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Copywriting is becoming irritating............tired of chasing people for payments.

Discussion in 'Copywriting' started by tesla, Nov 24, 2007.

  1. #1
    You know, I've been doing copywriting for over a year now, but I'm starting to get sick and f*cking tired of it. Tired of always having to chase people to get paid. Tired of the scams. I just did some work for a guy, who told me he would pay me on Friday, and it is Saturday, and after sending him emails, still no response.

    The one thing I'm ready to start doing is that when clients don't pay me, I want to take not just the content that I wrote for them, but their entire website and create a duplicate. The biggest problem with copywriting is that most people here at DP want you to write first, then you get paid. But this is a headache.

    This is why I think I'm going to build a website with membership access, where you pay first, then you get access to the goods. This is how porn sites do it, and that industry is better than copywriting. I have bills to pay, and food to buy, and having to chase some idiot for payment who is supposed to send money yesterday is annoying.

    How do you guys deal with this problem? YES, I normally have people pay 50% up front before I start writing, but the member of which I speak is someone I've worked with before. In any event, having to wait days to get paid is annoying.

    This is why adsense, affiliate programs, and membership sites are superior. You don't get anything until you've paid. If you don't pay, you don't get it. That means the business owner doesn't have to worry about anything, except maybe charge backs if they use Paypal, but you can avoid this by simply using a different service, or keeping your Paypal account empty.
     
    tesla, Nov 24, 2007 IP
    Briant likes this.
  2. rayaan

    rayaan Peon

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    #2
    If the member is someone you've worked with before, I wouldn't worry too much about it. I mean, it is the weekend and everything, and one day late might not be enough reason to freak out.

    I'd say send in a reminder next week (unless he reads this thread of course in which case your money should be in your paypal account soon enough!):D
     
    rayaan, Nov 24, 2007 IP
  3. The Emirates Gallastico

    The Emirates Gallastico Banned

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    #3
    Always take at least 50% up front before you start working for a client, especially if it's a big number/lot of work :)
     
    The Emirates Gallastico, Nov 24, 2007 IP
  4. SEOLinker

    SEOLinker Banned

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    #4
    I reccomend to use freelance sites escrow. Not for looking jobs on them, but for using only escrow. If person refuse to work such way (100% upfront and you didn't get paid till you do the job, and his money also in safe position) I will say "bye". Just that simple and prooven method for me.
     
    SEOLinker, Nov 24, 2007 IP
  5. kewlchat

    kewlchat Well-Known Member

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    #5
    Mabye their on holiday it is thanks giving weekend.
     
    kewlchat, Nov 24, 2007 IP
  6. Bender

    Bender Peon

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    #6
    I feel your frustration man... These kind of incidents make me wanna find the bastard's address and go beat the crap out of him...
     
    Bender, Nov 24, 2007 IP
    shashank4u likes this.
  7. Mike2732

    Mike2732 Peon

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    #7
    Damn I wish it was thanksgiving in Canada :p
     
    Mike2732, Nov 24, 2007 IP
  8. tesla

    tesla Notable Member

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    #8
    Now that I think about it, it may be because of thanks giving. But the many problems I've had this year with clients has made me decide that I want to put my time and energy into building a website which allows you to give information, products, or services to customers after they've paid for them, because this is easier and more profitable. I'm working on such a site right now, which I plan to start charging for by January 2008.

    I will probably continue doing content writing, but only on a limited basis, and only with long term clients who are reliable and make payments on time.
     
    tesla, Nov 24, 2007 IP
  9. M&M's are ok

    M&M's are ok Guest

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    #9
    Open up the gates of hell fire and behead the satanists and smite their ugly faces.
     
    M&M's are ok, Nov 24, 2007 IP
  10. chant

    chant Well-Known Member

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    #10
    The problem is that there are always first time or uneducated people trying writing out for the first time or they are students or just ignorant of how they should work professionally. These people will produce all the content that the employer wants up-front and send it off and then wait to be paid their peanuts. As long as these kind of people continue to perform work like this the power will always be with the employers.

