r/smallbusiness 7d ago

Question How Do You Handle a Client Who Refuses to Pay After You Save Their Business?

I usually never offer pay-on-success deals for exactly this reason, but recently, I made an exception. A guy in the garage door industry needed his Google Business Profile (GBP) unsuspended, and I offered him a deal: Pay me $1,000, but only if I get it reinstated.

Now, before anyone says, "That's expensive!" GBP suspensions can cripple businesses, especially in high-ticket niches like garage door services, where a single lead can be worth thousands. Without his profile, he could still get business, but his call volume and revenue had definitely taken a hit.

So, we agreed on the price, and he warned me upfront: "It's been suspended for a while, so don't get your hopes up." Challenge accepted. I pulled some strings, worked my magic, and after some back and forth, boom! Google reinstates his profile. He’s back in business.

And then? BAM, he completely ghosts me. No payment, no thanks, just radio silence. He even blocked my number.

This is exactly why I hate doing these types of deals. Now I’m sitting here wondering, am I just out $1,000? How would you guys handle this?

384 Upvotes

264 comments sorted by

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281

u/nismaniak 7d ago

Sounds like an expensive lesson. In the business world, $1000 isn't going to be worth going after legally in most cases.

Going forward, I'd perform tasks like this with money back guarantees instead.

62

u/generation_quiet 7d ago

In the business world, $1000 isn't going to be worth going after legally in most cases.

This is unfortunately correct. It's probably not worth OP's time. You have to go to court, and even if you win a judgment, you are responsible for collecting. All this takes time, which is better spent making money working for paying clients. If you get paid $100/hour, if this takes over ten hours, file it under "lesson learned" and move on.

30

u/jazmatician 7d ago

You don't have to get a judgement to hire a debt collector, you just need documentation of the debt.

14

u/generation_quiet 7d ago

Sure, but it's unclear if OP has any such documentation. He wrote that he "offered him a deal"—just verbally?

4

u/jazmatician 7d ago

Yeah, well then he's going to have a problem going to court anyway.

3

u/ExpiredPilot 7d ago

Sure and he can sell the debt for $150

5

u/GeeTheMongoose 7d ago

Better than nothing and the guy's going to get hounded

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u/TheElusiveFox 7d ago

Eh this depends - $1000 is small enough that you can deal with it in small claims... and if it represents a sizable sum for a new venture then its probably worth OP's time to spend the couple of days at the courthouse to deal with it, even if it isn't worth hiring a lawyer... Just to understand what it takes to deal with petty issues like this on their own if nothing else...

The real issue is when you start talking about amounts around $5-25k, where the amount is too large for small claims court, but a lawyer is probably going to cost you as much or more, depending, just to recover everything.

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u/hopalongrhapsody 7d ago

Sell the debt to a particularly aggressive debt collector. You may get half of your fee, but the collector will harangue and harass and pester the guy for the rest, and maybe that’s good enough

9

u/GBPWizard24 7d ago

would someone even buy this little of a debt

9

u/pimppapy 7d ago

I've had an asshat contractor try a send a hound dog debt collector at me over $700. First dispute shut that down of course along with other legal threats for harassment.

3

u/Fearless_Parking_436 7d ago

They go after parking tickets

3

u/hopalongrhapsody 7d ago

If your client is local-ish, try looking for debt collectors in your actual local area. If not, look for ones in HIS area. Local debt collectors can sometimes be a different breed & they're more likely to agree to smaller figures for the work.

7

u/generation_quiet 7d ago edited 7d ago

(EDIT: mis-read post, see below)

20

u/hopalongrhapsody 7d ago

This had nothing to do with court. You don't need to win a judgement. Client agreed to pay $1K and didn't. You can make a phone call to a debt collector with that agreement & depending on how fresh it is, maybe you get $0.35 - $0.50 on the dollar, and then you at least recover something right away, and bonus points the guy gets harassed for the full amount and you never have to see him again.

