Customer didn't pay,what next!!!!!!

Close enough. Best thing to do if you know a lawyer is simply ask him for advice. He'll know what laws your state has on that kind of stuff and can probably tell you what to do. But from now on please get everything in writing. A client's signature on a contract will hold up a hundred fold better than any oral agreement. Word against word doesn't accomplish as much as that signed agreement.

was it a large amount of money? sometime you just have to take the loss and not work for them again.

ditto, deker about 1/2 up front.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by perfect circle
[B]As for getting paid, if you don't have a contract you are screwed.../B][/QUOTE]

Doesnt matter. Send them to collections. I had to deal a lot with that -( working with Rap clients in a studio - lol ). We did almost everything word of mouth, never used contracts, and by law we were able to collect for services rendered. As long as they are over 18 at the time of the service.

You may end up in court, but make sure you have all of your files handy and any emails, etc. Don't need a lawyer as it's you versus them in a small claims court.

If you go on Judge Judy you can get some free publicity out of the deal!

Watermarking your work always helps keep clients from jacking your stuff.

Yea I might be screwed then. I live in Connecticut, and my client lives in Florida. It was somewhere round 200 dollars. To you guys it might not seem much,but im 22, no full time job, and since I lost my graphic design job 2 years ago, I havn't been able to get another one :( so 200 is a lot of money to me..

Poor lil old me :(

I do feel your pain, but I would suggest a better business practice in the future. A standard would be to ask for half of the payment up front, and the other half upon delivery of the final product. That ensures that even if they take it and run you still get some compensation for your work.

We do that in our shutter business. We get half the payment up front. After we install all the shutters we get the 2nd half. And if they decide not to pay, well my boss carries a long chain in his truck and we have a long chain in the work van. We will snatch the shutters off of the house if they decide not to pay the rest of what is owed. We've yet to have to do this but we would have no problem in doing it.

I would even come up with a standard contract that ensures you can get full payment in the event they want to skip out. Unless, like Utopian said, you have a standing relationship with the person. But even then, it's good business practice to do this with anyone, and if you do have a standing relationship with someone they'll understand and not mind signing a contract.

I know this doesn't get you your $200 now, but it will help you in the future.

Me and rodder, the new team badasses can go beat him down for you.

You with me Rodder?

Originally posted by MobileBadBoy
I do feel your pain, but I would suggest a better business practice in the future. A standard would be to ask for half of the payment up front, and the other half upon delivery of the final product. That ensures that even if they take it and run you still get some compensation for your work.

We do that in our shutter business. We get half the payment up front. After we install all the shutters we get the 2nd half. And if they decide not to pay, well my boss carries a long chain in his truck and we have a long chain in the work van. We will snatch the shutters off of the house if they decide not to pay the rest of what is owed. We've yet to have to do this but we would have no problem in doing it.

I would even come up with a standard contract that ensures you can get full payment in the event they want to skip out. Unless, like Utopian said, you have a standing relationship with the person. But even then, it's good business practice to do this with anyone, and if you do have a standing relationship with someone they'll understand and not mind signing a contract.

I know this doesn't get you your $200 now, but it will help you in the future.

Yeah that's some good advice.

lowizzy there's books that you can buy that have contract templates and stuff for freelance graphic design and webdesign. I know they carry them at Barnes and Noble. Always have a written and signed agreement with whoever you're dealing with.

Originally posted by lowizzy
Yea I might be screwed then. I live in Connecticut, and my client lives in Florida. It was somewhere round 200 dollars. To you guys it might not seem much,but im 22, no full time job, and since I lost my graphic design job 2 years ago, I havn't been able to get another one :( so 200 is a lot of money to me..

Poor lil old me :(

I'd still send him to collections. They may take 40% , but it screws his credit and it's not a total loss. Plus he/she may think about doing that again. (plus you can find out if this person has a history of doing this.)

We had collections all over the states at my old work. It doesnt matter where he lives. From US and Canada, a collection agent can collect in North America.