How Long to Wait?

[cassandra]

If someone tells you they will pay you on a specific date and has yet to pay more than 2 weeks later, what do you do? I have been more than understanding. But, now this person is not replying to my emails when before she would reply within an hour or even less. Is anyone else in this same situation?

[tinasam]

I was.

Wrote the articles needed with the terms being I would be paid a week after turning them in. Finally was all paid up (with multiple small payments) after three weeks. I'm leary doing more for that particular person now.

[Kiernansmom]

I have been in that situation, and I never got paid. I always find it fishy when they don't pay the day they are supposed to; usually, within days I send an email letting them know that the content is not theirs until it is paid for, and that I plan to sell it elsewhere (or that another client is interested) so they need to get back to me by a certain day in order to keep it. I only send that kind of email when they completely stop responding to my emails/questions about payment. This hardly ever happens, but I find that when a normally responsive client suddenly gets quiet on payday, they don't plan to pay me. If you have their address and cannot use the content elsewhere, you may be able to send a collection letter by mail, but this is usually a step you'd take as a last resort, like weeks or even months after the pay date. However, the clients who didn't pay me did not provide me with their address, so I had no choice but to take back the content. I hope it turns out for you.

[cassandra]

Originally Posted by tinasam

I was.

Wrote the articles needed with the terms being I would be paid a week after turning them in. Finally was all paid up (with multiple small payments) after three weeks. I'm leary doing more for that particular person now.

Sounds like the same person perhaps? I wonder how many people she has done this to. That's why I posted this.

[cwilson26]

A similar thing happened to me a few weeks ago and I still haven't been paid. I did a bunch of product descriptions and some BMR articles for someone and she kept giving me excuse after excuse of why I hadn't been paid yet. She finally stopped responding to my emails. Hmm, I might try emailing her again and telling her the content still belongs to me until she pays me.

[cassandra]

Originally Posted by cwilson26

A similar thing happened to me a few weeks ago and I still haven't been paid. I did a bunch of product descriptions and some BMR articles for someone and she kept giving me excuse after excuse of why I hadn't been paid yet. She finally stopped responding to my emails. Hmm, I might try emailing her again and telling her the content still belongs to me until she pays me.

No doubt it's the same person.

[funmom91]

Well, me I would not wait an additional 2 weeks. I would send them a reminder in 24 hours and if no response in 24 hours I would start investigating them. I have gotten scammed majorly, once when I first started writing by accepting a gig from this forum. The person was good with her scam though she paid promptly for 4+ assignments then just had all sorts of issues come up. Now I have learned a lesson to investigate the person first and decide if/how much of a deposit is needed.

[cassandra]

I have written for her before with no problems and so have many other people. Matter of fact, it was due to all the wonderful "she's good", "she pays" and whatever right here on this forum that led me to trust her.

Ok, not everyone is experiencing this issue with the same person as me, but the majority who have responded ARE dealing with the same person as I am.

Anyone else? LOL

[tinasam]

ditto.

I'd done work for her in the past with no problems.

It is also interesting that the one that took long to pay me is the same person as others. But the excuses for not paying are slightly different. Some of the excuses are the same and some are not. Whether it was the truth or not doesn't matter, I'm leery to trust her again to send payment on time now.

[anng]

I usually send a reminder 24-48 hours after the money was due. If that doesn't get response, I'll give it a week and then start sending out a note that until I'm paid, I hold the copyright. That usually works. If that still fails to get payment at the two week mark, I'll start running the articles through Google to see if they've posted them. If I find anything, I'll send one last warning. After a month, I'll contact the host and tell them the material posted on the website is my work and I never received payment, I'll offer to provide all the original emails discussing payment, etc., and that I want the the site taken down until payment is received. That usually does the trick.