Rant coming. I do freelance work. In addition to scaring up stuff for myself, I have an agency that represents me, and they get me work. A little over a year ago, they got me a client who they said was a nice guy, and "He's a bit of a slow payer, but if he likes you it'll be steady work."
It turned out both things were true. It's regular work, and they take an average of about 5 weeks to pay. For the sake of comparison, I have a few other regular clients, and they pay me whenever their next pay cycle is after the job is completed, and that's usually within 2 weeks, never more than a month.
Anyway, with the slow guy, I wait 30 days and then I send the office manager an email and politely ask for my money. Usually she sends it out within a day or two. Recently, though, they've been stalling, and I'm about fed up with it. I sent the office manager an email a week ago looking for payment, here's the list of excuses I've gotten back:
"We haven't been paid by the overall client yet, but when we do, you'll get your money."
That's not how it works. I have an agreement with you, not your overall client. Pay me.
"You seem unhappy. Should we keep our working relationship going? If not, we'll pay you everything we owe you and we can part ways."
I'm only unhappy because you're not paying me on time. I'm happy to keep the working relationship going. If you're ready to pay me off to make me go away, why don't you just pay me?
"We put a check in the mail last Thursday. Have you not received it?"
No, I have not. Seeing as I only live about 20 miles from you, and it's been 4 days, I think the check may be "lost".
"Oh, well, let's give it one more day and if it's not with you by tomorrow, we'll send another one."
Yes, by all means, let's wait a bit. If nothing else it'll give you time to think of more excuses. Post date the check, maybe? Put different amounts in the number part and the written part? Forget to sign it? If you did all three and spaced them out we could keep doing this for another month. You might wind up in the Deadbeat Hall of Fame.
I took a business skills class on Friday, where I learned I'm allowed by law to charge them £40 plus 8% interest per day for every day over 30 that the invoice is not paid. I know if I do this, it'll be the end of the working relationship, but I really want to, if only to make them mad.
Thanks for listening. Rant over.