photo-eye Having Trouble?

bill schwab

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I'm wondering if anyone has been having trouble with photo-eye?? They have been selling my book quite well for the past year, yet getting payment from them seems to be like getting blood from a stone. They owe us a substantial amount (to me at least) and we have received nothing from them since October of last year. We have emailed time and again, sent duplicate invoices and statements of their account.. all to no avail. Over a month ago they answered 1 email asking what they owed. We responded... and then heard nothing more. Now we have been trying to call on both their info line and order line during business hours and it always goes to their voicemail. We have yet to receive a call-back.

I have been in this business for a long time and have been stiffed by more than my share of clients who have gone belly-up while owing me large sums. This one feels a lot like those experiences. Anyone having similar experience?

Frustrated, Bill
 

Bill Mitchell

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Good luck, Bill. (The painter, Robert Motherwell, once said that he should be called "The Mother of Modern Art" because he'd been f****d by every gallery in New York City.)
PS, I continue to enjoy your books, and the print.
 

Dave Parker

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As I have had to do in the past, get a hold of the Local BBB for the area their in and quite possibly send a registered certified letter to them with a return receipt requested, and quite possibly get ahold of the Att. General for their state, often times the state Att General will have information on business's having problems, but make sure and send the letter and the last current invoice you have for them, that way if they do go belly up, you have registered proof, you have a legitimate claim..

Dave
 
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bill schwab

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Update...

Thank you Dave, Bill and all that have PM'd me over this.

To update, I finally got through on the phone and spoke with the owner/director a few minutes ago and was asked, "you sent an email about this, didn't you?" - Yes... more than I can count on 2 hands. What good does it do if there is no answer? I was told that the "accounts payable person" was "in transition, working from home and trying to raise a family". I told him that I too was trying to raise a family and that not being paid certainly didn't help. Funny... I'll have to try that excuse the next time my creditors and vendors call me for payment of what is owed to them. I have a 2 year-old boy bouncing off the walls and running under foot every day here at home where I work and it certainly hasn't stopped me from paying my bills.

Anyway... He assured me their business was healthy, that my situation was "troubling" and that someone would get back to me. After the lack of effort on their part to resolve this matter, I won't be holding my breath.

Thanks again,

Bill
 
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bill schwab

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Resolution ? Hope So

Sometimes it is better to just get loud. I tend to get angry when it comes to cash flow and having clients stick to agreed upon terms. As I said before, I have been burned more than a few times as I am sure many of you have as well. I always am conscious of paying those I owe, especially the little guys like me. It's just good Karma. This is why I take it personally when I am in effect floating loans to those much larger that don't play by the same rules. You can't be nice all the time because nice guys never seem to get paid.

Anyway...

I wanted to be fair and post the hopeful resolution to this matter. Late in the day I received a phone call from the accounts payable person who was very kind, very apologetic and took full responsibility for this going on so long. I am assured the matter will be taken care of with haste. I will be happier with check in hand, but I have to praise them for stepping up, taking responsibility and not just further disregarding the issue. It is refreshing in these times.

Thanks to all who came forward with suggestions and more. You know who you are. I've never had that many PMs in one day.

Bill
 
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bill schwab

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PATHETIC

Can you believe this is STILL ongoing?

All I can say from my experience is that if you have a chance to buy a book directly from a photographer, do so. DO NOT buy from photo eye thinking you are supporting a particular photographer as it will be a long, long time, if ever, before that photographer receives payment from this bookseller.

Bill
 

manalishi

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ah that s*cks. why are they getting more and more books each week? do you think they also don't pay the bigger publishers like Steidl, etc? maybe they also don't pay their gallery artists after a print sale.... I hope you get your money soon.

best,
m
 

Gerald Koch

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Some years ago a friend of mine had a small photo business. His principle customer was a state university. He was eventually forced to close because the university was so slow in paying their bills. Often they would take 6 or 8 months to pay. That's hard when you have to pay your own bills on time.
 

removed account4

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its too bad some folks use "the little guy" as their no interest loan.

i had a client at one time that took 14 months to pay me, so now when i have clients that are a "slow pay" i make sure the contract they sign states clearly that payment after "X days" will include interest as well ( like a credit card rotating balance ) ...


sorry they are playing games bill

john
 

Christopher Colley

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If I read this correctly it is nearing (in 3 months) one year since you've been paid?

wow.

I guess I can take that site off my bookmarks list...
 

donbga

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I received an e-mail last week from a friend that photo-eye owes money to for book sales. After raising a little hell so to speak they offered to pay roughly half of what they owe.

I'm not sure if this means if photo-eye is having financial problems but it doesn't sound good for photo-eye or the photographers that are owed payment for print or book sales.

I like photo-eye and visit their store every time I'm in Santa Fe, I hope they can make it through what ever problems they may be having.
 
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bill schwab

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Update... Success

In good faith I must report that this situation has finally been resolved. The owner personally contacted me this week which was very kind. To restore good faith there has also been an offer to prepay future orders. I have also been notified by another photographer that had made contact stating that his situation has been taken care of as well. I am hoping this is so for others that were kind enough to share their experiences after reading my original post. Even though it took nearly 10 months, it is a good sign.

Thanks again to all that wrote with support.

Bill
 
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