First all-Asian wedding - a complete disaster!

things like this are why i'm so afraid to make any sort of business out of this hobby. i get aggressive very fast when shown aggression or disrespect, but im a sucker for giving people the benefit of the doubt. i give people way too many chances and am way too trusting and forgiving. these people would have had me doing re-edit's for them by now lol. i look too mean but im way too nice lol.

Send them your best shot, registered mail, 6 X 7 with a watermark that reads "all wedding photos will be deleted if no full payment by (fill in the date). And then follow through.
Time to close the door on them. Maybe they will hire you to shoot their divorce?
John

SMP_Homer wrote in post #12881451
small update...
Took the check that is no longer post-dated to the bank - as luck would have it, they deal out of the same bank I do.
The teller is someone I've known a long time, and I'm sure she may have bent a rule or 3... I asked her if this is going to clear, she said that she can't give me that kind of information, but she did explain that the funds don't have to be there right now if all I'm doing a deposit... if she walks in later today with a deposit of her own, then any funds shortage could be made up then.
But she did say "I strongly advise that you don't start spending those funds just yet"

I would've asked for cash instead of depositing it in my checking account and having to wonder if it was good or not.

It's a matter for Small Claims Court, you don't need a lawyer. Not sure about Ontario but in BC you first have a settlement conference. If no resolution is reached, then it goes to court. It does take time though and you will likely give up something to reach a settlement. Once agreed/ordered, then you can register a lien and seize assets if they don't pay. Photocopy one of those cheques and visit their bank with an order on their payday or garnishee their wages.

Here's a link, do your research just in case that cheque bounces.

http://www.attorneygen​eral.jus.gov.on.ca/eng​lish/courts/scc/

Man, did they pull this crap on the caterer, the florist, the wedding cake people, the venue, the DJ, etc?

I assume the couple must have paid those vendors in full before those vendors agreed to show up. Can you imagine paying the caterer only half and "promising" to pay the rest on the wedding day (and later, delaying that payment until way after the wedding)? Why is it ok to reneg on the photographer and the videographer, but not on everyone else?

She first promises to pay you on Friday with the 2 post-dated checks, and then asks you to delay cashing it until Monday?!?!? What kind of games are these people playing?

Sorry to hear that you're going through all this. It really sucks.


btw, did the caters get to eat their own catered food? Is that part of their own payment, too?

zagiace wrote in post #12884673
Not sure about Canada, here in the US having a judgement against someone means you can legally chase after them for the dough but does not mean they are going to pay you. If there is property involved you may be able to put a lien on it. It may affect their credit score. You can hire someone to hassle them.
You can still be blown off and not see a dime.
Often times you spend more money then you are owed in attempt to recover it. To many, it's just the principle.

In the US, its not always the best route. If it were me, I would try avoid court.
Google "getting paid in small claims" and you can see some of the pitfalls. It can become a huge mess.
IMO, a last resort.

IIRC, in Canada you can be subject to property liens and/or wage garnishments if unable to pay.

I'm sure curious to see how this ends.

Like many others am following this with interest... My only input FWIW on the legal side is.. if you don't sue you could appear to be letting them get away with it... grapevine will then drag every like-minded couple out of the woodwork ... and how do you know who are the good ones and the bad ones up front??

EOSAddict wrote in post #12895539
and how do you know who are the good ones and the bad ones up front??

The good ones pay up front and follow the original contract.

.. v true Tristin!

SMP_Homer wrote in post #12780827
So I grab a chair, sit facing the women's washroom from 30 feet away, and take a picture of everyone coming out (big WOMEN WASHROOM sign above their heads) - I hope this will be candid enough for them....


I've also given them a 4-week deadline to get this payment in, at which time the files will be deleted, and we all move on.

Now why didn't I leave when the dad called me Photoman????

Now I only read the 1st page, dunno about the rest of the crap that went on, but to me, there is nothing professional about the above. Being who you are and what you do, you have a lot more experience than the couple, who are expected to behave erratically/a bit out of the norm/fussy on their big day. It is your job as a professional photographer to keep your cool and maybe step back a bit and view this from their perspective, and not hound them about payment etc. on their special day.

and in regards to deleting the photos? You're not 8. That's not the way to get back at them. whether they annoyed you or not, paid you/ even if they insulted you, what gives you the right to destroy the only pics of their special day? Sorry to break your bubble, but you're not that important to be able to make that decision for them.

