news category created 14 July 2014 written by Dan Cox
Bad news! A client was very late with paying his invoices and now refuses to pay the invoices. His reason: he just does not have money. Strangely enough he does not suggest any alternatives and makes no problem if he has to pay extra costs. Of course I will not work on the project until the bill has been paid.
I discussed the matter with some colleagues and it seems that it does not happen very often. Some advised to take aggressive measures, some told me that they just let it go in the past and others advised to collect the unpaid invoices via a collecting agency.
What’s your experience and what would be your solution? What measure did you take?
It’s very difficult to manage these situations, but in the interests of self-preservation, it’s a good idea to build in a degree of protection, e.g. withholding essential materials until bills are paid. The obvious would be any audio files, including mp3’s, which have often been converted to WAV’s and used for mastering!
It is, Mick! It costs a lot of time and eats energy. Next to that it ruins one’s mood. I do indeed withhold all materials. Good that you mention delivery of mp3’s.
I think one of the most important measures one should take is clear communication and avoid discussion. It will help further in the process as my collection agency advised.
Working in a solution with the musicians, ditching the production company.
