Seeking advice: US company owes me $4k but I'm not in the USA. We have no signed contract, but I have PayPal history and chat logs where they promised to pay
The Situation:
I am based outside USA and am trying to collect $4k from a company/person located within the United States. We do not have a formal signed contract, but we have a long-standing working relationship.
The Evidence:
Payment History: I have a clear history of previous successful payments from this company via PayPal, proving we had an active business arrangement.
Written Proof: I have saved chat logs where the debtor acknowledges that they owe me the $4k and promised to pay it
The Problem:
The person has stopped responding to my email msgs probably blocked. Since I am not a US citizen and am not currently in the US, I need advice on the best way to demand payment
Thanks
Seeking advice: US company owes me $4k
byu/blackishred inpersonalfinance
Posted by blackishred
3 Comments
There isn’t any meaningful way to get your money. Mainly because 4k is such a small amount it’s not worth the effort.
Without knowing more specifics I would guess that your unfortunately SOL.
You didn’t mention why they owe you the money so that MIGHT change things but without a formal agreement there likely isnt any recourse.
And even if you did have a case of legal obligation, that amount of money would almost certainly be under the jurisdiction of small claims court. You’d have to sue them, take them to court, potentially have to appear in person or hire a legal representative to represent you.
All of this also depends on both the nature of your business arrangement and on what state they or their business resides in. There are 50 states and while many operate in similar ways, each one has their own particular laws and regulations.
Without knowing more and speaking with someone more knowledgeable about the particular details of your situation, my educated guess would be your better off not wasting your time and/or money by cutting your loses. Just learn from this and protect yourself with a contract going forward.
Also im not sure if your aware, but in most places in the US, you only legally owe someone anything if there was a signed agreement.
I could borrow $1,000 bucks from a friend with a promise to pay them back, but unless I signed a contract saying so, they have no way of making me do it legally. You could have a video recording of me promising to pay you back but that doesnt mean shit realistically.
I believe a few areas of the US still allow for whats commonly referenced as enforceable “handshake deals” which, to my knowledge, covers agreements similar to what you are describing. But ive never lived in an area that does so I dont know the specifics.