# Customer signed the work order but wont pay me! What can i do?



## ochoa_dean (Jul 30, 2009)

My customer came in the order some t-shrits and i completed them for her. She came back in the next day to order some more, we filled out the work order and she signed it. But she couldn't leave a deposit because of some reason. Now she is avoiding me and she owes me over $300. BUT, i have her signature. can i repost this to collections? or can i do something take her to small claims?


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## charles95405 (Feb 1, 2007)

This would be a case for small claims court BUT assuming you win how would you collect? I don't think you can go directly to a collective agency ,but with a court judgement you could. At least that would be the case in my state. Your state procedures may be different


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## ochoa_dean (Jul 30, 2009)

Im in california, how can i tell this person i am taking them to court?


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## charles95405 (Feb 1, 2007)

Do not threaten to pay our else you will take them to court, that is almost black mail. Instead just tell via mail to pay or you well seek other remedies .if they don't pay file small claims form. In California most courts have small claims advisor and after filing have local sheriff serve. You cannot personally serve the papers but a friend could but a sheriff service shows you are serious.


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## Fenrir (Mar 13, 2012)

Where do collections agencies come into all this? I've had calls at work for former employees for all sorts of debts nearly a decade after they left. As much as I hate them, people like this deserve the hassle. They have signed intent to pay...


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## missswissinc (Feb 21, 2012)

Either way your going to be spending some sort of money here to reclaim some of the work you did for her. I would suggest sitting down and seeing what material costs your out first on your end before seeking a route to take. 

The Court route. So lets say out of that $300 bill your out oh $180 and that is a # I thought so don't shoot me. Ok you have a $120 profit out there. so lets say you choose the court route. Well lets say the filing costs oh $30 so out of that $120 profit your now down to $90 and that is before you walk into the court room. I was on ehow.com about filing a smalls claims compaint in CA and I would suggest reading that since it states in the first part about the claim "If you chose and file in the wrong small claims court, the judge will dismiss the case." Which means your out of money. It also mentioned in the article that sometimes it can take anywhere from 20-70 days so your now looking at atleast a month to almost 2 months to resolve the claim. your going to have to do alot of leg work for the court route and unless you have someone who can run the shop while your taking care of this well then the court route should be your last defense to claim the money. And no folks it not just saying oh here is this bill. they are going to want to know how many times did you mail this bill to her, did you try and contact her through email, phone, skype etc. did she leave any money down so your going to have to show some bank statements showing no payment made. alot of leg work. 

With collections. You don't need a smalls claim award to claim you didn't get paid. With collections you can hand over a current bill with an amount owed to you with a current Phone and mailing address for the client and they will take care of the rest. The thing with them is they will charge you a fee to use their service and a % of the actual bill so lets say oh and this is another #'s game they charge you a fee of $30 to use their service and oh its 10% of the bill. So like I said before you have a profit of $120 to work with. so if they are able to collect from this lady your profit is $60 and you didn't have to find the time to go to court and tie up your time while you could be out making more money. Yeah they take abit more of your money but that is what collections is all about. They take the time to track this person down and try and force them nicely to pay the bill.

Yeah are your choices crappy (keeping it clean folks) yes but its your choice and I hope you do collect the money that is owed to you.


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## sewclueless (Mar 28, 2012)

My Rule is pay 1/2 up front or I do not order shirts. Then the other half is due when I get shirts in. Unless I really know the people. So far my one and only customer likes what I do for them. I wish I had ahundred like them.


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## missswissinc (Feb 21, 2012)

Hey fenrir the collections people calling you looking for those people are the ones I have a feeling don't have a updated work contact #. Believe me if I fill out a credit application and I work for you I put down the work #. Now lets say 5 months later I quite, get fired or laid off. Do you think those people call the credit card companies or whomever and say yeah I don't work there anymore. doubt it. also with some debt companies they fish for old claims thinking they are going to claim that money even though the debt has been settled or it can't be claimed anymore since some claims have to be forgiven since they may elapse so many yrs. I have heard 10 or less in some states and these people can't come after you. I would tell them nicely that the person hasn't worked there in this amount of yrs and could please stop calling here. I have had that with one collections group calling my house # looking for some person atleast 1 time I was like hey nobody lives here by that name and could please stop calling here nicely. well another time they called back and this time I was abit ticked and said look I nicely told your company that nobody lives here by that name and that I would like for you not to call here again. haven't heard them call looking for that person again.


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## binki (Jul 16, 2006)

It is easy to collect a judgment. Go to the court and file for a statement of assets. If they don't show up a warrant for their arrest is issued. If they do show up the court seizes their property and sells it to satisfy the judgment. Pretty simple.


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## missswissinc (Feb 21, 2012)

I had a look and seeing that the judgement thing sounds like its going to take atleast another 30 days to get your money. I hate to say this but that would add almost now 50-100 days from what they say so now it looks like almost 3-5 months before you will see your money from start to finish if I counted everything right. I agree everything up front or atleast 1/2 up front and rest upon completion.


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