Dellbert Posted June 30, 2017 Report Share Posted June 30, 2017 Have a problem going on at the moment .Repaired a van for a guy which he then decided he wasnt paying . In the end after finding out he was bankrupt i phoned him and said ' I can take you to court for the £1200 but that wont bother you as youve done it before or i can sell the debt to the man sitting next to me who will get the money and charge you for getting it . So only £150 left to collect . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saddler Posted June 30, 2017 Report Share Posted June 30, 2017 Any goods supplied remain your property until paid for. Any external paintwork? Nip around & start wire brushing or chemically stripping it off....whichever is smelliest/dirtiest. Had this with one chap. Used to supply his leather shooting accessories. He had I later found out, the nickname of "the most hated man in the Borders". He'd had almost every tradesman within 30 miles to his house once....would then find fault with the job & refuse to pay. Owed out thousands in unpaid invoices. In one conversation with me, he explained he had no funds to pay the last three invoices. ...then proudly showed me a plastic cartridge carrier....saying he'd imported a batch at £?? each. Quick sums gave his outlay on these as about £5k I opened a draw & pulled out my completed small claims form with his details on. Made sure he saw it. He paid the next week. No apologies ever offered. Stopped supplying him soon after. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ferguson_tom Posted June 30, 2017 Report Share Posted June 30, 2017 It's amazing that the people who seem to have money actually don't at all. And they'll happily stand there with a cuppa in hand without offering you one. Whereas the people you'd think haven't got a hapenny to their name will pay you bang on time and give you a drink Back when i was in scouts at christmas we used to do the father christmas on a float thing around the local area, you can guarantee the best nights for cash raised were the cheaper areas of town predominately council housed and the worst was always the big houses (now all worth in excess of 1 million at least for perspective) Of course the well off family still encouraged their kids to look and waive at Santa but come out of the door and hand some money over to charity....no chance! Two courses of action seem most likely to get a result legal route with small claims court or go round and start removing everything you have done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paddy Galore! Posted June 30, 2017 Report Share Posted June 30, 2017 this seems to be happening a lot round my way, the last two guys I subbed to were late payers, after a lot of searching I found where the first guy lived, his company address was on an industrial estate in rackheath, but it was empty, the office number was a swaffham code, I had to pay directory enquiries but I eventually found the ball bag and got my 1.5k back, all be it in drips and drabs, this was virtually unheard of before 2008, you'd get strung up. the second guy was just as bad, it took him 2 months to settle up eventually. but I do find a phone call or a txt saying " don't bother posting the cheque as i'll come round and collect it in person" really helps. small claims can be a pita, it's initially expensive if you're short of funds, and there's no telling how long it'll take to get your money back, if at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newbie to this Posted June 30, 2017 Report Share Posted June 30, 2017 (edited) If you have legal cover with your work public liability insurance, give them a ring they will help. We used it with the last company that owed us money didn't cost us a penny, we didn't get paid because he folded the company rather than pay, but as your customer is not a company they can't do the same. Edited June 30, 2017 by Newbie to this Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
figgy Posted June 30, 2017 Report Share Posted June 30, 2017 Only way to deal with them is knock on door and start milling. If they don't pay paint the outside of there house with won't pay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted June 30, 2017 Report Share Posted June 30, 2017 (edited) withdrawn post ..as not very correct Edited June 30, 2017 by ditchman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rupert Posted June 30, 2017 Report Share Posted June 30, 2017 Moneyclaim online, its 35 quid to get the ball rolling, and if successful they pay that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scutt Posted June 30, 2017 Report Share Posted June 30, 2017 Be polite at all times but don't let go ask for your money on the doorstep at the pub or golf course church anywhere they go more public the better worked for me many a time . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vampire Posted June 30, 2017 Report Share Posted June 30, 2017 Am quite a fan of the approach one chap took when a customer wouldn't pay for their porch - porch still belonged to him, so took it back with sledge hammer. When someone won't pay in my cab, I drive them for the amount they owe me - that way they aren't a thief and I've not been stolen from. One chap refused to pay in s.e London, and got dropped just short of the Dartford crossing. In the rain. Firm but fair Like your style. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bear-uk Posted June 30, 2017 Report Share Posted June 30, 2017 I live with it and use it against my Tax bill. Try not to get stressed out as its part of being self employed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tiny tim Posted June 30, 2017 Report Share Posted June 30, 2017 happens to me all the time I do garden work and loads of people think they can get away with not paying direct approach s best....just go around with invoice in hand not paid in a fortnight ,go around again early morning is good ......just dropping your invoice off when they realise that you are not going to go away thay usually pay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subsonicnat Posted June 30, 2017 Report Share Posted June 30, 2017 Two brothers I knew built an extention for black guy in Coventry. Hallway,bathroom,two bedrooms as well as the double garage it sat on.. Brief and short,,Told his brother who went ape,as the money they used was hard gained over 2/3 years. He went round and knocked every other brick out ground level.. Cheeky ******** took him to court for damages,,HE WON,,,Made him put all the bricks back.?. They never got a Penny of it.. I felt really sorry for them,they worked hard for the money the saved.. THE LAW IS A TOTAL ***.