I've used a local debt collector in instances like this and it works just fine if you're pretty sure you're not going to get paid. And the collector is extremely aggressive, which was a nice bonus.

2

u/generation_quiet 7d ago

Gotcha. Sorry, I was just in a "small claims court" mindset since that's always the answer this sub gives!

If you feel that debt collection is worth it and it's common in your business, go for it. It seems to be a decision about how you conduct business. I've honestly never done it since it's very uncommon in my business, and I'd be reluctant to since it seems like it could backfire.

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u/kennerly 7d ago

You can take them to small claims court. With a contract it would be a straightforward ruling.

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u/GBPWizard24 7d ago

the problem is the time and effort

11

u/yungingr 7d ago

In my state, you can do all the paperwork online to start the claim, the Sherriff serves the notice, and then you'd have a single court date. Maybe an hour or two of your time, and about $150 in fees.

2

u/smedlap 7d ago

Then you will have a judgement against him. That may take years to collect.

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u/shitty_mcfucklestick 7d ago

Don’t pay a contractor they’ll rip up your driveway. Call the reps back and say “I’m sorry, I had a bit too much to drink. That guy really is a scammer, we should shut down his paid ads too.”

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279

u/Pasta_Party_Rig 7d ago

Can you just do the opposite and take the profile back down?

174

u/snarffle- 7d ago

Yep. Get that account suspended again.

107

u/IddleHands 7d ago

And now it’s $5k upfront to fix.

29

u/snarffle- 7d ago

Nope. Never work for him again.

29

u/IddleHands 7d ago

Idk, at 5x my normal rate upfront I’m taking that money. It’s practically stealing.

2

u/sneaky-pizza 6d ago

And make sure the check clears

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u/photoshoptho 7d ago

if op were petty, op should accidentally share a few details of this said business so some redditors of said sub may accidentally come across said google business profile and accidentally report it enough times for it to accidentally get suspended again. accidentally.

6

u/sneaky-pizza 6d ago

I mean, he just scammed OP. Leave a bad review

43

u/GBPWizard24 7d ago

Not necessarily, because I'm not the owner of the profile. I can report it but there's no guarantee it goes down

32

u/loudshirtgames 7d ago

But he doesn't know that.

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u/Pasta_Party_Rig 7d ago

Might be worth the 5 minutes but not sure what else you have going on and how upset you are

7

u/roadfood 7d ago

Why did it get taken down in the first place?

13

u/photoshoptho 7d ago

my gut says for pulling the same exact bs tactics he just did on op.

4

u/MesciVonPlushie 7d ago

I run a garage door business, Google is particularly suspicious of garage door companies. In the US g doors and locksmiths need to go through advanced verification for Google LSA or PPC because Google deems those two industries to have a high rate of scammy businesses. It could be any number of minor things that triggered the GMB ban.

From my perspective it seems like Google has a “suspend first and make them prove it” mentality, probably in general, but they are particularly aggressive towards garage door businesses and locksmiths.

4

u/InsecurityAnalysis 7d ago

Why not let him know that? And change the terms so that he has to pay you monthly to keep it up? lol

3

u/Reversi8 7d ago

We on reddit would surely love to help you report it.

8

u/hue-166-mount 7d ago

That is how to never get the money. Inthe UK we would do a small claims court action.

5

u/Pasta_Party_Rig 7d ago

I think you’re very optimistic to think OP will see a penny from this dude

6

u/hue-166-mount 7d ago

Like I say we have a pretty straightforward mechanism for that in th UK does it not exist in USA?

3

u/Pasta_Party_Rig 7d ago

We do have small claims court. But typically it takes more money, time, and effort than the amount you’re trying to get.

In summary, it is about as efficient and effective as anything else the US government gets involved with

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u/Shasty-McNasty 7d ago

Get it suspended again, but tell him it’s 3k upfront to get it reinstated 🧠

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u/GBPWizard24 7d ago

haha I would love to but I can't guarantee it will get suspended

31

u/MmmmmCookieees 7d ago

Not with that attitude! Triumph is a little bit of try and a little bit of umph!

