Gene sez: After talking to Skeeter Kerkove last week and hearing how a company owner owes him $5,000 on a loan but refuses to offer payment back, I put it out there that I’d like to air similar stories about the dirtbags, grifters and deadbeats in this industry. And perhaps help some people collect the money that’s owed them at the same time. True to the nature, of this business at least, people have stories to tell but are reluctant to name names. I just got some correspondence relating to how one of the better known names in the industry is owed $1200 by someone in Florida who agreed to cough up $150 at a time [remember, this is the multi-billion dollar business] but has stopped doing so. Just because they think they can get away with.

Along those lines, I heard a story yesterday about a vendor on the east coast who is systematically ripping off porn companies with bad checks on dead accounts but gets away with it because no one will talk. I got some of the story on his latest scam and, with full details at my disposal, will name names and give out the phone number of this guy.

Then I’ve got a story that strikes home. I’m dealing with a company owner who’s owed me a good chunk of change for several months, keeps telling me the check is in the mail. And- get this- after the check is in the mail story expired for lack of creativity, swore up and down that they’d meet me and deliver a check personally. They stood me up, of course, [not the first time] but not after I re-arranged my afternoon schedule to accommodate them. Now I am ready to unload. And I don’t think this one will be pretty. Especially since this same stunt was pulled on me by the same person earlier this year. Shame on me? Damn right. But I’ve got audio tape of them making promises…and promises…and promises. More coming on this one. And did I mention the bounced check?