A couple of months ago I helped install a wrap on a delivery truck for a big, national company. The company supplied the decals, we supplied the labor. It went pretty smoothly, everybody was happy. I sent an invoice and got paid in full a couple of weeks later. Everythings hunky-dory, and I go on with life.
Well…a couple of weeks ago I end up talking to what I assumed was a lawyer (now I know it was a law clerk) demanding that I pay the money back since work was never authorized and there’s no purchase order I ask the guy if they’re in the habit of writing checks like that and he said it was an accounting error.
They claim they’ve never heard of the guy that called us about the job, who happened to be the same guy with keys to the store, keys to a brand spanking new delivery truck and several thousand dollars worth of decals. I go to the store and sure enough, nobody’s ever heard of him.
I still think the whole thing is a joke, or possibly a scam. I do know that there’s no way I’m sending the money back. I talk to law-boy again and let him know that there’s no way I’m sending the money back. Obviously somebody knew we were supposed to be paid, approved it, and sent us a check. I point out that if we were trying to rip them off why would I possibly bill them $1000 labor and throw in $4000 worth of decals, installed on their truck!? The irate turd wouldn’t listen and explained that if I wouldn’t return the check they’d have to pursue the matter through legal channels.
I told him that I’d welcome to the opportunity to present my side of things in front of a judge and that I was fairly certain that the judge would toss him and his case out of court. He wouldn’t listen so I just got off the phone.
Forward to this past Monday. I come home from work and there’s a notice on the door that I have mail that must be signed for waiting for me at the post office. Today I go down to the post office, sign for my package, fully expecting legal papers telling me what they are planning to do. Instead I get to stand in the post office laughing like a hyena. It’s a copy of my invoice, with PAID IN FULL written on it in large letters. In the envelope is another check for the total amount.
Not only did they claim they never ordered it and never should have paid it now they’ve paid it TWICE.
No, I can't cash it and I'm resisting the urge to call them and demand they return my invoice immediately. I think I'm just gonna stick it up on the trophy case.
-------------------- Pat Whatley Montgomery, AL (334) 262-7446 office (334) 324-8465 cell Posts: 1306 | From: Wetumpka, AL USA | Registered: Mar 2001
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-------------------- John Arnott El Cajon CA 619 596-9989 signgraphics1@aol.com http://www.signgraphics1.com Posts: 1443 | From: El Cajon CA usa | Registered: Dec 1998
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Yep law-boy needs a "Well here's your check back then, you win. I apologise. If there's anything that I can ever do again for your company keep me in mind." You never know he might find the guy that ordered it in the first place and return it. Then you gotta cash it.
So he's gonna be a lawyer eh?
-------------------- Deri Russell Wildwood Signs Hanover, Ontario
You're just jealous 'cause the little voices only talk to me. Posts: 1904 | From: Hanover, Ontario, Canada | Registered: Dec 1998
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I wish more businesses would double-pay me for work too!
-------------------- "Stewey" on chat
"...there are no limits when you aim for perfection..." Jonathan Livingston Seagull Posts: 7014 | From: Highgrove via Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia | Registered: Dec 2002
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Sounds a little fishy to me. I'd make copies of everything they sent me. I would write on the orginal check, VIOD, then send what they sent to you back to them in a bright red envoloe. Plus, I would enclose a word of explanation on what happened. And if the address was within driving distance, I'd dress up like a high priced law-girl and talk to their people. Maybe the person "Accidently" double billed the company to make a little extra money for theirself. I watch too much Law and Order.
-------------------- Signs by Alicia Jennings (Mudflap Girl) Tacoma, WA Since 1987 Have Lipstick, will travel. Posts: 3814 | From: Tacoma, WA. U.S.A. | Registered: Dec 1999
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quote:Originally posted by Graham Parsons: Sorry, Alicia, I knew what you meant, but now I have a mental picture of Patrick dressed up like a high priced law-girl...
You have no idea how high a price it's gonna be if you want me to dress up like a law-girl for you. No idea.