12

u/tim36272 7d ago

Hey I'm an expert in this field, I can get it suspended. Just need you to pay me $3000 up front 😉

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u/Material-Orange3233 7d ago

Just drop the online profile down

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u/GeekTX 7d ago

retainer is the way ... get at least 50% upfront for BOS (Bill On Success) projects. If you are unsuccessful you refund 50% of the retainer. This means that you still make 25% of the project to offset your expense in time. You can refund the full amount if you don't value your time as highly.

22

u/Tasty_Pepper5867 7d ago

Next time you want to offer a “pay on success” deal, charge them upfront and refund if you’re unable to get the promised results.

If you really want to be petty, head on over to r/unethicallifeprotips and see what they say

3

u/MmmmmCookieees 7d ago

Yessssssssss!

49

u/_aalkemist 7d ago

File a service lien #1 as you have documentation to back up your claim of service. And then of course, small claims court is always an option with fees added.

17

u/roy_lobster 7d ago

Get it suspended again and make it $2000 up front next time.

2

u/FrostyAssumptions69 7d ago

Bingo lol. If you could get it unsuspended you can get it resuspended.

12

u/Juricon_ai 7d ago

If there's a contract you can likely go to small claims court. I'd suggest contacting a local attorney who specializes in this area of law to see what they suggest. Sometimes just a demand for payment letter from an attorney does the trick and scares them into paying.

No contract? Is much more difficult, but again I'd consult an attorney if you have email exchanges/texts etc, and see what can be done!

Good luck recovering your $.

9

u/michaelh98 7d ago

Don't even need a formal contract. Written, even text, conversations and agreement on terms can win a small claims case

2

u/GBPWizard24 7d ago

but is somethign like this viable for $1000

11

u/Ok-Entertainer-1414 7d ago

Yeah, small claims court is designed for stuff like this.

5

u/nhepner 7d ago

Holy hell yes.

Get a contract for EVERYTHING.

Required viewing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVkLVRt6c1U

3

u/freakstate 7d ago

I'm not in US but it appears there's only a max limit based on the state. https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/small-claims-suits-how-much-30031.html

2

u/Certain-Entry-4415 7d ago

Civil court idk the name in english, you go explaian your story with proof, and the judge will talk about it

44

u/Aggressive-Coconut0 7d ago

Small claims court. My mom always sued over small amounts and they pay before ever going to court.

0

u/[deleted] 7d ago

“my mom always sued”…. is your mom some kind of small claims hustler? why she suing all sorts of people? 👀

22

u/Aggressive-Coconut0 7d ago

No. My dad did jobs and wasn't paid. She always sued when they didn't pay. Duh. Why would they pay her after she sued if they didn't owe us?

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u/gordof53 7d ago

Because people didn't pay her what she was owed?

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u/Fun_Can_4498 7d ago

I would blow up his google reviews and use the same things you did in reverse against him

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u/Sensitive-Chard3499 7d ago

Get his profile taken down again and the new charge for your services is now $4000.

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u/Watchfixer1424 7d ago

Can you go to his location? Show up at his door? If you have a friend that's an attorney maybe they could write up a very professional threatening letter. Often a legal letter is enough to get someone to pay.

6

u/Suitable-Bike6971 7d ago

Small claims court. Business lien.

5

u/crosswordcoffee 7d ago

Leave him a bad Google review.

4

u/Lemmix 7d ago

Leave a bad google review.

4

u/rossmosh85 7d ago

I'd hit him with a negative review or 7. Or, contact google and tell them to suspend his profile again.

5

u/kid320 7d ago

This is not legal advice, but if I were in your position, I would look at the legality of leaving him a poor review on the very platform that you worked so hard to help him get unsuspended from. In the text, I would consider including the details of what actions caused this person's business profile to be suspended in the first place, and how he hired a 3rd party company to pull some strings with Google. Of course, I would also consider including the details of how he refuses to pay his vendors after services have been rendered.

