Hi,

 

I am a little conufused about the actions of a bigger designer that sub-contracted me to deal with some of their spillover.

 

I met the person in question. They seemed pretty nice and liked my work and were keen to help me etc...

 

Since then I have had sporadic 'work'.

 

The only problem is that I will do some pre-lim designs and agree a quote and then the work never materialises. This has happened 3 times in sucession. Each time I am rather cheesed off as I work hard on a potential design on Photoshop send it over then no further word..

 

As this has now happened for the third time I really am smelling a rat. I think there is some sort of scam. What I do supply each time is neat and website ready designs.

 

Is it possible this salt of the earth person is just using me to get free design work? The reason I would doubt this is that the sites that I was briefed for in all cases never went online anyway (the excuse each time that the client never went ahead). Its plausible the client dropped out or was inefficient as you guys probably well know a lot of clients are about as useful as a square wheel when it comes to finishing jobs.

 

If this is a scam I am guessing this rogue designer is using my artwork elsewhere.

 

I have given most of the facts, what are peoples thoughts?

 

Since being in the business I have learnt fast it is full of charlatans.

Wait... so you send him your finished work without any contract bounds or payment?

Alluziion's question

+1

Yes, if you had a contract, that would have probably never happened. Also you should always take a deposit.

 

Did you send them the psd files or just a flat designs?

The amount of times I've heard situations like this is endless (and I have not been alive that long really).

 

 

I met the person in question. They seemed pretty nice and liked my work and were keen to help me etc...

 

No matter how nice someone seems or how much they seem to want to help you, always get something in writting. A contract really would have helped you avoid a situation like this. You've kinda screwed yourself now as it will a lot harder to take legal action with this.

 

There are some genuine people out there (you will find some on this forum) but I find it difficult to trust anyone. The first website I ever done was for someone that I thought I knew well. He even tried to get out of paying in the long run, but even at the age of 16 I made him sign a contract that I got my cousin to write for me. Worked like a charm!

 

 

 

This has happened 3 times in sucession

 

So they did it once and you continued to provide designs for them? Twice more?

 

Surely the first time of them doing this was enough for you to step back and walk away. Don't continue work for someone who is not paying/holding up there end of the deal. You should take Mike Monteiro's amazing advise and Fire the client! (Or you could use the **** you pay me part but without a contract it is quite hard).

I see. Well I have it in perspective now. I don't want to go to court, it would be difficult anyway. I just wondered why this person is messing me about. They don't benefit out of it themselves from what I can see.

 

I didn't know contracts were so important. I usually go on trust alone. Naive as that may seem I haven't had many problems up to now.

 

If it is normal practise to have a contract involved then I will try and make sure everyone I do a site for signs one from now on.

Yes, if you had a contract, that would have probably never happened. Also you should always take a deposit.

 

Did you send them the psd files or just a flat designs?

 

I think it was the psd files I sent. I have checked and they haven't been used on the site they were asked for. Maybe this person is using my design elsewhere?

I see. Well I have it in perspective now. I don't want to go to court, it would be difficult anyway. I just wondered why this person is messing me about. They don't benefit out of it themselves from what I can see.

 

I didn't know contracts were so important. I usually go on trust alone. Naive as that may seem I haven't had many problems up to now.

 

If it is normal practise to have a contract involved then I will try and make sure everyone I do a site for signs one from now on.

 

Yes, definitely normal practice and one of the first actions to take as soon as both parties have agreed on terms and work is about to begin. It's also worth taking a deposit to prevent your client screwing you half-way through and wasting your time.

 

 

I think it was the psd files I sent. I have checked and they haven't been used on the site they were asked for. Maybe this person is using my design elsewhere?

 

If you have some of the images (an image that he would have most likely wrapped in an <img> tag), you could run it through a Google search which would return with results of images that are the same or visually similar and then you may have an idea if it's been used elsewhere but my guess is that he's definitely used them in some-way... probably sold them or used them for his own clients (the client you were told about probably wasn't one of his real clients).

 

Sorry kid but this stuff happens - mistakes are made to be learnt from so make sure you do! Keep your head up and trust no-one

Yes, definitely normal practice and one of the first actions to take as soon as both parties have agreed on terms and work is about to begin. It's also worth taking a deposit to prevent your client screwing you half-way through and wasting your time.

 

 

 

If you have some of the images (an image that he would have most likely wrapped in an <img> tag), you could run it through a Google search which would return with results of images that are the same or visually similar and then you may have an idea if it's been used elsewhere but my guess is that he's definitely used them in some-way... probably sold them or used them for his own clients (the client you were told about probably wasn't one of his real clients).

 

Sorry kid but this stuff happens - mistakes are made to be learnt from so make sure you do! Keep your head up and trust no-one

 

Thanks I appreciate it. I think this has been clarified now for me. I don't know how these cretins sleep at night, but oh well lol.

Edited February 14, 201313 yr by Zapdos

I don't know how these cretins sleep at night, but oh well lol.

 

On the hoards of cash they make from their scams.

Always have a contract signed by the client. Yes, in this case, the designer giving you the work is the client. Never ever hand over anything that hasn't been agreed in said contract, and always make sure you get a deposit upfront.

 

Most of the agencies I deal with will cover this stage anyway, by that I mean they land the client their end, send them a psd etc, then when it is signed off it is passed on to me for the development stage.

 

In your case, I would have had 3 payment stages, 30% upfront, 30% upon sign off of said design(psd), and then 40% upon completion of overall project. You could even have split 4 ways if you like.

Ouch bud. I don't use 'contracts' as such nor does my mouse move without money commitment. I usually only provide them with a tech brief (we use your brand and will build X yada) and a link to examples I've built before, never a design although I used to work for a bigger design house who had the corporate 'tender' method, it all depends on the clients budget. This tech brief (final brief) is 'agreed' when they pay the 50% up front and I find when you have half their money already they want it finished asap.

 

I run a 50% up front 50% on completion. The exception is third party services (e.g. buying in some server software, print production etc) for which I take 100% before they are purchased. This might sound strange to some but what do you do with 20,000 printed flyers you paid to get made when the client don't pay you - sadly I learnt this the hard way too.