To expect to be paid for a job on completion.

[zombieplanmum]

DP has just done a job for someone. It is finished, to their satisfation. It was finished on Monday, signed off by building control on wednesday. We have NO money, our mortgage is overdue and we really need the money. DP has just sent a text as a gentle reminder to the client but im really annoyed - i wouldnt buy something and expect to just pay for it when i have time.

Whilst i realise that our financial situation is not the clients fault (well beyond the fact that we expected payment on wednesday really) and he is not to know that we are broke. I think it is rude, we have even had the text that said, thanks for a great job etc.

Why do people think they can have work done and then just pay later? This happens quite alot and i don't get it. I don't have work done becaues DP does it, but if i did, id expect to pay on completion.

Genuinely: AIBU? Or is this just the done thing? I didn't like having to remind the client to pay but really, they shouldn't put us in the situation where we have to. I need to go shopping but can't becaue we don't have the money. I have about £40 and thats it, i don't want to spend it obviously, in case something comes up.

[ThatVikRinA22]

are they expecting an invoice perhaps?

or have you actually told the client when payment is due? normally its within so many working days of being invoiced - unless you have told them when you wanted payment then YABU.

[zombieplanmum]

Of course we have left them an invoice, why wouldn't we?

[Mintyy]

My husband submits invoices for his work and expects to be paid 30 days later. If it gets to 60 days later then he sends a gentle reminder. I am not sure - what is the convention on building jobs?

[zombieplanmum]

what does "so many days" mean? that could be anything from 2 days (because you said days!) to 30? Does that mean i can go to tesco and buy my shopping and pay within so many days? I really don't understand this - as far as i can see, unless stated otherwise, work should be paid for on completion. Its not like has to do anything more difficult than a bacs transfer that will take five minutes!

[CailinDana]

YANBU. I'm a freelance editor and I started regular work for a client in August. I'm supposed to be paid monthly. Have I been paid yet? Have I buggery. It's lucky that I'm not desperate for the money but even still I expect to be paid for the work I do. Their financial officer has been off ill for a long time so I was sympathetic at first but she's been back a couple of weeks now and still no sign of my money. If it's not in my account next week I'm going to kick up a massive stink.

[ItsAllGoingToBeFine]

What were the invoice terms? If it said payment within 30days then YABU.

[picturesinthefirelight]

I work in the construction industry.

We pay invoices the last day of the month following month of invoice subject to receiving CIS details. 2.5% retention is standard for 12 months.

When we invoice domestic customers we put in th invoice payment now due and expect it within 30 days.

[ThatVikRinA22]

because some work men don't - does it have your terms of payment on it then?
you asked on here if you are being unreasonable - without further info its hard to say.
it was a simple question.
actually forget it.


cant be arsed with snotty tone.

[zombieplanmum]

Mintyy, this is fine when working as a subcontractor, but my DP hasn't done a building job per se, i don't want tosay what it is because it could identify the client. This is why my DP doesn't do work as a subcontractor.

[ItsAllGoingToBeFine]

I would assume an invoice was 30 days unless it specified otherwise.

[picturesinthefirelight]

I wouldn't even know how to organise a bacs transfer from my personal account. With my business account I have to wait until I able to get to a pc with my dongle thingy.

[SugariceAndScary]

I have every sympathy!

Dh is a Plumber, in the past he has finished jobs to the satisfaction of the client, mopped up any snagging list and at times we have still had to wait for up to 6-8 weeks for payment off some people.

Our invoice states payment on receipt, not 14 days like we used to, but some people just think they can dawdle over paying.

These days I ask for a down payment when work starts and have it written on the estimate, nobody has let us down yet.

I give it two weeks and phone, email and re-send the bill once work is completed.

[picturesinthefirelight]

Was the work for a business customer or domestic. Most businesses have one cheque or bacs run per month.

[zombieplanmum]

Vicar, i am sorry if i appeared snipey, having no money is making me a bit touchy about it all. The job was done for a friends son, not a close friend, so the fact that we are left with the guy telling us he was going to pay us last night and he still hasn't has made me nervous.

Pictures, it is a job for a domestic client, the work is done, the client is happy, the building inspector is happy, why should we have to wait for the money?

[ItsAllGoingToBeFine]

Because invoices are usually pay within 30 days. If you didn't specify payment on receipt then you won't get it immediately. It makes much more sense for the payee to hold off as long as possible.

A good way to encourage prompt payment is for eg x-5% for immediate payment, x for payment in 30 days, x+5% for payment in 60 days.

[picturesinthefirelight]

Domestic you do generally expect faster payment. It takes me about a week to pay bills like music lessons or work on the house. When we had an extension money had to be transferred from other accounts/the cheque book found.

I am sympathetic. Both dh and I are self employed (my job in the office if a plumbing firm is part time)

[Lonecatwithkitten]

Stating your terms of payment on the bottom of your invoice allows you to add interest if the bill is not paid within the stated time. Without this on the invoice it makes it more complicated if you have to go to the small claims court. I know this doesn't help you now, but maybe altering the invoice will prevent any misunderstanding in future.

[FishfingersAreOK]

Maybe they have not realised you expect immediate payment. And maybe they need to transfer the money from a savings account in order to pay for the work?

I am sorry you are having cash flow problems - but your client does not know this and it is not his fault.

[hellhasnofurylikeahungrywoman]

We were in your place once upon a time and it's shit. No, it is not unreasonable to be paid upon receipt of an invoice for satisfactory completion of a job but it doesn't seem to happen very often. In our experience the bigger the client, the more likely they are to string out payment. We would never go back to being self-employed. Good luck OP, I hope the money comes in for you soon.

[TiAAAAARGHo]

Unless an invoice states that payment is required immediately, I'd assume 30 days (which is usually what the law implies where it hasn't been specifically discussed between parties). What does your invoice say?

Where I work it takes on average 120 days to get paid. And even then we have to chase and chase and chase sometimes.

[zombieplanmum]

also, they have bacs money to us before and they know that we request money on completion. They are perfectly nice people but i guess they are just doing what people do. I guess we should just wait, cap in hand.

This is how it makes me feel, like we don't have any rights to ask for payment once the job is done. Where is the need to wait?

[ItsAllGoingToBeFine]

Don't take it personally. It's just the way things tend to happen, esp when money is tight. Everyone holds off payment as long as they can which really fecks up smaller businesses cash flow :(

[TiAAAAARGHo]

"they know that we request money on completion" - but did you this time? If you did, then they are being a PITA and need to pull their finger out. Otherwise, they will not see what the rush is and all you can do is ask (until a week or so has passed at which point you can start to push).

[zombieplanmum]

I dont know what the invoice says as my DP filled it out on the day and left it there, whenever i do invoices and send them out i say that the balance is due on completion.

This is one of those awkward situations when the clients are not friends but acquaintances of DP so of course didn't want to come down all heavy with official invoices etc. So DP did the job at agreed price, there were extras that DP agreed with client, he will have added them to the invoice, the client told us he would pay us on wednesday, its saturday now :(

I just find it really absurd that people would have work done and not expect to pay once it is finished, if you buy a peice of furniture etc, unless you have an agreement to pay over time you pay on delivery. I wouldn't dream of doing this, but then this is because im aware of how people would be relying on the money and would feel really crap about keeping them waiting.

[shushpenfold]

No - I don't think you're being unreasonable - I am always very careful to try and pay one man or small companies as quickly as possible...even passing across the money on the first day completed. I know how tight it can be and I just don't think people think sometimes.