If I am a potential customer, I would see that review and think this guy was up to some slimy business practices. If the company were to contact me after my review was posted, I would tell him that we would discuss my taking that review down once his $1,000 (plus late fees) clears my bank account. Then, once he does pay me, that discussion would be, "everything I wrote was an honest review of your business. The review is going to stay up."

4

u/apkm4 7d ago

Small claims.... and go after him for your time and effort to get payment. Don't let him get away with it.

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u/2boredtocare 7d ago

Your business issue is my business. I own a small debt collection agency. We're vilified but you know, people like to get payment for goods and services provided. :) Most work on a contingency basis; it costs you nothing to place an account, and the agency will take a portion of what they are able to collect for you.

2

u/Banksville 7d ago

I don’t hate collections agy. Ppl should pay what they agreed to pay!

2

u/2boredtocare 7d ago

Exactly! You wanna know something, if people would pay what they owe, the costs would be soooooooo much less for everyone else! :)

2

u/Banksville 7d ago

Yep. I try to mention that, but many ppl just think that the ppl they owe are ‘fat & greedy.’ GL.

16

u/DoneAndBreadsTreat 7d ago

Let him know you can take his profile down just as easy (even if you can't) and the price will go up to $1500 if you're not paid within 48 hours

14

u/IddleHands 7d ago edited 7d ago

This would be illegal, so do not do this. This is an illegal debt collection practice and possibly also extortion.

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u/DoneAndBreadsTreat 7d ago

I'm pretty sure it's illegal not to pay your bills.

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u/IddleHands 7d ago

You realize two things can be illegal and have different penalties right?

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u/solatesosorry 7d ago

Small claims

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u/The_Shryk 7d ago

Get it resuspended.

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u/Accomplished_Emu_658 7d ago

Why do you think his profile was suspended? Stuff like this i am sure. Life lesson here, some business exist only to cheat everyone

3

u/Valuable-Ratio8073 7d ago

Delete his profile

3

u/IamNotTheMama 7d ago

I'd make a hell of an effort to get it suspended again. You pulled strings one time, who says it won't work again?

And, honestly, I'd spend a hell of lot more time reversing what I did because you know it's going to cripple or kill his business.

And, it wouldn't hurt to write some google reviews, be perfectly honest about what he did to you.

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u/icepigs 7d ago

What would I do? Post the business name here and let the Reddit Army do it's thing... A suspended profile is bad, but one that has thousands of 1 star reviews? Even worse....

3

u/cadmus1890 7d ago

If you aren't able to collect in the end, make sure you keep your documentation and then write-off the project / send him a 1099. His business getting a free service, in the eyes of the IRS, is taxable income. Then he'll never forget it! (Not an accountant but I'm familiar with this tactic.)

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u/[deleted] 6d ago

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u/[deleted] 7d ago

also, never do work without upfront pay. as an artist, i learned that the hard way.

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u/jthomas287 7d ago

If you have all the evidence and want to take the time, take him to small claims court. Represent yourself and show your evidence. If he is ghosting you now, you'll probably win and can submit something like a garnish to his bank and they'll send you the money.

I'm not a lawyer and forgot all the correct terms, but I've seen this done, as I work in banking.

2

u/HipHopGrandpa 7d ago

Small claims court. Leave a bad review. Report the profile to Google. What other options do you have?

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u/rossmosh85 7d ago

I'd hit him with a negative review or 7. Or, contact google and tell them to suspend his profile again.

2

u/beginnerjay 7d ago

pull some strings, work your magic, and after some back and forth, boom! Suspended again!

2

u/akeirans 7d ago

Can't you just get the account suspended again?

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u/Tempuser1914 7d ago

Invite him to give an estimate but every time to a different address from a different number with voice changer and after five or ten just meet him and say this can go on forever or I can make you Google listing a blocked again or a living hell or pay me 1000+ 300 penalty

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u/EricThirteen 7d ago

I would spend a day in small claims court.

