I work as a freelance artist doing advertisement, ticket, and program booklet designs for various Police/Firefighter events that give to children's charities. It's not consistent work but it pays pretty well for what it is. The people I work with directly are a promotions company that was created to sell the advertisement space and tickets.
I've been working for them for a long time. Throughout COVID these people were essentially my only source of income, so I had to put up with their BS. Mostly having to put up with having to hear "the check is in the mail" for two or three months before it actually arrives.
I convinced the owner of the company to download PayPal so I could be paid in a reasonable time. He was confused on how to use it. So I told him about CashApp. I was paid through CashApp only once before he said "I just want to keep doing this by the book. These websites you're sending me too look scammy." And because "I don't work for him, I work for the unions and they're the once cutting the checks."
I asked him if he really wants to do that. Of course he said yes.
Cue malicious compliance...
He's becoming quite upset with me, since he realized doing it by the book actually gives me ALL of the leverage.
From that point forward I had begun putting my logo watermark on every single thing I send him. The first time he experienced this was with show tickets. He asked me to remove the watermark and send it to the printers, he was satisfied with the work. I told him the watermark will come off when there is money in my account. He told me that he can't start making sales until he has the tickets to sell, thus he doesn't have the money to pay me. Oh man that sucks, better figure out how to pay me electronically then. Here's my BTC and ETH wallets, PayPal and cashapp info, as well as info for direct deposit. He insisted he couldn't pay me before he has the tickets to he agreed to a fifty percent price increase for me to release the files to him without pay (and with my company's logo on them). I actually got paid for that today.
The second time was with a show poster. The same instance occured, only this time I was told I'd have to talk to the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) about being paid, since I "work for them". They were very confused when I called them. And hour later I got an angry phone call and was paid via direct deposit from the promotor's business account, not the FOP's account.
This morning was pretty interesting. He called me up while meeting with the police association to talk about cutting me a check for the last show that happened yesterday (9/25). On this call I was asked about bank transfers, asked how to make a Bitcoin wallet, all that good stuff. But the promotor asked why my invoice stated that I am no longer accepting checks as a form of payment. "Are you sure you want me to answer that in this meeting?" I asked him. He said yes, so I told him while he was on speakerphone with his boss. "Because you don't pay me for months when we do checks. I only accept online or bank transfers."
There was a little back and forth between him and the guy from the police association. It didn't sound like Mr. Promotor was having a good time. I was told I would get a call back about payment. Well, I received that call; from the police association, not the promotion agency. I've been paid via PayPal and apologized to profusely. When I got the call from the promotor afterward, he had a very upset tone. He asked why I'm doing all this.
"Well, Sir. You told me you wanted it done by the book right? This is by the book, we didn't do it by the book before because I've worked with you for years and your son is my best friend. So this is how it will be from now on."
We'll see how it turns out. I'm confident I won't be losing any work, since the police associations, firefighters and other organizations have repeatedly told me how great my work looks, and how I often work at half the price of other freelancers.
TL;DR - Client never paid me on time so we got PayPal and CashApp to make it easier for the boomer. He didn't want to use those, and instead told me he wants to do it by the book. Little did he know that doing it by the book means he doesn't get completed work until I get verified payment. His boss wasn't happy with him, but was apologetic to me.
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