How I Chased Payment for Two Years
A painful case study on why strict payment policies are essential for photographers.
TL;DR: I spent two exhausting years chasing a small unpaid fee from "Uncle J", a wealthy client who exploited my kindness and ignored countless reminders. The ordeal taught me a painful but vital lesson: never waive payment policies, always set boundaries, and protect professionalism — because even polite clients can take advantage.
The First Meeting with Uncle J
My client Cal once hired me for an interior portfolio shoot at Uncle J's house. He proudly introduced Uncle J as his uncle (without much explanation) and even shared details about Uncle J's immediate family members who weren't around. Uncle J sounded bossy and cold when speaking to someone over the phone, but when talking to Cal, he was soft and polite.
At first, he was even hesitant to use his own toilet in case it smelled, which I found cute rather than arrogant. He behaved like an ordinary, homely elder who cared for his juniors but could be stern with outsiders.
The Urgent Call
One morning while I was having breakfast, Cal suddenly called to say Uncle J urgently needed my photography services.
Honestly, it wasn't the kind of rushed job I would normally accept because I knew it wasn't safe — I could foresee problems with such a last-minute request. Most clients would have arranged for a photographer much earlier and would not need to resort to such urgency. Furthermore, I preferred working with clients who visited my website to view my work and understand my style — this reduced potential problems.
But since he had been polite to me before, and because he was Cal's uncle, I decided to help.
I clarified the details as much as I could to see if I could handle it. I was given the impression that he was used to hiring photographers for this kind of job and was confident any professional could make it work. I quickly packed up and rushed to meet him.
The Exhausting Shoot
Uncle J was late, later claiming his chauffeur wasn't available and his hired car was delayed — basically, none of it was his fault. At the start, the way he walked wasn't perfectly stable, which worried me. He led me to an office in a shopping mall, where the staff didn't even seem to know about the appointment — which stunned me. The staff weren't friendly to Uncle J, and I found myself in a tight spot. My task was to photograph antique paintings he wanted to send overseas to Europe for verification. The paintings were kept in the office, and I had to do the job on the spot. At one point, he suddenly asked if I had a measuring tape. Why would a photographer carry one? He eventually went down to buy it himself.
The job was extremely tiring. Knowing that artifacts shouldn't be photographed with flash and the images had to be extremely sharp, I brought my tripod for long exposure photography. The paintings were large and had to be photographed from a distance to avoid distortion. To make it work, I clamped the paintings onto cabinet doors. I had to shoot both the front and back of each painting, then place them on the ground to photograph them with the tape showing both width and length for measurements. My back injury was triggered, and since we were working in someone else's office, I had to rush through everything, worsening my condition.
Promises Without Payment
After the shoot, Uncle J treated me to lunch and he shared about good food and his long holiday trips. He seemed like a nice man, so I accepted his request for same-day release of the photographs. I quickly sorted the final photos and sent them in premium dimensions as soon as I got home. I even helped him email them to the addresses he provided. I didn't ask for payment beforehand because of the urgency he claimed, and I thought he wouldn't run away since he was wealthy and Cal's uncle. I was too naive.
After everything was done, I quoted him my lowest rate for the shortest duration, just to cover part of my effort. The shoot had exceeded that duration, and he was late. I didn't add charges for the last-minute booking, same-day delivery of photographs, premium resolution, or the extra service of helping him email the files to strangers (which was ridiculous since I didn't even know what to say). He admitted the fee was very cheap for the amount of physical work he witnessed, without realising that the waived surcharges and add-ons would have more than doubled the fee. It was dirt cheap.
Silence
Strangely, he stopped replying. Cal mentioned that Uncle J was a busy man and Uncle J had personally shared that his holiday trips could last for months, so I thought it was normal for him to reply late. Months later, I texted him directly for payment, but he ignored me. The following year, I sent him a New Year greeting, and I was stunned when he replied with one of his own — completely ignoring my earlier request for payment. I didn't want to push him during Chinese New Year, so I waited. After that, he stopped responding altogether — single ticks all the way.
Naively, I didn't call him directly instead, given I know he's a busy man and I didn't want to disturb him over such a small payment.