If I was in your shoes, I'd send them a CD with all the pics, and maybe 3 or 5 which are edited and finished. If you take the high road, apologise and maybe say that both sides are at fault, it is likely that they will be more encouraged to work out a solution with you after seeing the pics. If not, so be it. Thats the way you should carry out a business, all businesses are about sacrifice. Learn and move on.

also, speaking from someone who studies law and knows about contracts, unless you have a clause in your contract that entitles you to destroy the photos if they don't pay, not only will you never get your money back, they could also counter-sue you to recover the damages from the lost images.

one last point, I may be wrong, but from your title and post it seems like you're basing the conduct of the B&G on the fact that they are asian. No matter whether they are asian/white/black/pink​/transparent, people are people, and the way they act is not reflective of their ethnic background. Having the correct attitude will get a lot more clients in the future.

I just read the first post too but your customer service skills and etiquette are really bad. What's this have to do at all with their ethnic background? Wouldn't it have made more sense to get the payment settled in the initial consultation, usually I don't get paid in full until a week or two after. Or immediately a week before in full ideally, or half is standard.

It is poor taste to ask about $ at the shoot itself with the clients and their family present, - don't argue or ask too many questions, it should all be handled before and.

What's the big deal with having a complaint over the lunch room? Hell I'd be happy to scarf down a sub in the bathroom.

I find weddings are a lot about putting on a bit of a show and really more about customer service and experience than anything. Be polite and cheerful for goodness sakes and it makes everyone's life a whole lot easier.

The whole threatening to delete their photos is nuts. Oh well chalk it up to experience. I hope you got paid, and it worked out eventually (didn't read the thread, just the first page) but generally you really should work this out WAYYY before hand ....(ah wait nevermind, scratch this part i read it wrong..seriously long wall of text) All you would really lose out on is a few hundred and a day of work is all you write off...but your the one with the images, not them...they'll get in touch with you. Jeez.

Sorry but you want him to give them the photos and then hope that he gets paid? Not a great business plan. Soon word gets out 'here just pay your deposit and forget about the balance you'll get your photos eventually anyway'.

Edit: It's a long thread but the bottom line is they jerking him around with regards payment, even to the point that brides father demanded to know where the photos where even though they haven't been paid for.

Ebwly wrote in post #12895643
Now I only read the 1st page, dunno about the rest of the crap that went on, but to me, there is nothing professional about the above. Being who you are and what you do, you have a lot more experience than the couple, who are expected to behave erratically/a bit out of the norm/fussy on their big day. It is your job as a professional photographer to keep your cool and maybe step back a bit and view this from their perspective, and not hound them about payment etc. on their special day.

and in regards to deleting the photos? You're not 8. That's not the way to get back at them. whether they annoyed you or not, paid you/ even if they insulted you, what gives you the right to destroy the only pics of their special day? Sorry to break your bubble, but you're not that important to be able to make that decision for them.

If I was in your shoes, I'd send them a CD with all the pics, and maybe 3 or 5 which are edited and finished. If you take the high road, apologise and maybe say that both sides are at fault, it is likely that they will be more encouraged to work out a solution with you after seeing the pics. If not, so be it. Thats the way you should carry out a business, all businesses are about sacrifice. Learn and move on.

also, speaking from someone who studies law and knows about contracts, unless you have a clause in your contract that entitles you to destroy the photos if they don't pay, not only will you never get your money back, they could also counter-sue you to recover the damages from the lost images.

one last point, I may be wrong, but from your title and post it seems like you're basing the conduct of the B&G on the fact that they are asian. No matter whether they are asian/white/black/pink​/transparent, people are people, and the way they act is not reflective of their ethnic background. Having the correct attitude will get a lot more clients in the future.

Something tells me you don't run a business. Handing over your product without being paid is never a good idea. If you read what has transpired (available in the rest of the thread), you'd realize it's an especially terrible idea for the OP in this situation.

Ebwly wrote in post #12895643
Now I only read the 1st page,

=lazy

Ebwly wrote in post #12895643
If I was in your shoes, I'd send them a CD with all the pics, and maybe 3 or 5 which are edited and finished. If you take the high road, apologise and maybe say that both sides are at fault, it is likely that they will be more encouraged to work out a solution with you after seeing the pics. If not, so be it.

what a load of tosh.

You leave your front door open, then someone breaks in to your house and steals your camera. You then find the guy and say "I'm terribly sorry old chap, may I have my camera back". He then politely says back "f*ck off". You then meelky walk away.

Ebwly wrote in post #12895643
also, speaking from someone who studies law and knows about contracts,

Who are you speaking from? Maybe they can join the forum and speak for themselves.