-------------------- Pat Whatley Montgomery, AL (334) 262-7446 office (334) 324-8465 cell Posts: 1306 | From: Wetumpka, AL USA | Registered: Mar 2001
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Yeah, the cheque's in the male, not the female!!!
-------------------- "Stewey" on chat
"...there are no limits when you aim for perfection..." Jonathan Livingston Seagull Posts: 7014 | From: Highgrove via Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia | Registered: Dec 2002
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I wonder sometimes about companies who hire their accounting or bookeeping teams. Thye double pay. thye wont pay when they are supposed to, and htye are never in when you call. If these companies double pay oyu like they did can you imagine what happens when the buy and pay for stuff for their store or warehouse.
Keep the check dont cash it. Strig this along and take no **** of this lawyer wannabee with his idle junior high threats. If he had any sense he would question why this was paid and stop treating you like the criminal
-------------------- You ever notice how easily accessible people are when they are requiring your services but once they get invoice you can't reach them anymore
posted
I had a somewhat similar experience last fall. Government jobsite signs, for a new company referred by the other company for whom I paint these things. Was a bit of a problem to get the deposit, but they did pay it. They signed my proposal and all. I got the check, made the signs. Two days before the signs were ready the guy with whom I had dealt ordered a few coro directional signs. I told him the price, faxed him a proposal, and he said OK go for it. He comes to get the signs. I gave him a final invoice with the combined balance and new total for the coro (about $450 total, after their initial $400 deposit) A month passes....no check. I decide to write a letter with a new copy of the invoice attached in case the pick-up guy lost it. The next day I get a call from their accounts payable guy, questioning why the invoice has a different total than the initial balance. I told him about the corosigns. "We didn't authorize that." So I get a check a week later for $250. I call again, slightly mad now. Same "no authorization" schpiel. So I call the initial contact, who never told anyone he ordered the corosigns.... And a week later I got the balance. Some companies have too many departments for their own good!
I would make photocopies of everything pertinent and make them into a nice packet. I would mail it, along with the real check, photos of the completed job, and Law Boy's name, as well as the first guy's name, and a description of their actions to the OWNER of the company. The real owner, not some clerk or suit, and make sure it's a certified letter that they must sign for.
Love....Jill
Posts: 8834 | From: Butler, PA, USA | Registered: Jan 2001
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Pat, that's too funny! for entertainment purposes, I would "misplace" the check give them the run around for a while On the other hand, when working on larger contract jobs, signs are like the lowly penny. They're a nuicance for contractors. However, like the penny, you need them once in a while. Looking at the big picture, the only real difference betweean a penny and a sign is that a penny can be worth more. This is because the signs for a large construction project are normally worth less than 1% of the total project budget.
Havin' fun,
Checkers
-------------------- a.k.a. Brian Born www.CheckersCustom.com Harrisburg, Pa Work Smart, Play Hard Posts: 3775 | From: Harrisburg, Pa. U.S.A. | Registered: Nov 1998
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Maybe this is the result of the ultimate out sorcing to China or India. All the billing and paying is done over-seas? Believe me stranger things have happened.
-------------------- Donald Miner ABCO Wholesale Neon 1168 Red Hill Creek Dobson, NC Posts: 842 | From: North Carolina | Registered: Apr 2006
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deposit the check and tell them they have a credit.
-------------------- Jimmy Chatham Chatham Signs 468 stark st Commerce, Ga 30529 Posts: 1766 | From: Commerce, GA, USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winner! That's priceless Jimmy.
-------------------- “Did you ever stop to think, and forget to start again?” -Winnie the Pooh & A.A. Milne
Kelly Thorson Kel-T-Grafix 801 Main St. Holdfast, SK S0G 2H0 ktg@sasktel.net Posts: 5496 | From: Penzance, Saskatchewan | Registered: May 2002
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You never know he might find the guy that ordered it in the first place and return it. Then you gotta cash it.
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