How did you lose your deposit?

[P. J. Alling]

When Milford Camera shut down a few years ago, the manager hadn't a clue 
it was going to happen, he'd been running the store for a number of 
years with noticeable improvement every year.  The owner just decided 
she'd had enough, and wanted to be rid of the headaches, it had been her 
husbands business which she'd inherited at his death.  It would have 
been nice if the decision had been shared with the staff or at least the 
management, but that's not the way it's done.  Just like a company won't 
normally give hints of impending layoffs to those being laid off.  It 
makes sense in a way, after all you wouldn't want to be without staff 
for the last few days you were operating.

Shel Belinkoff wrote:
> And that's the saddest part ... there was recently a discussion about
> buying from small, local vendors, and while this won't stop me from doing
> so, the situation sure makes buying from well-regarded stores on the net a
> much safer option in some cases.
>
> I saw John just the day before Mike closed down the shop, and he hadn't a
> clue this was coming.  In fact, he mentioned that he'd spoken with Mike,
> and Mike told him that he'd either be able to get the cameras or that the
> deposits would be promptly refunded.  Sad to see another camera shop bite
> the dust - this time, however, I think it has more to do with poor
> management than anything else.
>
> Shel
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>> [Original Message]
>> From: Mark Roberts 
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>>> I would think this has to be bad faith. The guy closed shop within  
>>> two weeks or so of collecting a lot of deposits. He belongs in jail.
>>>       
>> I think he was just scrambling to try *not* to have to close up shop. 
>> (And, IIRC, he was keeping the photofinishing end of the business open 
>> - though it remains to be seen if *that's* a viable enterprise).
>>
>> Anyway, after filing a complaint with Pay Pal, I got my refund this 
>> morning. It's a shame it took a month and the filing of a dispute to do 
>> it but he did make good in the end.
>>
>> Sadly, this whole affair has had exactly the opposite effect to that 
>> intended: I'm pretty much resolved to deal only with B&H now and avoid 
>> the smaller local places :(
>>     
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