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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think that if you get an invoice you dont NEED to pay it immediately?

138 replies

Hundredthmillionthdiet · 16/05/2024 16:26

Context : used a new mechanic to repair car who issues invoices. Its taken 4 weeks to get the invoice and I've said to OH we can pay it when we get paid on Wednesday. OH wants to pay it now out savings , I'd rather not as more often than not the money doesn't get replaced (that's our issue not mechanics')

I'm not disputing paying it - of course not. Just opinions. Usually invoices will say pay withing x number of days which I've asked him to double check. Just wondering what's reasonable, as I'm sure there will be times cars need fixed etc and people to have the money immediately to hand.

OP posts:
NeverEnoughPants · 16/05/2024 17:02

PanicAttax · 16/05/2024 16:56

I always pay when I pick up the car. Weird to just walk in and drive off?!

And what do you do if the bill isn't ready? Tell them to keep the car until it is?

Original poster
Hundredthmillionthdiet · 16/05/2024 16:59

HisNibs · 16/05/2024 16:53

What if the mechanic had asked for immediate payment when you collected your car? Would they still be waiting now?

Of course not. This is purely from point of view from being issued an invoice, that's taken 4 weeks to be issued thats all. Not something I have experienced before.

OP posts:
greenbeansrock · 16/05/2024 16:58

Hundredthmillionthdiet · 16/05/2024 16:57

We tried but he hadn't worked out total cost

Show quote history

so you were expecting to pay immediately?

so what is the problem?

Addictforanex · 16/05/2024 16:58

When I was renovating my house trades invoices would come thick and fast. I’d usually sit down on a Saturday and pay those that had come in during the week, updating my spreadsheet as I went. All fine.

There was one guy - a stonemason- who would want same day payment. Literally send the invoice in the morning and the emails would start at lunchtime saying “haven’t seen payment yet, can you attend to invoice asap!”. By the evening “is there a problem with the work, are you refusing payment” etc. I was literally at work FFS I was not going to drop everything and start doing personal banking, and had no chance to even validate the work had been done. I won’t use let him again, such an aggressive way to operate.

greenbeansrock · 16/05/2024 16:58

PanicAttax · 16/05/2024 16:56

I always pay when I pick up the car. Weird to just walk in and drive off?!

exactly

Original poster
Hundredthmillionthdiet · 16/05/2024 16:57

PanicAttax · 16/05/2024 16:56

I always pay when I pick up the car. Weird to just walk in and drive off?!

We tried but he hadn't worked out total cost

OP posts:
greenbeansrock · 16/05/2024 16:57

i always do

and consequently tradesmen always come back and put me to front of queue when needed!

Einwegflasche · 16/05/2024 16:57

I don't always get an invoice straight away from my local garage, but it's normally within a couple of days, and I always tend to pay within a couple of days too. Sometimes the bill is ready when I collect it and I normally pay it there and then, the exception being if the receptionist has left the bill but since gone home and I don't want to disturb the mechanics. They are good, reliable and trustworthy and I appreciate that so pay them promptly. My previous garage, who I stopped going to for other reasons, actually presented you with the bill and got you to pay before you left. Some garages do this because so many people try to claim poverty after agreeing to expensive work. I pay tradespeople within a day or so normally too, even if it's taken a good while to actually get the bill from them.

PanicAttax · 16/05/2024 16:56

I always pay when I pick up the car. Weird to just walk in and drive off?!

HisNibs · 16/05/2024 16:53

What if the mechanic had asked for immediate payment when you collected your car? Would they still be waiting now?

Confortableorwhat · 16/05/2024 16:52

I do usually pay trades straightway, but if he's taken 4 weeks to send you the invoice, and it's more convenient for you to wait, I'd wait a few days.

WhyCantPeopleBeNice · 16/05/2024 16:52

For anyone saying pay now so you don't forget, Just schedule the payment!
Usually though I'd say pay as soon as you get it if you value their work and want to use them again. If I ever had a scheduling conflict I go with the easiest/best paying customer!!

