US lab doesn't pay his partners

[Labo]

Hello,
I have a serious concern about payment of a US dental lab in Texas. We are lab in Asia, doing outsourcing, and the owner of that lab doesn't want to pay us with lots of excuses and delay. Outsourcing is a win win business, but we are treated like the jerks. I like to get some of your advices for this case.

The total sum only around 5,000USD. It's not worth wasting time to follow up, but that guy even called us cheating without any detailed proofs given and warned us that international laws protect him, and he will not pay us if we keep asking for payment.... The fact that he is still sending cases to another lab in our country.
I am just curious that an US lab owner does not even have 5K to pay off his debt. He is even poorer and cheaper than an Asian. Risking his reputation just for such a small amount. It's really hard time to work with overseas labs.

 

[2thm8kr]

That's a shame.

 

[doug]

If he's not worried, and you're in Asia and he's here, just out him.

 

[Car 54]

Did this debt occur over a couple of months, and a couple of months worth of statements, or just in 1 month?

Did they ever return anything saying it was defective in any way?

Did you warn that other lab to help keep them from going through the same thing?

 

[zero_zero]

CC in advance, charge each time before you ship...

 

[user name]

It saddens me to hear stories like this. Im just a one man show, and I did work for the Veterans Administration. They racked up somewhere around 30,000, and getting them to pay was next to impossible. I had to go as far as contacting my Congressman and Senators.
When I started, I told them Im a bit expensive. They said,'I dont care. Its not like we're paying for it'.
I thought that meant its Govt money, we can spend freely. Turns out they really meant, 'we're not paying'.
Closest Ive ever been to telling my Country to F O.

 

[grantoz]

untill we hear both sides of the story we cant comment. what do you hope to achieve from this post?

 

[user name]

@Labo
Im sure theres more to the story. For the lab to owe you money, you must provide a quality product suitable for its intended purpose. Was there any communication with the lab describing his complaints about unsuitability? Poor fits? bad shades?

 

[JMN]

We've all heard of if not had dentists and other labs skiping out on the bill by changing labs every 2-3 months. Even know of one, personally, that when pressed said to 'get in line behind the IRS'

It's a danger of doing business whenever your invoices are not paid before the product is released.

 

[bigj1972]

@Labo
Im sure theres more to the story. For the lab to owe you money, you must provide a quality product suitable for its intended purpose. Was there any communication with the lab describing his complaints about unsuitability? Poor fits? bad shades?

If the work is seated, then you gotta pay. If its not good, send it back. A dentist does not get to decide if he pays the lab's fee. Case law has already proved the issue. Unfortunately this does not extend outside the country.

 

[Labo]

@Labo
Im sure theres more to the story. For the lab to owe you money, you must provide a quality product suitable for its intended purpose. Was there any communication with the lab describing his complaints about unsuitability? Poor fits? bad shades?

Yes, there are other details. But I am not here to hurt anyone or try to destroy his reputation.

If there're any technical issues from our side or dentist side, we do redo FOC or even credit back if the whole cases returned.
If he doesn't want our works, he can stop doing business, returns the cases, and pay the bills. But he can't ask us to credit the cases already seated by saying they are not qualified, not right materials. We asked for proofs, nothing shown. He didn't pay because dentists didn't pay him while the crowns were seated!?! The balance is 5 weeks. We had to keep his cases before until his first payments to release them. He promised to pay on time but then this happened.

Can you believe the story?

 

[Labo]

If the work is seated, then you gotta pay. If its not good, send it back. A dentist does not get to decide if he pays the lab's fee. Case law has already proved the issue. Unfortunately this does not extend outside the country.

Thanks for your comments. I were seeking for an idea if it's legal to say that he won't pay because the poor quality while the works were seated. I don't believe dentists react this way. I know we can't do anything, lose the money. But that guy keeps accusing us for losing his patients without proofs. He just took it as excuse for not paying us.

 

[Labo]

Did this debt occur over a couple of months, and a couple of months worth of statements, or just in 1 month?

Did they ever return anything saying it was defective in any way?

Did you warn that other lab to help keep them from going through the same thing?

The balance is 5 weeks. We had to keep his cases before until his first payments to release them. He promised to pay on time but then this happened.
He returned some cases which we already deducted, but he wanted also credit for the cases already seated... Saying dentists did not pay him for those. He lost his business etc.

We tried to warn other labs here, but they may think we just did some tricks...

 

[user name]

If the work is seated, then you gotta pay. If its not good, send it back. A dentist does not get to decide if he pays the lab's fee. Case law has already proved the issue. Unfortunately this does not extend outside the country.

Reason I mentioned unfit work is the OP didnt give adequete details. He never said if there were issues of quality complaints or if the workwas seated.

@Labo 5 weeks is a bit early to get worked up. It would be nice if everyone paid on time, but in my story of working for the Govt, it took me 6 months to get paid.

 

[Car 54]

Reason I mentioned unfit work is the OP didnt give adequete details. He never said if there were issues of quality complaints or if the work was seated.

I agree, that's what I was implying, wondering with one of my questions in my post.

 

[user name]

Id like to hear both sides of the story.

This might be a stretch, but maybe the OP could PM Travis or one of the Mods and share privately the labs name and contact info. Then Travis could shoot an email to the accused and briefly enlighten him and share a link to this thread. Invite him to join and share his defense.

Might be a long shot, but if it brings peace and resolution rather than someone having to declare..'This is my Boom Stick', I think its worth a shot.

 

[CoolHandLuke]

rules are: if it gets seated its got to be paid for, because it is now not returnable for credit. chase him for those ones or institute that as a policy - if it gets seated it must be paid for and if it will not be paid for then it must be returned in order to not get chased by collection. alternatively collect and charge a credit card for every case in advance.

the advance credit card policy is one held by quite a lot of companies that do work for people who can't do the sort of work that needs doing.