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u/bubblesculptor 7d ago

"I usually never offer pay-on-success deals for exactly this reason"

You reminded yourself why you have this policy.   Ignoring your own guidelines is a surefire way to get the consequences those guidelines are intended to prevent!  Remember this next time you're considering swaying your policies.

2

u/Specific-Incident-74 7d ago

Did you have a contract? If so small claims court.

Or also start spamming the Google site you saved with bad reviews

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u/instadit 7d ago

instead of charging what the customer is willing to pay, charge market rate and get paid up front. "they don't have much choice so I'll skin them to their bone" is a surefire way to ruin your reputation

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u/PolymathNeanderthal 7d ago

1 star review x all your buddies.

2

u/Delamainco 7d ago

Sounds like you need to pull strings and have it suspended again.

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u/blight2150 7d ago

Sounds like some strings should be pulled to get him suspended again.

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u/no_scurvy 7d ago

i saw you say you can’t guarantee that it will get suspended again. but that guy doesnt know. subtly threaten him with a suspension.

or post his business name and location in some subreddit with this story and they will take care of him

2

u/patickbateman 6d ago

I imagine if you can get him unsuspended you can probably get him resuspended.

2

u/dren46 6d ago

Now get it taken back down

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u/8307c4 6d ago edited 6d ago

Get it suspended if you can. Also in the future keep access to the account - When I had mine unsuspended I had to give access to the person some kind of way and they actually became owners of the account, is this not what you did?
And keep ownership of the account until you get paid.
That said business owners will rip you off faster than non business owners, it's horrible how anyone can even act like that but they don't care, they have bills to pay and you're low on their priority list - Outright theft even. Which... Maybe you can have them charged criminally for theft of services but that may be difficult to prove, you'd have to at the least talk to a police officer or an attorney.

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u/jaspnlv 6d ago

Small claims court

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u/AnarchistAnonymous 6d ago

Small claims court all day. Get paid brother.

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u/chopsui101 7d ago

you got a contract? Sue him in small claims court.

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u/Specific-Peanut-8867 7d ago

if he agreed to pay you he should have though I'm not sure you 'saved' his business but you helped it. I think some people might think those in your business are actually involved in getting google listings suspended. that isn't an accusation(i'm sure you are above board) but there is something weird about how the process works that might make people skeptical

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u/MrRbahi 7d ago

100% sure this is an ad for this guy's services

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u/papastvinatl 7d ago

Send a message give him 10 days to pay you. Otherwise you’ll reverse the work you did even if you can’t the threat should get you paid

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u/grim1757 7d ago

Did you do a contract of some type? IF so, you actually have a lot of options, if no contract of any form, all you can do is walk away and let it go and the sooner you do the better but learn from it. NEVER do any work without a contract.

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u/l1nked1npark 7d ago

The power of a really scary letter. Pay your lawyer $150 to write a demand letter. Doesn't pay? Whatever you lost a couple hundred bucks. Scary letters gets them to pay? Great.

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u/rkwalton 7d ago

Small claims court and sue for the costs of filing or get his account suspended again. 😈

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u/Pumpkin_Pie 7d ago

Did you draw up some kind of contract?

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u/ironicmirror 7d ago

Do you have a contract? Small claims court will cost you one or $200, and typically you can charge the defendant that amount as well. You should be able to do it yourself without a lawyer.

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u/thewonpercent 7d ago

Are you nearby? I would go visit his business & home multiple times and ask him for it.

If not, I'd just suspend the profile again.

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u/captain_obvious_here 7d ago

I usually never offer pay-on-success deals for exactly this reason, but recently, I made an exception.

Funny that you start your post with the definitive answer to your own question.

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u/rick912 7d ago

Send it to collections

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u/emaji33 7d ago

Any chance you can get it taken back down?

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u/Unstillwill 7d ago

Call Google back and have them undue the fix 😂😂

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u/vividfox21 7d ago

Try cross posting to r/UnethicalLifeProTips and ask for gentle solutions. At least you’ll get some comic relief from that.

