Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

If they`re paying you, why do YOU have to put down a deposit?

i have the same question.....definatley not a good sign.Please be careful.

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As a long time contractor, this is a new one on me. They should be granting YOU a 10% draw to start work not you paying them.... sounds like a signing official(s) is trying to get a piece of the pie for themselves.

I think I would not walk away .. but run!!! If this got out (that you paid graft for a job), in some overseas countries, you may NEVER return from the job site.

Just my thoughts and opinions.

Hello DennisJ,

You`re definitely right.

Somebody somewhere wants to make some dough out of us, most likely the signing officials or secretary to the authorised signatory. Their thinking is that a lot of profit would be made and so there is every tendency for us no to come back and say thank you in white envelopes to them.

It`s an African country and as you know there are numerous challenges confronting them ranging from poor mental attitude, deprivation, lack of good leadership and so on.

DennisJ, candidly my boss needs the job.

Perhaps he should promise them that once he is done with the job, he`ll come back and appreciate the parties concerned.

Still thinking.

Chidera

So basically, this is a bribe, to "grease the wheels" of getting the contract.

Kick backs are common in various developing countries (and even developed ones like Germany). They are just called different things. I think your boss could get nailed for participating in this tho` - best to quietly check on this.

Your boss might end up paying some of the money now to get things going and then grease the palms over different phases. My concern would be that since it is illegal, you have no recourse if the powers that be decide to shut you down. Do you have insurance for this type of thing? Export insurance? Maybe ask for an irrevocable letter of credit?


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I was wondering the same thing....

Is it at all possible that the whole deal is something like the email scams that are run out of Africa?

I don`t know about anyone else on this forum.  But, I have received so many odd business opportunities out of Africa that just drip with scams that I just hit delete when I see an email from Africa.

Why there seems to be an inundate amount of scams coming out of Africa is a question I have sounded to myself many times before.

Perhaps someone in the forum can shed some more light on this matter.