Bride/Groom won't pay....

Coles notes:

Was hired to do a wedding, did it...processed the pictures, had them all printed, bought the album, set it up, did the whole deal...the full package...

I have been calling for weeks, leaving messages, and talking to the babysitter, they will not return calls, and the past two weeks I didn't even get the babysitter...

I think they got their wedding video and said, screw the pics...what the heck do I do now!

The wedding was a small one, I got $200 up front, and now they owe me $400...besides the fact I already paid for the prints and the album....is there anything I can do?

Oh, they have not received anything from me yet, no pics or proofs or anything....

Keep the $200 and photoshop the rest and put them on every forum you can find?

Or more sensibly, write to them in the first instance.
Did you draw up any sort of contract with them or get any written proof of your agreement to carry out the assignment?

No, this was on of my first weddings and I actually just finished doing up my contract recently.

bachscuttler wrote:
Keep the $200 and photoshop the rest and put them on every forum you can find?

Or more sensibly, write to them in the first instance.
Did you draw up any sort of contract with them or get any written proof of your agreement to carry out the assignment?

I don't know exactly what that would accomplish putting them on all the forums, but I wouldn't. If you had a contract I would just go after them that way. File it with the credit bearu. If you had no contract then there might be nothing you can do. You could take them to small claims court. Used to see small stuff like this all the time on Judge Judy. According to those courts, even verbal agreements are legal.

Well, I do have proof that I was their photographer! I have all the pictures!

bachscuttler wrote:
Keep the $200 and photoshop the rest and put them on every forum you can find?

I hasten to add that was a joke...don't try that at home folks

Hey fella, take it easy - they are probably on honeymoon!

I am sure if you go round and show them the pics, they will love to see them and hopefully buy.

Good luck.

Graham

You would probably win in small claims court then. They would most likely have no good explanation why they didn't atleast call to tell you that they were unsatisfied for whatever reason. People like this can't just go around stiffing people that they have hired for a service.
Perhaps if you file in small claims and they get the notice, they will just end up paying you out of fear of going to court. It might cost you a bit to file but atleast you would recoup something.

If there is no witness to a verbal agreement, then it is tough to make that stick in any court.

It is for this very reason why it is vitally important to have some type of written agreement, and that lays out the deliverables (by the photographer) and the payment (by the client).

It is equally necessary for the payment schedule to be constructed so that you are not exposed on the cost of prints.

I would chalk that up to a few hundred dollars worth of education for the photographer.

---Bob Gross---

They are not on vacation, they were not taking one, the babysitter said on a bunch of occassions that they would be home after 6:30pm.

Sell the finished prints and all the extras on eBay. Set a buy it now price and email them the link.

Someone will bid on it I swear. Maybe even for a movie prop.

As well it would be very hard to get a judge to beleive that someone that was a total stranger to the bride and groom, would photograph their wedding for free. I am sure he could get some kind of settlement out of it. I would have at the very least, when I was paid the deposit made a simple invoice in excel (template already there) that stated the $200 was a deposit and would have documented the remainder to be paid. Then I would have had them sign it. Very easy to do.

Good one LOL

Any reason for not showing up at their front door and asking them for payment? I've seen this work several times (I'm in Sales & Marketing) -- when confronted, normally "good" people pay up.

Then again, if things don't go as planned, and as Bob says, you might have to "charge" this to experience. It is no use taking people to court for such a sum, unless you want to do it because of principles, or if you have lots of time on your hands to sit around in court.

Besides, this being your first shoot, you wouldn't want them to start spreading ugly rumors about "how awful your pictures look" hence the non-payment... but, that's just me

Good luck!