So easy to lose faith in your fellow man. From a service guy perspecitive

[schwank05]

Anytime I deal with service personnel there's always a work order and an invoice involved. That way we both know exactly what is being done and what the charge is. Her attitude was most uncouth, no doubt, but two weeks is an awful long time to wait before collecting.

Maybe she was mentally ill and honestly didn't remember you? Though honestly, if someone showed up randomly to collect money from me and I didn't immediately recognize them I'd probably freak out a bit, too. That probably goes doubly for a woman.

As for the new unit waiting to be installed, perhaps the old one tanked in the time between your visits. Stranger things have happened.

To conclude: You should probably not do work if the person paying isn't on hand. AC is super nice, but like Rich said in most places it's not necessary for survival, the exceptions being old folks in the warmer regions like Arizona, Texas, and possibly Florida.



Eww, cash. Always freaks me out when people want change. Pizza delivery was way too strenuous back before the card days.

But at least with cash some worthless fuck couldn't go and a credit card charge back, we had some douche do this to us last year, in the end he got $2,500.00 of the $16,500.00 Back and didnt send us the supposed bad parts back, tell me how this is right. This just lets credit cards be judge, jury, and executioner.

[Gheld]

So you performed a costly maintenance procedure without first obtaining the owner's permission, and then expect to get paid afterwards?

On top of which I know a few things about HVAC and your story just doesn't add up. I mean, if somebody else was installing a new HVAC system, why would you be there doing anything that would involve topping up the refrigerant?

Plus I mean, pick a refrigerant, they are all dangerous goods of the highest order, unless they are using a panzy-ass refrigerant. The most panzy-ass of which would be propane, which is still flammable. So even just driving around with refrigerant in a van would require you to affix dangerous goods placards that would call out as a brilliant beacon to make you easy pickings for a random roadside DOT inspection.

So there's no way on god's green earth that you would actually travel with refrigerant unless you were 100% certain you would need it. Nor would anybody who deserves to consider themselves an HVAC technician add refrigerant to a system which the owner was considering changing at the time, because the changes to the piping would significantly alter the maximum refrigerant level of the system.

So I do in good faith believe that your story is not real.

[Itisamuh]

Yeah, people are pathetic sometimes. Of course, I find it equally pathetic that some people in here are defending that customer, but whatever.

[Tommy T]

As much as you want to, you don't tell people to go fuck themselves. Especially customers. This could have been worked out one way or another.

I've lost my temper and regretted it before, we all have, just move on.

[Gheld]

Yeah, people are pathetic sometimes. Of course, I find it equally pathetic that some people in here are defending that customer, but whatever.

The customer is in the right, because in most of the civilized world it's illegal for a trades-person to perform work that costs money for which the owner has not yet expressed permission to have performed.

[Nillah]

Second of all. Refridgeration, heating and Air conditioning specialists are by far the single most screwed bunch of people out there.

Sadly. My dad owns his own company and despite being easily the best in this area in terms of service and cost, he still gets screwed regularly. We've had to go to court several times.

[Deleted]

You apparently have no idea how small claims court works. We own our own business, and took a few people to court back in the early 2000's and guess what all that does is cost you a day of work, much more than $150.00 and they get told by another person to pay the money, in which they still wont pay. Worthless people will always be worthless.

For the point of it

the point of it

point

Whoooooooooooooooooooooosh

A flying point, in it's natural habitat! Cracking.

Seriously though, it's a day spent at a court - for the point of showing her up and eventually to recoup the money, i know i'd spend a free day at court to spite her.

[Deadraline]

Yeah, people are pathetic sometimes. Of course, I find it equally pathetic that some people in here are defending that customer, but whatever.

Not defending her, but at the same time when you do a service it is always best to get paid prior to doing the service, or immediately after doing it. It is equally his fault for not charging same day as he did the procedure. The simple fact is, you can't trust anyone...not even family these days to do the right thing. I have a brother who was trying to help his wifes family out. He gave them a used car (worth around $4000), television set, and even helped baby sit his sister-in-laws kids on weekends (his only time off work). When he simply asked them if they could teach his sister-in-law to drive the car (she is 26 years old and still can't drive) his father-in-law freaked out on him and called him the most selfish person in the world (because my brother was tired of spending all of his off time driving his sister-in-law around). Even after giving them everything they needed, and offering to spend the money for his sister-in-law to do her tests and get her license, and even offered to fix up the car for them...(the in-laws let it sit for so long untouched that it stopped working). All they did was basically write him off...

My point is, you can't trust people to do the right thing no matter the favors you do for them. My brother learned it the hard way and it looks like the OP did too. I am not saying the customer is right. Quite frankly they are wrong, and even the customer knows they are wrong in this instance. But the simple fact is if you allow people the opening to screw you over and take advantage of you that is exactly what they are going to do. You just have to prepare yourself and when it does happen learn from that mistake and do your best to never make it again. But trust me, people are always finding new ways to screw people out of their money...so you are bound to make mistakes all the time. But if you are in a business and can't afford to have losses like that then you may need to reconsider your station in life. Sure it sucks losing $150...but if it means making or breaking the business you are in you may have more problems than just customers that screw you over. And I am just being honest. There should always be room in the budget for losses on situations like that. Sure they suck when they happen, but they will happen all the same.

