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Suggestions Please – Am I doing the Right thing?
Hi all, I am new here, but have been "lurking" for some time. You have so much fantastic information on this board. I just wish that more had sunk in to my thick head!
I am new to the sign game as you will be able to tell from the following but would like some advice as to how I am handling my screw up please.\
I have purchased a Roland Versacamm VP300. I also have a Katana cutter which I have been using for a few years now but decided on an upgrade. Normally the decals etc that I did were just supply only and application jobs were fairly minimal.
Since I purchased this machine I moved about 900km and set up new house, trying to set up business etc.
My partner started working at a company driving a tipper. We had only spoken to a few people at this stage and trying to look for small jobs to start off with. Anyway my partners new boss told him that he wanted his trucks done…..I said no! Im defintely not ready for that, anyway the boss said that he was trying to give us a helping hand and to do our best, see what happens.
I went to see what he wanted done and got measurements etc, told him I would get a quote together – he told me no just get the job done.
Anyway over 4 weekends I went to his premises and applied decals to trucks….had to work around trucks being washed and fixed etc etc.
Boss complained about three decals because they made the back panel on the truck look odd – wanted another added to even it out – no problem fixed that.
On another truck I was not happy with how I had applied it – it had bubbles all over as the truck had been sitting in the sun and was way too hot – tried to remove and the paint was coming off with it! Truck had only just been painted 2 weeks before – no undercoat. Spoke to boss next day – walked up to truck – bubbles had almost all disappeared. He said no problem its fine.
Anyway finished the rest of the jobs – and also 2 2400×1200 signs.
Invoiced customer – he rang and asked how he knew what I had charged him for so I told him all the reference numbers were the rego numbers of the vehicles. – Boss happy – sent a cheque (3 weeks after completion of job)
A week after received cheque he rang partner and asked for him to get me to do another truck and trailer to be completed urgently – no problem went to where the truck and trailer were (at a truck yard) completed job, sent in invoice.
Partner quit job as boss is a very abusive bloke and he was fed up with it. Two weeks later rang up chasing cheque – oh we will get back to you.
Another week I receive a phone call from his now ex boss – abusing me for work done – wants all jobs redone – his reasoning being that they are now not the colours requested, not uv, and damaged.
I have no problem fixing my faults at all – and have told him this. His next comment was "I am not paying you and I am taking legal action against you." he has also sent a letter stating that he will charge me for the removal and application of new decals.
Now, from the time we started this job we have been told by numerous people to make sure that we get paid from him as he is well known for not paying. I do not want to go near him as he has me feeling physically sick from the abuse.
Below is a draft letter I have written in reply to his claims, could someone please comment on it?
Sorry this has been such a long post but I am so disheartened at all of this. I have completed other jobs that customers are extremely happy with.
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15 Replies
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Forgot to attach it……
ATTENTION THE BUSINESS OWNER
Re Letter of Complaint
To Whom it may concern,
I refer to your letter of 28 August.
We are more than happy to inspect decals as per your request.
We will not however deal with and be verbally abused by your Mr XXXXX We have during the time spent in your yard at our cost repaired faults brought to our attention by XXXXXXX without any qualms.
If you wish to have another member off your staff contact us to arrange delivery of your vehicles to our premises for inspection we will gladly remove and replace any possible faulty decals.
Please Note –
a) We will not be responsible for paint peeling due to lack of undercoat on vehicles – as has previously been pointed out to your XXXXXXXX who advised at the time that the job was fine and agreed that we could not remove decals due to paint peeling, he also stated he was to see the painter and speak to him regarding this matter.
b) We will not be responsible for the rough surface of your vehicles causing problems with decals.
c) Decals that are defective by means other than our error will not be replaced free of charge.Yours faithfully
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hi there,
i’m probably not the best qualified to answer this, but it looks ok to me, please don’t think i’m being picky, but spelling and punctuation would make it a little easier to read, the word ‘of’ instead of ‘off’ for eg.
sounds like a bit of a nightmare customer, i had one just like it not too long ago ! dodgy paint jobs, reflective with no backing (wouldn’t pay the extra for vinyl under it) pulling off paint when he decided to take some off, long time to get payment, etc !
