Wedding Deposit Screw Up - Reminder

I recently had to redo my pricing because of the following situation that I should have anticipated better.

Old pricing: Small deposit due at contract. Remaining amount due 30 days in advance of event.

- Couple booked me for their wedding and engagement photos. I deposited their check, took their engagement photos. (My deposit price was actually lower than my cost for just an engagement session).
- Couple receives the images from the engagement session.
- Bank notifies me about a month later that the check bounced.
- I let the couple know of the mistake. They apologize and say they'll send another check.
- No new check comes.
- I ask them again and am then told, "The wedding's off. Go to <finger point> for the money".

So, now I'm stuck in between a fighting couple trying to get reimbursed for a deposit, which actually is less money than the engagement session would have cost.

I'm very tempted to try one more note to both of them and write it off as a lesson learned. I'm sure that paying for "pictures together" is the last thing they want to do right now.

So, a reminder to everyone. Make sure you TRULY have the money for your services..

Yep I'd say that money is gone. At least you learnt from it.

Why did it take the bank a month to notify you that it bounced???

Not much you can do here.. just a lesson for you...

wdwpsu wrote in post #13850264
So, a reminder to everyone. Make sure you TRULY have the money for your services..

That's a given.

I ask for a 50% retainer up front and obviously would never shoot without the money being cleared first.

Sounds like a crazy small deposit given that your engagement sessions are $95

When you have had a few late cancellations you start to view your deposit differently.

I put mine up last year and will be pushing it up again this year and also maybe staging the payments like many of the venues do ..... when a couple book a 3k package and pay a £300 deposit to secure the day its very annoying when they cancel 6 weeks before the date ... especially when you have turned away half a dozen other inquiries for the same date!

jonwhite wrote in post #13850920
Sounds like a crazy small deposit given that your engagement sessions are $95

For the record, my engagement sessions aren't $95. They "start" at that.

wdwpsu wrote in post #13851643
For the record, my engagement sessions aren't $95. They "start" at that.

I'm confused. What's the difference?

I have it written into my terms of service that I will accept cheques as long as I have the cheque in my hand at least 45 days prior to any shooting ...

Cash of US Postal money orders...............W​ho's name is on the check? You can turn this over to the police, in the US it's crime.

Markk9 wrote in post #13856105
Cash of US Postal money orders...............W​ho's name is on the check? You can turn this over to the police, in the US it's crime.

Yeah. That's what I was kind of getting to. I could call the police or pursue them in courts. But, I don't think it's worth that. They could then unfairly smear me to their friends... Who could potentially have been clients, etc. Better just to learn from it and move on.

How could it take a month?

Anyway for large checks I go to a branch of the bank it is from and get cash from them. They can verify the account in the branch and you don't need an account with them since it's their account and they have to honor it. Cash can't bounce.

However, if the wedding really is off, I doubt either of them is receiving any value from the portraits you did.

File a small claim in your local court, naming both of them. Or at least write a letter explaining your intent to do so if a proper payment isn't made by such and such date.

jonwhite wrote in post #13850920
Sounds like a crazy small deposit given that your engagement sessions are $95

If we're just talking about $100-$200 or less than it is probably not worth the effort of writing letters, court filing, etc. Dropping it is likely the only option and what the OP seems to want to do.

And what if the couple is lieing because they found a cheaper photographer but liked the e-session shots and just don't want to pay.

Not pursuing payment for services rendered is dumb in my opinion.

Little trick from back in my retail days. Call the bank where the check is written on. Ask to 'verify funds' for a check you have. Give them the account # and amount of check. They will tell you if there is enough to cover the check. (They WON'T tell you the balance of the account btw...and that's none of your business).

If they have enough to cover it, get your butt in the car and drive to the bank. Present check, along with a business card/ID to prove you are the rightful person for the check. You should get your money, providing the cash is in the account.

I used to do this frequently with checks that were returned. People assume that once the check has been presented twice that it won't be honored. WRONG. You just have to go to the bank where it was written from. DO NOT try and deposit the check in your account. Your bank will not process it any more.

Good luck OP.