A popular and infamous presentation by Montalvo Machado on this issue: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6h3RJhoqgK8
Ask HN: Handling an international non-paying client
31–40 of 40 posts
Re: Ask HN: Handling an international non-paying client
#32Close repos, stop working, if they ask why or ask for a copy of the unfinished work. State they'll receive it on payment. They play hardball, you play hardball. That's life.
This is the best advice without getting an international business law professional involved.
I'd 'update' the software to include a feature they are asking for along with some DRM. Get creative, make it hard to reverse engineer (Maybe write some critical functions in Python and then load them from a webserver or something). Wait until it gets loaded into production and pull the plug.
But then again, I'm an A-hole.
Re: Ask HN: Handling an international non-paying client
#33This might seem counterintuitive but if this company is juggling invoices...stopping work is the worst thing to do because you fall off their priority list of people they need to pay.
while i don't think you should work with struggling companies and you definitely shouldn't work if there is a high likelihood of not getting paid..
but if you want to get paid...the best thing you can do is show how it's in their best interest to prioritize paying you over other outstanding invoices...
Re: Ask HN: Handling an international non-paying client
#34Start getting paid upfront.
Re: Ask HN: Handling an international non-paying client
#35What's your bargaining power? Use it to get your money.
Re: Ask HN: Handling an international non-paying client
#36Earlier quoted context omitted.
This is the best advice without getting an international business law professional involved.
I'd 'update' the software to include a feature they are asking for along with some DRM. Get creative, make it hard to reverse engineer (Maybe write some critical functions in Python and then load them from a webserver or something). Wait until it gets loaded into production and pull the plug. But then again, I'm an A-hole.
While it's a nice plan, certainly fun to watch, implementing it takes time. Investing time on a non-paying client doesn't sound very prudent.
Re: Ask HN: Handling an international non-paying client
#37Australia? You're in luck. Australia has a "Civil and Administrative Tribunal" system for disputes up to $25,000. It can be used entirely on line and by phone. See " http://www.qcat.qld.gov.au/matter-types/debt-disputes/applic... . If there's a hearing, you can request that it be by phone. I used this once after a problem with freelancer.com. They paid up within hours after filing.
This link seems to be dead. Also keep in mind that you will have to file this in the state (territory) where the business is based. The above link is for Queensland. Have a look here for more info:
https://www.accc.gov.au/contact-us/other-helpful-agencies/st...
Re: Ask HN: Handling an international non-paying client
#38A long time ago I did some work for a startup in China (I'm in the US). They paid my first invoice, but stalled and promised and didn't pay the second. After 3 months of listening to their lines ("the check was mailed yesterday", "the check will go out today!", "the person who signs the checks was in an car accident") I saw in the news that they had gotten another round of funding, and who the backers were. So I sent…
+1 on the scold.
Emails don't work well in these situations. Send a letter, ring the CEO ... and STOP doing any more work.
Re: Ask HN: Handling an international non-paying client
#39A popular and infamous presentation by Montalvo Machado on this issue: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6h3RJhoqgK8
This. so much this.
Really, the single most important lesson when doing work for any company.
Re: Ask HN: Handling an international non-paying client
#40You may have to take the loss; as others said it is the price of the "Fuck you, pay me" lesson. You'll most likely learn multiple other lessons along the way that will encourage you to have a tougher stance when dealing with clients.
A few of the things you'll learn the hard way;
- Ask for an upfront payment before work starts (40%). - Subsequent payments (over the initial 40℅) are tied up to deliverables (usually a few weeks sprint). - Code is never handed over before final payment. - Ignore promises of future payments or recommendations: if you're not being paid, you do not work. - Learn to say no: not just no to additional features, but also no to certain projects.