How long until you bring in a hitman/repoman?

[WORLD FAMOUS]

I have three business transactions/sales that have 'stalled' if you will for about 30 days now, and they're doozeys (hovering around $1000 each). I have already sent the products and am awaiting the checks still (this is why it sux to lose your paypal account). Another additional smaller one is just a trade for some Uglass from a member here (or previous one?), but no one is returning emails/calls/messages, etc. and I'm feeling pretty taken right about now. Especially since I'm eating Ramen and crackers for dinner tonight instead of the usual steak and salad...lol.

I know shit happens, and I myself have been late on payments and such, but I have so far fortunately escaped getting left in the cold from any bad deals. I trust everyone too much is what I've been told too often, and it's now it's starting to show. I have faith these guys will come through, it's just...when? I can only think of one person from my whole life that still owes me money ($20), and he died last summer from an overdose, so I finally just wrote that off. (That's the only legit excuse for a complete non-payment in my book).

So it's been a month since I have any sort of reation/reply from any of these peeps. Is that grounds for hitman action? Do I start a full-on legal assault? What are my rights? Do I do what JJames did and get "Pay up Sucker!" tattoo'd on my palm and devote the next 6 months tracking these guys down? I'm getting irritated and it probably shows in the messages I've left, but I haven't been unprofessional at all, just stressing the importance of at least contacting me, and letting me know they are still alive, and I can work with them if need be, I'm just tired of strolling down to the mailbox expecting to have checks to pay bills, and instead I have a month's worth of bills stacked up on my desk. No good when you're trying to run a tight ship.

So my question is, when a customer owes you cash or product, how long before you send the hitman/repoman to his door after you stop hearing back from them? Opinions Please?

[Blade]

Here is how I see your situation.
You are being taken advantage of if your bill is 30 days past due. Even if you were communicating regularly after they recieved the order, this late of a payment is uncalled for. Because they are not maintaining communication with you, I would be more agressive in my approach to recieve payment.
I am assuming you are dealing with businesses here?

Anyone can be found and contacted, especially if they have a storefront.

My advice would be to find them, cordially contact them with your request for immediate payment, and wait patiently for a few more days. If they fail to respond, then move on to the next step. The problem with legal action against a $1000 case is that it will cost you, possibly voiding your initial bill.

What has your past history been with the individuals?

Things will work out, and if not, you just recieved the triple shaft. A very rare bird.

now back to my steak. . .

-B

[WORLD FAMOUS]

"now back to my steak. . ."

LOL <drools> You...<drools more>...have A1 on that too? What kind of marinade did you...AHHH I CAN'T TAKE IT! Don't tell me! (vegetarians are hurling all over right now).

They have always been prompt in the past except the person I traded some marbles to - this is the first time dealing with him. Everyone involved is a business that I have been dealing with at least 1-2 years, or longer. I've had the same 12+ accounts forever, but that's how I prefer to do it. I talked to one of them tonight and she's alive, but hurting right now. At least I heard from her finally. It IS only a matter of time I guess - I was just wondering if I was stressing out prematurely, that's all...

[steven p selchow]

If their long standing accounts as I've read, keep your cool Nate, we all have that unexpected car repair bill or some other shit thats more important at the moment. I've been twice overdue on a creditor, but always make good, The most important thing when you owe someone is to communtcate with them, I know its hard to tell them you ain't got their cash, and easier to avoid talking to em, but thats more annoying then not getting paid, think about the times you owed someone, and how they may have understood your situation. Maybe call em up and tell them you really understand if they don't have the cash, leave a nice message, and I find they feel guilty when your really nice and make an x-tra effort to get you money sooner...my experience only.

steve

[skip]

chill call call call chill chill then call and worry but you have another 60 days before the worry....

[WORLD FAMOUS]

Thanks. I mainly needed to rant. Normally I have my little nest egg saved away for situations like this, but not so this month...which makes it extra hard. Yea, it's just the communication thing that gets to me most, and the triple shaft factor. In our industry (as well as so many others) we have alot of flakey business people. I try really hard to fill the niche of 'not being flakey' and getting orders out on time, not dicking around with people, consistant quality, etc. etc. I try to give customers a piece of mind. I have slip-ups too, I'm very super understanding, but I've always communicated, apologized profusely and made good for a mistake made. Hopefully that's what I get in return...lol. Thanks again guys. I needed that.

