OT - Bad Contracts

[joanne grey <j_grey -at- writeangles -dot- com>]

Posted with permission.

Hi, everyone. I realize that this is off-topic, as many of you on this
list are not contractors, but I have a favor to ask and a warning to
issue to contractors out there. I've counted on this list for years, and
helped out with answers when I could. Now I need a little help.

I'm trying to locate some people within the Mindworks Corporation. There
may be more than one, so I'll be more specific: Mindworks Inc, in
Sunnyvale, CA, makers of Recollect Enterprise. Their website has been
closed, and there's no one answering the phones. (Sounds bad already,
doesn't it?) If anyone knows how I can contact Vish Mishra, Adrian
Avelino, or Tomas Alcantara, could you please contact me offline? I
really need to talk to one of them regarding a *very* late payment.

Now for the part about the warning. Contractors, be careful about being
too nice, trying not to appear to inflexible, or ignoring gut feelings
about contracts and clients - like I did.  I thought I had a pretty
solid contract - and I did. It was checked out and pronounced sound. 
The problem was that I didn't pay attention to the things I've heard
from other contractors, things like stopping work if the payments aren't
forthcoming. 

I told myself that it was an accounting glitch, the invoice had been
lost, the company was processing as we spoke, whatever I could to
convince myself that everything was all right. I figured that I'd better
complete my commitments to the contract, so that the client would have
no reason to default on payment. Guess what? I just got myself in
deeper. I did lots more work in order to finish the contract, and kept
letting late fees accrue. Big mistake. I know that most people out there
are honest and are not out to cheat anyone, but a word of warning from
someone who's learned the hard way. If someone is late paying you the
first portion you're owed, don't expect the rest of it on time. I'm
taking a pretty big hit on this one - it was a *very* costly lesson.

So please, if you have contact info on these guys, drop me a line. I
promise to be discreet. I can keep quiet - I really can. And if anyone
out there benefits from my warning, I'll feel at least a little better.

Thanks, 
  -joanne

___________________________________________
Joanne Grey        j_grey -at- writeangles -dot- com
Write Angles       www.writeangles.com

The difference between the right word and the 
almost right word is the difference between 
lightning and the lightning bug.  -Mark Twain