Client Invoice Paying Problems

[Ladders]

Hello! I hope I am posting this in the right place!

I have a bit of a problem with a client who is messing me about with an invoice.

I have been working for this client for a few years. He holds an event annually and I have been producing all the artwork for him. He has been a bit of a nightmare though, supplying me with no briefs (no, not the pant type!) and ringing me sundays & bank holidays or whenever he feels etc. We did have quite a good relationship though and I had even (stupidly) produced a logo for his company and two of his events free of charge to improve the look of the event.

He has for the last two years promptly paid his invoices without question.

This year though I have submitted my invoice and he has questioned every job on it and the hours spent.

The main issue now is that he is refusing to pay for idea's for a logo he wanted, but had got another designer to produce the logo in the end. I knew he had used another designer to do some of the work this year, probably because they are cheaper from looking at the logo they produced!
As I'd only billed for an hours work for the logo idea, I told him I would forget about it as a gesture of goodwill, but he has confused the job with another and is insisting I take 3 hours off the invoice.

He is also insisting that he will only pay the invoice after I have sent him all the event artwork on disc, even though I have told him that it is usual to supply the work after it has been paid for.

What should I do?

Thanks for any help!

Dave

[Boss Hog]

Did you send him your T&C's and get him to sign off the project and costs from the beginning?

[Ladders]

Unfortunately not! I 'inherited' him from a friend who worked with him before and so was handed work over to complete straight away.

[Boss Hog]

Without T&C's and a signed contract for the work to be done you don't really have a leg to stand on unfortunately and a school boy error which loads of designers still make for some reason.

You have hit the nail on the head, he has found a cheaper designer and the way he is acting with you now is very common.

You have 2 choices really:

1) Come to an agreement with him so you get something for the work you have done.

2) Refuse point blank to hand anything over until the bill is paid in full...where you may not get anything at all.

Harsh lesson to learn unfortunately.

[Ladders]

Yes, think your right. He has said he will pay me once he receives the artwork and has paid up in the past.

Is there a good template for T&C's I can download from anywhere?

Just one other thing, should I send the layered psd's with the artwork?

[Boss Hog]

I would send flattened .PSD's at least until I had received payment, make sure you get in writing that he will pay the bill of X amount agreed once the files are supplied. To be honest if he takes the files and then doesn't pay you have more of a case then, as opposed to him not using anything you have produced and refusing to pay.

Loads of threads with regards to T&C's, see if any of them help....

Terms and Conditions

Terms and Conditions!

[Ladders]

Great! Thanks for your help! :icon_thumbup:

[bigdave]

You could always send him low res pdfs with passworded printing on them and once he pays up send him the full res layered stuff.

Regardless of your next move you'll have to accept that your relationship is now dead in the water and it's unlikely he'll be back.

Oh, and just so you're aware, its quite common in the design industry to charge a minimum of 50% up front

[Boss Hog]

Oh, and just so you're aware, its quite common in the design industry to charge a minimum of 50% up front

Yes good advice :icon_thumbup:

[Ladders]

Thanks Big Dave!

Yes I realised earlier this year that he was using someone else to do some of the work, and so I saw this coming.

Is it usual though to supply layered files? Surely they are paying for a finished advert etc and so only need to have what is needed to reproduce this one advert?

I'll make sure I send T&C's next time.