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Topic: Dead Beat Theatre Owners

Gordon McLeod
Film God

Posts: 9532
From: Toronto Ontario Canada
Registered: Jun 99

posted 09-12-1999 04:19 PM

I wondering if there was interest in setting up a list of theatres who don't like paying their service bills sort of a theatre indusrty credit list

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Rick Long
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 759
From: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 09-12-1999 07:14 PM

Ah Geez, lookit that eh? Gord's an "Expert Film Stuffer" now. I'll never hear the end of this. Next time we get together, he'll probably make me pay for the beer.
Congratulations, Gord.

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Mark Gulbrandsen
Resident Trollmaster

Posts: 16657
From: Music City
Registered: Jun 99

posted 09-12-1999 11:16 PM

Never had a problem with not getting paid. If you're suspicious about the owner then you should get your service call money up front in cash! If they won't pay you up front then you are far better off to let them call someone else.

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Gordon McLeod
Film God

Posts: 9532
From: Toronto Ontario Canada
Registered: Jun 99

posted 10-02-1999 05:44 PM

Okay here is the first dead beat
Capitol Theatre Listowell Ont
hasn't paid a bill for installing a excitor lamp PS in over a year

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Steve Guttag
We forgot the crackers Gromit!!!

Posts: 12814
From: Annapolis, MD
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 11-20-1999 06:52 PM

I think it is illegal to publish a "black list"...something about defimation of character and such (where truth has no bearing on the law). Perhaps a lawyer type could clarify this.

I know of some exhibitors that go on the philosophy that if they always hold the last invoice, it forces the contractor to do more work to get paid.

Personally, I never understood why exhibitors that get their money before "their" customers ever walk in the door can't pay their vendors within 30-days.

Steve

------------------
"Old Projectionists never die, they just changeover!"

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John Walsh
Film God

Posts: 2490
From: Connecticut, USA, Earth, Milky Way
Registered: Oct 1999

posted 11-20-1999 11:48 PM

OK, here's a 'what-if'....

Let's say Gord gets called to go back and fix something else at that dead beat theater. He says yes, but when he walks into the booth, he disconnects that 'unpaid for' PS and leaves.

Is that against the law?

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John Wilson
Film God

Posts: 5438
From: Sydney, Australia.
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 11-21-1999 01:27 AM

Maybe not, but why not just tell 'em to pay up? Make sure they know that all monies owing for the last job (and this one's service call) have to be paid before he starts any new work. If it's a breakdown he's going to, they'll surely pay and right fast too.

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Scott Ribbens
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 118
From: Los Angeles
Registered: Oct 1999

posted 11-21-1999 02:56 AM

Remember that you are doing bussiness, treat it as such. Get everything in writing, and give reciepts for payments, especially cash payments. Keep a paper trail so that there is no doubt about who owes you what. Get an agreement of money up front that takes into account your expenses(travel time,minimum hours, ect..)just for walking in the door.

Make sure that they know if hours are exceeded, or parts are needed, that that will cost additional money. They have a big incentive to pay you to get you in the door, and less of an incentive once the job is done. (some people have what I call "At the moment thinking", meaning that they think once the problem is fixed they are not going to have a problem that requires you to come out, at least for a long time. Their short term problem and immediate concern has now been taken care of.) Not only that, some of these people think just because it didn't take what they think is a lot of "expert" knowledge, or a long time to fix, they think that you deserve less money, and try to pay you less. Those are the kind of people that I don't go back to, I let someone else deal with them after I get what is owed to me. I know that some out there will go with a simple oral agreement, but that would not stand in a court of law, and you have to protect youself, and get what is owed to you.

There I've said my part!

------------------

Scott

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John Wilson
Film God

Posts: 5438
From: Sydney, Australia.
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 11-21-1999 03:20 AM

Very well put. I think a lot of the time we tend to see each other as friends when we visit someone in the bio box to repair something. This may well be the case, but the bean counters at Head Office don't care about any of that. Remember to ALWAYS get it in writing. Make sure a staff member of the company signs on the dotted line and you'll save yourself a lot of grief. A beancounter who is sent a xerox of an agreement signed by one of their staff members on behalf of their company will soon loosen his/her purse strings.

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Rick Long
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 759
From: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 11-21-1999 03:43 AM

Take the bastards to small claims court (Ontario). Even though you'll eventually about break even, at least you'll tie up their time and give them a bad credit rating.

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