He owes me $100.
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- cannada
I designed a simple brochure .pdf as a favor for a friend of a coworker. We were at a party and he asked if I'd help, and we agreed on $100 (although I think he hoped I'd do it for free).
Anyways, I did it, emailed it to him, he was happy, so I sent an invoice.
Three weeks have gone by, haven't heard from him and never got a check in the mail.
It's only a $100 and it was only a couple hours work, but would you send a reminder or just let it go? What did I do wrong?
- detritus0
Why would you not send him a reminder?
- I can't think of a single reason.detritus
- Just email him and say "hi, sent you an invoice and never heard back"cannada
- < exactly my thoughtsHombre_Lobo
- CanHasQBN0
Shoot his entire family up.
- <Maaku
- That should be the response to everything now.monospaced
- Amerikuh!!!!cannada
- yupmoldero
- monoboy0
Remind that your terms state that the cost will go up by 10% a month after 26 days of non payment. Then ask him if he's having money problems and offer to do two/three monthly payments.
If that doesn't work, steal his iPhone.
- Don't do the last one.monoboy
- It was just a handshake deal.cannada
- Exactly. Always go by the book or say no.monoboy
- seriously, adding $10? that's just petty shitmonospaced
- yeah add $1000
make it sting!moldero
- formed0
Send it again. Most people just forget/ignore invoices (that don't have an accounting dept, where they literally avoid you for months). He'll pay, you just have to be patient.
3 weeks is nothing, though. I'd probably hold off and just mention it to your coworker at some point, as it was more or less a favor to them.
- HAYZ1LLLA0
This is not Seinfeld. And your not asking out the girl from the Deli.
Send him a reminder!!!
- i_monk0
Send a reminder and add a Friendship Re-evaluation Fee to the total.
- Maaku0
Don't work with/for friends or family
- monospaced0
Send a reminder along with the original design source files.
- 4040
personally I would wait, it's only $100. After 6 weeks and no payment I would send the reminder and add that you have been patient and would appreciate him taking care of it asap.
- monospaced0
In all seriousness though, on your invoice that you sent three weeks ago, what exactly did it say about timing for payment?
- OSFA0
fucking people...
- GeorgesII0
I can send you $100 if you want ,
but you'll have to give me €100 back,
is it cool?
- CALLES0
kidnap cat/dog send large patches of fur every week as a reminder
- identity0
First comment pretty much nailed it.
Contact him to remind him. Unfortunately, I've been guilty of forgetting to pay out a friend once or twice. A courteous reminder will do the trick.
- omg0
Send him another invoice with added interest.
- wtf?monospaced
- Maybe he's not interested in paying at all.cannada
- added interest and late fees may make him respond.omg
- it's $100 omg, for a friend of a coworker he met at a party with a handshake contract and a desire for free workmonospaced
- asking for a late fee is fucking ridiculous and morally illegal without a contractmonospaced
- "morally illegal"
loli_monk - well, it's absolute bullshit! I would NEVER pay a fee if I didn't know about it before-handmonospaced
- plus, it's $10monospaced
- then pay the $100 and we'll call the whole thing even.omg
- otherwise, additional late fees do incur every month.omg
- unless we're both jewish, then it would be religiously/ morally illegal to charge each other late fees or interestomg
- There was no contract, dude. And late fees on $100 is about the douchiest shit I've ever heard of.monospaced
- so since there was no contract, are you suggesting that the work should be done for free?omg
- NO. I never said that. what I'm saying is that YOUR suggestion for adding interest is lamemonospaced
- it's lame because...? every financial institution utilizes a late fee, and appended even on contractless jobsomg
- if a person pays on time, then there is nothing to worry about.omg
- otherwise they'll never ever have to pay you. it's already been three weeks.omg
- in other cases, this would have already gone to baseball bat level.omg
- it's lame because it's for $10 and it was never discussed, evermonospaced
- and there is no "on time" when it's a handshake over beers for a stranger who never wanted to paymonospaced
- a policies note should be sent along with invoice to state what the rules are.omg
- like rules of the park, should be posted somewhere, might be a good idea to also post rules to your website.omg
- but interest is a great way to make extra money off a $100 job. If client doesn't pay in 5-10 years, it can be worth thousands.omg
- ... thousands!omg
- wow.cannada
- contract or no contract, these issues will always come up. adding interest is good when you think you're not going to get paid.omg
- .. get paid!omg
- remind you that when it hits $600, then it can go to small claims courtomg
- look, everything you're saying omg is right, if this was a "real" job with a contract.. but it's notmonospaced
- Perhaps it's not too late to have a contract made post work.omg
- cotton0
Should have asked for $50 up front, I think.
- Miguex0
Consider this a lesson learned, never send finals to a client that has not paid for the item, unfortunately this is all on you. (specially if you were in doubt that he was under the impression that you were going to do it for free).
Now he got what he needed, and has no motivation to pay for your work.
I think it would be safe to assume that you will not be making this mistake in the future, we've all been there!