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muddy Funker Posted July 1, 2017 Report Share Posted July 1, 2017 I've seen this before. They live like that by taking advantage of people like you, show no mercy That would be my first thought as well. I'd send one more invoice and state that the if payment isn't forth coming you'll be starting court proceedings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
decoy1979 Posted July 1, 2017 Report Share Posted July 1, 2017 I had the opposite issue with a teadesman that was cutting corners and when challenged walked away thinking he was gonna leave me out of pocket. The address on his business card wasn't his when I paid a visit so all I had was a mobile number. I knew who had supplied materials and managed to get hold of a billing address, an early morning knock on the door and some straight talking got the issue resolved! Put them on the spot and make it clear what the steps will be if they fail to pay. There is some useful information available from citizens advice which works for both customer & trasesperson. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest stevo Posted July 1, 2017 Report Share Posted July 1, 2017 Sorry if I've missed it. But how long did you leave it from finishing the job to invoicing the customer ? What sort of time frame are we talking here ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spandit Posted July 1, 2017 Report Share Posted July 1, 2017 Two brothers I knew built an extention for black guy in Coventry. Is his ethnicity relevant? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twistedsanity Posted July 1, 2017 Report Share Posted July 1, 2017 Keep a record of all contacts, do everything you can to help them sort it out, send a final demand, letter before action, then small claims or county court depending on amount. The small claims procedure is very simple and all done from the comfort of your own laptop now, just been through it all with my builder so feel free to pm me if I can advise in Any way as to the procedure Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike737 Posted July 1, 2017 Report Share Posted July 1, 2017 Small claims doesn't always work. I had a customer refusing to pay some years ago, took him to small claims, won, he didn't pay, but went bankrupt instead. So I ended up worse off than if I hadn't claimed. Mike. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
del.gue Posted July 1, 2017 Report Share Posted July 1, 2017 I have a customer who owes me several thousand. The most annoying thing is that i regarded them as friends. (Actually one of my permissions. No contract signed for this reason) Went bandit on the extra work we did. Guess its true that business and friendship dont mix. Big lesson learned! Deciding on my options at the minute.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ips Posted July 1, 2017 Report Share Posted July 1, 2017 Small claims doesn't always work. I had a customer refusing to pay some years ago, took him to small claims, won, he didn't pay, but went bankrupt instead. So I ended up worse off than if I hadn't claimed. Mike. Yep been there a few times, I just write them off now if there under about £200. Most I got taken for was 3k but that was about 1988 so a lot of money then. Got done for another 3k about a year later. Did a job in a Italian restaurant about twenty years ago six months passed still no payement. Rang him up Friday at 7pm told him I was coming down for 8pm and if no payment (think it was couple hundred quid) I would personally start removing goods and I wasn't going to be doing it quietly...he had cash ready at the door. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twistedsanity Posted July 1, 2017 Report Share Posted July 1, 2017 Small claims doesn't always work. I had a customer refusing to pay some years ago, took him to small claims, won, he didn't pay, but went bankrupt instead. So I ended up worse off than if I hadn't claimed. Mike. It's a judgement call before Starting court action as to weather the debtor has the assets and money to pay or not, mine has assets and a property worth £750k so if anything I will pay the £1200 and bankrupt him to get my money which is a touch over 10k, I wouldn't have proceeded with any legal action if I wasn't certain he had the money to go after, in simple terms if they don't have it you can't get it from them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fruity Posted July 1, 2017 Report Share Posted July 1, 2017 Is there a reason they haven't paid possibly. Bereavement, holiday, are they happy with the work ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old farrier Posted July 1, 2017 Report Share Posted July 1, 2017 Lots of hassle I usually just ask if there's a reason for not paying the bills And take it from the reply If they have a good reason no problem although they should have said rather than ignoring it Don't bother with small claims personally I just sell the dept to a really horrible pair of brothers who have a dept collection business I'll settle for a small % as long as they don't get away with it All the best Of Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ips Posted July 1, 2017 Report Share Posted July 1, 2017 (edited) Edit Edited July 1, 2017 by ips Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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