Payback Time
They say when you cannot meet your debts it is a civilian offense but I think that if the debtor never had the intention to pay the debt it is a crime. You have obtained the goods/services under false pretenses.
Then why are people so reluctant to pay their small debts even when they have the money to do so? If they believe that the person will get tired of asking and write it off then they are probably correct but it seems immoral to me; if not criminal. Who is going to waste his time in a small-claims court for R100.00? However, R100.00 buys a bottle of brandy and a loaf of white bread. When twelve people owe you R100.00 each it is a case of brandy with a lot of change.
This morning I went to collect my money (for repairs I did through the month) from nine people and seven of them told me to come back tomorrow; even though our arrangements were for this morning. And tomorrow I will get just more stories as I have another six people to call on tomorrow.
This is what you get from being Mr. Nice Guy. In future I will insist on full payment up front and if the ask me why I will refer them to those who don’t pay me. That will effectively get rid of all the chancers and leave me with all the time in the world. They are interfering with my fishing time and our weather is improving as summer approaches.
We’re having a windless sunny day today and I should be fishing and not be running after small debts.
Have a good day out there. It is Friday!
Comments (49)
wish you a fun Friday With bottle of three barrels for company!!
when I was a news-paper-boy, I used to have same
experienced, come back tomorrow/can't believe it/just for $2.50
I do that with people known not to pay back. I lend them a small amount and never ask for it. Never to be seen again.
so true/I quit with the papers
$100 is about R1100.00 and more than half the households in this country have less than that per month to feed them. Charity starts at home but here is something for you.
$ 100, USA dollars....duh!
Here is US$2000.
You can have a copy or two of all those.
@Catfoot
Aaahh.. so giving services was what keeping you busy and away from blogland, eh?
Hey.. as far as I can remember, I have never asked to get paid for something I did. But if I am to lend someone money, I let my "inner voice" make the decision.
Thank you Kal..........
Yip, that must be frustrating.
Also when you are being short paid.
I add about 20% so when a client sais "oh dear..I only have so much". This way I don't loose out. And then visa versa. Should the client pay the correct amount, I will say "20% discount for you today".
I run a little key cutting business here and that strategy seems to work.
That's the rewards you have been asking for.
Yep, our money is worth nothing overseas but it goes a long way here. With R 11.00 I can buy a loaf of white bread. If I take that money to the USA I will get US$ 1.00. Can you buy a bread for that?
That is the point. I'm not running a business and really want my time for myself. I jacked up my prices and it chased some away. I don't mind helping somebody in trouble but the people in this neighborhood is outrageous. They actually get annoyed if I tell them I don't want to do it.
Especially at the Dollar Tree Store. Everything there is $ 1.00.
If I ask someone to do something for me, I ask beforehand how and when he wants to get paid.
The Dollar Tree store!
It's a store, where every thing cost one dollar.
Do not listening to the News. They lie!.....
But they want pay him! So what's him to do about it? Maybe court only.
Or do work for them again! And see will they pay him...
You A Bad Boy! . . . .
It is great if you feel that way and if you want to run around sacrificing all your time you're welcome to it. However I am retired and DONT want to fix other people's broken stuff. I will charge for my time. Maybe you must start doing your neighbors' washing, ironing, dishes and so on for free all day long and see for how long you will like it.
I'm not there to prove you wrong but from what I have heard a loaf of bread cost 4 or 5 dollars in the USA. So let it be.
If I can and want to help, I will help without asking for payment. If I don't want to or can't help, I will not help. And that's me. Besides, when I got help from my neighbors, they didn't charge me.
The money is not the big issue here. I will gladly sacrifice it to get rid of them all but these people are taking me for a fool and that won't do.
that sounds like just the man I need but his rates per hour is probably more than the total amount I want to recover.
Anyway, have a good weekend, Catfoot.
There are so many cheap people willing to allow you to waste your time trying to collect the debt...money up front maybe the only way to deal with these individuals...your time and energy is worth something...happy fishing cat and enjoy your summer!!
If I did a repair I would not had it over until it was paid for in full, if they only paid part of the cost I would give them a new receipt to show the payment and residual ballance... the deal was first seven days after completion was interest free, after that a percentage interest was added up to 30 days, then 60 days, and 90 days.... if not paid for by 90 days I would sell the item to the pawn shop to recoup my losses and mail the ticket to the client....
I made a point of getting to know the pawn shop owner so he knew what I was doing and went along with my deals....
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yes, I will enjoy my weekend but you still don't understand the problem. If my neighbor hurts himself I will drive him to the hospital and not charge him for it. It is an emergency. If I drive along the road and a stranger stands with a flat tire and is unable to change it, I will help him/her without asking for anything.
However, if the people in the neighborhood and their friends and family wants to make me into a handyman, they will pay me for my time and trouble to get spares and to fix it. To you this is the equivalent of cleaning their houses all day long. You won't do it.
You cannot compare this with rendering assistance when somebody is in need. You are comparing apples with pears.
The amounts are not worth it. It is the principle of the matter.
I did not not advertise my services and there are companies doing the same jobs for double the price. They are just to stingy to pay up.
Yes, that is a good strategy but I'm not into all of that. I'd much rather be on the blue waters.
It would have been different if I called on them asking them for work, but I don't. I make sure that I tell everybody that I don't want to do this but before long somebody will arrive and said so and so referred him to me. Maybe I must visit my daughter for a few months to get them off my back.
My recreation time never suffered, it may had done so if I spent my time running around chasing payments...
...
I'm more thinking along the lines of refusing to do anything.
I wonder of some of my neighbors also belong to CS and have been reading this blog. Of the seven who deferred me to tomorrow, two have come to pay me during the last hour. So four down and eleven to go.