# Customer refusing to pay



## Hank hill (Apr 5, 2016)

Bull Trout said:


> glad you got paid, hope you learned something from all of this





softdown said:


> Bull Trout said:
> 
> 
> > glad you got paid, hope you learned something from all of this
> ...


 Yes I believe she was single,almost positive about that early to mid 30s and definitely not married and yes im in the south.


Also she claims she didn't call the police, doesn't excuse the fact that she either really did call and is lying or she pretended to call, also another woman in the home who was alot more rational fetched my materials so I left before I could see if the police where really coming or not the other woman couldn't even understand why the HO was doing what she was doing. The lady just has issues.


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## MattK (Apr 2, 2009)

As you get older you'll learn many of the same lessons we've all learned and your contract will grow and grow and grow. Never do anything without some level of protection for yourself. 

To your current matter: I would send her one letter stating the specifics of the conversation she and your Dad had and state that it was clear she felt the agreed price was too much for the short time she witnessed the completed job took. State that she did make a partial payment of $80 and the remaining $195 was due. Write it is your company policy to pursue ALL non-payments in small claims court, regardless of denomination amount. and that you will pursue court cost reimbursement into your claim request. List a reasonable date for payment to be received before any action will be taken...say 30 days.

At this point, it's entirely up to her. She risks owning you the $195, plus another hundred or two in court costs and her blowing her morning sitting in court. Many people will frustratingly pay it as there are some well known companies that pursue every single non payment. (Wasn't Sears famous for doing this back in the day?)

She will probably pay but if she doesn't, MOVE ON. As others have written above, for $195, I'd type a 5 min letter and waste a stamp...that's all; it's too small to waste your time. If she doesn't bite on your bluff, chalk this up to an early lesson and move on with your life.


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## cedarboarder (Mar 30, 2015)

Police would have told her they cant make the drywall patch better. probably laughed after hanging up on her. 
This is also why I would never leave my tools on the job unless its a very cool customer


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## Hank hill (Apr 5, 2016)

MattK said:


> As you get older you'll learn many of the same lessons we've all learned and your contract will grow and grow and grow. Never do anything without some level of protection for yourself.
> 
> To your current matter: I would send her one letter stating the specifics of the conversation she and your Dad had and state that it was clear she felt the agreed price was too much for the short time she witnessed the completed job took. State that she did make a partial payment of $80 and the remaining $195 was due. Write it is your company policy to pursue ALL non-payments in small claims court, regardless of denomination amount. and that you will pursue court cost reimbursement into your claim request. List a reasonable date for payment to be received before any action will be taken...say 30 days.
> 
> ...


 She paid. my father had to go and spend 3 more hours to fix it to her liking something she wouldn't let me do, she paid the remaining $195. I feel as though we still shouldn't have had to do that, considering the circumstances but I have definitely learned a lesson from this, including deciding whether or not a person is even worth the trouble of doing business with, I learned alot.

She also got in her car with my while on the phone with my father(he requested to speak to her, after calling me to find out the issue) and acted like she was going to drive off I guess in ploy to get me to act out of character didn't work, that's when I knew she was just bat**** crazy.


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## cedarboarder (Mar 30, 2015)

Hank hill said:


> She paid. my father had to go and spend 3 more hours to fix it to her liking something she wouldn't let me do, she paid the remaining $195. I feel as though we still shouldn't have had to do that, considering the circumstances but I have definitely learned a lesson from this, including deciding whether or not a person is even worth the trouble of doing business with, I learned alot.
> 
> She also got in her car with my while on the phone with my father(he requested to speak to her, after calling me to find out the issue) and acted like she was going to drive off I guess in ploy to get me to act out of character didn't work, that's when I knew she was just bat**** crazy.


what did your dad do to fix it? skim coat?


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## brickhook (May 8, 2012)

tgeb said:


> Sometimes you have to know when to stop talking. You brought this on yourself. When she said it looked OK, you should have "yes it does, it's perfect."


He will figure this out after he gets married :laughing:


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## TNTRenovate (Aug 19, 2010)

Hank hill said:


> are you joking?


Heck no! You have to live in the real world. It's hard enough to get a patch to look flat let alone get a texture match. I had a client with his face 6" from the wall complaining that he could see tiny holes in the drywall. It was a freshly painted new drywall from a complete bathroom gut. I said, "You need to stand back 6' from it. If it looks bad that far back I will address it. If you find something closer...learn to live with it.


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## B.Johnson (Sep 17, 2016)

NYgutterguy said:


> Sounds like unless it's a significant amount of coin it's cheaper to let it go. Guess more of a matter of principle
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


The amount doesn't matter if you can't collect. You can get a verdict in your favor, but unless the defendant has a steady income paid by check you most likely won't get your money.


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## B.Johnson (Sep 17, 2016)

I have mentioned the before, but get a copy of the Residential Construction Performance Guidelines and reference it in your contract. I think that TNT hit it on the nose when he said that it needs to look good from 6 feet away. IIRC that is what the Performance Guidelines specify.


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## Mordekyle (May 20, 2014)

NYgutterguy said:


> Just curious, even if he had a 50 page contract how much time would it take to collect that $200? Would there be court involved ? Most know I don't use contracts often and am
> Curious to how it works.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk




Guys like you don't need contracts.

Easy for youz to take your work back.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## NYgutterguy (Mar 3, 2014)

Mordekyle said:


> Guys like you don't need contracts.
> 
> Easy for youz to take your work back.
> 
> ...




Can rip the downspouts off pretty easy but taking the gutters back down before the cops get there might be more of a challenge lol 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Bull Trout (Dec 6, 2016)

NYgutterguy said:


> Can rip the downspouts off pretty easy but taking the gutters back down before the cops get there might be more of a challenge lol
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


just tie a grapple hook to your bumper and drive away


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## RangoWA (Jun 25, 2014)

The poor gal just needed some man handling. She gave you every signal she could think of.


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## TimNJ (Sep 7, 2005)

RangoWA said:


> The poor gal just needed some man handling. She gave you every signal she could think of.


:thumbsup:
We didn't hear from OP whether she was hot or...not!


Maybe that's why "Dad" went over there to take care of the "job".


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## Randy Bush (Mar 7, 2011)

NYgutterguy said:


> Can rip the downspouts off pretty easy but taking the gutters back down before the cops get there might be more of a challenge lol
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Might be bad information, but I heard once the material is on a house you can not remove the stuff for non payment. 

Sent from my LG-V520 using Tapatalk


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## NYgutterguy (Mar 3, 2014)

Randy Bush said:


> Might be bad information, but I heard once the material is on a house you can not remove the stuff for non payment.
> 
> Sent from my LG-V520 using Tapatalk




No that's exactly right 


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

Randy Bush said:


> Might be bad information, but I heard once the material is on a house you can not remove the stuff for non payment.
> 
> Sent from my LG-V520 using Tapatalk


Yeah if it's connected to the structure you are SOL.

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk


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## Hank hill (Apr 5, 2016)

You think so lol i am terrible at Signals.


I feel maybe she was just crazy lol


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## Bull Trout (Dec 6, 2016)

Hank hill said:


> You think so lol i am terrible at Signals.
> 
> 
> I feel maybe she was just crazy lol


crazy = fun


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## Fishindude (Aug 15, 2017)

*After I completed everything and matched the texture I called her in to take a look she said "I'll think that'll work" but started changing her tune after I told her it wasn't going to be a perfect match due to it being a patch in a small laundry room. *

When she said "I think that'll work" you should have shut your mouth, packed your tools and left and / or handed her the bill and asked for payment. Instead you rambled on about how it wasn't perfect and sunk your own ship.


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