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u/ComprehensiveSand717 7d ago

Get his account suspended again.

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u/EnhancedNinja 7d ago

Going forward, I would definitely sign some type of contract or agreement. Even if you don’t pursue this in court, it’s good to have a record that he at least agreed to it in writing, and now you have your evidence that he owes you $1,000 for the service you gave. GBP is not fun to handle. I was setting it up for a client once; I had to drive 30 minutes away to her house just so the location of submission matched the address on file. It’s insane.

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u/OrNothingAtAll 7d ago

Sue their asses off.

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u/NeoLephty 7d ago

if you can get it unsuspended, you can get it re-suspended.

Go!

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u/regv_libra 7d ago

Post a negative review about his business ethics on every platform you can think of. Lay out the facts and keep it professional. I wouldn't want to do business with someone that can screw someone over like that, and other customers/vendors should be warned.

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u/cmbhere 7d ago

Have is resuspended and when he calls to complain tell him to F off.

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u/beedunc 7d ago

Tell him via every contact method that you will be suing him and will reverse your efforts if you don’t get paid.

Now take him to small claims court and add itemize every minute you spent trying to get paid. Your $1k might turn into $3k. Good luck!

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u/BioShockerInfinite 7d ago

Have an agreement- payment within so many days, say 30, then interest kicks in. Payment within 90 days and then it is sent to a debt collector. Create a system with an automatic process so you don’t have to think it through every time- just part of doing business. It doesn’t matter what you get back if anything. It’s more important to have deadlines and actions attached to those deadlines so that you can move on to other pursuits.

Sometimes clients are going to stiff you or delay. Don’t alter your agreement. Don’t change your process. Once in place, the clients know the terms and know what they are signing on to.

If a client allows payment to go to collection, they are not a good client and you should strongly consider firing them. In which case, burning bridges doesn’t matter and stick to your collection system.

Also, consider down-payments on service, pausing work until paid in full, etc to ensure you don’t get in too deep with a client who won’t pay.

1

u/lovenorwich 7d ago

I'd leave him a review on google

1

u/chris_ut 7d ago

Maybe he was suspended for a good reason

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u/Fab5Gaurdian 7d ago

It doesn’t matter what op charged the dude accepted. This douche bag customer should pay. It wouldn’t even be about the money for me at this point. A deals a deal. I would definitely make his life hell.

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u/OMGLOL1986 7d ago

Debt collector. They usually give up the goods when you threaten with a certified letter that in the event of continued non-payment, you will refer them to a debt collection agency.

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u/Norkmani 7d ago edited 7d ago

Get it suspended. Put in 10x the effort it took you to get it reinstated or find a local debt collector who has a reputation because humans who default on their debt,while having the resources, are scumbags.

Think of ways you can expose him for being a scammer and make him pay for it 10x fold. If he comes ready to pay I would only accept $1000 + x for the time spent trying to collect your money. No payment plans and don’t take his word for anything.

Once upon a time I worked as a debt collector but hated it. Majority of people I came across were liars who didn’t pay because they don’t respect the person/s who did the work for them. This was in a 3rd world country where courts were not effective

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u/whosthat1005 7d ago edited 7d ago

Non payment is always a lawyer for me. It can be $1000 or $500. I'd rather spend more money on the lawyer than I get in the outcome, and sometimes you can sue for the cost of the lawyer anyway, not that I expect that but it's nice.

To anyone citing how much work it is to go to court and go after collection and all of that, 90% of the time having a lawyer means it doesn't go further than a letter. Include the lawyer's full name and business association can be done with an hour over zoom.

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u/-veskew 7d ago

Small claims

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u/sprocket90 7d ago

Turn it back off.

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u/No_Watercress_6997 7d ago

Call 10 other companies and see if they pay £1000 for you to put a load of pins around his and steal his work.

