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Customer left large deposit, went MIA

gnubler

gnubler

Active Member
Last October one of my best customers put down a $1500 deposit for future signage. Several rounds of proofs went out, then he went silent. I got him on the phone around Christmas and he said he would get back to me after the holidays. I never heard back, and around the end of January there was something in the paper about him being arrested on sexual abuse charges.. I'm a firm supporter of 'innocent until proven guilty' and I'm disappointed that our local paper even published it, like tabloid trash. Unfortunately I can't unsee what I read and am repulsed by the nature of the alleged crime, and no longer want to do business with this customer. Since the deposit was paid by check it was included in my annual sales and taxes for 2022. Think I should just wait until the customer contacts me, then issue a refund for the remaining balance? Very awkward and uncomfortable.
 
C

CanuckSigns

Active Member
Texas_Signmaker said:
Donate the $$ ? Come on now. Keep the $1500 and leave it be until he says something. Id bet he don't ask for it back.
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It sounded like she was looking for ways to "cleanse her soul" of this money, I offered a solution.

Ask your CPA how long you need to hold onto this money before it becomes yours, after that time expires do whatever you want with it.

If he comes back looking for it, I would return it though, $1500 isn't worth the drama that would unfold if you tried to keep it.
 
Boudica

Boudica

I'm here for Educational Purposes
gnubler said:
Last October one of my best customers put down a $1500 deposit for future signage. Several rounds of proofs went out, then he went silent. I got him on the phone around Christmas and he said he would get back to me after the holidays. I never heard back, and around the end of January there was something in the paper about him being arrested on sexual abuse charges.. I'm a firm supporter of 'innocent until proven guilty' and I'm disappointed that our local paper even published it, like tabloid trash. Unfortunately I can't unsee what I read and am repulsed by the nature of the alleged crime, and no longer want to do business with this customer. Since the deposit was paid by check it was included in my annual sales and taxes for 2022. Think I should just wait until the customer contacts me, then issue a refund for the remaining balance? Very awkward and uncomfortable.
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Not sure who you're referring too but it's been on our local news too. (unfortunately there's a few of them up there). I'd just wait and see what happens.
 
caribmike

caribmike

Retired with a Side Hustle
Generally, I'll take anyone's money and don't really care about where it came from or why. If it were my company, the $1500 would stay on the customer's account for a year then go into the Christmas party fund.
 
Billct2

Billct2

Active Member
We've has a few similar situations. Held them on the books for 2-3 years and then created an invoice to clear it and had to pay the sales tax at that point
 
Gino

Gino

Premium Subscriber
Birds of a feather......................................... how did someone like this become one of your best customers and YOU never picked up on it ??
 
Stacey K

Stacey K

I like making signs
He definitely has bigger problems than your deposit. If he's found guilty, he won't be needing those signs and his business will be folded. I would be very surprised if anyone ever asks for the money back. Do you have a online thing you can check his charges? Here in WI we can "CCAP" people. Most of the sex offenders up here go to jail and they never leave...
 
N

netsol

Active Member
Stacey K said:
He definitely has bigger problems than your deposit. If he's found guilty, he won't be needing those signs and his business will be folded. I would be very surprised if anyone ever asks for the money back. Do you have a online thing you can check his charges? Here in WI we can "CCAP" people. Most of the sex offenders up here go to jail and they never leave...
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Oh stacy, if only life were so simple...

you have all heard of carvana (the used car clip artists with the " car towers"

the founder started and ran carvana while doing time in a federal prison, for crimes committed running his previous business
 
Stacey K

Stacey K

I like making signs
Gino said:
Birds of a feather......................................... how did someone like this become one of your best customers and YOU never picked up on it ??
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Sexual abuse charges probably means kids. Gnubler is a grown woman with no kids at her shop so it might hard to pick up on it.
 
petepaz

petepaz

New Member
figure what you need for the work/proofs you did and taxes you had to pay. if they come back to you refund the difference and give them the artwork you charged for then wash your hands.
if you don't hear back from them then you keep the whole thing. i'm no law expert but that seems like the best thing to do. now what you do with the extra money is up to you (donate, keep it or spend it)
 
gnubler

gnubler

Active Member
Johnny Best said:
What kind of signs were they looking for, children day care?
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BAD!

People can be incomprehensible, never would have suspected this person of being a perv/pedo. "Family man". Good ideas here, and I might run it by my accountant and see what he says.
 
gnubler

gnubler

Active Member
In my opinion, it's in extremely poor taste to print information like that until a conviction has been made in court. Probably has destroyed this guy's life, his family, and the business. However, due to the nature of the arrest, if he actually is guilty I can no longer do business with him and am dreading the possibility of him stopping by my shop, and how to best handle that.
 
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