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What being ripped off taught me

belief.horse

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Re: What being ripped off taught me

#11

Post by wewewedxfgdf »

Be paid or don't work.

I am so deadly serious - do not continue working if your invoices are late.

You don't have to be a jerk about it, just explain to your primary contact that you need to be paid and you pick up tools again when the money has arrived.

BUT it is on YOU to properly negotiate reasonable payment terms. And if you don;t know or don't trust the client then require payment in advance until a stronger commercial relationship can be settled in. Do not be a baby - go research business contracts and payment terms.

Do not be afraid to lose business from companies that are squeamish about paying you - in fact actively avoid such companies.

Re: What being ripped off taught me

#12

Post by righthand »

wewewedxfgdf wrote: post #11

Be paid or don't work. I am so deadly serious - do not continue working if your invoices are late. You don't have to be a jerk about it, just explain to your primary contact that you need to be paid and you pick up tools again when the money has arrived. BUT it is on YOU to properly negotiate reasonable payment terms. And if you don;t know or don't trust the client then require payment in advance until a stronger com…

100% agree, and to add it can be tough sometimes to walk away from a cool project. I had worked on a project building scientific trial software, an app to review 3D lung scans, and an ML model to detect lesions in lung scans. It was really empowering, but after the first scientific trial the customer stopped paying their bills and ended up in back payment of $1M. My boss closed the project which sucked but it ultimately cost the company and people’s jobs. Just not worth interacting with bad people if they stop the agreement. There is most likely more money later but there is also money that is on time with other customers.

Re: What being ripped off taught me

#13

Post by blitzar »

fontain wrote: post #10

“A contract is toilet paper” A little hyperbolic, but more accurate than not when laypeople think about contracts. A contract isn’t a magic spell, it is a declaration of shared understanding that can be used for clarity and in legal proceedings. If you think of a contract as a way to ensure you get what you agreed, yes, it is toilet paper, because a contract doesn’t remove counterparty risk.

In a fight between a piece of toilet paper backed by millions in legal spending vs a rock solid contract backed by nothing -- the toilet paper (even if it is used toilet paper) will win every single time.

Re: What being ripped off taught me

#14

Post by magicalhippo »

wewewedxfgdf wrote: post #11

Be paid or don't work. I am so deadly serious - do not continue working if your invoices are late. You don't have to be a jerk about it, just explain to your primary contact that you need to be paid and you pick up tools again when the money has arrived. BUT it is on YOU to properly negotiate reasonable payment terms. And if you don;t know or don't trust the client then require payment in advance until a stronger com…

> Do not be afraid to lose business from companies that are squeamish about paying you - in fact actively avoid such companies.

My boss said that the ones who have negotiated the best deals are the ones that are late paying, complain about just about every bill and will write angry letters when my boss index adjust pricing.

He said it taught him to never offer a really good deal for a regular customer (ie where the upside isn't very obvious).

Re: What being ripped off taught me

#17

Post by InMice »

> I missed the month of May with my 2-year-old kid. My wife cared for a 2-year-old alone.

The weirdest part to me, receive a call and just get up and go? Priorities? Did you write this blog post from the doghouse?

Re: What being ripped off taught me

#18

Post by buran77 »

hyperhello wrote: post #5

> They were carpetbaggers and dilettantes convinced by their own inexperience and the advice of a onetime VJ that they could pull off something I’d twice helped quote to be brought home by a cadre of hardened killers with shitloads of math and know-how at eye-watering prices. They were way way way over their heads and were in no way interested in updating their priors in light of the shit they were swimming in. And y…

> I missed the month of May with my 2-year-old kid. My wife cared for a 2-year-old alone.

This wasn't because of the customer or not getting paid. This was the author's choice.

Re: What being ripped off taught me

#20

Post by balbladsaf1231 »

> A contract is toilet paper

no it isn't. why you did not sue them? success rate of international arbitrage (New York Convention) proces into China is 90% success rate. USA/EU companies who sue Chineses companies in China for breach of contract seem to be winning rates. Enforcement of USA curt orders do not need to go thorugh Chinese courts again, and are enforced by local authorities (local sharks) with success rate of 80% for foreign firms suing chinese firms. fees are also fairly low. case is straightfoward.

if author went and sue, likely he would get his money back.

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