freelance gone wrong
- Started
- Last post
- 27 Responses
- hellopush
A coworker referred an associate of his to contact me for design work... I gave them a quote and detailed information of what was involved in it... they agreed to hire me on.
That coworker met with me on several ocassions to request several different art directions. I complied and promptly made the changes. I then submitted an invoice for half of the amount owing. The coworker then tells me that it is his "associate friend" who will be taking care of payments and he cant seem to get ahold of him. I then billed for the full amount and refused to release the files until full payment.
this has been going on for months, with my coworker feeling helpless and not knowing what to do.
just today i received this email from his "associate"... i dont know what to do now.. any suggestions?
heres the email: any suggestions would be appreciated.:
_______With regards to your invoice dated April 7, 2009 in the amount of $1500.00, please be advised that HCn elected some time ago, not to proceed with any design product you may have submitted and has chosen to move in a different direction. As such, we will not require your services on this project and regret any perceived miscommunication. We currently do not have any contract or work-for-hire agreement between our two companies nor do we not intend to use any Hellopush work product. We, therefore, do not recognize the aforementioned invoice as valid.
Once again we regret any miscommunication on this matter and will ensure that any materials you may have forwarded to us will be returned or destroyed.
We thank you and consider this matter closed
HCn administration
- MSL0
Always make a client sign a contract, which should state payment dates and handing over of any files (or not handing over files under full payment is received).
Learn from it, move on and make sure you get a contract on the go for your next freelance work.
- OSFA0
Here's where they fucked you...
"We currently do not have any contract or work-for-hire agreement between our two companies"
- OSFA0
but still kick his ass!
- monospaced0
Your coworker felt the unnecessary to act as a middle man between you and his associate (the client). You should have cut him out as soon as his associate contacted you. Why you discussed the creative directions with your coworker, I'll never know, but it was a huge mistake. I guess gentleman is correct with the moral being: no contract, no money.
- hellopush0
yea. my mistake. i went on blind faith that i could trust someone who I worked with.
if a man named Jonathan Llyr from "http://www.hardcorenerdity.com" ever contacts you for work.... by no means comply.
i wont be giving up just yet.
- TheBlueOne0
No signed contract?
SOL.
- monospaced0
It just dawned on me that your coworker should be paying you as he chose to act as product manager and essentially hired you (contracted, even) for the job.
- hellopush0
see. this is where i was duped...i wasnt aware that i was doing work for "his associate" until just recently. all this time i was under the impression that I was doing it for my coworker who was working in collaboration with his associate.
- u should bring the matter up with your supervisor at work if you can't reach any agreement with your friend. he suckered u and took money from your pocket.duhsign
- TheBlueOne0
You said you submitted a quote, did you just proceed on a verbal OK on it? Or did you have some one actually sign off o it?
- ross0
When you said "they agreed to hire me on." what did you mean?
any contract? or writing from them saying you were working on said job for said fee?
- hellopush0
yes! i couldnt agree more monospaced... i stated just that to my coworker. that if he is unable to acquire payment from his "associate" then i still expect to be paid.. not my problem if it ends up coming from his pocket.
- It's likely you would win in small claims court defending yourself.monospaced
- not defending...but you know what I meanmonospaced
- monospaced0
That's exactly why your coworker should be paying you instead.
This "coworker met with [you] on several ocassions to request several different art directions. [You] complied and promptly made the changes. [You] then submitted an invoice for half of the amount owing."
That's essentially a verbal AND written contract with documented work to back it up. Go for the money.
- jimbojones0
go to a lawyer if it's worth (1.5k? I think not...) and kick client's arse when he's not looking, and learn from it. It's a mistake that most freelancers make (me too), but only until they get in such situation.
Still, under no circumstances would I make the client's name and all public. Huge backfire.
- monospaced0
"we will not require your services on this project and regret any perceived miscommunication"
make them regret it
- im thinking i should have some personalized brass knuckles made.. it was say
"k e r n this" on them. (sorry, got my quota of geek humour out for the day)hellopush
- im thinking i should have some personalized brass knuckles made.. it was say
- hektor9110
That happened to me years ago. I believe I did learn from it. Wish you the best, best luck next time.
- robotron3k0
name & shame.
- monospaced0
Jonathan Llyr / HCN / client
Named and shamed (by his own face)
- janne760
stumbled on this a while ago, might be useful:
- Koalition0
A client still owes me 2000$ from 3 years ago.. Even with a signed contract I think the legal fees would be higher than that... so I am trying to forget about it. Loosing that money blows, but finding out you can't trust people blows double!
- with the correct contract, the responsibility of your legal fees would also lie on the client, including late feesmonospaced
- mono is correctjimbojones