No formal contract but presented with large bill
No formal contract but presented with large bill
Author
Discussion

aceparts_com

Original Poster:

3,724 posts

264 months

Friday 10th November 2006
quotequote all
I got chatting to someone who works in a cafe about photography, cut a long story short she said she's have a go at taking pictures of some lights, which she did and has now dropped an invoice of £1100 on my mat!

I personally feel it takes the P a bit (lot) especially as the work is of minimal use to us anyway. Basically where do we stand legally? Money or even work was never mentioned until much later.

Eric Mc

124,812 posts

288 months

Friday 10th November 2006
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Was momey EVER mentioned before the invoive was received?

If it was, what was negotiated?

Was a fixed fee agreed or was the bill to be based on hourly rates?

mattyboy101

16,664 posts

241 months

Friday 10th November 2006
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I would send the invoice back with the photos with a polite letter explaining where to shove them.

Eric Mc

124,812 posts

288 months

Friday 10th November 2006
quotequote all
Why?

She did the work.

There does not appear to an issue over the quality of the work.

She probably desrves paying - the question is, is the amount she is seeking reasonable?

It is so much better to sort things out BEFORE work commences.

Edited by Eric Mc on Friday 10th November 09:25

aceparts_com

Original Poster:

3,724 posts

264 months

Friday 10th November 2006
quotequote all
I've received proofs today; none of the pictures are like we discussed, basically it's all unusable except the ones I narrated so I've sent her a cheque for £300 and we can all learn from it.

Eric Mc

124,812 posts

288 months

Friday 10th November 2006
quotequote all
So your argument is that she didn't stick to the brief - which may be absolutely valid. The problem may be that the brief wasn't clear enough or that she misundersood what she was asked to do.

This is not that unusual when you are dealing with "artistic" endeavours.

aceparts_com

Original Poster:

3,724 posts

264 months

Friday 10th November 2006
quotequote all
She's only an art student fresh out of college. I genuinely thought that she might come up with a new angle for some beer money. Unfortunately she got chatting to professional photographers and soon I was receiving emails regarding copyrights and licences!

I've just leant how to do a spreadsheet so I'm gonna charge chartered accountants rates!

Vesuvius 996

35,829 posts

294 months

Friday 10th November 2006
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Cheeky little tw@t.

Pay her fvck all.

superlightr

12,920 posts

286 months

Friday 10th November 2006
quotequote all
aceparts_com said:
She's only an art student fresh out of college. I genuinely thought that she might come up with a new angle for some beer money. Unfortunately she got chatting to professional photographers and soon I was receiving emails regarding copyrights and licences!

I've just leant how to do a spreadsheet so I'm gonna charge chartered accountants rates!




but by definition being paid is being a professional. Nothing wring with protecting the copyright/giving licences she is protecting herself.

Clearly you have seen the errory of your ways... written brief, written money, did I say put it in writing whats agreed?

ps dont post this on the Photography site you will start a riot and the Nikon Siffycat Club will come and lobby you - I kid you not!

insurance_jon

4,091 posts

269 months

Friday 10th November 2006
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Ace how long did she take. My brother is a commercial and motor photograher, mainly working for Reline and Fast Car and he only charges £300 per day. Probably less if you posted the lights to him.

www.cjwphotography.co.uk

Leftie

11,838 posts

258 months

Saturday 11th November 2006
quotequote all
aceparts_com said:
I got chatting to someone who works in a cafe about photography, cut a long story short she said she's have a go at taking pictures of some lights, which she did and has now dropped an invoice of £1100 on my mat!

I personally feel it takes the P a bit (lot) especially as the work is of minimal use to us anyway. Basically where do we stand legally? Money or even work was never mentioned until much later.


You coud just ask her to detail the work she has done and the time expended and then have the discussion about reasonable rates of pay.

I too fell foul of something like this earlier this year. I commissioned a guy to write a software macro for me amd he did a good job at a fair price ( about £600 and 2-3 days work), saying he enjoyed the work and it was an area he was hoping to do more in (which was code for 'I am doing this for next to nothing to get a foot in the door' but I didn't hear that). I then askled him to do something slightly larger, about 6 days work and was expecting similar rates and had a £3000 bill for the . I asked him to detail the hours he had spent, and when, and although I obviously have no way of knowing he actually spent that time he did explain the complications of the work and the day rate: £60 an hour (which I checked, and it was reasonable in the industry). I had just thought he would be as cheap as he had been time one! Lesson learned, I will get at least a price range and hourly rate and put an upper seal on where your further authoprity is needed.

cardigankid

8,864 posts

235 months

Wednesday 15th November 2006
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Always make it clear to anyone, whatever they are offering wobble until you have a written order you have no entitlement. As to a conversation in a bar, clearly I have no knowledge of the content of the conversation but I would be inclined to tell her to Foxtrot Oscar.

aceparts_com

Original Poster:

3,724 posts

264 months

Thursday 16th November 2006
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All peacefully resolved. I sent her a cheque for £300 explaining my reasons and she's over the moon!

Vesuvius 996

35,829 posts

294 months

Thursday 16th November 2006
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I bet she is.

She fvcked you and you didn't even get your c0ck wet.

khushy

3,973 posts

242 months

Thursday 16th November 2006
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yeah but she is a "an art student fresh out of college" - lucky bu**er!!!

dr jock

197 posts

261 months

Friday 17th November 2006
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Vesuvius 996 said:

I bet she is.
She fvcked you and you didn't even get your c0ck wet.


Hilarious - You know how to make the poor fella feel good. I am still LOL.