VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

[Jeffrey Kafer]

I just had someone email me via a yahoo account asking me for 5 different reads of some text. He said if the client chose my reads, they'd send me a check for $100. There was no website mentioned, nothing, just a yahoo email.

Obviously, I'm suspicious of this, so I replied that I would send them partial recordings as auditions and if the client chose me then they'd need to give me the $100 in advance via paypal of delivering the final files.

How do you all handle this sort of situation?
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Jeff
http://JeffreyKafer.com
Voice-overload Web comic: http://voice-overload.com

[Hart]

About the same. That's an unknown unknown. You don't want to come off as a paranoid skeez but that sounds suspicious to me. Watermark and/or provide partial reads and be very polite about the whole thing. Then, if it's a ripoff you'll never know because some unsuspecting V123 newb will have recorded the whole thing for him.

I usually say something about how I require all new clients to pay upfront until they establish credit. Which is true unless they happen to be reputable known businesses.
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Brian Hart Productions

[chriswagner]

I agree with you Brian, no reason to send the whole read, especially 5 different versions.

I rarely send more than one read, and only a partial at that. If they like your voice, and YOU ARE a voice actor they should know that you can give them variations on it.

Watermark!

Sounds like a total rip off, or someone who is new to the business and doesn't understand. Sometimes it's better to turn business down, especially if it's fishy.

Jeff, what was the read for?

[billelder]

Six years ago, most of my business came from e-mail from people I didn't know. Now they're regular clients! What does send up the red flag, as Chris said, is the five different reads. One partial should do. A Yahoo or Hotmail e-mail always gives me pause but shouldn't be a deal breaker. Maybe it's a videographer working from their home trying to make a few extra bucks. Good luck!

[Jeffrey Kafer]

This was the text. It looks like some phone service called Jahjah:

From the time we are born, we are moving.
Mobile phones combine our individual mobility with our communal communication.
We cover great distances; yet we still stay close.
This is an ideal scenario. Reality draws a different picture though.
Calling with your mobile is expensive. Thatʼs why millions of people use their computers to call other computers as a way to cut their phone bills.
But calling over the internet has its limitations.
And mobile live sets the bar. For our communication needs are even higher
Jajah connects your phone at internet rates.
No limits.
Simple and cheap
Its time. Free your voice.
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Jeff
http://JeffreyKafer.com
Voice-overload Web comic: http://voice-overload.com

[Jeffrey Kafer]

What sent up the red flag for me was the "if our client likes it we'll send you a check." yeah right.

Oh and did I mention that they said they'd pay in "USD", indicating they weren't in the States?
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Jeff
http://JeffreyKafer.com
Voice-overload Web comic: http://voice-overload.com

[Frank F]

There are several permeations of Jajah, and yes it is a VOIP service. http://www.jajah.com/

The funny thing about this is in this incarnation, they have been an operating system for several months, and are not at present doing any advertising other than on their site and web based banners.

I think I would run, not walk away... but then I am slightly biased as to the VOIP community.

Do your research first, if and I repeat, IF they are trustworthy, go for it, but be cautious.

F2
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Be thankful for the bad things in life. They opened your eyes to the good things you weren't paying attention to before. email: thevoice@usa.com

[Jeffrey Kafer]

Thanks for the info, Frank. Based on everyone's responses, I think made the right decision in asking for the money upfront. Of course, I haven't heard back from them....
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Jeff
http://JeffreyKafer.com
Voice-overload Web comic: http://voice-overload.com

[Drew]

I got the same email. Did you listen to the MP3 he atttached? It was from a vague Craigslist posting I answered. You must have answered that CL posting as well, Jeff. I read the email and suddenly all kinds of red flags went up. IF I do answer, it will be a partial and the name of the company will be changed to keep 'em from ripping me off.

But..$100 ain't that much...and there's no indication as to use.

Kind of a sloppy way to treat VO's if ya ask me.
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[bobbinbeamo]

I'd give a :30 watermarked demo, and explain that payment is due prior to final file delivery.
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Bobbin Beam
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[robert jadah]

But doesn't the watermark immediately signal that you don't trust the client?
And if you don't, that begs the question of why you're answering at all.

I, too, vote with the Runners.
It's the provisional $100 that send me a-scampering. Like, you're going to jump through hoops for the chance at a hundred bucks?

[Drew]

Point well taken, Robert. Hence...the email wound up in my circular file. Besides, I had enough to keep me busy today...even for a holiday.
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Although I have a full head of hair, I'm quite ribald.

[Jeffrey Kafer]

[louzucaro]

The point is, in business, if you're dealing with somebody you've never worked with before, you neither have any reason to trust or distrust them, because you have no experience with them.

So you need to rely on the experiences you HAVE had with other clients and other people in business, on both the good (trustworthy) and bad (non-trustworthy) sides of the coin.

Most of us likely know how to spot red flags of different types...people asking for a lot of stuff for very little money, asking about money first before talking about exactly what they're looknig for, saying they need something immediately, having no identifiable legitimizing factors where their business is concerned (e-mail at aol, hotmail, yahoo, msn*...no website...no office phone number, etc.).

Similarly, you probably can recognize somebody who will be good to work with...good word of mouth from other people, demonstrable history in the field through various means, working out of an actual office rather than the back of an old AMC Gremlin, etc.

I generally try to start neutral when dealing with an unknown, but my experience...my spidey sense...tends to be extremely reliable, even within the first minute of conversing with somebody on the phone or through e-mail. It's usually pretty easy to tell if you're dealing with somebody who's serious or somebody who's fishing, somebody who will make you feel good about earning money or somebody who'll make you wish you'd never met them, somebody who's trustworthy or not.

And for those times we're wrong...well, at least the next time we'll hopefully be that much more accurate during that first minute.

* No offense intended to anybody who uses those e-mail services, but let's be honest...getting a domain name secured and, even without putting up a website, getting e-mail set up and running is so easy and cheap that there's no reason for a legitimate business to not have e-mail at their own domain. Just my opinion...but it's a damn good one
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Lou Zucaro
http://www.voicehero.com

"Well, yeah, there's my favorite leaf!"