To post or not to post? Customer difficulty/"Paypal problems"

[toxiusvesire.livejournal.com]

I am currently dealing with a customer that owes me payment. It had been about two weeks since the commission was finished and payment was asked for so it could be shipped. The customer claimed to have sent it a day after completion and payment was never received. They then claimed paypal was pending. Fast forward twelve days; still no payment. A payment request is sent to make the process easier, request cancelled by customer. When asked, they claim the bank removed money without giving reason and paypal closed their account. Supposedly they are trying to get the money back, but is still continuing to talk down payments with a friend of mine on a commission, which happens to be the same price as what is owed for my work.

So should I wait it out and see if payment actually comes through, or should I go ahead and post here along with whatever other actions need to be taken?

(UPDATE) Customer has contacted me stating they intend to pay by Tuesday at latest. Will update if they turn out to be good on their word, if not then I guess I post a beware.

Comments

[fizzystickss.livejournal.com]

if they're having issues with paypal and telling YOU that, yet still trying to talk to other artists about commissions, it sounds like they're not REALLY having any problems. I'd post them.

[breakspire.livejournal.com]

ask for proof. if they can't give it, post them here.

sounds like they're lying though. whenever I have pending payments they at least show up in my paypal account as pending.

[starcharmer.livejournal.com]

This. Payments always show up in my account with "Pending" next to them if that's what they are.

I'd tell him he has x amount of days to send the money or you'll post him here.

And I'm sure you have, but warn your friend. :P

[korth.livejournal.com]

Yeah, do not send until you have your money. Chances are they're lying, ask for proof/screen shots/etc. Or maybe they just did something like send it to the wrong e-mail? I dunno.

[toxiusvesire.livejournal.com]

ahhh well, I already wasn't going to send it until I got the money, I informed them of that after three days of waiting. By waiting I meant just sit and wait for payment to arrive o3o

[hezzywags.livejournal.com]

I am /99% sure/ that I know who you're talking about as I just had a sketchy encounter with them as well. If you wouldn't mind, would you PM me who it is? I can tell you my story and maybe shed some light if it does turn out to be who I think it is.

[ryunwoofie.livejournal.com]

If they cannot prove their situation in a timely manner (1-3 days) I'd report them. Sketchy as all heck. >:V

[oceandezignz.livejournal.com]

There is always a reason for a bank to take out money: bills, payments, fees, purchases, transfers, etc.

The question is, what reason would PayPal have to "close" their account. If anything the first they'd do is limit it, which would mean money can come in but it cannot go OUT (someone correct me if I'm wrong, I've never had issues with PP before in this sense)

I understand that sometimes, not every detail of a 'bad thing' needs to be brought to light, especially if its personal - but this person's got monetary obligations, shedding more than than 'they closed it baaaww' is necessary for your bacon and most certainly for theirs!

[ljmydayaway.livejournal.com]

I depends on how it's limited, as not all account limitings are the same. But usually money cannot go in or out.

[aerospiritual.livejournal.com]

...I've once had someone who owed[still owes] me payment; kept saying that they had sent the money, then started blaming it on Paypal, rejected a payment request, and then they simply vanished.

I definitely think that the person in your situation doesn't have any serious intention of paying up; there are far too many excuses and Paypal isn't such a complicated and flawed system that it routinely eats people's transfers- I think there would be some serious litigation against them otherwise.

[vellacraptor.livejournal.com]

SUPER sketchy, I'm in the 'lying' boat. Ask for proof. Paypal isn't anywhere as near as bad as people make it out to be and often play the blame game a lot as an excuse.

In reality, if it were a problem, all it would take would be one phone call to straighten it out. Companies don't like losing customers and usually tend to try and help out as much as they can to rectify a situation if there is a problem.

[vellacraptor.livejournal.com]

Oh also, instead of sending a request send an invoice. I believe those can't be cancelled by the other party and you can report them to paypal for not paying them? As well as set a due date.

[ljmydayaway.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty sure sending a money request is the same thing as "invoicing" them, unless you have a fancy business account and go through the process of having the customer approve of being billed by you. In that case, it's actually sending a bill/automatically pulling payment out of the account, rather than invoicing. :c

I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure.

[vellacraptor.livejournal.com]

The regular request you just fill in the e-mail and the amount and it pings them, the invoice looks like this: http://i.imgur.com/fITgS.png
It sends them an actual receipt as well as an e-mail reminder/ping and allows you to add notes/terms/due date to it.

I'm pretty sure I have a regular free account, and I tested it out on a friend a while ago. It doesn't need approval per say, it just gives them payment options for them to go ahead and pay it.

[thaily.livejournal.com]

The devious part of me suggests your friends asks for payment in advance, to the sum of what the guy owes you, then your friend can forward it to you and then you can both drop him like a the deadbeat he sounds like.
If he can't provide you with screenshots to corroborate his story, he's probably trying to scam you out of artwork, and I'm sad to say he pretty much managed. Please at least take a down payment in advance next time.