Company that lies about its terms - anything I can do to get them?

[madamez]

I do freelance writing for varius people, and one company has always been awful - I have not worked for them for ages, but finally did some work for them and was told that the terms of payment were 40 days after publication. This turned out to be 40 days after theendof the month of publication, then they said that because the publication date had been towards the end of the month it would count as the next month. Which should have made it the 10th of this month when they paid up, and they still haven't done so. They are 'busy' apparently, and it will 'probably be some time this week'.
Is there anythign at all I can do?

HAve you got a written contract that states when you will be paid?

I would presume that it should be 40 days after publication, ie on the first day that it appears? So if its out on the 13th (for example) you should expect payment 40 days from that date.

They have not been very clear in their terms but I certainly would give them a call and chase them up.

IMO 40 days after publication implieds 40 days from the first day of publication.....what are other companies like?

Yes

Get in touch with me, via CAT. Send me your invoices. I got two out out of three of Carmeneres invoices paid before the publishing company went under.

Not promising, but I will do my best.

Only a small charge, for Carmnere it was a boozy lunch, we have yet to have. (That was a year ago.)

They are not going under, the f**ers are about to float on the stockmarket

(erm, do not want to identify them, obviously, so had probably better not give any more specifics...). The letter that comes with the voucher copy of the mag says, '40 days after the month of publication'.

f**kers indeed - why the hell should you be expected to subsidise their bloody business? Even 'good' companies often take a shockingly lax approach to paying freelances. I used to give my accounts dept. hell if they didn't pay my contributors on time!

Hope Bree can help.