research

I've been doing some research on general refund policies of other photographers. As well as looking for information on what to do if a client doesn't pay up!

With a client not paying up, its best to be prepared in advance. Make sure the contract has not been messed with! That one stopped me, I've never seen that done before. Basically, just making sure that everything is written so that both parties know what they are in for! And having clear instructions on when and how exactly you want to be paid! I'm still trying to iron that out. One of my clients is a committee and they have Council pay their bills, however, Council can be rather relaxed about paying up! So I have to make sure my terms are as clear and as binding as possible so that I am not still waiting for payment 6 months down the track! And then there is the issue of refunds and cancellation! So, I have ammended my website to accomodate these things and I have ammended my contract template to also include it!
Life is one big learning curve! I am glad I am learning this now and putting things into place now, instead of having to do something if things were to go slightly pear shaped!!
Non-refundable retainers, cancelation fees, so much information. Just need to ask the right questions!!