[thelist] Pay Up Or Else ... Client Ultimatum

[Michele Foster]

Hi folks,

I find myself in an unwanted situation of being real close to issuing a
client the ultimatum.  Pay for work completed to date, or I pull their site
off-line. This is a monthly maintenance contract, just updating the site on
an as-required basis.  Now the client has decided that they don't have time
to approve the changes I had completed, which were done as requested.
They'll pay once they've have time to review the new material.  To which I
replied, that I was not pleased with that situation, and that they agreed to
pay on a month by month basis for all work completed in the prior month.
And, if they wished to change the terms of the agreement, i.e. paying on a
project by project basis, then I would institute my 30% deposit, 30% upon
initial mock-up approval and 40% upon completion "standard" pricing scheme.
"No, I'm not paying for anything before it is done... "  <sigh>

Thoughts?  How much "trouble" can I get in if I take their site off line?
How much notice should I give them that if they don't pay up by such a date,
I'm pulling their site off?  Or am I not required to give them any notice?

Could this really hurt my business, i.e. bad word of mouth from her?

TIA,

Michele

___________________________

Michele Foster
WordPro Services
Aurora, Ontario, Canada
mailto:michele at wordpro.on.ca
http://wordpro.on.ca/