Client not paying. Advice?

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   Jana Louise Smitposted 6 years ago

   Hi guys. Hope you can help. For the past four years I've provided content for a client. Over time, payment became more erratic but he always paid. However, things are at their worst now. He bought 9 pieces (8 currently drawing revenue for him). Two months later, he never paid and all my emails are flatly ignored.
   
   Any suggestions? I work solely as a freelancer, so this client-gone-mooch is more than a little worrying.

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      TIMETRAVELER2posted 6 years agoin reply to this

      You might want to try contacting the department of  labor and ask them to step in.  You can also take him to small claims court to get a judgment against him.  Certainly I would make it a point to never write for him again, AND if he has published your work, you can file a DMCA against him.  Good luck.

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         Jana Louise Smitposted 6 years agoin reply to this

         Hi, thanks. I don't intend to ever work for him again. The trust is long gone. I'll have a look at the DMCA option. Thanks!

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            GwennyOhposted 6 years agoin reply to this

            Be very careful in filing a DMCA complaint, as if you are wrong, you are opening yourself to a lawsuit. Make sure you are sure which articles to file against, and leave it at that.
            
            FYI, I have a writer or two assist me from time to time, and would never consider paying them less often than once a month. If it's a solitary piece, it gets paid out immediately.

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               Jana Louise Smitposted 6 years agoin reply to this

               Ok, I'll keep that in mind for the future! I agree; a monthly payment is adequate. Thanks for taking care of your writers.

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                  GwennyOhposted 6 years agoin reply to this

                  I hope you get the money owed to you.

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      promisemposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      Do you have a written agreement with him? Do you have any emails in which he committed to paying you for the content?
      
      If so, tell him to honor the agreement and either pay up or remove the content. If he still doesn't respond, get a lawyer to send a letter telling him to do so. Make sure you provide the lawyer with any emails you sent.
      
      A letter from a lawyer usually gets a response. If not, you have to decide whether to take the next step and sue him in small claims court for the money or just drop it with a lesson learned.

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   Kenna McHughposted 6 years ago

   TimeTraveler offers good advice.  Do you have a phone number? If so, call him. Four years and not responding is not good. I am sorry for your situation.
   
   I had a client I wrote for 2 - 3 years. Then, the payments became erratic and then nothing. I live in the US and he lives in Australia. So, calling him was not an option. So, I emailed him every day. Each time in a new unit of time. He eventually responded. It turned out he was not managing his website very well and it no longer generated money. But, he paid me, and I stopped working for him.
   
   If that doesn't work, you can tell him you will report him to the National Writers Association and other writer's websites - warning them not to work for him or his company because he says he'll pay but doesn't. I did that with one client and it worked.

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   Jana Louise Smitposted 6 years ago

   Thanks for all the advice. I was going to follow up with TimeTraveler's advice but decided to send one last email, just explaining (politely) that this delay was not professional. He paid everything he owed tonight, so I'm hugely relieved. But yes, no more writing for him.

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