Club won't pay me my Money!!!!
Wow I need some advice. :'(
I worked in Pittsburgh in July for the Allstar games. While I was there, I went to the place I started dancing. I worked there for about a year, 3 years ago. Some of you may know the place, it used to be called Bare Elegance. Now it's known as Club Royale. The business has declined in the place dramatically. But somehow, I got lucky and found a really great customer who just so happened to buy 3 hour champagne rooms one night and return the following night to buy 4.5 hours with me.
Unfortunately, the guy paid with his credit card. The club has always taken about 45% of what you make on champagne rooms. They have also always held your money for @ least 2 days after if it was paid through a credit card. Why? I don't know...I've asked several times and still cannot get a legitimate answer.
For the 4.5 hours the guy spent about $1500 with me, drinks not included. At the end of the night the dancer (me) get's the remaining percent..about 55% of the money the customer spent. In my case, I was given a receipt for $807.00.
I didn't live in Pittsburgh and had already paid for a place to stay in Myrtle Beach 4 days after this day that I did the chamagne rooms. So I couldn't stick around and wait for my money. 4 days later, I went to Myrtle Beach without my $807. The manager had said over and over that I would get my money; it would be there when I got back.-(4 weeks later). I called and called, checking to make sure it was there...it was there. Then the manager that told me this was fired.
Since then, I've been to the club 3 different occasions,(I live about 4 hours away), and called about 3 times a day not including calls made to the owner. The club insists they don't have any idea when I'll get money. I still have my receipt stating how much they owe me. The owner isn't answering my phone calls. -Apparently he's going to jail soon for laundering drugs and money...so he doesn't care about much of anything. The other two managers are tossing me between them, saying that one is in charge of the money and vice versa.
I just can't believe this is happening to me. I know a few lawyers, matter of fact the guy that bought all the rooms with me happened to be one. (But I can't remember his last name).
I am one stubborn bitch. I want my damn money. I need my money. It's bad enough they take 45% of my champagne room earnings alone, but to take all of my money is fucking disgusting. >:( I have had it.
They're supposedly doing this to a couple other girls..so I've heard. This is just unreal. All we want is what is ours. WTF is this?
Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks alot.
Re: Club won't pay me my Money!!!!
If you are filing your taxes and aren't afraid of a little checking up...
I...R...S...
Re: Club won't pay me my Money!!!!
yea that would piss me off. we get our credit card money at the end of our shift, the same day. sorry that happened....definitly take some legal action.
Re: Club won't pay me my Money!!!!
I filed last year with my w-2's from my non-stripping job. This year I've only been dancing. Should I go to the IRS?
Re: Club won't pay me my Money!!!!
This is a small claims court matter. If you win, you'll get your court costs reimbursed plus a judgment.
You were given a receipt for $807, which is an acknowledgement of them owing you the money. You should win. I would file against them in small claims court ASAP!
Re: Club won't pay me my Money!!!!
This is why I'll never work in a club that holds my money again. It happened to me, and I never got my $$ (granted, I left the country so couldn't pursue).
I'm sorry to hear it- keep at it! Get your $$, then never work there again!
Re: Club won't pay me my Money!!!!
Sometimes the threat of legal action is all it will take. Granted, this is a strip club, so they probably either have representation already through their parent company, or a retained lawyer, but if you tell them, "I have a receipt, and my lawyer says that we'll win easily in small claims court" it might be enough to get them to buckle. They won't want to have to pay out more than 800 in legal fees, it's easier to pay you the 800.
If you know of any other girls who have been ripped off, you might want to contact a lawyer concerning a class action. I can imagine this club scammed quite a few girls, and with high turnover, and girls that move away or stop dancing at the drop of a hat, I'm sure they've made a lot this way.
Re: Club won't pay me my Money!!!!
Re: Club won't pay me my Money!!!!
They hold the cc money for 2 days to make sure the guy doesn't claim fraud later - they are making sure they get paid before they release the money to you. Which means they are making YOU take the risk of potential cc fraud, instead of themselves (which is supposedly what they're charging you those fees for when cashing cc money, so they are basically double fucking you).
I agree with Tina, I would take that shit to small claims court TODAY. Don't wait another second. If you have to hire a lawyer, do it - with the receipt you have, they'll wind up losing and owing you the $807 plus legal costs.
Be prepared to pay taxes this year on your stripping money if you do this because once you take the club to court you can almost surely count on being audited or at least monitored by IRS.
Re: Club won't pay me my Money!!!!
wow....I can't believe they gave you a receipt!
I used to work in a club that made the girls wait for payment to clean. If it was a huge charge, sometimes they'd wait a couple of weeks. It was annoying. Sometimes we never got a receipt either. So you are lucky on that one that you have proof they owe you the money.
Re: Club won't pay me my Money!!!!
Thanks for all your advice girls.
I have contacted a lawyer, one that actually used to be a customer of mine in this particular club. (Really nice guy). Hopefully he'll be able to help me sort this out. At this point, I'm willing to do whatever it takes to get my money. It might be a doozy though. The owner of the club is going to jail for drug and money laundering. He's quit paying all the clubs bills. He knows he's SOL, so he's fucking everyone. :-\
Not me Ass Hole!!!! }:D
Re: Club won't pay me my Money!!!!
^ If that's truly the case and he doesn't pay you, definitely report it to the IRS. Chances are, they've claimed that they only made x amount of dollars off of that money they owe you and claimed that the rest was paid to you. Which can hurt you come tax time. They probably 1099 you and if you have not kept good records to "back up" that dollar amount, you'll end up paying taxes on $800 that you never got.
Report to the IRS.
Re: Club won't pay me my Money!!!!
To put it in short, I've finally received a portion of my money. Apparently the last manager of the club robbed the place before he quit. So supposedly that is what the hold up was. Now, I just need the rest of it. The owner said I would have the remainder of it at the end of the month...and if I wanted to come back to work there before September (because I'm going to SC) that he would wave all my house fee's and tip outs too. So I guess I'll have to see it to believe it.
Bitching does pay off, I guess. Too bad it's such a damn head ache. ::)
Re: Club won't pay me my Money!!!!
^^^no house fees and no tipouts might be worth it. I'd do it. Shoot, if there is good money to be made, even what with it going downhill, I would try to stay a couple extra weeks to milk that place for all it was worth (just don't do anymore credit card slips ;)
Re: Club won't pay me my Money!!!!
Glad you're getting repaid!! Hopefully they follow through with it. :)
Re: Club won't pay me my Money!!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by fancygirl
^^^no house fees and no tipouts might be worth it. I'd do it. Shoot, if there is good money to be made, even what with it going downhill, I would try to stay a couple extra weeks to milk that place for all it was worth (just don't do anymore credit card slips ;)
Me too. I'd sure jump at the chance to work for free if there's any money in the place. And agreed on the no credit cards too. Make the custies use ATM or no-go. Cash n carry baby! ;D