Never had to do this before because of a customer so it shook me up pretty much most of the day.
Ever have one of those jobs where everything goes wrong. Well this is one of those. Customer order 50 screen printed signs w/ economy step stakes and everything went downhill from there. When the order finally comes in from the printer 28 days later, there are no stakes. I give them 20 of my $5 and 10 of the $3 stakes with the understanding that when theirs come in, they will exchange them. I am usually a real good judge of character but these guys just out and out lied to my face...and I believed them. Besides they only needed to half down ($80) but gave me $125.00. So I thought that they were decent people.
When they never come back for their stakes, I call this morning to remind them that I need my stakes back and need for them to up up theirs. The husbands says he isn't going to bring them back. I tell him thats fine but I will have to bill them for what they have. He goes ballistic, proceeds to let me have it about what a bad person I am, blah, blah, blad. I just tell him if I have to I'll will take him to court for the $130.00 worth of stakes.
Later in the day the husband and wife come in acting all remoseful. They bring in 10 of the stakes, with the promise to bring in the rest. I go count out 30 of the economy stakes, leave them in the box that they come in and bring them up front and put them on the counter. I write up a paper saying that they are picking up 30 economy step stakes and still owe me 20 $5.00 stakes. I want her to sign this before she takes the box of stakes. She says she isn't signing it, grabs the box and her and her husband run out. I run out after them, tell them that they better bring them back or sign the paper. They yelled back that they aren't and I yell that I will call the police. As they leave, I am dialing 911.
Police come a few minutes later, take the report, find out where these people live, and then send another patrol car over to their house. The police what to help settle this but because I am not open on Sat. it will have to wait until next week.
They shouldn't have messed with me. They now are in trouble because they live in the city and run their appliance repair business out of their home...which is against the zoning ordinance. So now they have drawn attention to themselves and willl probably end up with a huge fine...
Whats that saying? "What goes around, comes around." There is some truth to it.
Posted by TransLab (Member # 470) on :
It was obviousely a setup right from the start ...
Gotta watch out for them stake thieves... it's becomming pandemic.
Good call Laura
Posted by Gene Golden (Member # 3934) on :
Have the police stake out their place.
Posted by Kissymatina (Member # 2028) on :
When they're caught they oughta be burned at the stake.
Posted by James Donahue (Member # 3624) on :
Call the F.B.I., there's "too much at stake".
(Sorry Laura, couldn't resist. Glad you're OK.)
Posted by Mike Pipes (Member # 1573) on :
Maybe they're the ones behind the political sign thefts.
Grab a beer, throw a stake on the grill and relax, it's the weekend. Posted by jack wills (Member # 521) on :
I call the Police on myself a lot. Just about every other week or so. I just lose my mind.
CrazyJack
Posted by Curtis hammond (Member # 2170) on :
u amke sure you stake a claim for your other stakes...
Posted by Doug Allan (Member # 2247) on :
you were clear which stakes they bought, & which stakes belonged to you, so the error is clearly their... mis-stake!
Posted by Rick Chavez (Member # 2146) on :
I'm wondering though... Why did you call them if the order wasn't complete? If your vendor screwed up, it's still your responsibilty to the customer, and if the stakes meant that much to call the cops over, why let someone take them in the first place? Clients know nothing, if you were late on the order, or called that they were ready and they were not, then never leave them responsible for your property, all they want are the signs.....oh oh...my foot went through the soap box, I better stop..
Posted by Steve Dowden (Member # 4287) on :
Those people were just a bunch of "cheap-stakes" for not wanting to pay. Posted by Sheila Ferrell (Member # 3741) on :
The headlines will read:
"Theives sweep stakes"
All "stake" puns intended . . I'd stake my life on it . . . .
But Alas, Ms. Laura . . .we must pick and choose our battles . . . .
I was just wondering why they could'nt wait to pick up the panels until after the right stakes arrived?? And also, why do I have a mind-set that these were political signs??
Posted by Rick Beisiegel (Member # 3723) on :
I am appauled at how you all minimize this experience. Laura has so much at STAKE!
Posted by Laura Butler (Member # 1830) on :
I left a lot out of the story to condense it. They kept calling to find out when UPS would be delivering. The "John's Appiance Repair" signs were scheduled for Fri delivery. The customers came in early and I told them UPS doesn't deliver until 11-2 pm. They called late afternoon, after the UPS delivery, so they knew the signs were in.
When they came in and I told them that the stakes weren't here, I asked how many they needed to get started. I was expecting 3-4. They said 10. My thought "they have a lot of jobs done and just want to put a sign up in front of those houses."
I called Stouse while the customer was there, to find out when my stakes would be sent. They said that they would overnight them and I would have them Mon. Mon they didn't come but my customer did. He needed more stakes. (This was the only mistake Stouse made in this whole order).
Anyway...we'll get this taken care of Tuesday.
Posted by Bruce Williams (Member # 691) on :
Laura said ". . .I asked how many they needed to get started. I was expecting 3-4. They said 10. My thought "they have a lot of jobs done and just want to put a sign up in front of those houses."' ----------------------- Oh? They're not going to plant those things all over town like 'street spam,' are they? Along with that plastic junk about Lose Fat, Toil from Home, Cash Loans to Deadbeats? Usually, those hustlers are stealing advertising space and posting without owners' permission (which is illegal in some places). Of course if this is not the case here, then as Emily Latella said, "Never mind."
Posted by John Largent (Member # 4606) on :
Oh fer "Pete's Stakes"!
Posted by Daniel Sullivan (Member # 4550) on :
there is alot of staking in this post!!,,,hay Large didnt know you got on this board,,,Daniel
Posted by Doug Allan (Member # 2247) on :
"street spam" eradicate spam... do a stake out around town!
Posted by Laura Butler (Member # 1830) on :
As a matter of fact, they did plaster them all over the county. In fact, the next day I probably passed 8 on the way home. I had told them ahead of time that it was illegal to do this but the wife didn't care. NOw there are only about 2 left.
The was one of the excuses for not wanting to return them...they didn't want to have to drive all over the county to exchange the stakes.
Posted by Jerry VanHorn (Member # 4704) on :
Laura
If you passed 8 on your way home, you know where to collect your stakes!!! I have threatened to repocess a few signs if their bill was not paid. I have never had to do it yet, but I kinda look forward to the thrill of it.
Posted by Mike Pipes (Member # 1573) on :
Oh man if I drove right past them you bet I'd be out there swiping both the sign and the stake!
What are they gonna do, call the police and report that their illegally placed signs were stolen?
That's probably why they wouldnt agree to bring the "loaner" stakes back, they knew the signs would be removed and they'd never get the stakes back.
Posted by Laura Butler (Member # 1830) on :
I thought of that right away but I kept forgetting to take the cheap stakes with me.
Posted by Jerry VanHorn (Member # 4704) on :
At this point I would get the stake and let the sign lay in the yard. Posted by Laura Butler (Member # 1830) on :
Then when it blows onto the windshield of a passing motorists, they get blinded, crash and get maimed, who gets stuck with the liability.
Actually I thought about taking the whole thing.
Posted by Doug Allan (Member # 2247) on :
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