"Dead beat" turns out to be an unfortunate phrase.

[spark]

I have no idea where to put this one. The guy isn't sucky, exactly. It's inconvenienced me a bit, (and at times outright aggravated me) but... whatever, I'm sticking it here.

You may recall this guy: http://www.customerssuck.com/board/s...ad.php?t=73957 (tl:dr version - Paid for part of his costume, promised to pay the rest twice, then said he couldn't pay the rest, but could make payments.)

Anyhow, I'd started calling him a "dead-beat" customer, because all the signs were pointing to "decided to not pay me, trying to avoid me." He's always been hard to reach by e-mail, but has always responded promptly to IM, but now he wasn't even on his IM anymore, I hadn't seen him logged in for weeks.

I sent him several e-mails, each a little more firm than the one before, with no response. Finally I sent an ultimatum. Very polite, but very firm. He had x, y, and z options, and if he didn't get back to me by the end of the week and pick one I'd be assuming it was z. ie. he's canceling the commission and I would sell his costume to somebody else.

Half the week had passed, and I was feeling quite sure I'd be executing option z, when I got an e-mail.

He said he'd let his life fall apart, his bills hadn't been paid, his internet had been canceled, and he'd tried to commit suicide and was now in therapy.

A little cynical voice told me this was probably some kind of sob story, I've certainly heard enough of them, but the expected pleading for more time without paying never came. The attempt to get me to send the whole costume half paid for did not materialize. He picked option y, gave me his address, and said he was very, very sorry.

So I'm kind of inclined to believe him. Poor guy! I know what having a break down is like (though I don't tend towards suicide, but I have other issues) and it's not fun at all.

Ideally I wish he could have had his life together and paid me. But I really can't blame him for this, and it's reminded me that as much stress as I've got right now, it could always be much, much worse. My life is pretty together these days.

So there's another story for you guys. Probably not as amusing nor as informative as some I've posted, but dang, I just kind of had to share this one.

[mharbourgirl]

Poor guy. I hope he gets the help he needs.

And I hope you can sell the costume anyway.

*sigh*

[Zellie Crescent]

I really hope this isn't a bullshit story and that everything's ok. But then again I remember there was a story about a woman who tricked everyone into thinking she had cancer, she even shaved her head and everything.

[laborcat]

I really hope this isn't a bullshit story and that everything's ok. But then again I remember there was a story about a woman who tricked everyone into thinking she had cancer, she even shaved her head and everything.

There was a woman around these parts a few years back that did that to her daughter to make everyone think she had cancer. She ended up having to pay back everything she got in that ruse. Poor kid

[Parrothead]

I really hope this isn't a bullshit story and that everything's ok. But then again I remember there was a story about a woman who tricked everyone into thinking she had cancer, she even shaved her head and everything.

That happened at a school my mom taught at. The school was pissed, but last I heard, she's still teaching (albeit somewhere else).

[spark]

Well, if it was a fabricated story, it's an awfully useless one, as he didn't ask for any favors, and picked an option I'd offered him before I heard the story. (An option which actually loses him some money, in fact.) So it didn't get him anywhere.

I went and put the costume up for auction, and I've gotten a little interest in it. Hopefully that'll pan out and everything will end up happily.