Posted by Grammyzoom on 4/23/10 9:00am
Msg #332984

It was such a nice letter!

I sent this really nice letter (see below), to Global Discoveries but have not as yet received an answer, or the ridiculous $35.00 they owe me for a "quickie" signing of a few docs.

Is there something wrong with the letter I sent? Has anyone else had dealings with this company? Is anyone from Global Discoveries reading our posts? If you are, you should be embarrased that you cannot pay a notary the $35 you owe her!"

Dear David,

I am so sorry to have called you several times asking for payment on some work I did for you back in January.

Perhaps you remember, it was the signing of some papers by xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.

Since I have not yet been paid I am assuming that your company no longer has the $35.00 with which to pay me. In this economy I know we all have our problems and I am terribly sorry that your company is in such financial difficulty that you can no longer afford to send me the $35.00 you have owed me for over 90 days.

Perhaps things will get better for you soon. I certainly do hope that you are able to feed your family and have shelter. Oh yes, how was your vacation?"

PS to my post, I added them to the list at SC.

Reply by Renee Ezinga on 4/23/10 9:08am
Msg #332986

LOL! I love it. Nothing wrong that I can see. n/m

Reply by Robert/FL on 4/23/10 9:15am
Msg #332987

LOL - cute but it will probably make them

not want to pay you at all... particularly for such a small invoice they know you will not file suit or send it to collections.

Reply by Grammyzoom on 4/23/10 9:20am
Msg #332988

Re: LOL - cute but it will probably make them

You are probably right but I wasted a lot of time with phone calls and emails as it was. My motive at this point was to make him feel ashamed. However, people like that usually don't feel much of anything I'm afraid.

Reply by JulieD/KS on 4/23/10 11:24am
Msg #333006

I'm nice when I contact a company at 31 days and at 45 days of no payment. When I send a letter, it is a demand letter. By that time, I have no desire to be nice. I just want to be paid so I can file the overdue invoice away. At 60 days, it's become a nuisance to me and that irritates me.

You see, I am in business. I'm hired, I expect to be paid. I shouldn't have to follow up for payment...but I know that sometimes I will have to. So, when I follow up with a demand letter, it is a sternly-worded demand letter...and it works.

The companies that hire me are businesses and I treat them as such. Pay me...or I will pursue you until you do.
Julie

Reply by Moneyman/TX on 4/23/10 3:12pm
Msg #333076

I can also understand the frustration level she is at for "only" $35. It's not that the $35 should be forgotten, it's that they don't seem to be responding to her over only $35. The question is, what would a company that will not pay a $35 bill do when the bill is $150?

I do agree with Julie that by the time I have to send a demand letter, the time to be nice is over. At that point, I would not accept another job from a company that I had to hound to receive payment. This is just another way to bring attention to the fact that if they will not pay a $35 bill for services rendered just how sad a statement that makes about the company. It's just unique enough that it might work (along with publicizing the issue).

And who knows, if he sends the check he might also tell her how his vacation was.

Reply by Tish/CA on 4/23/10 11:26am
Msg #333007

I can understand your being cynical and I have only one suggestion, whether it's $35 or $235, it doesn't matter. They owe you the fee for work you performed on their behalf. Keep sending them faxes, emails and updating us here. Bad publicity goes a long way. Good Luck!

Reply by Grammyzoom on 4/23/10 11:35am
Msg #333010

I am pretty good at collections but I just did not want to waste anymore time on this than I already did so I just thought some good old public humiliation might work.

So this one will become a write off and a tax deduction for my 2010 taxes.

Reply by CopperheadVA on 4/23/10 12:29pm
Msg #333027

For anyone using the cash method of accounting, you can only deduct your actual expenses incurred for the job (printing, mileage, etc) - you can't write off an amount of money that was never collected.

I don't want to retype/rehash the cash vs. accrual methods of accounting, but messages 184346 and 184348 explain it fairly well.

Reply by Grammyzoom on 4/23/10 1:49pm
Msg #333051

I am a notary not an accountant so I will let my accountant decide what is deductable and what is not, but thanks for your concern.

Reply by JanetK_CA on 4/24/10 4:57am
Msg #333206

My accountant told me the same thing that Copperhead said. FWIW...

Reply by BossLadyMD on 4/23/10 3:38pm
Msg #333095

i dont think they're gonna pay you, either.

u will spend way more trying to collect it - i think they realize that too.