PRoblem w/ people buying and not paying

[jmebonner]

I've sold about 5 computers in the last 3 months. One person paid up front, another made their payments on time, one is making their payments on time (only $40 left on that one) and one is paying, but not very fast, and one never paid, so I had to go repo it.

I like to give someone a chance, but this is getting stupid. What's a guy to do? I usually call and remind them, but why do I always feel like the jerk?

I could just stop selling, but it's a nice form of supplemental income. Does anyone have a contract that they use that would stand up, or what?

I don't know what I really want, I suppose I want someone to tell me I'm in the right.

[Ed_S]

You ARE in the right, there's not even a question. Someone makes an agreement they should live up to it. Period.

I'd seriously consider NOT providing the financing anymore - or if you do, get a healthy chunk up front and a signed contract. Also, price the goods higher - you can always "discount" for cash buyers, or offer X off upon completion of payment with no problems.

That'll also let you kinda qualify buyers - if you're overpriced and they don't question it, they probably don't care about the price since they have no intention to pay anyway!

Life's taught me the hard way that the only way to deal with friends, family, & co-workers financially is cash on the barrelhead.
Any other way has invariably led to hard feelings in my experience.

[Kuasimodem]

For me to do a custom build, I require at least 50% of the parts cost up front before I even order the parts. It's a pretty good way of getting people to pony up.

I wouldn't feel like a jerk, that's for sure.

I tell 'em 50% up front, then 50% once it's done. When you get the 50% up front, it kinda motivates 'em to get you the other 50%.

[Prison Kids]

I have a form you can edit to your needs.

It is only 61kb. I may not have awthorization yet to attach. If you pm me I will gladly email it.

Does one need to have a certain number of posts to attach files?

[Prison Kids]

Originally posted by Prison Kids
I have a form you can edit to your needs.

It is only 61kb. I may not have awthorization yet to attach. If you pm me I will gladly email it.

Does one need to have a certain number of posts to attach files?

I did not realize we could not attach .doc extentions, that was the problem

[jmebonner]

you can always "discount" for cash buyers, or offer X off upon completion of payment with no problems.

I like that idea, Ed

Would work well in conjunction w/ the 50% deal too.

[jmebonner]

you could email it to me PK IT's in my profile.

[Ed_S]

Tip: whatever form you choose, print it on parchment colored paper & put a simple border on it.

Looks more like a legal document. Sound silly? Print something on plain white, then print it on parchment & see for yourself!

[John Prophet]

you feel like a jerk cuz your a nice guy like me, lol.....easy going and not one who likes to hassle and pressure peeps....

But business is a little different..you dont have to be mean or ugly etc..you have to be "businessy"....hard to explain...but I learned it a bit by dealing with rebates believe it or not......its just an attitude....you have to sort of be in control....let em know up front no questions asked how the deal will go down..it will be this this and this etc and it wont be any of this over here....look em dead in the eye and tell em...."look, I dont really like to finance but I will work with you as long as it doesnt turn into a longterm thing"....let em know in a nice but very firm way that you dont intend to beg for whats yours and if they cant handle it then maybe the deal wont work out etc.


You just have to figure out what YOU can live with....THEN deal with the customers who can deal with YOUR bottom line etc....I mean, yes, of course you need to be flexible etc but only you know what is really important to you and what makes you feel bad etc...so those points you cant afford to compromise on.

One key also is dont be afraid to say "no" and/or to lose an occasional sale. I remember my idiot ex-boss....this lady came in that hated the boss's wife or something like that..they had some long standing fued or something..and the lady was really a pain thru the whole time she was looking at comps....just really being pushy etc....I was thinking to myself .."dude, just find a nice way to sidestep this deal, it aint worth it"...of course he wasnt about to sidestep a SALE...dude "sales" were his god...but as I expected it was totally not worth it...we made trip after trip to her house, she cussed peeps out on the phone etc and he let that 1 woman have the whole shop (except me, lol) in an uproar. I thought it was funny..and I catalogued it away in my mind.
of course now he and his wife r divorced and she threw him out and then she went out of biz....so that shows the foolishness of their judgement.

just try to be as much of a pro as you can...present that image...dont act overeager to do anything to get a deal etc....tell em jokingly that you have repo'd comps before, lol...."yeah, this lady, she was late on two payments in a row and I cant deal like that so I just repo'd it"...lol.