Can Drawings or Favors Ever Count as Real Payment?

[joeyar]

It is alleged that in Australia that a man attempted to pay a bill with a drawing of a spider (you can read all about it here: http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=665847 )

Does anyone have any similar stories to share about customers trying to use odd forms of currency?

 

[Math Is Hard]

ha ha ha! That's wonderful!

 

[out of whack]

a man attempted to pay a bill with a drawing of a spider

I think all he was buying was time.

 

[CaptainQuasar]

Well, there's the classic one from high school World History class: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rai_stones" .

I heard a story that might be an urban legend, I haven't verified it: you know the "Publisher's Clearinghouse" type junk mail you get, that tells you you've won a big prize and often includes a fake bank check with the word "VOID" or something printed across it? Supposedly at one point in time they hadn't started putting "VOID" on the check fascimiles and some guy simply went to the bank and cashed the million-dollar check and the courts made the company pay him.

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[Moonbear]

Wow, that customer service person has a lot of patience. I'd have turned it over to a collections agency about the point when he asked for his picture back.

 

[Office_Shredder]

Look at the dates... he had 7 days to make the payment, and it took 7 days to have that conversation. Coincidence? Possibly

 

[Cyrus]

AHHAAHAHahahahahaaaha

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

One of my most favourite stories...
Emperor Norton

Norton did receive some small tokens of formal recognition for his self-claimed position: the 1870 U.S. census records a Joshua Norton residing at 624 Commercial Street and lists his occupation as "Emporer" (sic).[4][30] Norton would also issue his own money on occasion in order to pay for certain debts, and this became an accepted local currency in San Francisco. Typically these notes came in denominations ranging anywhere from fifty cents to ten dollars; the few notes still extant are collector's items. The city of San Francisco also honored Norton. When his uniform began to look shabby, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, with a great deal of ceremony, bought him a suitably regal replacement. In return, Norton sent them a gracious note of thanks and issued a "patent of nobility in perpetuity" for each supervisor.[31]

 

[CaptainQuasar]

That's great. I came across a mention of Emperor Norton once but I only skimmed through it, I didn't know the part about him issuing currency.

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[fileen]

I once had a woman come into the feed store where I use to work, and order up a LOT of horse food, she had her truck all backed up and everything. When I asked how she would like to the pay the rather large bill she told me she had forgotten her wallet and shed "get me next time". She was mighty ticked off when I told her that I would not give her the horse food without cash, debit or credit. She seriously flipped out. Apparently she lived far away and had a lot to do. I had to brandish the telephone and threaten to call the police when she tried to load her own truck with bags of feed. I got called every name in the book, and then some. Finally I was like, "look lady I only make minimum wage, they don't pay me enough to have to deal with the likes of you, if you have a problem come back when the owner or manager are here. Otherwise get the hell out. No money, no horse food." She tried hard to have me fired, and would always come find me and whisper "your day is coming" when she came to the store after that. She was a real nutter

 

[Moonbear]

Look at the dates... he had 7 days to make the payment, and it took 7 days to have that conversation. Coincidence? Possibly

Aha! Now I see!

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

Most interesting tip: a coworker of mine at the coffeehouse once received a sticky black foil wrapped nugget of opium. Apparently the guy just plonked it down in the tip jar and walked.

 

[Moonbear]

Was there a cop walking past at the time?

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

Was there a cop walking past at the time?

Lol... not that I'm aware of.
I didn't try any myself because I had already been drinking but it has one of the most wonderful smells when its burning!

 

[NateTG]

There was a guy who made (one sided), highly detailed paintings of US currency, and offered them in lieu of payment. There was an article in a local paper about him.

 

[JasonRox]

One time I was at a bar, ordered a drink, and I went to pay and I was like... damn, I have no money. Looked at the guy next to me, the bartender looks at him and goes... "I need 5 dollars." And the guy PAID IT!

I couldn't believe it. He was mad though.