- - - Updated - - -

Whoooooooooooooooooooooosh

A flying point, in it's natural habitat! Cracking.

Seriously though, it's a day spent at a court - for the point of showing her up and eventually to recoup the money, i know i'd spend a free day at court to spite her.

It's funny you say that. My husbands boss has been in court for close to a year and a half trying to recoup money owed to him and he has already spent triple the amount of money he is owed and has yet to see a penny of it...even though the judge ruled in his favor. It takes up more than a days worth of time for most as well. You have to meet with a lawyer in most cases, and sure that may only be a half day, but between lawyer costs, court costs, and the cost of not being able to work at your company over $150? The better bet would be to work a few extra hours in the next week to help make up for it vs. going to a court where the person still may not pay for a long period of time, if ever?

I understand where you might think it is worth putting the lady in court or whatever and making her waste her time and even making her have to pay court costs + the $150...but in truth is it really worth it? If you end up having to spend $1000 to make $150? It seems like a massive waste to me.

[Deleted]

Not defending her, but at the same time when you do a service it is always best to get paid prior to doing the service, or immediately after doing it. It is equally his fault for not charging same day as he did the procedure. The simple fact is, you can't trust anyone...not even family these days to do the right thing. I have a brother who was trying to help his wifes family out. He gave them a used car (worth around $4000), television set, and even helped baby sit his sister-in-laws kids on weekends (his only time off work). When he simply asked them if they could teach his sister-in-law to drive the car (she is 26 years old and still can't drive) his father-in-law freaked out on him and called him the most selfish person in the world (because my brother was tired of spending all of his off time driving his sister-in-law around). Even after giving them everything they needed, and offering to spend the money for his sister-in-law to do her tests and get her license, and even offered to fix up the car for them...(the in-laws let it sit for so long untouched that it stopped working). All they did was basically write him off...

My point is, you can't trust people to do the right thing no matter the favors you do for them. My brother learned it the hard way and it looks like the OP did too. I am not saying the customer is right. Quite frankly they are wrong, and even the customer knows they are wrong in this instance. But the simple fact is if you allow people the opening to screw you over and take advantage of you that is exactly what they are going to do. You just have to prepare yourself and when it does happen learn from that mistake and do your best to never make it again. But trust me, people are always finding new ways to screw people out of their money...so you are bound to make mistakes all the time. But if you are in a business and can't afford to have losses like that then you may need to reconsider your station in life. Sure it sucks losing $150...but if it means making or breaking the business you are in you may have more problems than just customers that screw you over. And I am just being honest. There should always be room in the budget for losses on situations like that. Sure they suck when they happen, but they will happen all the same.

- - - Updated - - -



It's funny you say that. My husbands boss has been in court for close to a year and a half trying to recoup money owed to him and he has already spent triple the amount of money he is owed and has yet to see a penny of it...even though the judge ruled in his favor. It takes up more than a days worth of time for most as well. You have to meet with a lawyer in most cases, and sure that may only be a half day, but between lawyer costs, court costs, and the cost of not being able to work at your company over $150? The better bet would be to work a few extra hours in the next week to help make up for it vs. going to a court where the person still may not pay for a long period of time, if ever?

I understand where you might think it is worth putting the lady in court or whatever and making her waste her time and even making her have to pay court costs + the $150...but in truth is it really worth it? If you end up having to spend $1000 to make $150? It seems like a massive waste to me.

Depends on your state, the vast majority don't allow lawyers into small claims iirc - but i do agree, the re-payment is a bitch at best and painfully agonizing at worst.

(It'd work both ways though)

The U.K is better at that stuff though, my grandfather lent around 3k to a ex service member - he ended up re-rooting to the other side of the country.

He spent a year and a little under 200 quid getting it back, which was then added onto the parties costs.

[Tinykong]

You never met the person (they weren't home) you arrived there unannounced at a later date, they aren't home so you call, they asked what you were doing, and you responded with profanity?

Looks like you got what you deserved. Next time, try to act like a professional if you want to be treated like one.

[Kathandira]

Yes, it is too much for me to understand. I am 15 years younger than you but learned to brush shit like this off years ago, someone refuses to pay a bill and you freak out? You are either not 44 as you claim or are the most childish middle aged man I know, especially someone that is self employed, you are certainly very insecure which is a trait that is undesirable in any boss or business owner.

Eventually, you just snap.

Working with the public for 20 years can get to you. When you are your own boss, and have no one to answer to but yourself, I can see an individual eventually snapping and not giving a crap. After all, the only person he has to answer to is himself. He's not going to get fired over it.

I have some sympathy for ya Jay. But only some. In the age of entitlement and people trying to scam the crap out anyone they can to save a buck, I would do no work without a contract.

Your biggest fault was the fact that you did not have her sign a service contract. Lesson learned in the end.