The Truth About Uncle J
I checked with Cal and was stunned to learn that Uncle J was not his real uncle, but his ex-girlfriend's uncle. Cal said he would check with him for my payment if they met again. Each time Cal contacted me regarding work, I asked about Uncle J, and Cal explained sincerely that it was awkward for him to step in.
Direct Phone Call after Two Years
About two years into the chasing game, I spoke to Cal again. He advised me to call Uncle J directly instead of texting. I did, but Uncle J brushed it off, saying it couldn't be that he owed me any money. Then he asked for an invoice. I created one immediately and sent it via WhatsApp, then called him, but he said he was in a meeting. After that, he disappeared. I emailed him twice, CC-ing Cal, sent more WhatsApp messages and SMS, and called multiple times. For two months, he never responded.
After being upset by this betrayal of trust for two years, I finally decided to take real action. Thus, I began researching the Small Claims Tribunal.
Small Claims Tribunal
I had all the evidence needed to file a Small Claims case, but the process was tedious — filing online with screenshots, queuing at SingPost to print and send registered mail, then attending court once the tribunal scheduled the appointment for mediation. Should Uncle J fail to attend, which I was very certain he wouldn't, it would be obvious to the judge, and the court would rule in my favour. In that case, I wouldn't have to return a second time for the official court judgment.
With at least two trips required, including queuing up at SingPost, I could probably recover the money, but the effort wasn't worth the small sum. Eventually, Cal saved me from wasting more time, even though he was the one who had recommended Uncle J to me in the first place and hadn't warned me enough about his working style.
Nevertheless, it was my principle to uphold justice and get back my money regardless of the amount, especially from someone who showed no honour at all. Game on.
Final Attempts and Resolution
One morning, I decided to call Uncle J one last time before taking any action, but he didn't pick up as usual. I knew it was quite pointless to use another phoneline to call him since he would try to brush it off again. I didn't want him to drag on longer.
My next plan was to create a WhatsApp group with him and Cal, to pressure him to reply me. But strangely, I couldn't add him. Cal saw the group and called me immediately and said he had been in touch with Uncle J recently, as Uncle J needed his renovation services again.
Uncle J seemed to have no idea about what the shoot was about, like as if he had lost his memory totally for his great benefits and causal denial. Cal urged me to send him the photos and invoice quickly so he could update Uncle J while he was still responsive. I wasn't sure how Cal talked to him but somehow, the screenshots of the past chat was solid evidence. Since Uncle J owed Cal money for recent work, Cal got his permission to pay me on his behalf first, knowing otherwise, he would likely drag out my payment again.
Cal transferred me the money to end my two years of suffering.
The Unknowns and the Known Hurt
Given Uncle J's experience in the business and also antiques worlds, how was it possible that he couldn't find his own photographer in the first place, having to resort to Cal's help to approach me instead? Did his other vendors eventually manage to recover their fees?
I double-checked with Cal about Uncle J because I knew some businessmen deliberately avoid repaying small vendors, thinking freelancers lack the resources to fight back. That's how they exploit others. In contrast, some of my best clients would rush me to provide the amount for their final payments instead. Cal was frank that he didn't know what was in Uncle J's mind. Instead, he shared personal stories about friends owing him money to caution me to be careful in the future.
The most undeniable fact we both knew was that Uncle J was never prompt in his payments — not someone I would ever want to work with, regardless of any fee.
Unfortunately, I was living in a world where I believed everyone would give their best to help others geuinely. I always thought kindness would be repaid. I let my guard down.
I was bothered by this for two years, on top of my battle with a large unethical company that affected my business greatly.
If you have ever done a lot of extra work for someone you thought you could trust, only to have that person exploit your kindness, you may understand how I felt.
That amount of money could have helped me pay off a huge portion of my monthly housing loan, while for him it might not even have been enough to cover a family meal. Meanwhile, my situation required me to depend on those pathetic budget meals frequently.
Lessons Learned
Two years of mental exhaustion and slight depression — all for trusting the wrong old uncle over a tiny fee. This experience taught me: never again will I give special treatment to anyone. Someone who treats me politely on the surface might simply be trying to take advantage of me. Not all wealthy people are honest or generous. Professionalism means boundaries, and boundaries protect both sides.
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