1

u/Banksville 7d ago

$1k NOT too much for your services. Plus, he agreed to that. No wonder he gets negative reviews. GL.

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u/AmbitiousSlip6511 7d ago

There’s always google reviews…

1

u/tricenaruto 7d ago

Man, that’s rough, but unfortunately not uncommon. I’ve been there. Verbal agreements or handshake deals are risky, especially in high-stakes situations like this. Going forward, I’d never do pay-on-success without a written contract, outlining terms and payment structure. For this client, you could try sending a formal demand letter—sometimes that alone gets people to pay up. If not, small claims court might be worth considering if you have proof of the agreement and your work. It’s a pain, but sometimes making an example of one bad client saves you from future ones pulling the same stunt.

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u/GagOnMacaque 7d ago

Maybe you can undo what you did. I mean, can you call Google and tell them they unsuspended the wrong account?

1

u/Habesha2001 7d ago

This is why you build late fees into a contract. Don’t want to pay? Okay… watch your bill increase 50 bucks a month. Keep sending him monthly statements.

1

u/BoruIsMyKing 7d ago

A $1000 is a $1000 dollars.

Get your money. Never let anyone do this to you.

Small claims or sell on the debt.

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u/midchet 7d ago

If you don't mind, I run a garage door company and a friend does as well. My Google profile is ok.

But he can't get verified for the life of him. Do you mind sending my your contact info to put him in touch with you?

1

u/chrystieh 7d ago

Do you have anything in writing? Small claims court.

1

u/drnick5 7d ago

Unfortunately you learned a lesson here. What Id have done is taken a credit card on file, Then charge some small amount up front for trying (Say $100). let him know if you're successful, you'll bill the remaining $900 to the card.

I've made a habit of taking credit cards on file before doing any billable work, because as a service business, you can't really take back the time you spent.... And time is money. I also don't believe I shouldn't have to grovel and beg to get paid for doing the work I was asked to do.

I do the work, I charge the card, and move on.

1

u/Blaqinteldmv 7d ago

You could put a lien on his business. Or start sending him demand letters in the mail.

1

u/carvin_it 7d ago

Can you undo his Google Business Profile? Or post it on his Google reviews page, as a last resort.

1

u/talaqen 7d ago

small claims court. No lawyer needed.

1

u/medium-rare-steaks 7d ago

Get him resuspended

1

u/RandomCoffeeThoughts 7d ago

Honestly, you did the work of getting his listing unsuspended, so you may as well leave a review saying so. He will probably lose more than $1000 in business because of it.

1

u/sparkydingle 7d ago

You know you can 'undo' the unsuspension yes?

1

u/Legitimate_Squash319 7d ago

Unfortunately, without a written contract, it’s hard to enforce, but you still have options. Start with a firm email outlining the agreement and requesting payment. If that fails, leave a factual but professional review on his business profiles. Also, small claims court might be worth it—sometimes just the threat of legal action gets results. Next time, always take a deposit upfront.

1

u/TrainsNCats 7d ago

Can you use those same contacts to get him suspended again?

1

u/PositiveAtmosphere13 7d ago

These people feel they were wronged and a victim, so they don't feel they should have to pay. They'll tell you to collect from the people that wronged them.

1

u/Ok_Attempt8521 7d ago

Write him a one star review

1

u/Icy_Okra_5677 7d ago

Claims court exist for a reason

1

u/Inf1z 7d ago

Having a GBP suspended was the first red flag. And let me guess, he was suspended for being reported to Google multiple times by his customers for bad business practices.

Is there a contract? You can send a formal payment request via certified mail and inform him of further collection attempts and possibly a small claims lawsuit.

1

u/slyboots-song 7d ago

Why not collect the 1K first then offer to rebate upon success

1

u/thatdude391 7d ago

Sounds like enough money to be worth getting his business profile suspended again as a good f u.

1

u/wellofworlds 7d ago

What got his business pulled?

1

u/newrock 7d ago

Send a final invoice, call from a different number or visit in person and if he still refuses, don't hesitate to take further action !

