Issue with customer, not sure how to handle it...

[Dave S]

Is doing all that really worth $120?

[Dan]

I had to do this with a scammer. Took me 2 years to get my money. But I got it.

Way to go Ronnie! I'm glad that people take the time to do this sort of stuff. There are too many scammers out there because they know they can get away with it.

[350zchad]

have a buddy in a month or so take a few cars for a test drive.... and when you are out driving the car... have a few dead fish and some shrimp and start hiding them in the vents and in under the seats front and back... make him really pay to get that smell out... he will hire some more schmucks from craigslist and they will spray some febreeze and by the time he hires a few people and wastes more money than he owed you, he may rethink his business practices or fail all together... GL

[Scottwax]

Tote the note car dealers are the absolute worst in terms of payment. I did a few cars for one early on and he was expecting basically autopian quality for $45 a car. After doing 3 cars for him I told him I couldn't keep spending 5 hours per car for less than $100 (this was back in 1994), he laughed and said there is always someone willing to work cheap. Told him that person would no longer be me and I left.

That's when I realized that I wouldn't get anywhere in this business by focusing on a low price point.

[Scottwax]

have a buddy in a month or so take a few cars for a test drive.... and when you are out driving the car... have a few dead fish and some shrimp and start hiding them in the vents and in under the seats front and back... make him really pay to get that smell out... he will hire some more schmucks from craigslist and they will spray some febreeze and by the time he hires a few people and wastes more money than he owed you, he may rethink his business practices or fail all together... GL

You know what really works? Jam a stick in the weather strip along the base of the driver's window, then pour urine down inside the door. Remove the stick and they will never figure out where the stench of stale urine is coming from.

[C. Charles Hahn]

You know what really works? Jam a stick in the weather strip along the base of the driver's window, then pour urine down inside the door. Remove the stick and they will never figure out where the stench of stale urine is coming from.

Note to self: never get on Scott's bad side

[Dave S]

A few days he called and asked me to come in and do some more work for him. I said sure as long as he he signs an agreement and pays me my prices and that our agreement on a 20% off deal no longer stands. He then quickly said he'd call me back in a few minutes.

He never called back. LOL

[Thomas Dekany]

Good for you for not letting him devalue you.

[Zackb911]

Unfortunately he was an *******. But you have recourse. From experience I can suggest the following.
File a police report. It's theft of services.
Take him to small claims court.
If and when judge rules in your favor you can take steps to collect.
If he doesn't pay, then you go to the state and file a lien on his taxes.

I had to do this with a scammer. Took me 2 years to get my money. But I got it.

And all that is worth the $120 he's out?? Opportunity cost, all that time spent running around "hoping" to get back his money could be spent detailing cars and making money. Some times it's just makes sense to move on, lesson learned...

[maxepr1]

Scott, 1 hard boiled egg down the center vent works wonders also! In a week, the egg begins take on a whole new form!

[DeanSweet]

And all that is worth the $120 he's out?? Opportunity cost, all that time spent running around "hoping" to get back his money could be spent detailing cars and making money. Some times it's just makes sense to move on, lesson learned...

I've been thru the small claims court procedures.
Went to court twice, won both times. Had to pay court and procedural fees (ttl $140 x 2) each time to get a lien on this douchebags paycheck and each time I would file and go through that, he simply quit his job. What a way to live. A month or so after the 2nd time I went back to court and filed a grievance and they filed a warrant for his arrest. I went to his house one night and waited outside and called the police to let them know a 'fugitive' was currently at this location. They actually showed up at his house. Took him to jail. and voila, he was out the very next day. So all in all.. I would forget about it and go on. Consider it a learning moment. Just be happy yours was 'only' a couple hundred bucks. Mine was an $1800 piece of 2x12 (supposed to be $ for a 12'x'16 deck) attached with nails on the back side of my house... That's when I taught myself how to build a nice deck and have built lots more since.

[350zchad]

I've been thru the small claims court procedures.
Went to court twice, won both times. Had to pay court and procedural fees (ttl $140 x 2) each time to get a lien on this douchebags paycheck and each time I would file and go through that, he simply quit his job. What a way to live. A month or so after the 2nd time I went back to court and filed a grievance and they filed a warrant for his arrest. I went to his house one night and waited outside and called the police to let them know a 'fugitive' was currently at this location. They actually showed up at his house. Took him to jail. and voila, he was out the very next day. So all in all.. I would forget about it and go on. Consider it a learning moment. Just be happy yours was 'only' a couple hundred bucks. Mine was an $1800 piece of 2x12 (supposed to be $ for a 12'x'16 deck) attached with nails on the back side of my house... That's when I taught myself how to build a nice deck and have built lots more since.

You don't go to jail on civil issues