A customer who you really DON'T want to deal with.....

[Chris Richards]

Probably a pointless message but if anyone gets approached to do any work for a guy named Adem from Sweden stay clear of it like the plague.... I spent nearly a year firstly repairing then refinishing the goltop on his Les Paul, using the correct gold powder etc, phone calls practically everyday asking for pictures, a heap load of work and expense And never getting paid.

Chris

[David King]

Chris,
Don't underestimate the power of social media to have an effect on this situation. I'd start by posting details on the mylespaul forum. See if the Swedish members can help you get to the bottom of this situation.

[Gordon Bellerose]

I'm sure you do most of this as standard practice, but I thought I would put my 2 cents worth in.

I always let my customers know that when the work is compete, they have 60 days to pay, and pick up their instrument.
Any instrument left for more than 60 days will be sold to cover costs.
I give them an estimate to begin with, and if that changes during the job, I always let them know.
As yet I have only had one go that amount of time, but the customer was paying on a monthly basis so I let it slide until it was paid for.

It is a crappy thing to do, but some people are just not that responsible, and I cannot afford to bankroll them.

Good luck with this guy. I hope he pays you.

[Chris Richards]

Thanks for the advice, I know I should really chase the guy down, but dealing with him was like mental torture, basically I think I was stupid to have taken the job on, I should have heeded the advice from my wife who right from the beginning thought he would be trouble.
On the converse side another customer just paid me more for a job than I asked as his restored guitar far exceeded his expectation, I'll chalk it down to experience...

[Greg Martin]

After a while your pain in the ass alarm will ring loud and clear,heed it! Some folks just arent worth the money or aggravation. If you dont get him to sign the receipt/claim check, explaining the 60 day rule for payment and liquidation then you will very likely be sued for selling his guitar, always get legal advise when setting policies up in a business I say this from experience !!!

[arturomieussens]

Yes, with time you develop a sixth sense for these kind of customers, but once in a while things like that will happen. It's a part of running a business; learn from the experience.
My approach to this today is simple, you need to get the feeling that the client values your work. Is the client trying to cheap out?, is he only interested on his own ideas and doesn't value your input?, are his expectations unreasonable or misguided?. Run away.
I moved to Sweden a few months ago, so I'll keep my eyes peeled.

[Beate Ritzert]

... explaining the 60 day rule for payment and liquidation ....

even if it was written down and signed, such a policy would be void here in Germany.
I would be really surprised if things were grossly different in and other western country.

[Art Davila]

... explaining the 60 day rule for payment and liquidation ....

even if it was written down and signed, such a policy would be void here in Germany.
I would be really surprised if things were grossly different in and other western country.

In the US we have what is called a "Mechanic's Lien" This is a part of civil law that protects workmen from doing work and then not getting paid. Basically it only works when you are left still holding an asset. It started in the auto mechanics area, but it has been applied to furniture refinishers, tv/computer repair shops and luthiers. If I get an item that is broken/ damaged and I do the work to repair it I can sell the item for the cost of the repair, plus storage fees. I can restore a 59 lespaul, and get it to a much more valuable state. but I have no obligation to try and sell it for the best price I only have to get the amount owed to me. If I sell it for more then I have to give the customer something. So I can sell it for a dollar more than the amount owed to me and give the customer a check for 1 dollar. When ever he decides to collect the item, I have no duty to find him after he has eluded paying me for such a long time. I just post the sale in the paper, as legal notice.

[Perry Ormsby]

^^^ I have two early 60's Gibsons in my shop, been here for five years now. No work was done, because we were going to hammer out all the details via email... Which of course never happened.

Two years ago he turned up, begging me to hold onto them and complete full restorations on both. I agreed on the stipulation he emailed every month. Nothing.

[Art Davila]

Put a notice in the paper notifing him that you intend to sell these items for the cost of storage unless he contacts you in 60 and retrieves them.

[Clay Schaeffer]

But first check what the laws are in OZ!