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Poll: Have you ever requested up-front fees from a new client? Initiator des Themas: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Have you ever requested up-front fees from a new client?".
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Only from new clients with a BB recording of either being banned from posting jobs at Proz, and agencies infamous for non-payment in the industry.
And of course, they turned down my request as I suspected.
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Sanmar
Vereinigtes Königreich
Local time: 13:15
Niederländisch > Englisch
No, but I have asked for upfront payment from an established client since it became increasingly difficult to get payment out of him. I would get paid eventually but not after months and months of phoning, emailing etc. Funny thing was that he was quite happy to pay me upfront to get the work done by me!
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inkweaver 
Deutschland
Local time: 14:15
Französisch > Deutsch
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| Requested yes - received no | May 8, 2009 |
I did request a 50% upfront payment from a new client once but didn't get it. I did the job anyway and got paid on time ...
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John Cutler
Spanien
Local time: 14:15
Spanisch > Englisch
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Good faith takes time to develop, so I prefer to put a "credit limit" on first time clients. In other words, I don't accept first time jobs for a value of more than a couple of hundred euros. That's all I'm willing to be out if the client doesn't pay.
To tell the truth, in 10+ years of translating, I've had some late - very late payers, but I've never had a non-payer. (Knock on wood).
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Yasutomo Kanazawa wrote: Only from new clients with a BB recording of either being banned from posting jobs at Proz, and agencies infamous for non-payment in the industry. And of course, they turned down my request as I suspected.
Same here
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| From first time clients - individuals and small companies | May 8, 2009 |
It is supposed to be one of my 'business policies' to take an advance from first time clients, both individuals and small companies. From the bigger companies, I insist on a purchase order or similar document. Agencies usually don't have a policy of giving advances but I haven't yet had any serious problems because I didn't take an advance from any of them
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| Did so today, as a matter of fact | May 8, 2009 |
Walk-up clients get asked for money up front, sure. But that's typically for consumer-type things--translations of diplomas, driver's licenses and the like.
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Susanna Garcia
Local time: 13:15
Italienisch > Englisch
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In stillem Gedenken | Up-front fees | May 8, 2009 |
No, but I too won't take on big projects from unknowns.
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DZiW (X)
Ukraine
Englisch > Russisch
+ ...
| no payment in full | May 8, 2009 |
When I’m dealing with a new Customer I usually
1) see a sample and we agree all the nuances in advance;
2) when 1/2 (or as agreed) of job is done I expect 1/2 of payment;
3) having received the check or money I finish the job and let the Customer 7 working days to pay off.
I seldom do ask for advance money - up to 1/2 of the sum, but not 100%.
Probably if it’s a single line or a short passage I would have a lunch as the up-front fee ... See more When I’m dealing with a new Customer I usually
1) see a sample and we agree all the nuances in advance;
2) when 1/2 (or as agreed) of job is done I expect 1/2 of payment;
3) having received the check or money I finish the job and let the Customer 7 working days to pay off.
I seldom do ask for advance money - up to 1/2 of the sum, but not 100%.
Probably if it’s a single line or a short passage I would have a lunch as the up-front fee
Cheers ▲ Collapse
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Jenn Mercer
Vereinigte Staaten
Local time: 08:15
Mitglied (2009)
Französisch > Englisch
| Not from a new client... | May 8, 2009 |
...but I had a direct client who started having large delays in payment after having previously been a very prompt payer. Several months later, they were finally caught up with all of their payments and I stated that I would not do the final piece of the project unless I received payment in advance. I did receive it and was able to finish the project on good terms. However I will not do any future work for them without advance payment.
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Αlban SHPΑTΑ
Vereinigte Staaten
Mitglied (2008)
Englisch > Albanisch
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Upfront payment from private individuals that use a yahoo or hotmail address. I tend to avoid contact with any company or agency with bad payment practices.
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John Rawlins
Spanien
Local time: 14:15
Spanisch > Englisch
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| 50% advance payment to filter out the 'baddies' | May 8, 2009 |
If I can't find evidence that the business is well established - and the order is worth more than 100 euros - then I ask for a 50% advance payment. Most individuals and companies have agreed immediately. I am certain that the few who refused to make an advance payment were unlikely to have made any payment.
On the agency side, I only deal with firms that have a good BB rating.
Like John Cutler, I have never suffered a non-payer. I like to think that the non-payers tend ... See more If I can't find evidence that the business is well established - and the order is worth more than 100 euros - then I ask for a 50% advance payment. Most individuals and companies have agreed immediately. I am certain that the few who refused to make an advance payment were unlikely to have made any payment.
On the agency side, I only deal with firms that have a good BB rating.
Like John Cutler, I have never suffered a non-payer. I like to think that the non-payers tend to victimise the cut-pricers. ▲ Collapse
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Kathryn Litherland
Vereinigte Staaten
Local time: 08:15
Mitglied (2007)
Spanisch > Englisch
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| have been offered | May 8, 2009 |
I've been offered up-front payment from a couple of fellow freelance translators I've collaborated with, but in both cases I told them I was fine with my standard 30-day payment terms.
I think this is probably governed by the same logic as "I wouldn't want to belong to any club that would have me as a member": any client who offers you up-front payment can probably be trusted to pay on credit. Any client who can't be trusted to pay probably won't agree to up-front payment even if y... See more I've been offered up-front payment from a couple of fellow freelance translators I've collaborated with, but in both cases I told them I was fine with my standard 30-day payment terms.
I think this is probably governed by the same logic as "I wouldn't want to belong to any club that would have me as a member": any client who offers you up-front payment can probably be trusted to pay on credit. Any client who can't be trusted to pay probably won't agree to up-front payment even if you ask. ▲ Collapse
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Rebecca Lowery
Vereinigtes Königreich
Local time: 13:15
Französisch > Englisch
Always from private individuals for the translation of birth certificates etc.
Otherwise they tend not to pay....
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