Winnipeg company publicly shames customer into paying overdue bill

WINNIPEG – A man has paid his overdue bill after a Winnipeg flooring company called him out publicly.

River Park Flooring put up an attention-grabbing sign on Monday that said the customer had an outstanding balance of more than $1,100.

Co-owner Curtis Rossow says the company was trying to get the man’s attention.

Rossow says not getting paid for work hurts small businesses.

The customer paid the bill on Thursday.

Rossow says there were mixed reactions to the sign.

“We’ve taken many phone calls this week over it,” he said. “Some people are open to it and understand it, and some people don’t think it is the right thing to do.”

Lawyer Robert Tapper said putting up such a sign can be a risky move.

“If it is the case that one party is saying this person isn’t paying me, and implying to the public that this person is simply someone who doesn’t like paying their bills, or is a stiff, or is a bad person, that could well be defamatory,” he said.

The customer turned down a request for an interview.

(CTV Winnipeg)