Northern Scrawny Cheapskate Nasty People
A few years ago, the company I was working for went into administration, they seemed to think it was ok for us to work for free, (we hadn't been paid properly for 18 months) so I found myself walking out one Monday morning.

The sector I specialise in doesn't have much presence where I geographically live. I had a few choices. Move back to London, move up north, Europe or the far east etc. I did have some savings I had been putting towards a flat deposit, but it was only a few grand. And I had become settled where I was living. I didn't want to move again (I've moved a lot over the last 10 years) so realistic options were move sector, or set up on my own.

This was just prior to the recession, things were tough but quite rapidly was turning a small profit, with a handful of customers, even recieved a bit of press attention etc. Then things started to go wrong. Suppliers (very specialised) started to ask for more and more money, they started lying to me. I had to supply all of the component parts for the things I was having made, some of them making up the majority of the cost of the unit. These component parts I had to order in bulk, I knew exactly what I had, and they were very expensive, and I had to buy proforma, so at anyone time my cash flow was really bad as it was tied up in stock.

This lying and cheating went on for a while, but the biscuit hit the flan when I placed a production order with the factory for a new customer of mine, for me the order was worth about 1500 quid, but it was worth more than that as the shop was a new shop they would place repeat orders every 6 to 8 weeks. I wanted to impress them and build a regular trade with them.

The order was placed and instructions sent to the factory. A delivery date was agreed and signed off. The delivery date loomed. I was on the phone to the owner of the factory every few hours, him giving me false promises. 10 days later I agree to a part shipment of the goods. I received the delivery, and all I can say is my heart nearly stopped there and then.

When I placed the orders for these particular goods I also provided a production plan, or production run order. Some items were loss leaders, they were to be the last items to be produced as, although my customers liked them and they were happy to make a profit from them I would only be cutting even. So my more expensive items were the first to be produced, the items that made me the profit.

That delivery comprised boxes and boxes of the easy to make, simple loss leader items. I felt sick to the stomach, for some reason I knew something like this would happen. Straight away I compose myself call up the factory. 'Oh yes the girls wanted to get the easy items out the way first as they earn money per piece and they can make these faster, and you know, what with it being nearly christmas and all they wanted to make as much as possible' I was blinking furious, he was allowing his staff to make money out of me so they could shovel over cooked turkey down their fat gobs and swig lambrini.

He carries on, 'Mr Feedingtime, we've run out of (major component) so we can't complete the rest of the order we have only x amount of component to complete 3 units (order was for 150 units) can you send me more component.

I had no cash, (proforma payment) to buy more, the shops wouldn't take and pay (they were all on proforma payments too) for part orders of the cheapy items. I was fecked.

To put the last nail in the coffin of this northern spacktard egg beating gimp, he said, I've just emailed you the part invoice for that shipment.

Needless to say, him allowing his 'girls' to earn a bit of easy extra money for the run up to Christmas practically killed my business. I never was able to supply the shops again that a failed to deliver to. To this day sat next to me, reminding me of his evil stupid scrawny face, are 10 or so of these shitty poorly made loss leader units. bollocking bollocks!

I never did pay him, so his 'girls' never got that extra large turkey. But I lost alot of confidence in people, but did learn a very big lesson in how to be shrewd and defensive in business.
(feedingtimeatthezoo day 1 of his bikini diet started, Thu 27 Sep 2012, 15:03, 14 replies)

I reckon this is
a familiar story.

I work in a different industry to you, but we basically supply stuff to people.

I work as an arbitrator, which means I get to see lots of arguments between other companies in my industry. It always amazes me how even after hundreds of years of developing trade practices, dozens of years of extrememly competent and experienced people working out standard contracts, there are so many details that either haven't ever been thought of, or have been but someone still forgets about them.

Or put another way, with hindsight you could say you should have had an agreed schedule for production of different products, but either it wasn't clearly agreed, or they ignored it.

No criticism, just saying how easy it is for these things to get overlooked / screwed up. You're certainly not the only person who it has happened to.
(username failed moderation, Thu 27 Sep 2012, 15:16, closed)

There was a very clear order of production, based on the specific unit, down to which colours of which units were to be made first.

He simply thought he could get away with keeping his girls happy by giving them the simple and quick piece rate units to complete first.

I think many UK companies don't realise the chain of events this causes, and what eventually will see his company (200 odd years old) go bust as no one will use them. Its one reason I now source from offshore, which saddens me.
(feedingtimeatthezoo day 1 of his bikini diet started, Thu 27 Sep 2012, 15:28, closed)

Problem is
that when he thought he could get away with it, he actually did get away with it.

For every dispute I get dropped in front of me, I'm sure there are 10 others where the 'victim' didn't have the will or the means to pursue a claim against the other side.

Being devils advocate, it's not actually a bad business tactic. Some businesses actually have it as an unofficial part of their plan - if they can fuck about on every contract, and only get fucked back on 1/10 of them, they're probably winning.

Doesn't help the guys like you who get shafted at all. I hope you're right, dodgy buggers like that don't deserve to thrive.
(username failed moderation, Thu 27 Sep 2012, 15:46, closed)

Yes he royally shafted me from every angle. However he shot himself in the foot, as he will still have had to pay wages, taken staff off other production orders, and I didn't pay him a penny. Cold comfort I know, but you have to remain positive.

I did look into attempting to take him to small claims, but the process let alone the cost would not have been worth it, even if I were to win I am sure he'd claim poverty and pay 50p a month.
(feedingtimeatthezoo day 1 of his bikini diet started, Thu 27 Sep 2012, 16:21, closed)

I only source offshore now too
Russian hookers are much more reliable
(magic the cat will someone please think of the kittens, Fri 28 Sep 2012, 11:08, closed)

This still works if you replace 'Northern' with 'Southern'

(mr-lizard Hell's teeth man!, Thu 27 Sep 2012, 15:26, closed)

It would work better if it was a bit more specific (I have no idea what he's on about).
Or a bit more vague, I suppose: "I ran a business, and my supplier let me down. What a cunt."
( monster munch person, man, woman... camera... TV?, Thu 27 Sep 2012, 16:18, closed)

Here we go....
I ran a business, a manufacturer royally fucked me over. I lost my reputation, money, customers causing my global domination to be heavily set back.
(feedingtimeatthezoo day 1 of his bikini diet started, Thu 27 Sep 2012, 16:30, closed)

a northern manufacturer, don't forget northern.

( The Doveston haunted by the memory of his own amnesia, Thu 27 Sep 2012, 16:37, closed)

Much obliged, sir.
Much obliged.
( monster munch person, man, woman... camera... TV?, Fri 28 Sep 2012, 13:05, closed)

wahh wahh, my business is in ruins.
you sound like a bit of a prick to be honest.
( The Doveston haunted by the memory of his own amnesia, Thu 27 Sep 2012, 16:24, closed)

this makes you sound like an entire one

( 4Q just lurking, Thu 27 Sep 2012, 19:20, closed)

wanker

( The Doveston haunted by the memory of his own amnesia, Thu 27 Sep 2012, 22:03, closed)

touché

( 4Q just lurking, Sat 29 Sep 2012, 3:23, closed)