[Steve Seebold]

Just a word of warning. I spent about 5 hours doing a demo for a guy last summer and shortly after that he bought a machine. He contacted me about 6 months later and wanted me to teach him how to use it.

I went to his home/shop to teach him how to use his machine and we agreed that he would pay me $40.00 per hour for my time and he would pay me in 10 hour blocks. I even told him if he would pay for 10 hours up front, I would give him 12 hours of training.

Well we got to 9 hours and then he wanted my bank account number so he could do direct deposit.

I told this jerk that between the demo I did for him on my machine and the time I had spent training him and his guy, we now have a total of 14 hours, so it's time to pay for the 9 hours I had accumulated to that point. Then he wanted to stretch it out to 20 hours.

I waited about one week, and then I told him, if I'm not paid by Friday, then I can no longer help him.

This guys name is Leo Phan, so if anyone has any dealings with him, be careful. Get your money up front.

[waltpermenter]

you weren't silly enough to give him your account # now were you?
walt

[Steve Seebold]

you weren't silly enough to give him your account # now were you?
walt

NEVER, NEVER, NEVER. Oh yeah, did I happen to mention NEVER?

[philbur]

OK I'll bite, what's the problem with giving out your bank account #

Phil

[GLCarlson]

OK I'll bite, what's the problem with giving out your bank account #

Phil

Shorthand for something that IS a real problem, at least in the US. Electronic access to a bank account -which is very common here for third parties as a bill payment method- amounts to an opportunity to clean out the account. There have been (rare) instances of utilities sending bills for absurd amounts (like a million over the actual), cleaning out the account, and then generating hundreds in overdraft fees. There are far more common examples of some crook getting hold of the account, routing number -by theft or social engineering methods, or even somewhat legitimately as a debt collector- and then cleaning out the account by appearing to be a legit commercial enterprise. The number alone is useless, but in combination with the routing number (which is easily found, it's public) one can be exposed. Banks (especially large national ones) in the US do not have a stellar reputation for protecting their customers, and are prone to regard funds transfers -even those not authorized by the account owner- as not their problem.

[philbur]

Don't personal bank checks issued in the USA have the persons' name and the routing and account numbers on them for all to see?

Phil

[newman55598]

Yes all the information including the name, account numbers and routing numbers are on a check.

[shred]

As a friend in business once put it to me "If you give somebody enough information to wire money into your account, you give them enough information to wire money out of your account"

Now 'direct deposit' or whatever might be different than 'wire', IDK.

[newman55598]

I think with the information on a check you could probably wire money out of the account. Same for the information needed for direct deposit.

[jdclark]

I do quite a few wire transfers to a supplier overseas, and it requires some more involved paperwork than just having the information on a check. There are forms to fill out and you must produce ID each time as well as they scan and verify your debit card and pin number, so there is little chance that this guy could run off with your bank account- unless you let him rummage through your office during the 5 hour demo. Your business plan is probably your biggest risk- spending 5 hours demoing a machine for free cost you 200.00 in time and only benefits Tormach- unless they are paying you a commission. Any type of school or training always gets tuition up front, because repossessing knowledge is impossible.

[acannell]

OK I'll bite, what's the problem with giving out your bank account #

Phil

nothing. its on every check you ever hand someone.

[holbieone]

Just a word of warning. I spent about 5 hours doing a demo for a guy last summer and shortly after that he bought a machine. He contacted me about 6 months later and wanted me to teach him how to use it.

I went to his home/shop to teach him how to use his machine and we agreed that he would pay me $40.00 per hour for my time and he would pay me in 10 hour blocks. I even told him if he would pay for 10 hours up front, I would give him 12 hours of training.

Well we got to 9 hours and then he wanted my bank account number so he could do direct deposit.

I told this jerk that between the demo I did for him on my machine and the time I had spent training him and his guy, we now have a total of 14 hours, so it's time to pay for the 9 hours I had accumulated to that point. Then he wanted to stretch it out to 20 hours.

I waited about one week, and then I told him, if I'm not paid by Friday, then I can no longer help him.

This guys name is Leo Phan, so if anyone has any dealings with him, be careful. Get your money up front.

sounds like you just slandered " Leo Phan "

when you were making a contract with him was the demo hours included ?

sounds to me like you added them later , i wouldn't pay you

you still owe him one more hour of training to complete your part of the contract