WARNING: Think twice about loaning $ to anyone-Forum Included!

We all work hard here for our money. Whether it is through scrapping, a different business, a 9-5 job or a mix of both. As far as I’m concerned we are all a family, a tight-knit group of intelligent, hard working Joe’s and Jane’s doing whatever it takes to make sure the bills are paid and food gets put on the table.

With that being said... when one of our own is “down” we pull together and rally as a group. Someone is sick... we flood the board with heart-felt well wishes. Someone passes… we pay tribute to that member... Reminiscing about the good times, and pour out appreciation for all they have contributed to our forum!

As a family... sometimes times get tough... and someone approaches you to financially help them out. Maybe someone hacked their bank account... so you float them a few bucks so they have $ in their pocket until it all gets fixed... They are a fellow scrapper in need. So as a good hearted soul- you open your wallet and help them out. Knowing that your brother or sister will work twice as hard to pay you back. You don’t even give it a second thought. A few weeks later... more bad luck... the electricity is going to be shut off... reluctantly you open your wallet again knowing that once this person gets past their “rough patch” all will be ok. You will have helped them out and done a nice thing to help out a fellow recycler and human being.

Fast forward 6 months. You’ve still been talking, after all it is your “friend,” your trench buddy, and you are still swapping stories about the trade or about life in general. They are fully aware that they owe you this money, this “elephant in the room” is there on every call. You get promises of payback... even if it is a little at a time and that is fine... but then the promised money never comes... you still try to be nice, that doesn’t work and patience has run out. You finally get to the point where “Time is up” and it’s time to “MAN UP” and payback your debt. Instead of humbly acknowledging it, you decide that a full on assault and RANT about how life is hard and “You’ll get your money when you get it” I think someone is losing sight of their place in this mess.

Even with a discussion about the possibility of settling this in court... the reaction is typical. “Go ahead and sue me, I don’t care... I know how the court system works, you’ll get a judgment and I won’t pay it... then you won’t get a cent.”
This blows my mind. This person who needed my help so desperately 6 months ago is now all big and bad? They think that I have some huge “Pair” for, *GASP*... asking for the money back that is rightfully mine? How dare I?

So for now I’m going to leave it at that! I’m going to publicly state that this fellow forum member needs to pay me what he owes me: $293.09. If you think the court system is a joke... The court of public opinion here may persuade you to do the right thing!

You know who you are and how to get funds to me! So it’s your move!

Sledge, I hope everything works out.

WOW, a forum member? I'm hoping you get your money so that forum member doesn't get their user handle and real name posted on this thread. That would be TERRIBLE for the non-paying-back member.

Good luck to you Sledge my friend, and I hope we don't find out who the non-payer-backer is.

This is one of the reasons why I turned to consigning items instead of attempting to ask more people for start up money or to buddy up. This board's stood by for the most part by being accepting of what I do. I hope everything gets taken care of.

I hope it all works out well in the end for you. It's a complete shame when somebody is taken advantage of....

Sorry to hear that you have to go through that.

The thing about the internet is that anybody can say anything and therefore BE anyone that they want to online. I know that here on the forum I read about a former member that just up and disappeared after taking a lot of old computers from various members never paying for any of it.

It sucks that things are that way but it is part of the truth of the times we're living in and the downfall of being so connected to the world.

I do hope this works out the way it should for you.

There are forum members here who have done much worse, I have personal experience. While this is a great bunch of people, there are those who are dishonest. I encourage everyone to completely vet out anyone you do business with, be it on this forum or otherwise. I trusted someone here, and almost lost everything because of their actions. Be careful who you sell your material to.

Best of luck to you, Sledge. Hopefully this person will "man up" for you. I've been on hard times myself, but could never think of asking anyone for money, especially online.

Okay, this is going to be a help to you going forward. Never, never, never loan money to a friend. If they are truly a friend, make it a gift. It will relieve the tension of the expectation of payback and the timeliness of such. If you can not afford the money to make to it a gift, then you do not have the money to lend. It will save friendships, your friends state of being, and your own peace of heart. Friends, even close acquaintances are too precious in our short lifetime to poison over something as insignificant as cash "lent" to help a friend out. Let it go, and tell your friend to consider it a gift.

On the other hand, if they aren't really a friend, make it a loan. It will be the cheapest fee you will ever pay to get rid of someone you do not want to be around.