Could you pay out of savings now and schedule a transfer back for Wednesday so everyone is happy?

VesperLind · 16/05/2024 16:51

I pay tradesmen on the day the work is done (assuming all is satisfactory) or on the day I receive the invoice. Doing this makes it more likely that they will prioritise working for me again.

ToxicChristmas · 16/05/2024 16:51

Depends on the terms of the invoice. I have customers with accounts who have 30 days and I have occasional customers whose bills are payable on receipt. I'd be fine with Wednesday personally if you phoned and asked me but I would ask. Don't just leave it until he chases.

Original poster
Hundredthmillionthdiet · 16/05/2024 16:51

MissDianaBarry · 16/05/2024 16:45

I have never used mechanic/garage who wait 4 weeks before issuing an invoice. I assume you knew the full cost of the repair, have driven the car around for a month and now cannot decide when to pay - in so much confusion that you need to ask a bunch of strangers as to what you should do.

Hardly. We did not know full cost of repair, and when we spoke to mechanic he said it would depend how long it was up on ramp and if there was other issues.

Its the week before pay day. I've never worked with a mechanic who uses invoices before. He's waited 4 weeks to ask for payment so I dont think it's unreasonable to wait till pay day surely (6 days) ?

OP posts:
PickAChew · 16/05/2024 16:49

Hundredthmillionthdiet · 16/05/2024 16:42

Fair enough. A bit hard to budget when you don't know how much it is though.

Show quote history

And I find that bizarre, too. It's a licence for them to pull a number out of mid air.

saoirse31 · 16/05/2024 16:48

Pay by due date which is on invoice

OmuraWhale · 16/05/2024 16:47

Why not just pay it now and then put the same amount into savings next Wed?

JacquesHarlow · 16/05/2024 16:46

I find it fascinating that people say "oh pay it instantly or you forget"..

...You all have smartphones?

Reminders apps, etc, with notification capabilities?

There's two things here.

Either you pay instantly using savings, then set a reminder to replenish savings on Wednesday when new money comes in

Or you pay Wednesday when the money becomes available, but you notify the mechanic and you ask them if that's ok.

Not paying until Wednesday, and not saying anything, is a bit of a poor option.

MissDianaBarry · 16/05/2024 16:45

I have never used mechanic/garage who wait 4 weeks before issuing an invoice. I assume you knew the full cost of the repair, have driven the car around for a month and now cannot decide when to pay - in so much confusion that you need to ask a bunch of strangers as to what you should do.

HisNibs · 16/05/2024 16:44

If the invoice doesn't have payment terms on it, I would assume it needed paying as soon as possible. I'm surprised it wasn't pay on collection of your car anyway. Did you not ask for an estimate so you could budget for it? I also find that people who pay their bills more quickly get better service in future.

Original poster
Hundredthmillionthdiet · 16/05/2024 16:42

PickAChew · 16/05/2024 16:35

You've had a month to set the money aside for it.

Fair enough. A bit hard to budget when you don't know how much it is though.

OP posts:
Ponderingwindow · 16/05/2024 16:39

We sit down and pay bills at most once a week. It’s really about every 10-12 days. It’s more just a matter of time management than cash flow.

im not going to rush to pay an invoice that didn’t arrive for a month. I’ll pay it when I process the next batch of bills.

VolvoFan · 16/05/2024 16:37

You should always aim to pay off invoices as soon as possible. When it comes to money, I'm always very hot on timings anyway. Late payments lead to cashflow issues, so you don't want to keep them hanging. However, considering it took them 4 weeks to issue the bloody thing, I don't think cashflow is a concern for them.

Original poster
Hundredthmillionthdiet · 16/05/2024 16:36

PickledPurplePickle · 16/05/2024 16:30

I’m amazed you managed to drive your car away without paying

Any mechanic I've used has always told us later how much it is with a text.

My OH was down last week to see how much it was and the mechanic said he had only sent out up to February's invoices.

OP posts:
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