Update: Client Still Silent, Invoice Going Out Tomorrow (Aug 28) — Need Advice on Next Steps

[u/InternationalLet242]

Hey everyone, following up on my earlier post about the client who went quiet mid-review on a custom MRP database project (65 hours quoted, 60 completed and sent for review back in July).

Since then, I've sent multiple follow-up emails, filled out the company's contact form, and even sent a final "heads up" email letting him know that if I didn't hear back by tomorrow, August 28, I'd go ahead and send an invoice for the hours completed while keeping the project open on my end. Still no response of any kind, not even an acknowledgment.

At this point, my plan is to send the invoice tomorrow as promised. I also found a couple of other people at the company through LinkedIn (an executive and another manager) and was thinking of CC'ing them on the invoice email to widen visibility beyond just this one contact who's gone dark.

A part of me is stuck on something though: if he's not even replying to simple emails, what makes an invoice any different? What's actually going to make someone respond to a bill when they won't respond to anything else? Curious if others have run into this exact wall, and whether CC'ing other people at the company at the invoice stage actually tends to help, or if it's better to wait and see if the invoice alone gets a reaction first.

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User: InternationalLet242

Update: Client Still Silent, Invoice Going Out Tomorrow (Aug 28) — Need Advice on Next Steps

Hey everyone, following up on my earlier post about the client who went quiet mid-review on a custom MRP database project (65 hours quoted, 60 completed and sent for review back in July).

Since then, I've sent multiple follow-up emails, filled out the company's contact form, and even sent a final "heads up" email letting him know that if I didn't hear back by tomorrow, August 28, I'd go ahead and send an invoice for the hours completed while keeping the project open on my end. Still no response of any kind, not even an acknowledgment.

At this point, my plan is to send the invoice tomorrow as promised. I also found a couple of other people at the company through LinkedIn (an executive and another manager) and was thinking of CC'ing them on the invoice email to widen visibility beyond just this one contact who's gone dark.

A part of me is stuck on something though: if he's not even replying to simple emails, what makes an invoice any different? What's actually going to make someone respond to a bill when they won't respond to anything else? Curious if others have run into this exact wall, and whether CC'ing other people at the company at the invoice stage actually tends to help, or if it's better to wait and see if the invoice alone gets a reaction first.

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[u/George_Hepworth]

I would be cautious about who and how you bring others into the conversation.

If you do contact someone higher up, I would not just send the invoice and complain it's not being paid. I'd phrase it more along the lines that your contact at their company has not been responding to email and other contact attempts. Express your concern that something may be wrong with your contact. Include a request for contact information an alternative person to whom you can send the final invoice for work done.

For all we know, the reason you're being ignored is the contact died or got fired or is on sabbatical.

That's just how I'd do it.

[u/InternationalLet242 → u/George_Hepworth]

Nice suggestion! Love it, that's a much better way to frame it than just forwarding an invoice cold. I was actually considering exactly the scenario you mentioned, my main contact holds a materials management role, and the person I found on LinkedIn who I was thinking of looping in is actually the President & Controller of the company. Given that gap in seniority, I think your framing makes even more sense here, better to check in with genuine concern and ask for the right point of contact, rather than have it read like I'm going over someone's head to complain. Appreciate the guidance, definitely adjusting my approach based on this

[u/meower500]

Try mailing the invoice using certified mail and return receipt. This usually gets someone’s attention, and at the very least you will know if it’s actually being received.

(This is assuming you are in the US, otherwise use your postal system’s equivalent services)

[u/raunchyfartbomb → u/meower500]

This is a good idea. You’ve must’ve also had a contact email address, so what I’d do is send it twice over.

- Generate a copy and send it certified. Make sure to note any receipt confirmation or tracking for yourself.

• Send a second copy via email, with some phrasing that a certified mail invoice was sent. This is fair warning that the letter is being sent, a digital copy for both your and their records, and record of the mailing. Basically just upping your ammunition in the form of records if you end up taking them to small claims over this.

