someone not pay me but I only ever work with people who I think are reputable and trustworthy. I've worked with people who became gradually less trustworthy as our relationship went on and I let them go. I think that when there are large amounts of money at stake you should always have a contract which details what is expected from both parties. Any reputable business person will gladly sign a contract. The problem is that this doesn't help much when you're dealing with people on the other side of the globe. If you're weary of working with someone, and the amount of money is quite large, then you should request at least a portion of the payment up front as a show of good faith. If you can't come to some sort of agreement with the person you're dealing with then you should think about working with someone else. The most important thing to do, if it does happen, is remain professional and take whatever course of action you can (contact hosting or affiliate companies etc). Don't let some lowlife who refuses to pay ruin your reputation simply because you're fuming mad at the time.
	Dynamic, feature quality, sales oriented web content that your visitors will love reading. The quality of your content is important! ConvertingContent.com

06-30-2011, 03:48 PM	#4
Stephen Dean Master Copywriter War Room Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: WA , USA. Posts: 1,051 Thanks: 132 Thanked 194 Times in 100 Posts Social Networking	Re: Ever Had Someone Not Pay You? Yup. I used to take half down, then half on delivery of the first draft. I've been writing copy for 7+ years, and using this policy the first 6 years I only had one issue. Then in the middle of 2010 I had 3 clients skip the final payment in a matter of months. Ever since I've been taking the full fee up front. I assume the sudden increased risk has to do with the economy. I typically trust people until they prove untrustworthy, but I've had to rethink that. Sad. Cheers, Stephen Dean
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