Poll: Do you ask your clients to sign a contract? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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| | Tatty 
Local time: 04:16
Spanish to English
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| PO for direct clients | Mar 13, 2011 |
I prepare a purchase order for direct clients, I include the details of the contact person. All they have to do is sign and/or seal it but they often try to get out of it, so I have to insist a little.
| | | | Interlangue (X)
Angola
Local time: 04:16
English to French
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They ask me to confirm (by email) that I accept their order (part of their ISOxxxx procedure) and/or I ask them to confirm their order (by email) when they have no job numbering system. No contract and no signature.
| | | | Jana Kinská
Czech Republic
Local time: 04:16
English to Czech
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... is all I ask for.
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It's just the opposite. Not all, but some clients ask me to sign a contract.
| | | | | | Giles Watson
Italy
Local time: 04:16
Italian to English
In memoriam | A pro-memoria | Mar 13, 2011 |
Adnan Özdemir wrote: If the client faker is (turkish=üçkağıtçı ise) what for is the contract ? 
It is always useful to have the precise terms of the job in writing, even when there is no formal contract. What if your original contact in the client organisation disappears halfway through a project for some reason (promotion, resignation, illness, etc)? What do you say to the new contact, who may want an earlier deadline or have different ideas about pricing?
If the client doesn't issue POs or written agreements, it's prudent to send at least an email summarising terms and conditions for the job, and insist that the client acknowledge receipt.
| | | | Adnan Özdemir
Türkiye
Local time: 05:16
Member (2007)
German to Turkish
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Agree Giles,
Thank you very much
Giles Watson wrote: Adnan Özdemir wrote: If the client faker is (turkish=üçkağıtçı ise) what for is the contract ? It is always useful to have the precise terms of the job in writing, even when there is no formal contract. What if your original contact in the client organisation disappears halfway through a project for some reason (promotion, resignation, illness, etc)? What do you say to the new contact, who may want an earlier deadline or have different ideas about pricing? If the client doesn't issue POs or written agreements, it's prudent to send at least an email summarising terms and conditions for the job, and insist that the client acknowledge receipt.
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neilmac
Spain
Local time: 04:16
Spanish to English
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My attitude to this questions is "why give myself extra work and hassle?"
If any client, old or new, wants me to sign one, I don't usually mind. However, I try to take a personal approach, and usually start off in "business" relations by simply trusting the clients to keep to any agreements and conditions, hoping this confidence will turn out to be mutual. If things don't work out, the relation can usually be terminated before any damage is done.
Perhaps not the most business... See more My attitude to this questions is "why give myself extra work and hassle?"
If any client, old or new, wants me to sign one, I don't usually mind. However, I try to take a personal approach, and usually start off in "business" relations by simply trusting the clients to keep to any agreements and conditions, hoping this confidence will turn out to be mutual. If things don't work out, the relation can usually be terminated before any damage is done.
Perhaps not the most businesslike ways of doing things, but I sleep at night.
[Edited at 2011-03-13 10:12 GMT]
[Edited at 2011-03-13 10:13 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Simon Bruni
United Kingdom
Local time: 03:16
Member (2009)
Spanish to English
| Unnecessary in my experience | Mar 13, 2011 |
In 6 years freelancing I have not once found a reason to need a contract. I just try to be as clear as possible in the e-mails discussing terms so that if there is any dispute later on there is something concrete to refer back to.
Pernickety is the word that springs to mind when someone sends me a PO that adds nothing that can't be said in a quick e-mail.
Cheers
Simon
| | | | | No, never found it necessary, same as Neilmac | Mar 13, 2011 |
neilmac wrote:
My attitude to this questions is "why give myself extra work and hassle?"
If any client, old or new, wants me to sign one, I don't usually mind. However, I try to take a personal approach, and usually start off in "business" relations by simply trusting the clients to keep to any agreements and conditions, hoping this confidence will turn out to be mutual. If things don't work out, the relation can usually be terminated before any damage is done.
Perhaps not the most businesslike ways of doing things, but I sleep at night.
[Edited at 2011-03-13 10:12 GMT]
[Edited at 2011-03-13 10:13 GMT]
| | | | Thayenga
Germany
Local time: 04:16
Member (2009)
English to German
+ ...
| Other, rather: not necessarily | Mar 13, 2011 |
The details of a job are usually pin-pointed in an e-mail - which I, of course save and store, even after the work has been completed.
Only with new agencies/first time contacts I ask for a PO, but usually only for larger projects. Again, all details are summarized in the email.
Happy Sunday.
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