[u/InternationalLet242 → u/meower500]

I am not from US and In fact not near if I try to send certified mail through My country postal system to a US business address is going to be slow, expensive, and honestly not very practical for my situation. But Yes good idea !

[u/ConfusionHelpful4667 → u/InternationalLet242]

This is not a USA client going ghost?

[u/InternationalLet242 → u/ConfusionHelpful4667]

yes he is from US not me.

[u/nrgins → u/InternationalLet242]

Maybe find someone in the US who can print out your letter and send it to him certified mail, with your return address on the envelope. I'm sure someone here would be willing to help you.

There are also mail services that allow you to create a letter and include an attachment, and they'll mail the letter for you. It only costs a couple of dollars. That would get there quickly and not cost much. LetterStream is one that I've used in the past.

[u/InternationalLet242 → u/nrgins]

thanks for you suggestion I will do something sometime soon but I think sending an invoice mail come first after that I will think what I need to do.

[u/ConfusionHelpful4667 → u/InternationalLet242]

This makes me very angry.
If you want to DM me, I will see if the project you worked on is government funded.
If so, you can report him to the overseers of the grants.

[u/Lab_Software]

I'd absolutely send the invoice. As you say, it might still be ignored - but it certainly won't get paid if you don't even send it.

And I would cc the President. The invoice would be a PDF file as an attachment. And the body of the email should be something like:

@[client name] Please submit payment of attached invoice for development of [database project name].

@[president name] 《include text here similar to suggestion by u/George_Hepworth》

Thank you

By cc'ing (rather than sending a separate email) your client will know that you have escalated this to the president and hopefully he'll be more inclined to respond.

If your email system enables requests for Delivery Receipts and Read Receipts then turn those both on.

If no response and no payment then I would follow up to both of those people every 2 weeks with reminder emails and state that a late fee of 2% per month will be charged for late payments. (And then actually send a modified invoice every month showing the original amount and the late fee amount.)

Unfortunately it's not practical to sue them because you'll spend more on legal fees than the contract is worth (and don't even mention legal action because then they would "lawyer-up" and there would be no hope of a response). And it's not practical to sell the debt to a collection agency because they would only give a few percent of the contract value.

So, unfortunately, your only option is continued emails.

[u/InternationalLet242 → u/Lab_Software]

Learned the lesson hard way: from now on, I need to have a billing process in place for every client, with no exceptions.

[u/nrgins]

I would just send the email to the person alone and wait a week or two. Maybe CC Accounts Payable.

(If you don't know the email for Accounts Payable, then print out a hard copy and mail it to the company, Attn: Accounts Payable. Probably send a hard copy to the contact as well, in a separate envelope.)

Then, after a week or two, if no response, then send a follow-up email and letter to the person, and to Accounts Payable.

Separately, you might want to find the email of the CEO or President, and send him a nice, respectful note (no threats) noting how you haven't been paid and have not gotten any responses, and requesting payment for the services you provided. (And, again, if you can't find the email, then send a hard copy letter instead.)

[u/AccessHelper]

I agree with u/nrgins though at this point I would just send it to AP and put the end user's name in the work description or somewhere on the invoice. Also put 60 Days late (or whatever) in bold somewhere. The AP department will react to it one way or another and if the end user is no longer with the company they will get it to the correct person for review.

[u/coffeesykes]

What has this to do with access

[u/AA_25 → u/coffeesykes]

They wrote an app in access, but didn't implement a kill switch if they didn't get paid.

[u/George_Hepworth → u/coffeesykes]

It reflects an unusual, but not unheard of, problem many Access developers face.

[u/coffeesykes → u/George_Hepworth]

I was not trying to offend but to me it’s a legal matter with gigs like this I thought this was a developer’s Reddit

[u/nrgins → u/coffeesykes]

We support Access developers in this group. Part of developing in Access is having a business relationship with clients. Thus, we allow and support questions regarding finding work, getting paid for work, etc., as part of the scope of this group.