conversation: User (BetweenThePosts): "You've might've heard of Vector Marketing before. Say what you say about them but I made OK money that winter break. They've sent me two letters asking for around $30 back from a 15% commission sale I made a while back. The contract—I'm considered an independent contractor; I'm back in school but I didn't break the contract when I left—doesn't have a section on what to do in case of customers' returns, so that's 1 thing. But the big gripe is that they're supposed to pay me $17 per appointment regardless of a sale or not, and I'm not happy about having to pay them back for work that I did and should collect on. I don't have a problem paying back the $13 in outstanding commission. Should I just write a check at that amount and include like a note?\nEdit: wow r/personalfinance rocks. Update for those who are interested; I think I found the coup de grace:\nThis was my first sale on my second or 3rd day on the job, so I should have collected 10% on this sale, which is $18.5 (above the $17 minimum, so I got 18.5). But I just realized that they are trying to collect a 15% commission (185*.15=exact amount they want) that they didn't even pay me at the time! I got my promotion to 15%  a few days later. I'm starting to believe everyone here saying there just trying to scare me into not doing the math. I'm still scared about it going to collections though "
  Self: "Ask them to point out the part of the contract that requires you to pay them back for returned items. \n\n"
  User (BetweenThePosts): "The contract says that the company will pay commission on all sales shipped to and **retained** by the customer. But below that section, it talks about the minimum pay ($17) requirements, and it does not say anything about returns or retention. It also talks about company-covered third-party arbitration..edit: the arbitration part of the contract specifically talks about how I and the company both waive our right to go to court in favor of some independent arbitration council that the company will pay for expect for filling costs amounting to the total I would pay in court- don't know what that means. Furthermore, why would they take sue me if they can sell it to collections?"
  btribble (btribble): "They would spend more money describing this to their lawyer than they hope to recoup. Ask them to have their lawyer draw up a contract releasing you from further claims. ;)"
  AlexKingstonsGigolo (AlexKingstonsGigolo): "And point out the math showing they are already losing money over this at the same time."
  BABarracus (BABarracus): "So op should pay in 1300 pennies?"
  gusty_state (gusty_state): "Nickels. Pennies can be refused in large amounts. Nickels are still OK last time I checked.\n"
  smallpoly (smallpoly): "Nickles and dimes would really get the message across."
  