    Do you want to eliminate the problem? Respect yourself as a professional first. Never work for new clients unless you get paid up-front and your existing clients should respect you enough to pay you in advance if they are commissioning work from you. If they refuse to treat you professionally then you shouldn't work for them. They are just another slum lord webmaster looking for some content for nothing.
     
    chant, Nov 24, 2007 IP
  11. WriteResults

    WriteResults Peon

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    #11
    I recently put in an invoice to a client for a months work, and two weeks later they were still coming up with excuses not to pay it - so I understand your frustration.

    I copyscaped the work and found it had already been sold on to another website. I emailed the company who had commissioned the work and told them that if payment wasnt in my paypal account by a certain time, I would contact the site they had sold the content to (and named them), telling them that as the original company hadnt paid for the work, I still owned the copyright.

    Payment was made by return. (They then asked me the status of some other articles I was writing for them!)

    On the other hand, Ive clients from DP and other places that are brilliant payers. (This company wasnt from DP)

    Slow paying clients aren't limited to this business. When I worked as a credit controller for a very large UK company it was the same old problems and excuses - but with a few more 0's on the sums involved ;-)

    Hopefully its just a holiday gliche (cant spell that!) for you, especially if you have worked together before.

    Christine
     
    WriteResults, Nov 25, 2007 IP
  12. Erthy

    Erthy Peon

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    #12
    A one day delay in holiday season is not much to fuss over, but I do see your point. Maybe you should try sending them a screenshot of the work and then ask for payment before sending the actual text. This isn't completely watertight however (they could type up the work themselves); but it might help.
     
    Erthy, Nov 25, 2007 IP
  13. wizozz

    wizozz Peon

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    #13
    I think you could use paypal for that. Because it has the "recurring billing" option, you can easily arrange %50 of the fee up-front and %50 say, one month later (or two weeks, or whatever time frame you normally submit your job).

    Even after payment your client has 2 months to request for a refund, if you have not delivered the copy. After two months, there is only paypal's conflict resolution process which protects you as a service provider. As long as you deliver what you proposed and you're not a scam artist or anything like that, you'll be protected by paypal.

    I hope this helps.
     
    wizozz, Nov 25, 2007 IP
  14. DaveyBoy

    DaveyBoy Peon

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    #14
    It works differently depending on whether they are online or offline clients. Generally if my company is doing work for a UK business or individual that didn't come to me through DP, I will give them 30 days to pay the balance after I invoice them. This is fairly standard procedure.

    Online is a different matter entirely though, as you have no way of chasing a payment up if the people just do a disappearing act. You need to protect yourself and your work against scammers, so like people said take a reasonable deposit before you start. Once the job is complete, you should expect full payment right away, that is just the done and accepted protocol in online business and saves too much trouble like the OP is suffering at the moment.

    Let's hope it was just cos of the holidays in the US :)
     
    DaveyBoy, Nov 25, 2007 IP
  15. nuruddeen710

    nuruddeen710 Peon

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    #15
    I feel sorry for you. I agree with reply #3 that you should ask for down payment first before accepting any jobs.
     
    nuruddeen710, Nov 25, 2007 IP
  16. shashank4u

    shashank4u Active Member

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    #16
    ROFL

    The delay happens to everybody having any internet based business..but sometimes mood is not right as in your case..:)
     
    shashank4u, Nov 25, 2007 IP
  17. Bondizzo

    Bondizzo Well-Known Member

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    #17
    yeah its sad, most ppl are quick to get service and not pay afterwards, the best way to handle this is to get some payment upfront which will scare away the chancers
     
    Bondizzo, Nov 26, 2007 IP
  18. angels deserve to die

    angels deserve to die Peon

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    #18
    Tesla, i advise you that for your next customers you should ask for a contact phone number which you will use just in emergency situations. This is not the case since it was thanks giving weekend, well basicaly weekend ...
     
    angels deserve to die, Nov 26, 2007 IP
  19. nursehoney

    nursehoney Active Member

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    #19
    Wonder what they're gonna do when enough writers have been cheated that we all demand full payment before a keystroke is made. Most of us are willing to rewrite a time or two if the client doesn't like it. I daresay all of us have samples we show them first. Why shouldn't they pay in full up front?

    Honey
     
    nursehoney, Nov 26, 2007 IP
  20. SEOLinker

    SEOLinker Banned

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    #20
    Honey, I am already provided prooven solution for such situation. Why not just use it instead of saying how bad that you don't get paid. Be smart, take care.
     
    SEOLinker, Nov 26, 2007 IP