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Poll: Would you give a discount on an overdue payment to ensure it is made?
论题张贴者: ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
网站工作人员
Jul 4, 2016

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Would you give a discount on an overdue payment to ensure it is made?".

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Christopher Schröder
Christopher Schröder
英国
正式会员 (自2011)
Swedish瑞典语译成English英语
+ ...
Absolutely not Jul 4, 2016

I would shout and threaten and generally hassle them like crazy on a daily basis by phone, email and carrier pigeon until they pay, which has always worked in the past.

But I've found trying to claim interest on late payments a waste of time.


 
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
葡萄牙
Local time: 16:49
正式会员 (自2007)
English英语译成Portuguese葡萄牙语
+ ...
Discount? Jul 4, 2016

I should claim interest not give a discount!

 
Edith van der Have
Edith van der Have
荷兰
Local time: 17:49
正式会员 (自2016)
English英语译成Dutch荷兰语
+ ...
Ridiculous ... Jul 4, 2016

... to even suggest such a thing.

 
Markus Perndl
Markus Perndl
奥地利
Local time: 17:49
Italian意大利语译成German德语
+ ...
??? Jul 4, 2016

I am really stunned that there are colleagues that even think about giving a discount for late payments. Are translators stupid? The right measure for late payments are interests for delay!

 
Post removed: This post was hidden by a moderator or staff member for the following reason: Requested by user.
Yasutomo Kanazawa
Yasutomo Kanazawa  Identity Verified
日本
Local time: 00:49
正式会员 (自2005)
English英语译成Japanese日语
+ ...
A Big No-no Jul 4, 2016

Even if you give a discount, a non-payer would always be a non-payer, and a prompt payer would always be a prompt payer without giving any discounts.

 
neilmac
neilmac
西班牙
Local time: 17:49
Spanish西班牙语译成English英语
+ ...
Other Jul 4, 2016

Not as a rule. However, I have done something similar on one or two occasions, basically to try to "shame" the client into paying. It worked, and they paid the full amount.

 
Christine Andersen
Christine Andersen  Identity Verified
丹麦
Local time: 17:49
正式会员 (自2003)
Danish丹麦语译成English英语
+ ...
Certainly not! Jul 4, 2016

I might agree to payment by instalments if the client owed a lot for a large job, and I could see they were really in difficulties, but trying to find the money.

A couple of years back, a client warned me before the deadline that she was going to have trouble paying the full amount on time, and we renegotiated the time scale.
But she paid in full, in fact earlier than the new deadline.

I have occasionally written off payments as too small to be worth any more hass
... See more
I might agree to payment by instalments if the client owed a lot for a large job, and I could see they were really in difficulties, but trying to find the money.

A couple of years back, a client warned me before the deadline that she was going to have trouble paying the full amount on time, and we renegotiated the time scale.
But she paid in full, in fact earlier than the new deadline.

I have occasionally written off payments as too small to be worth any more hassle, but would not actually give a discount.
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Helen Hagon
Helen Hagon  Identity Verified
Local time: 16:49
正式会员 (自2011)
Russian俄语译成English英语
+ ...
A slippery slope Jul 4, 2016

If you do it once, you'll probably find yourself doing it again. It sends the customer a message that it's ok to pay late, and even encourages them to delay payment.

 
Muriel Vasconcellos
Muriel Vasconcellos  Identity Verified
美国
Local time: 08:49
正式会员 (自2003)
Spanish西班牙语译成English英语
+ ...
Bankruptcy court? Jul 4, 2016

The only hypothesis I could imagine would be a bankruptcy settlement.

 
Anne Bohy
Anne Bohy  Identity Verified
法国
Local time: 17:49
English英语译成French法语
Yes, I did it... and it worked! Jul 4, 2016

I had a rather huge backlog with one of my customers, and at some point she explained that she had financial problems (I must agree that I was not careful enough, she had long payment delays, and was sending jobs rather often).
Then I decided to offer 20% discount if paid within a month, 10% if paid within 2 months, 5% if paid within 3 months, and to bring the case to Small Claims Court after that.
She was not able to take advantage of the 20% discount, but made two payments with 10%
... See more
I had a rather huge backlog with one of my customers, and at some point she explained that she had financial problems (I must agree that I was not careful enough, she had long payment delays, and was sending jobs rather often).
Then I decided to offer 20% discount if paid within a month, 10% if paid within 2 months, 5% if paid within 3 months, and to bring the case to Small Claims Court after that.
She was not able to take advantage of the 20% discount, but made two payments with 10% and 5% rebate.
I lost a little (less than 10% anyway) but recovered my money, which I would never have otherwise.
I was willing to refuse any other job from this customer, but I finally accepted some, and she has paid (more or less) diligently since.
Of course this may work with agencies which don't master their finances wery well, but not with dishonest ones.

[Edited at 2016-07-04 09:50 GMT]

[Edited at 2016-07-04 09:51 GMT]
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Neil Ashby
Neil Ashby
西班牙
Local time: 17:49
Spanish西班牙语译成English英语
+ ...
Where is the world's greatest translator platform taking us? Jul 4, 2016

Why should "Proz" even suggest such a thing? Aren't they supposed to me looking out for our collective interests rather than undermining the value of our work, our position and our rights when faced with non-payers. In the EU, as soon as a payment is late we have the right to start charging late payment fees and, if necessary, collection fees.

"Main provisions of the Directive

Public authorities have to pay for the goods and services that they procure within 30 days
... See more
Why should "Proz" even suggest such a thing? Aren't they supposed to me looking out for our collective interests rather than undermining the value of our work, our position and our rights when faced with non-payers. In the EU, as soon as a payment is late we have the right to start charging late payment fees and, if necessary, collection fees.

"Main provisions of the Directive

Public authorities have to pay for the goods and services that they procure within 30 days or, in very exceptional circumstances, within 60 days.
Enterprises have to pay their invoices within 60 days, unless they expressly agree otherwise and provided it is not grossly unfair.
Automatic entitlement to interest for late payment and €40 minimum as compensation for recovery costs.
Statutory interest of at least 8% above the European Central Bank’s reference rate.
EU countries may continue maintaining or bringing into force laws and regulations which are more favourable to the creditor than the provisions of the Directive."

http://ec.europa.eu/growth/smes/support/late-payment/index_en.htm

Surely "Proz", if they are genuinely interested in freelancers as opposed to their commercial partners, should be promoting good payment practices rather than suggesting discounts for late payers!!!!!
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Yetta Jensen Bogarde
Yetta Jensen Bogarde  Identity Verified
丹麦
Local time: 17:49
正式会员 (自2012)
English英语译成Danish丹麦语
+ ...
NO Jul 4, 2016

I would not even dream of it

 
M. Anna Kańduła
M. Anna Kańduła  Identity Verified
英国
Local time: 16:49
English英语译成Polish波兰语
Exactly Jul 4, 2016

Helen Hagon wrote:

If you do it once, you'll probably find yourself doing it again. It sends the customer a message that it's ok to pay late, and even encourages them to delay payment.


That was my first thought.


 
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