[bc]

first my advice would to be stop 'fronting' glass, even if their suppose to pay when they get the package, don't sweat paypal, use COD. Even it's only 20 min from your house, cod that shit. Even though their former good standing accounts always look over them and really judge them, stores go up an down(with your glass) in the blink of an eye. Shit does happen but you need to be eating steak. Steve's advice is good but he probably deals with different kind of folks, shops are known for this type of activity so we need to keep them on a different but yet same list.

Who is this uranium person?



bc

[steven p selchow]

Yea, I do deal with dif folks. I know how the scene works in the other medium, and have to agree, its here and gone a lot, or raided which is worse, so better advice bc.

Steve

[BlueDevil]

Nate,
I feel ya on this one. My experience has made me pretty jaded about shit like this, but i'll either get over it or just continue to be an ass to deal with..lol Keep some faith in them as they might get back with ya and make everything fine. Wish that would have been the situation for me but it isn't, so oh well, just another shitty little set back. I just keep plugging away here, and have NO regrets, so all is good.
Talk to ya soon bro, have fun and relax it'll be all good

Lee

[N!pples]

DONT SELL TO TIMS "ONE STOP SHOP" IN MAINE! Theyve owed me about $960 for about 10 months...

Some people are just lame! Bug bug bug dont lose touch!

Jon

[Holden]

Yep, I know how you feel. I did a favor for someone on this board and I haven't gotton my due yet. It's been months. I've gotten excuses like "OH sorry Bro, I forgot all about it I'll send it out tomorrow". Still nothing A couple weeks later " "God damn, I'm just a lazy glassblower It's in the mail If it isn't You can trash me on the forum". A week later, It's been sent". That was seven days ago, Still nothing. It's not a lot but it was important when he asked for the item but it's not important enough to make payment on. I'm not nameing names because that wouldn't be my stile. Never again.
Jay.

[bc]

naming names might not be your style but it could help everyone else out so we don't get scammed too. justa thought.

Board members stiffing other members????....out them!

[Loïc]

Pay Up $uckers !!!

[RedHotBeads]

Well, at 30 days I start the nag calls/emails ... at 60, it gets mighty ugly, and at 90 I think then you have legal recourse. Man, I'm so sorry these jackasses are doing this to you. I know how much it sucks. You know what happens, they'll get run over by the karma bus.
good luck,
Kelly

[CosmicGlassInc]

Nobody gets screwed if you get payed before you send or sell product. Dont front your stuff to people! If you heavent been payed after 90 days take it to small claims court, you can at least file a lien against them or something, maybe the lawyer glassblower can further explain due action in this circumstance.

[WORLD FAMOUS]

Update: so I just have the one dude to collect from in Albany NY.

The others finally contacted me and are in the works of resolving things. What I got were more promises of payments, but at least it's progress; we'll see how it works out. Communication was all I was asking for, geez. I know how it goes. It's easier to avoid than confront.

I'm about to release the store's name and the owners' name of the guy that still owes me 800 bux, but I'm not willing to do this yet since I haven't even heard from him. For all I know, he could have some sort of legit excuse. Once I have heard from him, I'll decide if it's necessary to release his name/shop. Destroying someones reputation is too easy. I know I wouldn't deal with that store in Maine mentioned above now, and I don't even know the full story. Not to say it's not true, but I'd hate to do such a thing if he really was on vacation or his ex-girlfriend canceled the internet so he couldn't answer emails or if she kept his phone; in which case, he might not even know I haven't received the check yet. The thing I'm pissed about most is that it's been over a month, and if the payment truly IS lost in the mail, I NEED to file a report with the post office, and all this harassment is for nothing. I can't do so until I hear from him and find out if he really even sent it out like he claimed, so that's what makes me think he never sent it out.

