Wedding DVD dilemma

Blade Borge

Blade Borge

Well-known member
Call it a hunch or even more than that, but somethings fishy with my client...

I get the feeling that my client is stalling on payment.

I shot a wedding for this guy, I tell him it will be put on DVD post haste, he says take as long as I need (as if that's what he wants). He says I can have months to finish it if I like (in the contract I said I would be paid after the DVD was sent).

He says the photographer is holding things up with the pictures (I agreed to put photos on the DVD), the photographer "continues to hold things up" so it holds me up from making the DVD. He says the photographer was going to take two weeks but it turned into like 5 at least.

After what seems like weeks, pictures and DVD finally get made, sent to his address. He says, "Oh, I can't hear the audio, send it again." I try again, same excuse. I've used sony DVD architect countless times on weddings with no problem, I tested out his DVDs on my dvd players.

I just get the feeling this guy wants to wait as long as he can to pay, if at all. Now I don't know what to do, because I've made the DVDs as best I can, but if the 'audio' alledgely doesn't play, how can I demand overdue payment?
 
You should NEVER deliver final product without payment in full. The one time my dad did that (he owns a wedding videography biz) the client never paid.
 
Is he within reasonable proximity to you? Request you visit him to check the issue. If he wont allow you to do so, youre done. Confirm your DVDs are working on a few other peoples DVD players. Then send him an invoice with a 14 day payment term. If he wont pay, see a lawyer. You will then be deemed to have made effort to resolve the issue. In australia we have debt collectors that will follow up for around 10-20% of payment amount.
 
That's a good point, though I was trying to make the buyer feel protected, he could just assume I take his money and skip town.

I have a 20% deposit
Signed contract
His address

@Noel:

He lives pretty far, not far enough for me not to visit, but I'm not expert at home stereos, he could just as soon sabatoge his system in some way to make it look he's justified.
 
knock on door,
frown big,
hold out hand,
have big dude waiting in car just in case,
leave with payment,
do not give finished pieces away again.
 
HardEightCR.jpg


"You know the first thing they should've taught you at hooker school? You get the money up front!"

In all seriousness, that blows, man.
 
So this has been a good lesson albeit financially painful, one more question...

What would you do if you made a DVD and for whatever reason, the person's dvd player couldn't play it (maybe it's really old or something)?
 
Blade Borge said:
So this has been a good lesson albeit financially painful, one more question...

What would you do if you made a DVD and for whatever reason, the person's dvd player couldn't play it (maybe it's really old or something)?
Click to expand...
I keep an old DVD player around to test just for that purpose. I"ll probably ditch it eventually. Hey, if the client's player is so old your producrt won't play, buy them a new player. They are what, $30 at Walmart ?- cheap for a satisfied customer.

My 2 cents on your financial problem. My wedding contracts require a deposit up front, non-refundable after 90 days prior to the event, and payment in full at the rehearsal. I've never had a client balk at these terms.
 
I use the following for weddings:

150.00 N/R deposit to secure date
50% of remaining balance due 2 weeks prior
Remaining balance due upon delivery of final product

I would never deliver final product witout payment. I did a corporate job (a series of religious meetings) once that required 2 nights worth of filming, and was very poorly attended. Customer paid deposit with no problem, 50% of remaining balance was due at completion of filming and remaining due at finel delivery. Customer wrote me a check after the filming for the 50% due and asked me to hold it for a week. (I knew someting was up, so I indicated to them that I would not begin post until the check cleared). After 2 weeks of no returned calls and check not clearing, (I checked with the bank daily for funds availability) I shelved the masters, and have never heard from them again...
 
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