I don't know why I'm asking this here, but here goes...

[runnah]

 

[bribrius]

The first thing to do is not to take any of this personal. Business is business. Send a registered letter demanding payment. If after a few weeks, mark it on your calendar ... then do small claims. Add all the time and expenses spent to collect to the $500 plus interest. Odds are they pay you on the the day you are to appear in court ... refuse to accept payment unless they pay for all the expenses it took to get them to pay. Or, they may just not appear in court and you win by default. But winning is different than collecting ... but now you have a court order. Armed with the court order you can now do all kinds of nasty stuff ... put a lien on a house, sell the paper to a collections agency ... et al. Just don't get personally hung up on all this ... it is all about money ... not you or your boss.

yeah. i wouldn't do it over five hundred bucks. I been down that road before a few times but it was over more $$$$ and quite frankly they ticked me off so much i would have spent twice what they owed me just on principle to keep dragging them in court and collection bureaus. Just because..

 

[Light Guru]

Turn it over to a debt collections agency. Yes they will take a big percentage of the debt but you also won't have to deal the dead beat client anymore.

Chalk up the loss to what Dave Ramsey calls Stupid Tax.

 

[bogeyguy]

Not sure how it works in your state but here in PA. we have local magistrates where you can initiate legal proceedings for small claims. The cost is not exorbitant to file an action. The magistrate will summon the parties to a hearing and determine the outcome and can order a judgment against the defendant if he finds them guilty. Of course there is also a chance of appeal and then the costs start to escalate because attorneys become involved.

 

[e.rose]

Can you get your friend to take a picture of you looking all angry holding a letter opener? or icepick? or large kitchen knife? Any suitable shanking device would suffice, really.
It would be so awesome.
you could have a contest to caption it!
it could be your avatar here until this collection business is done.

If I had enough time to do that, I would.

That's EXACTLY what I think of every time I find out the check hasn't come yet.

"WHERE'S MY MONEY?! GIVE ME MY MONEY, B****!"

Not sure how it works in your state but here in PA. we have local magistrates where you can initiate legal proceedings for small claims. The cost is not exorbitant to file an action. The magistrate will summon the parties to a hearing and determine the outcome and can order a judgment against the defendant if he finds them guilty. Of course there is also a chance of appeal and then the costs start to escalate because attorneys become involved.

I did not know that. I wasn't in PA long after I went officially into business, so I never had to look into anything like that there. I wonder if TN does the same. That would also be good to know for future reference.

 

[e.rose]

Thanks for all your responses, guys.

I had to trek back over to my friend's house tonight to get a lens I was SUPPOSED to bring home with me, but I left on the coffee table.

I was talking to him about it a bit more and HE seems confident that he'll have a check tomorrow.

He doesn't feel that this guy would lie to him about putting it in the mail, because he's used my friend for other artist promo photo shoots before and he's never had issue with payment (although, I don't know what his definition of "issue" is), but he seems pretty confident that he'll check his mail tomorrow it'll be there.

This is why we balance each other out well, haha.

He's sittin' happy, confident it's gonna be here... I'm over here prepping and planning for an assault, just in case, because I'm not as optimistic.

Yin and Yang, yeah?

We balance each other out. It's good.

Although, I really do hope his optimism is well-placed and we won't have to deal with this past my sending a "Thank you for your payment!" email.

 

[Derrel]

"And it's for....five huuuuuuuundred dollars!"

 

[vintagesnaps]

If a check doesn't arrive maybe think about calling instead of emailing (at least for me I feel like sometimes talking to someone directly can be more effective). You could remind the client of when payment was due and find out what can be paid now, then figure out arrangements for the rest of the balance to be paid if needed.

I usually try to keep things objective, phrase it for example as 'the amount owed' instead of 'you owe'. Seems like people tend to respond to that better and in a less defensive way if it sounds more like stating facts than placing blame.

Hopefully it will come in the mail after all.

 

[weepete]

I'd send one more letter with a deadline for payment and let them know that if they miss it you'll file in the small claims court. In the mean time document the shoot, who sent what and when the deliverables were met. If they miss the deadline I'd take them to court even if it's just for the principal.

You've already had an agreement from them that they owe you the money and will pay so it should be really clear cut and it's what small claims were made for.

 

[bribrius]

i stopped your mailman this morning and flipped him a twenty to hold that envelope for a few more days, just so we can all see how this plays out.

 

[W.Y.Photo]

i stopped your mailman this morning and flipped him a twenty to hold that envelope for a few more days, just so we can all see how this plays out.

Now we know why this is a fact. Thanks Brib!

 

[e.rose]

Check came! Crisis and bloodshed averted!

 

[pixmedic]

Check came! Crisis and bloodshed averted!

no shanky shanky?

 

[e.rose]

Check came! Crisis and bloodshed averted!

no shanky shanky?

Nope.

 

[pixmedic]

Check came! Crisis and bloodshed averted!

no shanky shanky?

Nope.

awe...
maybe next time.
apparently you are awesome at this!
they heard you were coming and paid up.