Furthermore, I have always collected payment from my accounts before shipping. I have never been burned or even given such a long run-a-round from a business transaction like this - eBay maybe, but that's easier to get closure from and deal with from a legal perspective. The last few times I've dealt with this particular account, I've sent it out his order at the same time he 'claims' to have sent out the money order, so he could get the merchandise in his store for the weekend sales, like fathers day, etc. My bad for being nice and trusting. No, seriously. He might have realized this was an opportunity to take advantage of me too. It's fuct because reading through past emails over the last 2 years, he has always been a cool dude, polite, easy going, willing to help me out with advance payments when I was on the road or whatever. I've built up a trusting relationship with my all of my customers, something I find important to business relationships. I rarely even take orders under a grand anymore, so trust is a big thing to me. I want my customers to trust me, and I want to be able to trust my customers, without question. I often require hefty down payments to secure an order, so they have to trust me when they send 500 or 1000 down, that I'll make good on my end and ship them a product. I realize the industry we are in, and we have our fair share of slacker-ass, incompetant-of-running a-business stoners, but we also have some of the most genuine good-intentioned people I have ever met also. You can choose your customers, or at least I have found out how, and I try to only deal with good business owners and ditch the bad ones. Looks like I might be shortening my list now.

Okay, jftr, even if there were some sort of complaint on a few pieces or something, he would have at least contacted me and said somthing, in which case he should return the questionable merchandise an adjust the bill accordingly. I'm 99.999% sure this isn't the case, but I have even asked him in emails and messages to return the glass I have sent him if it were some sort of discreptancy(sp?), or send me the payment. One or the other, dammit. Otherwise it's just plain theft, making him nothing more than a thief.

I know several others on the forum deal with this guy. I have asked their help, but I do so hesitating since it's MY problem, not anyone elses. I appreciate the help I have received so far from those people, but I don't expect much more. I hope it doesn't come to releasing his name, but I'm tired of being the bill collector too. I have better things to do with my time than leave phone messages and emails all day. I wish I could hire someone to call him all day, eleave messages, or hire a PI to track him down and and make him pay up (anyone have ties to the mob in NY?), but I'm moving across the country in two weeks. I have too much on my plate already, time and finances wise.

How frusterating this is. Thanks for the words of advise and the encouragement, guys. I'm sure it'll get worked out soon or later.

[bc]

glad to hwear it's werkin out. If ya need some help w/ albany let me know, I live 20 miles from there. Would kinda like to know who this is. You could email me if you want to keep it off the board.

bc

[broken glass]

I feel your pain N8, When I see someone who owes me money posting on gp.org, and then i mail them about the money they owe, and i get no response, but still see more pictures on gp.org??! I only sent the pieces on a front, because i have a trust relationship with them. Then I got an email from him asking where to send the cash. One lesson is enough for me to have learned my lesson on NO Sending Cash......i lagged on the email a couple of weeks, because i was hoping to get my license back and just drive up there and get my cash, but the DMV lied to me, and now i need the check, and i can't get a hold of him, i left emails, and messages with employees. And no response.....Thats the worst part, no response..............it took me 3 days to get him his order, from ordering to recieving, and im waiting here like a chump for more than 2 weeks with no word on my $$, but he can post more pics on gp.

time for daily calls, another week and it goes hourly

[broken glass]

Its all good I am too quick to get pessomistic, I trust them for a reason. Everythings been cleared upp

[smutboy420]

well there is only one store that i know of in albany. and if its the shining star don't plan on the dude giving you your $ back or ever buying glass from you again. he is shady as hell. you would not be the first to be ripped off by him. if you front to him he suddonly forgets who you are and will say he forgot yada yada but you won't see your $ inless you harass the crap out of him.
he burned my briend bill like that. but bill was too much of a hippy to even care. some shit about karma. but i din't know karma was a tool to help one repress them selves or to use as an excuse to let your self be walked on.
the guy is a total flake. but if you want I live 7 mims away from the place. you want me to harrass him? I have been wanting some one to fire bomb his store for a while now cept its to close to dwellings peep live in. thats they guy that right after 911 had a big sign in his widow saying suport america!! and we go in and he tells us he only buys imported glass. ah i had all i could do to keep my self from smashing all the glass in his case to bits.

[EkTiD]

Ive learned from doing the opposite that its always better to keep your cool, easier said than done. I think that in the end when the hairyness is done, it feels better to say that I did everything I could do without sinking to their level. Sometimes falling shows us what to keep in mind in order to not fall again. Really in all aspects of life we run into problems, its how we deal that shows us who we are. You seem like a level headed dude, and Im sure you know what to do in the future. Good luck with that guy in NY. Peace bro.