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Here's a new one! (rant)

threeputt

threeputt

New Member
So we've been doing contract printing for this service agency for a few years. Always been good, no problems other than than the margins are slimmer than with our own customers. But that's a off-set because we don't have to do artwork, send proofs, deal with the end client, etc.

Now they've sold the company to one of the employees. She was a former "designer" for them.

Now she's sending us files and asking us to invoice her client, someone of course we have absolutely no "relationship" with.

Wow.
 
C

CanuckSigns

Active Member
not sure I follow, the designer is still sending you print ready files, so you still have no "prep" work that you would have with a retail customer, the only change is who pays the bill correct? if so what's the problem? have her customer fill out a credit application and extend the same payment terms you gave her.

Am I missing something?
 
Rick

Rick

Certified Enneadecagon Designer
If it were me, I would bill the clients the going rate.
The discount was for not dealing with the client.
 
Gino

Gino

Premium Subscriber
Ask her for all of the billing information of this client. You don't want the numbers to change, so keep it the same as their markup was before she got into the picture. It's only fair. This tactic would mean they could shop her designs and cut you out completely.

She's probably charging more on her end for the design portion and expects you to keep the same discount. No dice. :noway:
 
threeputt

threeputt

New Member
watsons signs said:
not sure I follow, the designer is still sending you print ready files, so you still have no "prep" work that you would have with a retail customer, the only change is who pays the bill correct? if so what's the problem? have her customer fill out a credit application and extend the same payment terms you gave her.

Am I missing something?
Click to expand...

Think about it. Her client knows nothing about me. And that's how it should be. (that's the deal)

So now I send them an invoice. (in this particular case it's a large hospital) Are they going to simply take my invoice and pay it? With no P.O.number, no authorized buyer's name, nothing. Probably not.

Think about this. Your car has flood damage. You hire a collision center to fix it. They quote you a figure. Later you get a separate bill from an upholstery shop, or whatever. Someone you don't even know, maybe never heard of. Someone you didn't contract with and have no obligation to. Are you going to write out a check simply because they say you owe them for repairs that the body shop told them to make?
 
gabagoo

gabagoo

New Member
Why not contact them and set yourself up as a vendor. I can't figure out why the designer you do it for doesn't want to make money for doing these.
 
threeputt

threeputt

New Member
gabagoo said:
Why not contact them and set yourself up as a vendor. I can't figure out why the designer you do it for doesn't want to make money for doing these.
Click to expand...

The agency DOES want to make money! But they don't want to pay me directly, apparently. My guess is that the new owner is so inexperienced and naive about business that she thinks that her client is going to accept this idea. (that they will get two bills, one from the service agency, and one from us, the sub-contractor.
 
Marlene

Marlene

New Member
threeputt said:
The agency DOES want to make money! But they don't want to pay me directly, apparently. My guess is that the new owner is so inexperienced and naive about business that she thinks that her client is going to accept this idea. (that they will get two bills, one from the service agency, and one from us, the sub-contractor.
Click to expand...

I see your problem. tell her she pays you and that is that.
 
threeputt

threeputt

New Member
Marlene said:
I see your problem. tell her she pays you and that is that.
Click to expand...


Hello Marlene,
Thanks for "getting it".

Like sometimes we outsource portions of a job, maybe it's getting some 3-D letters made, which ultimately become a part of a larger job. I can just see it, telling the company that cut the letters out, "hey, send a bill to my client". "Go collect from them!"
 
C

CanuckSigns

Active Member
threeputt said:
Think about it. Her client knows nothing about me. And that's how it should be. (that's the deal)

So now I send them an invoice. (in this particular case it's a large hospital) Are they going to simply take my invoice and pay it? With no P.O.number, no authorized buyer's name, nothing. Probably not.

Think about this. Your car has flood damage. You hire a collision center to fix it. They quote you a figure. Later you get a separate bill from an upholstery shop, or whatever. Someone you don't even know, maybe never heard of. Someone you didn't contract with and have no obligation to. Are you going to write out a check simply because they say you owe them for repairs that the body shop told them to make?
Click to expand...

ahhh sorry in your original post you didn't say that your client didn't clear this with the end user, that changes everything! We've done this on occasion with architects, where we deal with the architect throughout the whole project, but the invoice goes to the general contractor, it takes forever to get paid doing this!
 
TXFB.INS

TXFB.INS

New Member
Marlene said:
I see your problem. tell her she pays you and that is that.
Click to expand...

exactly they are NOT your customer, she is.

She pays you according to her account terms with you & her customers pay her according to the account terms they have with her.

never should the two evercoss
 
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