Depobook Reporting

[Cheryl Laboa]

Has anyone heard of this firm?  They are located in Modesto.  I did a job for them and they were very nice, very professional and well put together.  They have a 60-day waiting period for getting paid and now that that 60 days has past, I am having a hard time getting through to the owner just to get any response at all of when I can expect payment.  I have called every day for two weeks and sent an e-mail every day for a week and have received absolutely no response.  I know the owner is a court reporter too and probably very busy, but he has to check his messages and e-mail at some time.  Anyway, I was just wondering if anyone else has had this problem.   It seems so strange.  They seem like a great firm.

[Cathryn Bauer]

I did not choose to continue working with them.

[Kelli Combs (admin)]

I've never even heard of them.  That's too bad.  Not a good habit to get into, especially when the Internet is here and reporters can spread the word. 

[Cheryl Laboa]

Yeah.  I don't want to talk trash about them in any way.  I still feel they're nice people.  I'm just getting a weird cross-signal on why the boss won't call me back.  His staff says they cannot help me, that the owner handles/approves all payments.  But I'm starting to get the feeling that I might get not get paid and I have never been in this position before.  What would be my next step if that happened.  I've done a rough calculation of what my pay would be based on the rates I was given and it's approximately $1200.00  Where do I go from here?

[Mary Jo Cochran]

If you have the owner's name then go to the court clerk website and see if she has ever been sued before.  If you want to spend about $40.00 then do a background check (will tell you plenty about her credit worthiness).

[Kelli Combs (admin)]

I had that problem with a firm in LA and after six months of waiting, I took them to Small Claims court for my $1600 check.  After they were served, I got a check in the mail.  That's your next step.  Don't even think of letting them get away with it. 

[Cathryn Bauer]

What Kelli said.

[Kyung]

Their rates are very low.  Lowest rates I've ever been quoted on orig &1.  And this was back when the economy was not in the tank.

[Cathryn Bauer]

What Kyung said.

[Eric Johnson]

Cheryl -

I've sent you a personal email regarding the situation.  I do apologize for the delay in payment and want you to know that you can contact me any time at [e-mail].

Eric Johnson
[e-mail]
(800) 830-88885 

[Cheryl Laboa]

Thank you, Eric, but I have not received a personal e-mail from you.  In case you don't have the correct one, my e-mail is [e-mail].  I have left a message for you every day for two weeks, and I did leave a message again for you this morning at your office.  I will try you again during my lunch hour, which will probably be around 12:30 to 1:00 p.m.  I have also e-mailed you every day for a week now and left my personal cell phone number so that you can contact me at your convenience.  I will send you another one shortly in hopes that we can start communications. 

I look forward to a swift resolution of this matter, and I hope you have a wonderful day!

Cheryl Laboa

[Eric Johnson]

Sorry Cheryl -

I was replying to your emails from [e-mail]. I'll forward it to the other one.
Eric

 

[Cynthia Ott]

I am now finding myself in a similar situation with this firm.  I've only done two jobs for them in about the last couple years, and the previous job was a slightly late pay, which I guess was my warning that I did not choose to heed, but now I am receiving no information on when I can expect to be paid on a job I took on November 1st.

I just find it so disrespectful for a court reporting firm to jerk reporters around this way.  I've been super lucky in my career in that I've never taken a job that I've not been paid for, but these out-of-town firms that want to come in and get local assistance and then leave people hanging, it's just not right.