Strategy to collect from FORUM photog who failed to pay.

First thing .. I'll say that I won't be so easy going again to anybody from the forums wanting to buy something. It was only $200 lens adapter, sold for under $100. I don't have Paypal and decided to just ship the item to Brooklyn with full payment to follow later. It's not high dollar, and I haven't had a no-pay ever, at least in my arborist work since 1988.

Long story short, the photog who used the forum until February got the item, and final pay was dueFebruary. About a month ago he sent an excuse email about an apartment revamped or something. but evident he's dodging, and he's not logging in. I have no phone listing, but he's for real, with a Youtube videos showing drone photography for real estate, etc..

I decided to take a different approach. less for the money, because I can earn double what he owes with a single tip from customers. And mostly just to needle the guy for taking something not paid for.

From his drone videos on Youtube, I found the listings on Zillow and started to call the real estate agents. One even gave a name of a media company. Without a direct accusation, I simply ask if they have solutions to stimulate some movement from the Photog to follow through on dept promised and owed. Even though I'm calling from across the nation, the real estate folks had a smile in their voice, and were eager to lend an ear. What I see most productive isn't collecting, as finding an alternate avenue or solution to some form of progress. I've enjoyed problem solving over the years, and maybe why I liked the game Zelda so much.

Update.

Was what I tried more productive than anticipated, or merely coincidence?

This morning, a delivery arrived at our home, with full payment !! An email tracking alert began just a couple days after what I shared above, and posted this. I thought it actually something else. But when I opened the package, there was the full payment. Further, there was a polite note and a little extra cash added.

It could be coincidence. Or maybe not.

But that's one extra small wad cast into my next Canon R mount fund stash.

Glad to hear it worked out. There are some people that need a little nudge to do the right thing. I don't care how much the debt is, I probably would have called him out if he didn't come through.

Never send an item without payment ever unless you have a relationship of some sort with the person that provides an extra level of trust. That is my rule to any customer of mine and as a buyer I expect myself to follow the same rule.

Glad it worked out though.

TeamSpeed wrote in post #18859827
Never send an item without payment ever unless you have a relationship of some sort with the person that provides an extra level of trust.

OP's original post said the buyer paid $5 down, which is so close to nothing as to raise suspicion.

OhLook wrote in post #18859871
OP's original post said the buyer paid $5 down, which is so close to nothing as to raise suspicion.

That was only because I made that offer to get an address on record. The photographer had a long enough history sharing on this forum, professional content online, etc.., that the risk seemed small. But they also had no phone for contact anywhere. Email I was able to acquire. But email is useless if someone refused to talk

My guess, is the guy meant to pay, and got slammed with some personal financial landmine, and went silent with no means to cover.

But I plan to go ZERO risk for anything future, where something must be paid for in advance. And most likely just sticking to local transactions.

mdvaden wrote in post #18859912
That was only because I made that offer to get an address on record. The photographer had a long enough history sharing on this forum, professional content online, etc.., that the risk seemed small. But they also had no phone for contact anywhere. Email I was able to acquire. But email is useless if someone refused to talk

My guess, is the guy meant to pay, and got slammed with some personal financial landmine, and went silent with no means to cover.

But I plan to go ZERO risk for anything future, where something must be paid for in advance. And most likely just sticking to local transactions.

That reminds me of a photo shoot I did over a year ago. I said they could pay afterward; they hit an expense they didn't expect, and still have never paid me. They also still don't have their pictures, but I already did all of the work.