Check Was Cut-Lost-Client Now Won’t Pay

[Bruce Bennett]

[Bill Paris] “Now there’s been no response for over a week after repeated emails and phone calls.”

Hi Bill,

Some times a week is not a very long time for this sort of thing (especially for some big corporate environments). There may be a couple of reasons why you haven’t heard back from him/her. Some production people take vacation time right away after a large project, he/she has not yet contacted accounting to cancel and re-cut a new check, etc. If you don’t hear back within the next day or two, I would then leave a voice mail and give the person 2-days for a call back. If no call back, I would call their accounting department directly. This sort of thing happens all the time.

[Bill Paris] “OK, I know….. I was a bonehead for losing the check!!!”
We all make mistakes and all we can do is apply what we learn so that we can do our best to avoid duplicating them.

Good Luck,
Bruce

Bruce Bennett
Bennett Marketing & Media Production, LLC

[Mark Suszko]

I’m picturing Chevy Chase as Ty Webb in Caddyshack, with uncashed tournament checks littering his house…:-)

You have to be patient in a situation like this, especially when its your mistake. The accounting department over there is a bureaucracy like any other, its going to take some time to kill the first check and write another, such jobs go tot he bottom of the incoming stack, plus they usually have a built-in delay as a way to guard against being scammed for two checks. It could easily take a month to straighten out.

Let it age a little longer, meanwhile, send them a polite memo that touches on the elements of the problem, but doesn’t have any kind of demanding tone. You save that for later, I don’t think you’ve given them enough time yet. The memo can just be along the lines of a thank-you regarding their continued efforts to resolve the account, and politely asking if there is anything else you can do for them to help re-process the bill and get the check cut.

The real point of the memo is to establish and build a paper trail to document what the original deal was. Services awere rendered, client was happy, a check was tendered but not cashed, so money has yet to be exchanged. If this ever has to got o court, you need to have this paper trail.

But don’t get huffy with them yet. It just refreshes their memory of who made the intial mistake.

And remember: “Be the ball, Danny”:-)

[Bill Paris]

Thanks Bruce and Mark for your Responses,

Good advice! I’ll keep you posted as this progresses.

Bill

[Nick Griffin]

Bill-

As usual, I agree with Mark. The important part here is to put your request in writing. Phone calls are fine, but a written record is a much more effective tool in the long run. Especially should you in fact actually have a problem. But don’t assume that you do. I also agree with Bruce. It hasn’t been that long and is more likely to have a satisfactory outcome than not.

[David Roth weiss]

[Nick Griffin] “As usual, I agree with Mark.”

I hardly ever agree with Mark, but I always agree with Nick, and this time I agree with Nick that Mark is right.

So, now that we’ve established that, exactly what is the lesson here? Oh, now I remember…

Don’t sweat the details, you’ll get your check eventually. No one ever intended to screw you out of your money, you just inadvertently created a bit of extra work for everyone involved and so you’ve got to be both patient and understanding.

David Roth Weiss
Director/Editor
David Weiss Productions, Inc.
Los Angeles

POST-PRODUCTION WITHOUT THE USUAL INSANITY ™

A forum host of Creative COW’s Apple Final Cut Pro, Business & Marketing, and Indie Film & Documentary forums.

[Mark Suszko]

I’ll agree with that.

[David Roth weiss]

[Mark Suszko] “I’ll agree with that.”

And I’m in agreement with your agreement…

That’s really scary.

David Roth Weiss
Director/Editor
David Weiss Productions, Inc.
Los Angeles

POST-PRODUCTION WITHOUT THE USUAL INSANITY ™

A forum host of Creative COW’s Apple Final Cut Pro, Business & Marketing, and Indie Film & Documentary forums.

[Ron Lindeboom]

[David Roth Weiss] “And I’m in agreement with your agreement…”

And I agree with all of you, no matter your point-of-view.

Now that’s decisiveness. Isn’t it?@!#?

:o)

Man, we sound like Chip & Dale, the chipmunks that Disney used to create…

Best regards,

Ron Lindeboom

Creativity is a type of learning process where the teacher and pupil are located in the same individual.

[Chuck Pullen]

Any chance this was NewsProNet? The only reason I ask, is that they are Georgia based, and have screwed myself and several others out of payment for shoots.

Chuck

[Bill Paris]

[Chuck Pullen] “Any chance this was NewsProNet?”

No…. it wasn’t “News Pro Net”.

Update:
I heard from my client and he said they’re working on it. They switched banks so they no longer have web access to the checking records. I think what made me so worked up was the lack of communication. With the response I received today, it reduces most of the angst. If the client doesn’t end up paying, I’ll be back on to let you know the name of the company so others can be prepared.

I’ve been working in this business for 25 years and have only been “taken advantage of” once, so I usually don’t require deposits with my clients. Most of my business is with established production companies and networks based in New York and LA, so there’s a trust factor when the booking is made. That said, I’ve often wondered how far I would go to pressure a client to pay should they choose not to pay. If this client decides to not pay this bill, I will welcome your ideas about using a “velvet hammer” to change their minds.

Thank you all for your insights and guidance!

Bill Paris
Crew Hawaii Television