Don't get burnt

artworkeruk

Junior Member
I know that it's stating the obvious, but there are so many a...holes out there who are happy to rip you off and not pay for your services. This has happened to me, even though the client that I deal with has been okay for the last few years, but with the recession they are now running into difficulties and are not paying for work that I have done. So it will be off the the small claims court or getting in a debt collector.

I am happy to say who the company is, so that anybody else on here can avoid them like the plague and not get stitched up.

(EDIT- Company name & links removed - No name & shame in the public forums of DF please)

If they approach you, steer clear, they will rip you off.

I know that if you bank with Barclays you can get a free credit checking facility, there is also a website called checksure. You can also get company information on the companies house website.

If anybody else has names to add to a blacklist then let's make this a hot topic and get the name out there, so that we can all avoid them.

Thanks
 
To be honest, I don't why there hasn't already been a list / website created based on experiences with clients / freelancers.
All over the internet you can people's reviews and opinions on experiences they've had with a particular service (e.g. BT) or with a product... so why not the same in this industry?

A lot of client's and freelancers/businesses get burned on both sides of the table... no harm in saying something good about a company either like lol
 
blueocto said:
To be honest, I don't why there hasn't already been a list / website created based on experiences with clients / freelancers.
All over the internet you can people's reviews and opinions on experiences they've had with a particular service (e.g. BT) or with a product... so why not the same in this industry?

I'd imagine because of the trigger happy nature regarding libel these days. I'm on a few animal forums and one had to put a word filter on a particularly wellknown national pet shop due to the amount of negative (but true) comments on the forum - someone working in the shop had discovered the forum, told management and the forum admin was threatened with legal action if they allowed it to continue. Another forum I use has several members who've been threatened with legal action for warning people away from their shops/services due to truthful negative experiences. And these are just little forums discussing animal care and the like!
Unfortunately in libel cases, it's up to those accusing to prove that what they've said is true, rather than the accused proving that it's not. Then on top of that they'll probably press for loss of earnings due to defamation of character etc. - better to tread cautiously than risk it IMO
 
blueocto said:
To be honest, I don't why there hasn't already been a list / website created based on experiences with clients / freelancers.
All over the internet you can people's reviews and opinions on experiences they've had with a particular service (e.g. BT) or with a product... so why not the same in this industry?

A lot of client's and freelancers/businesses get burned on both sides of the table... no harm in saying something good about a company either like lol
Make the site, fight the power. I thought of something along these lines the other day, I won't be making it though, it would take a lot of promoting and a good userbase to get any attention I would have thought.

Pangolin raises a good point though.
 
There are two ways in which we ensure we dont get burt, one of them is to credit check anyone ( well our accountant does it for us, ) the other is to ask for payment or part payment upfront. If you set up a google or paypal system to allow you to take credit cards, you will find most people are more than happy to pay something on a credit card upfront as it isn't coming out of their bank untill the end of the month. Sounds daft, but we found it works
 
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