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I am very sorry you are experiencing all this grief. He’s a bully.
I would completely ignore his letter (it’s a bluff) he’s hoping to frighten you into giving up.
Send him your own final demand letter for payment advising him that you will take legal action to recover the debt if not paid in full – and be prepared to do just that.
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If you are confident that the work is good, I’d be inclined to ignore him. Not sure what the law is were you are but he would be risking alot of dollars to sue on such dodgy grounds. Call his bluff and do as Phil says….bill the bqsterd!!! 😀
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It would be well worth hiring a lawyer to write and send the letter.
(using yours as a basis)
Usually just seeing a lawyer’s letterhead will scare a jagoff client like that away.Remember that you always need to get a signed proposal addressing all costs as well as a 50% deposit for each job before beginning any designing or production.
SignCraft magazine has a whole book section and also business forms that can be purchased. This would be well worth your while. Any time someone warns me about a client not paying, after the first job I do, they usually are slow-or-no pay.
Good luck!
Love…..Jill -
Personally I wouldn’t send them a letter admitting any possibility of liability.
I am with Harry & Phill ignore the muppett.
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Yep, I’d ignore him aswell. Sounds like they have got the hump because your partner left the company.
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Hi I agree with Brian if you send any letter do not say by any implication your work/decals are at fault at all, and I would be inclined to agree with
Phill & Harrylet us know what happens.
Lynn
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It all depends on how much he owes for the last job. Its always a tricky situation doing work for a partner, or relatives (boss)
If its not a great deal of money, I would personally just cut my losses, and get on with better things.
if it is a great loss to you, I would not reply to his threats of suing you, let your solicitor do that, whichever way you approach it, if the guy has a few quid, he can cost you more than the job you have done, in legal fees.
So hard as it sounds, principals can cost money. its your choice to balance, what is owed, chance of recovery, and all the time and grief involved, if it’s worth itPeter
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Accept that you are not going to get paid for the last job, learn from it, and move on.
You’ve just learned an expensive lesson.
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Thankyou so much for you replies.
he owes me around $1200.
I will contact solicitor as this one is going to get pretty nasty. yes I am sure that it is over my partner quitting as he also hasnt received his final pay or compulsory superannnuation or for that matter payslips for the last 4 weeks work even though he has requested them numerous times.
I am not 100% happy with a some pieces on the job, but as I said earlier he accepted these at the time with no problem and paid for them after he himself had checked them out. The last job I did I walked away extremely happy with but had doubts, and told my partner I had a feeling that when he quit I wouldnt get paid.
Just a note on the colours for you….he wanted them all the same. No problem. I took photos of all the trucks when I first went to the yard. On looking at the photos – NO TWO vehicles are the same! every set were different in some way – and he even put in the letter that he sent that colours are wrong.
Anyway thanks guys much appreciated.
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it would be nice to know your name 🙄
what ever you do make sure it won’t cost you more money, sometimes it’s better to walk away and use it for future experience, don’t get caught again.Lynn
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Welcome Feral, where are you based?
For what its worth, I’d put this straight in the hands of a solicitor or debt collector. It may cost you more that $1200 to chase it tho. These sorts of guys are past masters of making these things string out hoping that you’ll decide its not worth chasing. Been there, done that, got the shirt.
I know a very good debt collector in Brisbane, but he takes 30% of the invoice value, plus expenses.
I certainly wouldn’t be writing any letters to him at this point. He’s made his intentions clear, so don’t be nice anymore.
Not much help, but these guys pray on new businesses with limited experience.
The only winners here are going to be the legal people in truth. May be worth just walking from the debt and counting it as a loss, as John says.
Its a question of principal I suppose tho.
All the best with whatever you decide,
Shane
Brisbane -
Off topic I know – but Shane aren’t you on holiday?
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quote Marcella:Off topic I know – but Shane aren’t you on holiday?
I fly out tonight Marcella. Worked till 1am this morning, then started at 5am, just to get my work finished before I leave… I love being self employed 😮
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