- Impact
- 23
Back in September, Wasibinut and I started talking about programming. He had a client who wanted some custom edits to their PERL script. I told him that I knew PERL and I would have a look at the requirements.
After looking at the scripts and then assessing what needed to be done, I rendered an estimate. Robert needed to get approval from the client, and understandably so. After several days, it was supposedly approved and I was to begin coding. I gave him a timeframe for the completion of the work, and all seemed to be in order.
I ran into a few problems, and unfortunately, the work was NOT completed on time. However, it was completed within two weeks of the original estimate. All the time, I stayed in touch with Robert, and he assured me that everything was alright with his client.
When the project was complete, and both he and the client approved the work, I asked how he would like to be billed. Robert asked me to email him an invoice, which I gladly did. Also, since the project deadline was not met due to an issue on my end, I took a decent percentage off the final price - allowing Robert to either keep the remaining portion, or refund it to the client. I did this without prompting or him even asking. I did it because I did not uphold my deadline, even though the client was alright with the project being slightly late.
This was mid October. Over the next two weeks, the invoice remained unpaid. When asked, Robert told me that he had billed the client, and that they elected to pay via PayPal. The payment was being held up because they had paid with an eCheck. Alright, I can accept that, so I gave it another week.
When asked about payment now, he simply would reply with "I will check on it later". I seemed to be getting the runaround. I mean, how long does it take to log into Paypal and see if a payment has cleared? A minute? Two if you mistype your password?
Now, it is mid November. I asked him again, but this time he claimed to had a server crash, and that he had NO time to neither look to see if the payment had cleared nor take the 30 seconds to make the payment that was long overdue.
I am a patient and understanding soul. Perhaps Robert was busy with rebuilding a server, but I was becoming suspicious at this point. Why couldn't he take a mere 60 seconds to pay the bill. I asked him if it would help if I sent a request for the money. He replied "If I want". Yes, I WANT, and I am still willing to try to make it easy on him to make the payment and avoid a post like this one. So, I made the request, and again, play the waiting game. Several days went by, and I issued a reminder via Paypal. Still nothing.
By now, I am getting frustrated. I mean, I am self-employed, but I pay my bills on time. I sent him a few more IMs. He was ignoring me. Finally, I had enough. I IMed him and said that unless the money that is DUE to me for the custom PERL coding is PAID within two days, I would report him as a deadbeat on the forums.
Robert did not reply to the IMs with IMs, but rather sent me an email and said "I am not motivated by threats. You should be more professional."
Excuse me? Professional extends to paying your bills too.
To this point (over two months later), the bill for the custom coding still has not been paid. I issued the invoice several times, and have sent numerous reminders (both via IM and email).
Should Robert ever elect to pay his bill, I will retract this post.
Kind Regards,
-Bob
After looking at the scripts and then assessing what needed to be done, I rendered an estimate. Robert needed to get approval from the client, and understandably so. After several days, it was supposedly approved and I was to begin coding. I gave him a timeframe for the completion of the work, and all seemed to be in order.
I ran into a few problems, and unfortunately, the work was NOT completed on time. However, it was completed within two weeks of the original estimate. All the time, I stayed in touch with Robert, and he assured me that everything was alright with his client.
When the project was complete, and both he and the client approved the work, I asked how he would like to be billed. Robert asked me to email him an invoice, which I gladly did. Also, since the project deadline was not met due to an issue on my end, I took a decent percentage off the final price - allowing Robert to either keep the remaining portion, or refund it to the client. I did this without prompting or him even asking. I did it because I did not uphold my deadline, even though the client was alright with the project being slightly late.
This was mid October. Over the next two weeks, the invoice remained unpaid. When asked, Robert told me that he had billed the client, and that they elected to pay via PayPal. The payment was being held up because they had paid with an eCheck. Alright, I can accept that, so I gave it another week.
When asked about payment now, he simply would reply with "I will check on it later". I seemed to be getting the runaround. I mean, how long does it take to log into Paypal and see if a payment has cleared? A minute? Two if you mistype your password?
Now, it is mid November. I asked him again, but this time he claimed to had a server crash, and that he had NO time to neither look to see if the payment had cleared nor take the 30 seconds to make the payment that was long overdue.
I am a patient and understanding soul. Perhaps Robert was busy with rebuilding a server, but I was becoming suspicious at this point. Why couldn't he take a mere 60 seconds to pay the bill. I asked him if it would help if I sent a request for the money. He replied "If I want". Yes, I WANT, and I am still willing to try to make it easy on him to make the payment and avoid a post like this one. So, I made the request, and again, play the waiting game. Several days went by, and I issued a reminder via Paypal. Still nothing.
By now, I am getting frustrated. I mean, I am self-employed, but I pay my bills on time. I sent him a few more IMs. He was ignoring me. Finally, I had enough. I IMed him and said that unless the money that is DUE to me for the custom PERL coding is PAID within two days, I would report him as a deadbeat on the forums.
Robert did not reply to the IMs with IMs, but rather sent me an email and said "I am not motivated by threats. You should be more professional."
Excuse me? Professional extends to paying your bills too.
To this point (over two months later), the bill for the custom coding still has not been paid. I issued the invoice several times, and have sent numerous reminders (both via IM and email).
Should Robert ever elect to pay his bill, I will retract this post.
Kind Regards,
-Bob
