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Re: Contractors: Run Credit Checks for Questionable Customers?
Subject:Re: Contractors: Run Credit Checks for Questionable Customers? From:Peter <pnewman1 -at- home -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Fri, 17 Aug 2001 16:06:31 -0400
Andrew Plato wrote:
> No they don't. I would never pay a contractor up front for work. Never,
> ever. How do I know the contractor won't take my money and just run and
> never do the job. Do you pay the plumber, lawyer, or doctor upfront? No.
I used to get something up front all the time, (especially when I was
practicing law,) even from AAA rated clients. I have found that when the
client has a cash investment in my work, the degree of cooperation
increases geometrically.
If you have serious doubts about my ability to do the job, don't hire
me. It's that simple. If I cannot do the job, the Moines paid to me will
be insignificant, compared to your lost revenues.
> Most places will not under any circumstances pay an up front fee.
Not in my experience.
> Remember the mistrust goes both ways. How does the company know you can
> actually write the docs.
See above.
> Get a contract signed that is comprehensive and says, in effect, customer
> agrees to pay and if he doesn't you can sue him. Its the best assurance
> you can get. Besides, people who are going to screw you will always leap
> in fear at the sight of a contract.
People who plan to screw me will sign anything. Unless there is good
will behind it, the contract is worthless. All a contract does is act as
a guide for people of good will as to what is is they agreed upon.
In the NY area a lawsuit takes several years to grind its way through
the courts. Even if the suit is won, there is no guaranty of collection.
Then you can subtract the legal fees from your verdict.
Now switch to the other side. If the suit is being vigorously defended,
the first thing the other side will do is claim that your faulty
documentation delayed or somehow screwed up the project. It's now your
fault the company lost x, zillion dollars. Now you have not only will
lose time to try to collect, you must also spend time defending against
this BS. All of this takes you away from productive work.
No, Andrew, the right to a lawsuit is not satisfactory at all. I want
cash up front.
--
Peter
Mailto:peternew -at- optonline -dot- net
Adapting old programs to fit new machines
usually means adapting new machines to
behave like old ones.
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