HELP! A client refuses to pay for my services.

[elizpage]

Hi all,

I did a portrait shoot for a guy the other day that I found on Thumbtack. After we finished the shoot, he claimed his father was busy at the time and he would have to give me a check this week, instead of when it was due.. up front. It was a $75 shoot and I spent almost an hour and a half with this guy. I got multiple bug bites.

There was no contract involved, which is my first mistake. I operate on mutual trust between myself and clients.

I emailed him requesting payment and that I could not deliver the prints or give him anything via. a cloud-based system until he paid. Now.. he is claiming that he can't pay me because he only has $25, and his misread the quote on his phone. What utter and complete BS.

What are my next steps? It's only $75.. I really don't want to fight about it or take this to a court of law..

However I provided this dude with a service that I need to be paid for it. I have bills to pay, goddamnit! I practically am doing the shoot for free anyway, it's $75 dollars.. Jesus.

Should I contact Thumbtack? It's not worth paying a lawyer for.

 

[robbins.photo]

Well have you checked thumbtack to see if maybe you can find somebody you can pay a small fee to break both of his legs?

Lol - ok, well if not yup, I'd report him to thumbtack. If he did it to you he'll most likely do it to somebody else, so kind of your responsibility to help inform other thumbtack users.

 

[elizpage]

Well have you checked thumbtack to see if maybe you can find somebody you can pay a small fee to break both of his legs?

Lol - ok, well if not yup, I'd report him to thumbtack. If he did it to you he'll most likely do it to somebody else, so kind of your responsibility to help inform other thumbtack users.

Yes, I have reported the douchebag. God, what a ****ing waste of time.

 

[robbins.photo]

Well have you checked thumbtack to see if maybe you can find somebody you can pay a small fee to break both of his legs?

Lol - ok, well if not yup, I'd report him to thumbtack. If he did it to you he'll most likely do it to somebody else, so kind of your responsibility to help inform other thumbtack users.

Yes, I have reported the douchebag. God, what a ****ing waste of time.

Well you didn't get paid, but hey - not a waste of time. A couple of valuable lessons learned. First, get cash up front before you shoot anything. Second, deep woods off. Third, you got a chance to practice portrait shoots with a douchebag - which believe it or not can be an extremely important skill to cultivate, because, well, there is a huge market base of them available.

Lol

 

[SnappingShark]

You're saying it's ONLY $75, but if it's ONLY $75 to you then learn from it and move on - take his $25.

Then just make sure you get a signed agreement for the amount agreed upon by both parties.

 

[Tarayn]

Yeah take the only $25 that he has for your time and don't even let him see his pics unless he pays you the the rest $50. He's probably not going to so just take the $25 for your time.

 

[sscarmack]

Tell him $75 or he doesn't get any photos. Simple as that.

He'll either pay of he won't. Don't settle for anything less.


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[D-B-J]

Contract. Contract. Contract. Then you'll have real proof that he understood the cost, etc.

 

[pgriz]

At the school of hard knocks, $75 is pocket change. What lessons did you learn for the money?

 

[elizpage]

Tell him $75 or he doesn't get any photos. Simple as that.

He'll either pay of he won't. Don't settle for anything less.


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Oh, I already told him he won't be receiving any photographs. He doesn't deserve it; they are in my trash bin. I learned a lot of valuable lessons from this. I will have a contract next time, for sure.

 

[timor]

Hike your fee to $100 and take half up front or don't touch the shutter. Or even better "acquire" D) a boyfriend / football player and have him to assist you on shoot; there will be no refusals to pay or other insults. For sure.

 

[e.rose]

Tell him he can pay you $75 and get the photos, or get nothing at all.

And then stop using Thumbtack.

And start charging more than $75 for a shoot, dammit. :greenpbl:

 

[elizpage]

Tell him he can pay you $75 and get the photos, or get nothing at all.

And then stop using Thumbtack.

And start charging more than $75 for a shoot, dammit. :greenpbl:

That's what I did. Followed by closing my Thumbtack account. Now.. back to the drawing board on how to advertise.

 

[Bitter Jeweler]

It's only $75.. I really don't want to fight about it or take this to a court of law..

It's not worth paying a lawyer for.

Would having a contract change anything in this situation?

 

[robbins.photo]

It's only $75.. I really don't want to fight about it or take this to a court of law..

It's not worth paying a lawyer for.

Would having a contract change anything in this situation?

Well, had it been carved into the side of a 2x4..... lol