Website for Listing Non-Paying Clients

What to do when your client does not pay???

If you are in the private investigation business, or any other business for that matter, this question inevitably is a reality at some time or another.

I am a very trusting person, I believe in people. This philosophy has burned me countless times in my business career. I take it personally when I perform a service for my client and many times the service is requested and completed on a rush basis, however, when I invoice the client the payment is delayed (for various excuses) or simply not paid at all. Then I am in a position of having to stop productive work and start chasing my money.

I have tried to post the clients information on professional group's email lists, calling the people countless times etc. Wouldn't it be nice if there was a central place where all slow paying or no paying clients names could be listed for all to see!! Maybe a website that list deadbeats for each industry.

Well, recently I was made aware of at least one industry that understands this inherent problem and has decided to do something about it.

The repossession industry is notorious for slow pay and no pay clients, The Salt Lake Bureau has set-up a website to tackle this problem. Here is some information from their website:

The purpose of The Salt Lake Bureau is to report and organize in a user friendly online format, information regarding issues with outstanding, overdue and/or disputed lien holder invoices. ALL comments presented in this website are the responsibility of the repossession or collateral collection agency authoring those reports and are bound by the Salt Lake Bureau Disclaimer and Condition for Interactive Services found within. The Salt Lake Bureau does not edit, add, or delete 'any' commentary but rather presents all comments as received for the reader to draw their own conclusions.

I think The Salt Lake Bureau has a good concept. Personally, I would like to see a public page that lists the names of the deadbeats for all to see.

Patrick L. Baird
Private Investigator