Reply to: Client isn't paying - do I take the site down?

[TheFaQQer]

We are paying for a premium service.

We are paying a premium for a service.

I'm yet to meet an agency that gives me a premium service

[RichardCranium]

Must point out though that i think IT contractors are very spoilt with the payment terms we normally expect.

Not since the Late Payment legislation was brought in in 1998. If businesses in the UK (and Europe since 2002/2005) are not chasing their debts, that's their problem.

In the 'real' world a lot of companies simply won't pay until they receive a final threatening reminder so if you want to run a business you need to get used to this.

It's not like that any more. It certainly was - one of the very first systems I worked on was an expected payment chasing system that handled discounts based on a calendar and credit history.

I do a lot of work for various smaller clients and, realistically, for a number of them i don't expect payment for up to 90 days even though my invoices state 30. This is basically through experience, i know they'll ignore reminder No 1 and No 2 and only react to No 3. I've worked for several companies whose open policy is only to pay an invoice upon final red reminder and listened to the girls on the phone who have the role of palming off creditors day-in day-out.

So stop giving out free credit and send the red invoice on day 30.

The trick is working out who is going to pay and who isn't.

And agencies take a %age of the client fee which includes their factoring service. We are, in effect, paying the agencies to pay us within the contracted terms regardless of whether the client has paid them.

So we are not spoilt. We are paying for a premium service.

[NotAllThere]

I've also had to threaten this at a previous client - payment was in my account 3 days later but it did (as I'd expected) damage the relationship. THey went bust not long after though so didn't really matter to me in the long run.

Unless I really need the money, I don't really want a relationship with a client that consistently pays late. I suppose with some low-end target client bases, you don't have a lot of choice. In that case - I'd change the client base!

[NotAllThere]

An odd p.o.v.

Most contractors get reasonable terms of payment, and get paid on time. You work differently from most contractors, in that you don't. That doesn't make you in the real world, and the majority not. Actually, as we're the majority and you're in the minority, that makes you the one living on planet Zog.

[Durbs]

Hi - a client isn't paying for work I provided (I built them a website). Should I take the website offline until they pay?

If I tell them that I'm going to do that, they will contact the host and change passwords etc. so - should I just take their site offline?

Must point out though that i think IT contractors are very spoilt with the payment terms we normally expect.

In the 'real' world a lot of companies simply won't pay until they receive a final threatening reminder so if you want to run a business you need to get used to this.

I do a lot of work for various smaller clients and, realistically, for a number of them i don't expect payment for up to 90 days even though my invoices state 30. This is basically through experience, i know they'll ignore reminder No 1 and No 2 and only react to No 3. I've worked for several companies whose open policy is only to pay an invoice upon final red reminder and listened to the girls on the phone who have the role of palming off creditors day-in day-out.

The trick is working out who is going to pay and who isn't.

[east_of_the_sun]

I've also had to threaten this at a previous client - payment was in my account 3 days later but it did (as I'd expected) damage the relationship. THey went bust not long after though so didn't really matter to me in the long run.

[TheFaQQer]

For future reference, might it not be wise to include something like "in the event of breach of contract, the contractor reserves the right to remove any deployed code..."?

[Durbs]

I've had to threaten this twice and both times they paid up.

Its not something i took lightly and only did it as a last resort as you are basically risking ruining any chance of a future working relationship and i'm not the sort of person who likes doing stuff like that.

I made certain changes to make sure any actions they took could not prevent me from doing it and then sent a very polite mail explaining that i was afraid that despite multiple communications and phone calls the outstanding balance was now 5 months overdue and i was going to remove any deliverables i'd supplied at 12:00 on the xth. Then wrote some spiel on how this isn't something i wanted to do but as i run a small business they must appreciate what sort of impact non-payment has on me and i hoped we could come to an agreement before this date.

1st company paid up and never contacted me again, MD of 2nd company phoned me, we had a chat, cleared the air and i still do a lot of work for them albeit with speedier payments now.

As for the legality, i didn't care. I'd delivered, they hadn't paid therefore they weren't keeping it, end-of. If you give them enough notice, they'll know full well why their site ceases to function and you've given them fair time to remedy the situation.

[ratewhore]

Don't forget this site is also part of your portfolio of work to show prospects.

For that reason, I wouldn't take it down.

But then, it all sounds like a moot point now as you seem to be in a favourable position...

[Clippy]

and put your fee up and invoice weekly

and make sure any future work is paid in advance.

[Tingles]

Take the site down and issue a ransom demand - any issues, cut out bits of code and send it to them until they cough up!

[monkeyBoy32]

and put your fee up and invoice weekly

Already done!

[MPwannadecentincome]

Things have taken an interesting turn. The client I was working for sold the web application I developed on to another client (which is why the site will be running fine even if my immediate client goes down). Now the client is calling me saying that they have urgent conference calls with the 2nd client and there is more work that needs doing 'urgently'.

So - I think I'll be getting paid what I'm owed before I take your urgent call.

(I'm not working there any more btw but they still seem to think they can emal me and call me whenever they want).

Nice!

and put your fee up and invoice weekly

[Jeebo72]

Well you are in a good position, to not only get paid, but get paid substantially more!

[monkeyBoy32]

Things have taken an interesting turn. The client I was working for sold the web application I developed on to another client (which is why the site will be running fine even if my immediate client goes down). Now the client is calling me saying that they have urgent conference calls with the 2nd client and there is more work that needs doing 'urgently'.

So - I think I'll be getting paid what I'm owed before I take your urgent call.

(I'm not working there any more btw but they still seem to think they can emal me and call me whenever they want).

Nice!