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.

It does truly suck OP :(

For future, I recommend your DP carries round some pro-forma invoices (with your wording on) that he can just fill in the job and price details for.

Well YABU really as generally you'd expect 30 days or so to pay a large sum. The client isn't to know how you manage your household finances, as you've already pointed out. Presumably they need time to transfer a large sum, bow they know the exact amount owing.

Won't you be in the same position the next time he finishes a job, if you haven't arranged your finances to take this fairly typical scenario into account?

didn't want to come down all heavy with official invoices , what do you mean?

Is this a cash job OP?

shushpenfold, i wish all people were like you - i don't know what people think, we don't charge a fortune for DP's services so we are clearly not going to be rolling in cash. Its really hard especially when work has been a bit thin on the ground, this sort of thing makes it so so stressful. Im sat here in tears because i dont know what to do. I dont want to have to "get on" to the client, as i said, they are nice people.

The thing is, they are quite well off and waiting for the money for them might not be a big issue so it probably hasn't even occured to them that we are actually waiting to be paid so we can do a food shop :(

When did you send them the invoice?

Oh of coures it is a cash job sugarice and scary you didn't exactly want us to pay tax on it or anything did you????

Of course it isn't a bloody cash job - the client will pay by cash, well BACs transfer as that is what is easiest for them. DP has left him a hand written invoice from an invoice book, i meant i didn't want to send official invoices out with "due on completion" written all over it. The job is being done for he "children" of people who we do alot of work for and have a really good relationship with.

Thanks for making such an assumption

If someone comes to my house and does work, I expect to pay straight away.

Just as if I buy a dishwasher, or a dress, I expect to pay when I get it.

Why should a domestic customer get, essentially, 30 days' credit. Or more, in fact, because the tradesman has had to pay out for equipment and parts.

The only time I wouldn't pay immediately would be if it was a very big job, in which case I would pay most of it but hold a small percentage back until I was sure everything was completed properly.

And I don't think anyone expects 30 days to pay, if they have known since the start of the job how much it was going to cost and when it was going to be completed.

We are just trying to make a living, we are not hapless idiots, but we cannot afford to wait for people to get themselves sorted in terms of finances, they know they are having the work done, they know when it is to be finished. The bill wont have been a great surprise, you know, because they knew how much it was before we started. There were some extras, all optional, all agreed to as and when we bought them (we have paid out for materials).

If I received an invoice on Wednesday with an understanding that payment was due, I would do a BACS transfer which generally takes three days or so to hit the clients account. Does your invoice have your bank details on it ? I don't think your clients done anything wrong if he wasn't aware and agreed to payment after completion.

If someone comes to my house and does work I would expect to pay immediately and receive receipt.

If someone comes to my house, does work, and leaves invoice, I would pay within the terms of the invoice (30 days by default)

Sorry to have upset you. We've done cash jobs in the past ,that's why I asked.

I know the feeling, I work in Childcare and getting paid sometimes is like pulling teeth , I love my job but its so frustrating! I have a mortgage , bills and my own children to support! It's rude and inconsiderate.

MaryZed thankyou, this is all I am asking. We have paid out money for materials, we are out of pocket, my DP has done the work, to an excellent standard, the clients are thrilled. So why should we wait? nothing is going to fall off, it works, the client has seen it all working, the building inspector was happy with it.

Oh Sugar, i am so sorry - i just feel so upset but it all, then people have come along and made me feel wore for even asking for he money, i feel like i should be grateful they even deign to pay.

Its all going to be fine, its not like that in this instance, we left the bill, not an invoice because an invoice implies it doesnt have to be paid straight away i guess because the client wasn't there. My DP left the bill on the day he met the building inspector at the property, the client was at work, it is miles away so not convinient for DP to wait around for the client to get home from work.

I wondered if the BACs would take a few days, but the client has paid us for work previously and it was instant BACs.

Usually it is made clear when the money is expected. Either verbally or by an invoice. It's probably a misunderstanding and they think you are in no rush for the money. Also depends on the amount. If it's a large amount in cash maybe they need to give their bank or building society notice. But even if there is no agreement most clients will say how much do we owe and then tell you they will have the money by such and such a date.

Maybe you should get DH to take with him an invoice for materials on the last day of the job and then invoice for the labour part upon completion?

And get DH to make sure invoices state the terms.

You have asked 'Genuinely: AIBU?' then been very surly with anyone who thinks so. In which case I'll say what I really think - it's not your DH's clients' fault that your finances are arranged so tightly. If you don't even know if he wrote 'payment now due' you are even more U. You can't expect to use your distress over your finance as a reason to be rude.

I'm afraid 30 days is normal. It's the same for everyone who is self-employed, even if they're on a low income. Self-employment is less secure in many ways as you will know (no sick pay, holiday pay or employer's pension contributions etc)

YABU if your invoice doesn't explicitly state "due on completion". Mine are due within 30 days and I normally get paid somewhere between 30-60 days from date of issue (somewhat different to your situation as mostly mine are insurance claims so clients post the invoice to their insurance company for processing & payment).

We've recently had building work done & payment of invoices had to wait for updated house valuation, bank approval and then mortgage drawdown- to okay least 10 days each time. Could this be their issue?

Our finances are not arranged tightly through choice, believe me :(

Like i tried to say, it was all done very friendly, very unofficially - had i known i would have sent written invoice myself stating that money was due on completion. DP is just too nice to say.

No need to apologise Zombie

I've been where you are and it's incredibly stressful I know, we've been 'on the stop' at merchants due to lack of payment from customers and have had to lend money off MiL to pay bills in the interim.

It is not building work that they have had done so no mortgage valuation needed

And for what it is worth we pay upon receipt. But paying on receipt for our current project means at least 48 hours. I need to transfer money from the savings account and then pay the invoice. My invoices are in the thousands at the moment and I do not want that level of money sitting in my current account for security reasons. I cannot make transfers/payments from the savings account. I do not want the payment to bounce. So I have to make sure the money is transferred before I can pay the bill. So to me, payment on receipt, fine. But I cannot speed up the banking system. It takes at least 48 hours. Minimum. And tbh I think that is pretty fast.

Its not even that much money that we are owed :(