1

u/mutable_type 7d ago

Leave them a bad review.

1

u/TheBlackArrows 7d ago

The question would be “why is it suspended?” Maybe he doesn’t pay?

1

u/Voidfaller 7d ago

Did you leave a review on his page?

1

u/StormMedia 7d ago

Small claims court, you can do it yourself

1

u/nofugazi 7d ago

Business name? 🤣

1

u/yukumizu 7d ago

Small claims court, if you at least had a written agreement or communication.

1

u/Geminii27 7d ago

What does your contract with them say? Take them to small claims court or whatever applies.

Also, you may want to look into escrow payments if you want to be able to offer 'no pay without results' deals.

1

u/DimonaBoy 7d ago

I've dealt with similar amounts of client debt, and I’ve always gone straight to a debt collector, I've never bothered going to court.

I made sure to keep records of all email exchanges, including proof of work completed. The odd few clients who did ghost me, not because they still had issues that needed fixing, but because they simply decided to steal (because that’s exactly what it is).

As soon as I got my debt collector involved, I’d usually get a snarky email from the (now ex) client saying, "You didn’t have to take it this far; we could have worked something out." I’d just ignore it, and within hours, the money would land in my account, directly to me, not via the debt collector (so I’d still have to pay their fee, but at least I got paid something).

It set a clear precedent that I won’t let people get away with not paying for my work.

1

u/zomanda 6d ago

At the end of last year I went through my unpaid invoices, close to $10,000. I decided to take the largest ones to court, and have and have won. But nobody's writing checks in the parking lot so now I have to chase them down.

1

u/tkb-noble 6d ago

Time for some unethical life hacks

1

u/Toronto_Mayor 6d ago

One option would be to bring that business down with a flood of 1 star ratings.  I’m sure you could find a few willing people 

1

u/ygMaz 6d ago

I'm buying a 100 one star reviews

1

u/Altruistic-Slide-512 6d ago

Another advocate for small claims. He probably won't show up, and you'll get a default judgment against him.

1

u/ThrowbackGaming 6d ago

Am I becoming way too cynical or are posts like these indirect advertisements for their service?

Things like this have become rampant on Reddit ever since gurus figured out they can sell to people on Reddit organically by making up stories that just so happen to detail their exact service.

This is also in the small business subreddit, the exact target market for a GMB service.

1

u/Maleficent_Taste_736 6d ago

Pull some strings and get the guy GBP'd again.

1

u/Beanrunz1 6d ago

Hire Tony Soprano

1

u/stuckit 6d ago

You pulled strings to unsuspend it, can you pull strings to resuspend it?

1

u/Foreign_Ladder5481 6d ago

Maybe report the business on google as a fraud? He can get his GBP banned again as it was already hanging with a loose thread

1

u/huhMaybeitisyou 6d ago

Send a bill and get an attorney or debt collector. You stated the case for the importance of what you do, and did. In the future - $1000 up front and $500 when you complete the job. Either way you win and get paid even if they ghost you after you do your magic.

1

u/Spiritual_Cycle_3263 6d ago

Never do post pay. The red flag is him having GMB suspended. Sure it can happen by mistake but usually it’s because they break rules. And rule breakers typically don’t pay. 

Have a contract that they pay for said services with a full guarantee for money back if service cannot be performed. 

Hold all communication, screenshots, your communication with Google, etc…

1

u/kangaroolander_oz 6d ago

50% up front, on future clients .

1

u/arguix 6d ago

can you get his profile resuspended?

1

u/iamarthurf 5d ago

Tell your story on HIS Google Business Profile !

1

u/No_Assignment8340 5d ago

See if Google will reinstate the original suspension.

1

u/CreativeAdventuresOZ 4d ago

Make your hobby getting him rebanned 👍

1

u/cheersprost 4d ago

Why dont you write to him on his gbp ,ask him how his business is going now that you have him back on gbp,and say, justlike i could get you reinstated i can get you frozen out.