Outfitters & PH's have you ever been burned?

[Bos en Dal SAFARIS]

To all outfitters and Ph's participating on AH. Have any of you ever been burned by a paying (or rather non paying clients)?

Looking forward to see if i am the only "fool" out there!!

All the best

 

[get015]

Yup! Only once.........in my entire career......I have a old saying and way to deal with it though.....
Screw me once ......... I'll screw you last!

My best always

 

[Patrick R]

eish!, Yip, even had counterfeit money paid to me.

Is it allowed on the forum to name the client?

 

[peras]

For sure! It happens more often than most think.

 

[Bos en Dal SAFARIS]

Makes me feel a little better knowing i am not the first and i will probably not be the last!! Dont know if it is even worth naming the person!!
But i feel better knowing i am not alone!!


BTW it takes some balls going to a foreign country with the intention to screw somebody?

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Makes me feel a little better knowing i am not the first and i will probably not be the last!! Dont know if it is even worth naming the person!!
But i feel better knowing i am not alone!!


BTW it takes some balls going to a foreign country with the intention to screw somebody?

Not that it matters much in the end, but did you hold the trophies back?

 

[Bos en Dal SAFARIS]

Not that it matters much in the end, but did you hold the trophies back?

Indeed

 

[sierraone]

Yup! Only once.........in my entire career......I have a old saying and way to deal with it though.....
Screw me once ......... I'll screw you last!

My best always

I would think that unless the hunter had been to that part of Africa many times and had two pockets full of money, the safari operator would always have the last word.

 

[Wheels]

Gerrit,

Your not supposed to start a post like this the week I end my hunt with you. I might get a worse reputation than I already have.

As we discussed, if it is okay with Jerome, you should shame the AH member who has STOLEN from you. Publish his name and moniker. Explain the situation and give him the ability to respond if he wants.

It may not help you but it may keep another outfitter from getting burned.

All the best.

 

[get015]

I would think that unless the hunter had been to that part of Africa many times and had two pockets full of money, the safari operator would always have the last word.

To a degree but the trophies you hold on too by no means make up for the knock you take....
There are many other satisfying ways to get yourself in a positive frame of mind again...

My best always

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Gerrit,

Jacques would know better than I whether HV was ever totally stiffed out of the client paying. I do know that there have been challenges with clients paying in full and in a reasonable time frame. For example I know of at least one client that shot more than what they had planned and brought money for. Jacques normally has no issue with the client paying for that after they return home. This particular client eventually did pay, but it was like a year or more later, that to me is beyond the reasonable time frame.

Not quite as bad as not paying at all, but in a business that requires a high level of trust both in both directions between outfitter and client, this works against that trust.

It's a tough choice how you want to handle the business end of this deal. If you trust people will pay for their extra trophies after they get home, you're likely to sell more, and it will help build trust. But it certainly comes at the risk of not getting paid.

On the other hand if you require payment up front before the animal is taken, you can avoid this risk but you're likely going to sell less animals. And it sends a message of distrust to your client.

 

[Pheroze]

The actual week or so in Africa is just the tip of the iceberg for the PH. What the client pays for is not just a week at the hunt camp. We are also funding a lot of hard labor and preparation to ensure a successful experience. The financial ramifications of the hunt started way before our arrival and continue long afterwards. When a person chooses to rip off a PH they really are making it harder for all of us. I have no idea what the margins are, but I would imagine that losing the income from even one hunt would have a significant ripple effect for the business. So much trust goes into the relationship between us, the foreign client and the PH, that it makes sense to allow this forum to be used by the client as well as the PH to call out miscreants. There is a lot of power here to keep the community running well and with a high level of trust. Having said that, often situations get polluted by our perceptions of what has just transpired. As a result, it would be best that such discussions are done in private before being drawn out into the public forum. My other concern is that not all disputes warrant a public airing and we do not want to bring down the tone of this site with the public airing of business disputes. Just my two cents

 

[billc]

I myself have left Africa owing more then I planned on spending. I do my best to pay as soon as I can or follow the agreement I made with the outfitter. Keeping in touch the whole time until we are all squared up.

I have heard my share of bad stories though. Hunters even using the old I will say bad stuff about you if you say anything.

Gerrit I hope you get paid and don't have anymore drama with the problem

 

[Big5]

Unfortunately for us all there are liars and thieves occupying both sides of the aisle.

 

[spike.t]

BTW it takes some balls going to a foreign country with the intention to screw somebody?

oh i dont know gerrit we used to do that quite a bit on boys trips to some of the foreign holiday hotspots.... before marriage of course

 

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

I'm not even going to jinx myself on this thread........

 

[BRICKBURN]

eish!, Yip, even had counterfeit money paid to me.

Is it allowed on the forum to name the client?

Jaco started the trend and I have never had any issue with the naming of recalcitrants on either side of the equation.
Fair warning to all.

I'd rather we could all keep the slime off of our shoes.

 

[BRICKBURN]

........

BTW it takes some balls going to a foreign country with the intention to screw somebody?

Yup, and I bet there are a few taxidermists in Africa who could join in the thread quite readily.

 

[Bos en Dal SAFARIS]

Gerrit,

Your not supposed to start a post like this the week I end my hunt with you. I might get a worse reputation than I already have.

As we discussed, if it is okay with Jerome, you should shame the AH member who has STOLEN from you. Publish his name and moniker. Explain the situation and give him the ability to respond if he wants.

It may not help you but it may keep another outfitter from getting burned.

All the best.

Bob you are an awesome person and we had a very good hunt no need to worry and i would vow for you any day!!!

Gerrit,

Jacques would know better than I whether HV was ever totally stiffed out of the client paying. I do know that there have been challenges with clients paying in full and in a reasonable time frame. For example I know of at least one client that shot more than what they had planned and brought money for. Jacques normally has no issue with the client paying for that after they return home. This particular client eventually did pay, but it was like a year or more later, that to me is beyond the reasonable time frame.

Not quite as bad as not paying at all, but in a business that requires a high level of trust both in both directions between outfitter and client, this works against that trust.

It's a tough choice how you want to handle the business end of this deal. If you trust people will pay for their extra trophies after they get home, you're likely to sell more, and it will help build trust. But it certainly comes at the risk of not getting paid.

On the other hand if you require payment up front before the animal is taken, you can avoid this risk but you're likely going to sell less animals. And it sends a message of distrust to your client.

Phil
Not wanting to send out a message of distrust was the predicament i had, i gave the client the benefit of the doubt that he had really lost his wallet on the plane and only realized it on the last day of the safari ,as i didn't wanted to be a prick about the situation!! And have him come on here and say how bad i was in not letting him get on a plane and sort out the payment as he gets home!! I have had the situation before where a client was short on money as well and propably will have it in the future as well? But not having any money except the balance of your daily fees at hand????
"Touch wood" so far only one has done this and the rest have settled their account within an acceptable time frame!! However this paticular hunt i am refering to was conducted in September 2014!

But for now i guess we will have to see what happens next!!

 

[billc]

Do you hear from him or is he not even talking to you at this point.