Paying Underaged Writers?

[Head_Phones]

Exactly as the titles says.

How do you go about doing so?

Will you have to draft up a contract to get their parents' consent? Or something else? What if you send the payment to the writer's parents' paypal?

I've been told conflicting things so I'd just like an answer from an underaged writer who has gotten paid before/someone who has paid an underaged writer before, or something.

Thanks!

[Tempus]

I've been told conflicting things so I'd just like an answer from an underaged writer who has gotten paid before/someone who has paid an underaged writer before, or something.

I think it's very important to point out that just because an under-aged person has been paid before or someone has paid an under-aged person before, it doesn't mean they did it in a legal manner or are a good example to follow. I know a lot of people who still request payment for their work to be gifted which is against PayPal's terms of service if you're being paid to provide goods or services (e.g., doing a commission). Don't trust people's anecdotes. Find relevant terms of service, laws, and/or qualified professionals that you can consult yourself.

Of course, a forum like this can be a good starting point. I don't know much about this subject so I can't really comment. Good luck.

[SundownKid]

I would say that payment should be done with the parents consent and wired to their account. Basically, you are dealing with the parent in their name, rather than the underaged person themselves.

[Michiyo6918]

I don't think you will need the parents' consent for something like this. It's not like you are doing something illegal. It's like high school student working part time job here in my place, or me myself as an example of being a waitress despite being underage, living alone away from parent o v o (Well, I'm living with my sister)

Though I guess it really depends and varies on people.

[mugenjohncel]

Why bother with Paypal... just use Western Union... Reliable, Fast, Hassle Free Money Sending, no questions asked... He/She gets payment and you get what you want regardless of age or circumstances... very simple and none of that additional paperwork Paypal usually asks...

Paypal sucks anyway and is run by scumbags ...

"POOF" (Disappears)

[Greeny]

Don't listen to Mugen, they pay him to say that.

[mugenjohncel]

Don't listen to Mugen, they pay him to say that.

On the contrary, I'm not... Most if not all of my experience with Paypal has been disappointing to miserable due to technicalities with only 1 transaction that went smooth (and that is stretching it)... Even a simple routine US$26 transaction becomes horrendously difficult despite my account being in good standing... I just don't understand why they keep rejecting my Credit Card when I just pretty much use it regularly... Heck, I even recently purchased ComiPO and every single expansion pack in one sitting using the very same credit card with no hassle but Paypal?... MEH!... They even got my other account hostage including funds and everything. I tried re-activating it and despite the long and complex steps I took which includes deducting a Php100 fee... they still hold my account by the balls... Yes, Paypal are thieves and scumbags!!!

Here's a recent Paypal transaction... and see how well it goes... note the amount of previous Support numbers...
http://lemmasoft.renai.us/forums/viewto ... 94#p302894

Oh and... they don't like Philippine Bank Accounts either...

You really can't blame me for cautioning others about Paypal. So far, I never had such problems with Western Union and will continue to encourage people to use it because they are the best... (at least for me)

"POOF" (Disappears)

[AxemRed]

If someone asks to be paid through Western Union, assume they're trying to scam you.

[mugenjohncel]

If someone asks to be paid through Western Union, assume they're trying to scam you.

Whoa!... Hold it right there!... Now that is a really unfair accusation!...

I transact and accept background commissions (and others) using Western Union regularly and never ran into a single problem. I deliver the goods, they sent money (or vice-versa)... no problems whatsoever...

True, Paypal might be reliable, it's just not meant for Third World Countries... Western Union strikes the perfect balance between security and convenience...

Sorry, I'm standing by Western Union since they have served me well. Paypal is just to anal despite my account having "Good Standing" (Confirmed by Paypal support)

"POOF" (Disappears)

[heypetdragon]

But Uncle Mugen, Western Union fees are so high. (I'm kuripot so...) = 3=
I don't have a problem with paypal because I use e-on card, to receive payments for my artworks. And I'm also here in the Philippines. Though, it takes a week before it transfers.

But I'm not one to talk because I haven't tested Western Union yet. haha

Oh but if you're underage, it might be hard to get a credit card for yourself to connect with paypal, because of the requirements to enroll a credit card. (But I don't know hw it is in your country) So get help from your parents and connect it to them instead
...or why not test Western Union

O U O And if it fails once, you could always blame Mugen.
hehe...

Peace Uncle Mugen. XD

[Rozume]

Pay them in Bitcoins. It's anonymous, decentralized, and you don't have to deal with annoying paper work.

I agree with Mugen, Paypal really stinks on ice. Which is why I offer alternative methods of payment for my commissions such as Dwolla, WePay, Flattr, etc.

But anyway, I think it's best to get the parent's/guardian's consent in writing just to be safe. Although I don't have much experience in this.

[Deji]

I've never had a single problem with Paypal :'D


....Except once I got hacked and got $60 stolen because I went downloading stuff from sites I wasn't supposed to, so my fault >>;

[LateWhiteRabbit]

True, Paypal might be reliable, it's just not meant for Third World Countries... Western Union strikes the perfect balance between security and convenience...

But Uncle Mugen, Western Union fees are so high. (I'm kuripot so...) = 3=

Yeah, I can't speak as to how reliable Paypal is in other countries, but it has always worked great for me here in the U.S.

Western Union fees are quite high in comparison. I always eat the Paypal fee for my clients when getting paid (i.e. I don't charge them extra to cover it), but I don't think I could do that for Western Union.

But hey, whatever works.

As to the topic, I try to avoid working with underage clients. Nothing against them, I just think it opens up the possibility of too many things going wrong. An underage client can't enter into a legal contract by themselves or even be bound by one really, you have to work with parents (and can't rely on the underage client being the go-between, because they may lie about their parent's wishes), so you open up more opportunities for misunderstandings, and finally, (being an artist) at least here in the U.S., if someone were to find the art I did for the underage client objectionable or risque in any way, I could be charged with distributing obscene material to minors, which is a misdemeanor or even a felony in some jurisdictions. I'd be worried about scripts for VN games with romance or sex material falling under the same category. Sorry, younger Lemmasofters, but no thanks.

[Rosstin]

Getting the parents involved seems like an unnecessary step to me. I would just pay them.

[Yomuchan]

You're not doing anything that under-aged writers aren't supposed to legally do, so you should be fine. It's no different from paying a kid to mow your lawn or shovel some snow.

I could be wrong, though. The world's become more of a nanny-state that I remember.

The question is; how will the recipient GET the money? You should discuss it with your writers.