I think we probably agree here. I was just pointing out that your alternative suggestion (how_serious_are_you@) might not be much of an improvement from a business point of view over the original (fuckoff@). Ultimately, asking someone to contact legal@ is still significantly escalating a situation where there appears to be very little potential upside from doing so, whatever the underlying intent might be.
Escalating the situation or overtly signaling displeasure is a bad strategy.
Expressing passive skepticism and slow-rolling an invoice you don't believe you should pay is not a bad strategy, at least not always. There is an upside to it.
> Expressing passive skepticism and slow-rolling an invoice you don't believe you should pay is not a bad strategy.
Do you not believe the vendor's story? or are you saying it's okay to be a dick as long as you delude yourself into thinking you don't owe people money?
