Part Three: The Tactics People Try

I’m used to it now. Years of doing this, you develop tactics for getting paid, and I’d like to think I’m good at it. I’ve never had anyone not pay me. I’ve had it close a few times — moments where you think, are these people serious? You can’t quite fathom the boldness some people have.

One recent one stands out. I’m not sure if what I’m about to describe crosses into fraud territory or not, but I’ll let you decide.

A customer paid me right in front of me. Or so I thought. She put my details in, handed the phone back, and — her explanation — she must not have pressed send. The money never came through. I waited. Next day, still nothing. She’s telling me, oh, I’ve done it, it’s sent.

I asked for a receipt. She couldn’t produce one. Sent me something else instead — not a receipt, just not what I asked for.

So I set a trap. I told her, no worries, I’ll just call the bank and find out what’s going on.

The payment landed instantly.

I’m not saying she did that on purpose. I’m saying it’s one of the dodgiest things that’s happened to me, and it wasn’t the first time I’ve had something strange like that happen. In my experience, it’s rarely that people don’t have the money. It’s more that they’re waiting on their own payday and stringing you along in the meantime.

That’s exactly why I’m strict now. Very strict on payment. And I’m completely comfortable with that.