Is it just me or do I see that most of the conversations on this forum is about slow pay or non pay customers.  We have had this problem for years, and this down economy is making it more common.  I am working on a Guaranteed Payment System for Service Providers.  This is the most difficult problem we have.  We must perform the work, submit the work, hope the client accepts the work, then wait to get paid.  We have given up our leverage from the beginning.  If the client decides not to pay - what can we do - we are out or work, time and copies.  They have it and we can't retrieve it.

What if there was a work / payment clearing house.  You submit the work via upload.  However, the work is masked so the client can review the work, see 50% of it, but not have good enough information to steal it.  After review, they accept the work and are then able to download the complete file with full copies.  At the same time they accept, they commit to payment.  Payment that is Guaranteed to you at a time designated in the future - say 30 or 45 days.  Thus, they accept, they agree to pay, they commit to pay, and money is held in escrow until the agreed payment date.  At that date, payment is deposited in your account.  Guaranteed Payment System. 

Of course, this type of system will only work when the majority of good abstractors and title companies demand this of their customers.  We must band together and move our customers to accept this type of system.  The good companies will work with it, the crooks will not.  If they do not, do you really want to work for them???

I would love to hear everyone's opinion and suggestions.

Scott Aduddell