Client says they'll pay after their customer pays them… what should I do?

I’ve been getting $1400 a month for website maintenance and SEO for a few months now. My client was supposed to pay me for the next 30 days on December 19th, but they said they’re waiting for money to come in before they can pay me. This is a pretty big company that does lab testing and tissue culture cloning, so I’m finding it hard to believe they can’t pay $1400.

On top of that, when the invoice was due, they canceled the contract, saying they couldn’t explain why because of an NDA. They promised I’d get paid in a few days, but it’s been a month now and nothing. My contract states they owe me two weeks’ pay ($700) if it’s canceled.

Should I take their website down or remove the work I’ve done? Or just keep emailing them to ask when they’ll pay? Is there another way to deal with this? I’d really appreciate any advice.

You might want to keep emailing them and see what happens, but have you thought about sending a formal past-due invoice via mail? Sometimes that works better than emails alone.

Keep following up with emails, then send a physical invoice marked ‘PAST DUE’ with the added cancellation fee included.

If they still don’t pay after 30 days, send a final notice that says you’ll take legal or collection action.

At 60 days with no payment, hand it over to a collections agency.

But don’t take down their site or delete work. That could lead to legal trouble for you, and you still won’t get paid.

@collins
This is solid advice. Definitely the best approach for now.

Teagan said:
@collins
This is solid advice. Definitely the best approach for now.

Totally agree. Plus, taking the site down could lead to them disputing past payments.

Does your contract specifically mention what happens if payments are late?

Leith said:
Does your contract specifically mention what happens if payments are late?

That’s the key question right there.

If you take their site down, you might end up here again asking for advice on dealing with a lawsuit from them.

If they’re in breach of contract, you could take them to court. Just weigh whether it’s worth it for $1400. Maybe chalk it up as a loss on your taxes instead.

Consider turning off anything that helps their SEO, but only if your contract allows for it. SEO services should always be prepaid in my opinion.

You could take everything down and move on. They already canceled, even if they didn’t do it the right way.

Or you could keep everything up and hope they eventually pay. It’s your call.

Tough spot to be in! Try sending one more email to remind them of the overdue payment and your contract terms. If they still don’t pay, maybe talk to a lawyer before making any big decisions like taking down their site.

Send them an email saying you’ll take everything down if they don’t pay. Or just do it and let them come to you.

Start by reminding them in writing about the payment terms and the $700 cancellation fee. Let them know they’re in breach of contract and give them a clear deadline to pay (e.g., 7 days).

If they still don’t pay, you might consider removing your work, but be cautious since this could lead to legal issues.

You’re probably not getting paid at this point.

Sorry to hear you’re dealing with this—it’s definitely frustrating. Keep your communications polite but firm. Document everything, including emails, invoices, and your contract terms.

If you don’t hear back soon, you might want to look into small claims court. It could be worth pursuing since your contract clearly states the cancellation terms. Consulting a legal expert might help too.