My nightmare week dealing with a vendor contract that went bad fast

Last month I signed a deal with a small printing company for 500 flyers at a local business expo. They took my $300 deposit and then ghosted me for 10 days straight. When I finally got a hold of them, they claimed a 'supply chain issue' but couldn't show me any proof or receipts. I had to scramble to find another printer 3 days before the event and paid $150 extra for rush shipping. The original guy finally answered my calls and got real defensive, saying I was being unreasonable. My question is, has anyone else had to deal with a vendor who just took the money and stopped communicating? What's the legal way to chase them down without spending more than I already lost?

3 comments

3 Comments

evan_davis4d ago

Wow, I read somewhere that small claims court is surprisingly easy for stuff like this.

emma_garcia4d ago

But hang on, what exactly does "easy" mean in this context though? Like, is it easy to file the initial papers online and show up, or is it easy to actually win and then collect the money if they don't pay up? Because I've heard the real headache is if the other person just ignores the judgment and you have to go back to court to garnish wages or something. That sounds like it could drag on for months and eat up way more than the few hundred bucks you're trying to get back. I'm just trying to figure out if the time spent standing in line at the courthouse, taking off work for a hearing, and then dealing with follow-up is worth it for a small amount.

wendy_henderson214d ago

You said it's "surprisingly easy" - but have you actually had to file the paperwork and show up on a court date yourself? I'm wondering how much time you'd really have to sink into chasing someone down for a few hundred bucks. What's the actual process like once you get past the initial filing part?