Date: Wed, 8 Aug 2007 20:55:41 -0400
Reply-To: pdooley <psdooley@VERIZON.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: pdooley <psdooley@VERIZON.NET>
Subject: Re: Labor, 28 hours, customer say, i have no money....
In-Reply-To: <vanagon%2007080819261763@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
Benny, every day is a new learning experience.
Now you know to put in red bold letters on the top of your invoices- "NO
CHECKS ACCEPTED FOR PAYMENT"
-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
Benny boy
Sent: Wednesday, August 08, 2007 7:23 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: Labor, 28 hours, customer say, i have no money....
Sorry, i guess my English was not clear enough :-)
To anwser your question, i don't know! I had the van for 10 days, but the
customer did know that i was taking some days off, no problem... i come back
Saturday, i call him and i say i'm starting Sunday, so sunday night i call
him and i'm telling him the story about his engine... i offer him to come
and see the damage... monday, he come and see and fully understand the need
for pistons and heads... i give him an approx of the total bill, around
3200$, he said no problem, go ahead. I don't take a deposit because it's
gonna be a quick job and i will have my money in the same week. Ok, i work
hard and Tuesday night i'm done.. i call him late and tell him the van is
ready and working fine, he looks very happy... before we hang up the phone
he ask me if he can make a check... i said no. On my website (shop section)
it's cleary indicated that i don't take check, it's also very clear that i
take a 1000 deposit on any big mechanical work and a 2000$ on any paint job.
It's also written in my shop.
So, he tell me if you don't take check how can it pay? I told him, credit
card, cash or debit if you call your bank first to tell them it's over
1000$. He then sound funny, not that he was unpleasant at all, just stange!
this is when he told that he did't have enough on his credit card and was
not sure about cash, but he would find a way... what i felt he didn't like
is the fact that i didn't take check!
Anyway... he came 30 minutes ago to pickup his van... he was very happy and
greatfull... he gave me cash and put some on his credit card. So he found a
way.
The purpose of my post was not to tell that customers are bad! far from it,
what i was trying to tell is DON'T EVER TELL A MECHANIC THAT YOU DON'T HAVE
MONEY to pay for the job... or your not sure how to get it! i don't want to
hear that after 28 hours in a row of grease-working!!!
Find a solution. I'm sure now that this guy had no bad intention at all...
but he told me clearly that he wasn't sure of how to pay me!
This is NOT my problem!
Anyway... i have to deal with all kind of vanagon owner... everybody is
different. i'm also use to deal with those with less money... and i find
solutions. But just tell me before.
Regards, Ben
On Wed, 8 Aug 2007 13:16:44 -0400, Geza Polony <gezapolony@SBCGLOBAL.NET>
wrote:
>Ben,
>
>I'm not sure from your description if this customer is telling you he's not
>paying, or if he's just trying to find a source of money for you and
doesn't
>have it all in one place. If there's any possibility he's honest and not
>just trying to rip you off, you might approach him politely and tell him
>he'll get the van back when he pays, no problem.
>
>If the van is worth more than your bill, in fact you're the one who comes
>out ahead if he defaults.
>
>As others have suggested, get it it writing if you don't already. You also
>might look into how the lien laws read in your area; you are probably
>protected even if you don't have a form that restates them, but find out to
>be sure.
>
>I personally would understand making a partial payment beforehand if the
job
>required expensive new parts, as in heads. If mostly labor, I don't know.
>
>If you think this is hard, try getting back rent from a tenant....
>
>Good luck and keep the spirits up
>
>
>Geza
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