Detailed a 36ft camper today and didn't get paid.

WaxManRonnie · 07-18-09, 06:35

I detailed a 36 foot camper trailer today. Guy called me last night at about 10:15 PM. Asked if I ever did a camper before. I told him 1 time I did. He seemed interested and asked about price. I told him $350. I know pretty cheap maybe. But thats what I quoted him. So we set up a time for 11:30am today. I showed up and I started the work. I was well into this about 2 1/2 hours and I asked him how he liked it. He loved it, and said looks way better than he could have imagined. Now this was just the outside only. No work needed on the inside. After I did the front, back and both sides, I took a little break and asked him where his ladder was at. He said he didn't have one. But last night he said he did. I told him on the phone that I needed the ladder to get up on the roof. Mind you, last night he told me the entire thing was washed too. But it wasn't I used ONR on it before I started.
So we came to the agreement that the top was fine and that after his trip(supposidly going camping tomorrow) that he would decide if he wanted me to come back. So now I asked for payment, he asked do I take credit cards?
I said no. Cash works for me as stated in my ad. He said I have none. I said I can wait till you go to an ATM. He said I don't have an atm card because we just switched banks. One bull$hit story after another. So my suspicious radar was really going ape and I said do you have a check? He said no he wrote out his last one. I said well Jim we have ourselves a problem. You called me late, you wanted me to do this job, and you have no money. Why would you allow me to do that if you didn't have money? And it's like I can't take the work away. So to make the long story longer, he was on his was to his Mommy's house to get a check from her. Before I left I had told him then you call your Mom right now, and I will stop by and get it from her. Since her place is on my way home anyway. This guy lives 25 miles away from me. He said his Mom wasn't home yet. He told me I can meet you at the such and such exit by my place at 6pm. I said that was fine and he assured me that he was good for it. 6pm rolls around and he wasn't there. When I called him, he told me that he was running late and it would be an hour from now. Hour goes by and I call him again. He is irritated by now and said that he would call me upon leaving his Mom's house.
My Wife knew I was pretty bummed about this and she ended up calling him herself asking what was up and why he would allow the work to be done with no cash or other funds.
He had told her that he was still going to call me when his Mom got there. I guess she really wasn't there to begin with.
So I'm certain the guy isn't going to pay me. Lesson learned I guess, but it still
sucks really bad.
Here's a few pics I took with the Iphone.

LQ9SS · 07-18-09, 06:42

Don't give up man, get your money.

David Fermani · 07-18-09, 06:43

Dude, that sucks. I'd go balistic!! The only thing I can think of that would have helped would be writing up a contract for payment of the debt/service. That way if he blows you off, you can go after him in court.

Jakerooni · 07-18-09, 06:54

call the cops.. It's obvious you did the work. And he's not paying. It's over $100 so that would be considered Felonious theft here in Mich. punishable up to 10 years in prision if convicted. (probably wouldn't happen but you always paint a clear picture of what could happen if you don't get your money) at least with the cops called there's a paper trail that can be proven in court if it ever had to go that far.

RustyBumper · 07-18-09, 07:00

Couldn't you have called the cops and made a report for failure to pay for services rendered? I know along time ago they used to arrest people for not paying (restaurants, taxies, etc). Call them and see what they say. BTW, call the non-emergency number. It's a big fine for calling 911 without an emergency.

WaxManRonnie · 07-18-09, 07:29

Cops are no help in what they told me
Was a civil matter. I just called them.

RustyBumper · 07-18-09, 07:54

That's a bummer. I'm sorry to hear that.

Just out of curiousity, who told you this? Was it a dispatcher or an actual police officer? If the call center is like most others, there is usually an actual police officer who is a supervisor working there. If so, insist on speaking to him or having a Sgt., Lt., or Shift Commander call you back. Most dispatchers only regurgitate the things that the police supervisors tell them to say. Insist on having a report made and get a case number for the incident as well as to get the incident number for the call that you made. They're supposed to log the calls and assign numbers to them when they come in. Most times they don't do it because they're too lazy to type the info. into the system.

Remember, get the names and ID numbers if applicable, of all of the persons that you speak with.

Another thing you could do is just spread the word about this bum among your peers.

WaxManRonnie · 07-18-09, 08:15

It was an officer. Rusty.

RustyBumper · 07-18-09, 08:21

Man, that sucks. I hope that you can get it resolved. Are you going to try and contact him again? Maybe if you call him enough he'll cough it up.

AuAltima3.5 · 07-18-09, 08:38

Maybe I'm a d*ck, but I would let some nails "fall" from my vehicle. Like in his driveway.

I would give him until Monday. If there is no cash something must be done. Underhanded or legal.

ten39 · 07-18-09, 09:40

He owns a 36 foot travel trailer, and he's broke?

Gee... that's ironic.

I wonder if you could put some sort of a lien on it until your debt is satisfied, sort of like what is done in the construction and automotive service industries?

Srg.Rod · 07-18-09, 09:42

give me 10 percent of what he owes u and i get ur money back, u just have to tell me where he leaves and i take my bat ;] lol