Customer has no money for finished on-site work!!

[Paul Rodgers]

I would have definitely taken the check. Here in Kentucky, it's criminal theft by deception. Class A misdemeanor under $500, above $500 is a felony.

Problem is at least in the area I'm in the police have stopped getting involved in bad check issues.

 

[coffee]

I take checks but Im always very leary of who I take them from. Most of my work is residential and if its a good neighborhood/house and they look stable then Im more inclined to take a check. Most of the time I take checks from or just bill my repeat customers.

I do know in Indiana you can take them to court and even garnish their wages. But actually I find the biggest non payments I have ever witnessed working for my last employer was Homeland Security and 3rd party work from repair companies that cannot service a remote location so they call me. I turn down all 3rd party work.

I hope this turns out well for the O.P.

coffee

 

[nlinecomputers]

Cash or Credit Card only. I'll take checks only from established businesses that I know the reputation on or I can do a credit check on.

 

[autumn]

I've been in business for 12 years and have only had an handfully of customers not paying. most of them have been home users. I do cash or cheque, don't do cards. I'm in Australia. I'm looking at cards but most of my customers are businesses so I generally invoice and have bank details on invoice and they pay direct deposit.

I have a ex customer they won't pay abotu $4k at the moment. I had been working for 3 years with. I had just made my mind up that I was going to drop them as a customer once I got payment. I had just replaced a dead server and got the cost of the server paid. the rest is labour for the server and other bits which I did up until I said no more until payment.

this is a law firm and has said he has a dispute with the work but won't say what. I'm sending it to a debt collector and if that doesn't work then small claims.

 

[SandMulls]

That really sucks. I mean, I couldn't imagine somebody to be as shameless as that. No remorse, no anything? Even any word of apology? I think that guy really meant to do it. I bet you aren't the only one whom he did some sort of like that...

 

[RedFoxComp]

That really sucks. I mean, I couldn't imagine somebody to be as shameless as that. No remorse, no anything? Even any word of apology? I think that guy really meant to do it. I bet you aren't the only one whom he did some sort of like that...

From what I found after the fact, this is the way he lives. I'm not sure if he was actually going bankrupt but the collection agency has had no luck. He has since moved (been evicted I assume) and changed his phone numbers.

 

[Tech in SC]

Just be thankful all you lost was time... not that time isn't valuable, considering its the one item in inventory you can't purchase more of.

 

[nuleaf1]

Wow. I'm new to computer repairs, but not new to business - a customer once refused to pay my husband (a painter and decorator), so he proceeded to start to strip off the wallpaper he'd only just hung....Customer paid up!

I do have clients sign a work order prior to work, and have never experienced anyone trying to avoid payment - yet. However, I fully intend to follow my late husbands example should this ever happen.

Thank you for sharing your experience.