Originally Posted by CDSmith

I've never been a guy that owes people money and doesn't pay, making them chase me and hound me with those types of tactics, so none of that really applies here.

But I see what you're saying. Sometimes, in very specific cases, the 'U there?' tactic might be useful. Then again, I'm usually the one owed the money, but I can't recall ever doing that to someone, playing the "ru there?" game in hopes of catching them online. Sounds like a huge waste of time to me.

Fact is I've pretty much always gotten paid. Usually up front or half up front. Not always on time, but not long enough that I'd be resorting to tricks like that to get them to respond. I basically try not to do business with people like that.

People I'm not familiar with can pay up front or at the very least when the job is part-way through the first few times. If they aren't willing to do that then my radar goes off and I'm apt to pass on them. They can go find someone who's willing to wait and wonder and hope they get paid for months on end. To me that's just bad business on both ends.