Hi,
I redesigned and rewrote an ad for £200.
The guy published it and is using it but won't pay up.
He just ignores my emails and payment requests and fobs me off on the phone.
This has gone on for months. He is a thief.
Any suggestions?

Is he local?
Go and pay him a visit..

One option is to try to recover it via the small claims court. If you send a letter by recorded delivery, pointing out that this action will be taken if payment is not received within a specified number of days, sometimes it is sufficient to prompt a debtor to pay up.

You can get more information from HM Court Service at http://www.hmcourts-service.gov.uk/infoabo...laims/index.htm

Hi,
thanks for the advice.
I'll try the link you supplied.
Going round there is one step away from the heavies...that's next.
Thanks again.

You don't have to use heavies, embarrassment can work just as well.
Go to his work place, or his local pub and ask in front of his friends if he has any intention of paying his debts.

Good luck

Paul

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (force5 @ May 7 2008, 12:58 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

You don't have to use heavies, embarrassment can work just as well.
Go to his work place, or his local pub and ask in front of his friends if he has any intention of paying his debts.

Good luck

Paul[/b]

Yeah also stand outside his business and hand out some flyers stating the facts, just the facts. If he doesn't have premises then flyer his neighbours. You won;t get the money but it might be satisfying.
Or...
Just ignore it, move on, spend your time earning £200 elsewhere. I know it stings, no one likes being striped but throwing your time chasing this £200 is a negative effort, the time spent is a dead end and all you are doing is participating further in the money pit this project has become. Accept that some people operate like this and move on. Learn this lesson, it cost you £200 so learn it well.
CHARGE FOR YOUR TIME UP FRONT. Anyone who bills for their time can charge up front, get a deposit and when you have spent the time that deposit covers ask for more. Tell the customer upfront and get stage payments etc.
If you don't set the terms for the transaction expect to be taken advantage of.

If you're thinking it's easy for you to say walk away it's not your money. Well, someone on this forum (no longer active and no names people) charged me £300 for some SEO on a couple of websites, he insisted I pay up front and as he'd been sourced through this forum, had a good reputation and had agreed to my tight timescale I agreed and sent off my contract, got it signed and sent back and so I gave him the full £300. He did a runner, yup, took the whole lot. Oh he didn't just disappear, no first he screwed with one of my websites, nothing disastrous but still he didn't do what I wanted. He then claimed illness, I gave him the benefit of the doubt but it just dragged on, so I asked for my money back and that was when the excuses started. So I just cut my losses and wished him well and left him to it. I estimated at least 2 days wasted that I would have incurred chasing him, filling in court forms, tracking the case and general admin keeping track of it all plus the stress of it all. Instead I spent 2 days of concentrated selling and within 48 hours I had a new client who wanted to spend £1500 with me.

Sometimes you DO have to take a stance but sometimes taking a stance can cost more than moving on.

As Marcellus Wallis (Pulp Fiction) said "You feel that sting? That's pride ******** with you. F*ck pride" a bit course but I think illustrates the point well.

Good luck with whatever decision you make.

I'm inclined to agree, if a debt gets more than six months old then write it off.

I think you get tax relief for writing off bad debts don't you?

Just offer to report him to the Inland Revenue. That will shake him up.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (athompson @ May 6 2008, 09:41 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

One option is to try to recover it via the small claims court. If you send a letter by recorded delivery, pointing out that this action will be taken if payment is not received within a specified number of days, sometimes it is sufficient to prompt a debtor to pay up.

You can get more information from HM Court Service at http://www.hmcourts-service.gov.uk/infoabo...laims/index.htm[/b]

Thanks a lot - it worked!

I sent an email with the url and 1 week later got a cheque!!! Great advice.

I've learnt some lessons now too.

Have a great day guys!

Glad you got the cheque, it is pretty crap that you had to result to threats but if thats what it takes..

Paul