Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to ask what is a reasonable length of time to chase payment. .

101 replies

whiteblossom · 28/04/2015 13:53

I've had different tradesman do work in my home and have been surprised to be chased up for payment after they have handed me the invoice just 14 hours after. Today a different tradesman, 24 hours later...aibu to think fuck off and give me a chance (they want cash so need to get to the bank)

The first tradesman Ive used a handful of times, paid no problems, job finished at 6pm on a friday, invoice handed over...8 am sat morning phone call chasing payment after being told "we can't live off fresh air you know"

I didn't use them again she was so bloody nasty with it too. (Wife chased up for her husband)

Surely you give it a week then chase?

OP posts:
LurkingHusband · 28/04/2015 14:10

Re payment in cash.

Depending on the company, they may be paying their workers in cash. There's no law yet about having to have a bank account.

And as I said, some suppliers insist on cash payment. Especially from sole traders, especially when starting out, especially for large orders.

ImNameyChangey · 28/04/2015 14:11

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

UncleT · 28/04/2015 14:12

Im again it said bank transfer - that's nothing to do with PayPal. Why would you assume it was? Doesn't massively suggest you have a clue what you're on about.

mousmous · 28/04/2015 14:12

we only ever pay via bank transfer and upon receipt of a detailed invoice. often same night if everything is ok.

nottheOP · 28/04/2015 14:12

Invoice to payment would usually be 28 days. I work and get paid at the end of the month...

sparechange · 28/04/2015 14:12

Because for as long as I can remember 'discount for cash' meant 'discount for me being able to get away with not putting this through the books'.

It is still a huge issue, hence Ed Balls making a big thing earlier this year of saying people should get a receipt for cash jobs when paying more than £10.

Are you really saying that alarm bells wouldn't ring for you if someone refused to accept a bank transfer for work and insisted it had to be in cash?

ImNameyChangey · 28/04/2015 14:13

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

fixedit · 28/04/2015 14:13

What an odd attitude to have, I might nip to the hairdressers and tell them to give me a cut and colour but tell them afterwards to wait a week for payment Hmm

ImNameyChangey · 28/04/2015 14:14

Ed Balls? Ed fucking Balls says this and that? Is HE living on 300 quid a week SOMETIMES? Is he struggling with arseholes who don't pay their bills?

Is he fuck.

ImNameyChangey · 28/04/2015 14:14

Ed Balls? Ed fucking Balls says this and that? Is HE living on 300 quid a week SOMETIMES? Is he struggling with arseholes who don't pay their bills?

Is he fuck.

ImNameyChangey · 28/04/2015 14:15

Sorry for repeated double posts. Stupid laptop.

There are some serious arseholes on this thread.

sparechange · 28/04/2015 14:15

She can't be arsed going to the bank
Where has she said that?
She has said that she was given one invoice at 6pm on a Friday, and was then chased at 8am on Saturday.
I'd love you to tell me where all those banks that are open at 6am on a Saturday morning are, because there aren't any near me...

I had a plumber out last week to fix something. He had a rough description of the problem over the phone, but I didn't know if it was going to be a 30 min job, or a 4 hour job.
Was I supposed to have gone to the bank and taken out £500 to cover all eventualities, or waited until I got the invoice to know how much it was going to cost?

minibmw2010 · 28/04/2015 14:16

The OP hasn't said the tradesman refused a bank transfer, just that they'd asked for cash. We don't know if she offered a straight away bank transfer whether he'd have said yes or no. Her main issue was god forbid, being asked to pay the invoice straight away. I doubt the tradesman got credit off his suppliers so why should she get credit off him? You pay the person you've asked to do the job when finished. Yes a bank transfer is preferable these days, but some trades are still working in cash and some banks do not do their transfers straight away. People are trying to make a living without us making assumptions rightly or wrongly about their tax status.

ImNameyChangey · 28/04/2015 14:16

The working poor are sole traders...tradesmen who earn JUST enough to get by and not enough for ANY benefits other than a bit of working tax credit. And then people on here have the nerve to say "Ooo he MIGHT be evading tax!"

As though that gives them the right to not pay! It's absolutely repugnant.

Cacofonix · 28/04/2015 14:16

Whiteblossom I am with you. Unless the tradesman is expecting cash or a cheque immediately when they finish I usually aim to do a bank transfer within 48 hours of invoice. If I get called in under 24 hours to 'remind' me then I don't use them again. I always clarify how they want to be paid. Honestly most never want cheques so a bank transfer is easier but if you are running a business you should have enough leeway to cover your living expenses for 48 hours before being paid. You can't just magic up large wads of money immediately at times - we occasionally have to transfer from one account to another to then pay with online banking - this can take 24 hours.

sparechange · 28/04/2015 14:18

ImName
I think you are getting a bit worked up over this... No one is saying the OP shouldn't pay, but whether or not 14 overnight hours is a reasonable time to elapse before chasing. Especially when they are asking for payment in cash, which most people won't have lying around.
No one has mentioned the right not to pay. You are just making that bit up yourself

UncleT · 28/04/2015 14:18

Absolutely ROTFL at 'can't be arsed to go to the bank' and 'disgusting'. That's completely ridiculous - you're making stuff up.

herethereandeverywhere · 28/04/2015 14:18

If there is an invoice then it's much harder for a cash payment to be 'dodgy' as there is a paper record of work done and money demanded/received.

MrsHathaway · 28/04/2015 14:23

Payment on delivery/completion is standard, and fair.

You knew roughly how much it would be, so could have gone to the bank already.

I'd be sympathetic if they hadn't actually finished, but gosh. How long are you going to put it off?

LurkingHusband · 28/04/2015 14:24

"Discount for cash".

We'd sometimes give that. With an invoice which HMRC would see.

Clearly a lot of armchair "Apprentice" fans here, who know (charitably) stuff all about running a business. (Well, the retired management of British Leyland have to have a hobby).

Sometimes, £100 in the hand, is worth £150 in the bank. Especially if you have to pay your parts supplier (cash only, as you can't get a credit account) tomorrow.

If nothing else, once the cash is in your hand, it really is yours. There are many circumstances under which a bank transfer can be reversed ....

whiteblossom · 28/04/2015 14:24

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

stubbornstains · 28/04/2015 14:28

There's no problem paying/ being paid in cash, so long as you have a proper, numbered invoice. It doesn't mean it's not going to go through the books.

I don't personally have a problem with a customer taking 48 or so hours to pay, as long as they tell me when they're intending to- ie "Is it OK if I do a bank transfer on Monday morning?" Although a wodge of cash in the hand is always nice- it's immediately satisfying, and one thing less to worry about. Smile.

I think your tradesman's wife was a bit out of order coming on so strong so early, and if she doesn't learn how to put things in a nicer way and employ a bit of tact, she's going to start losing her DH work.

Pyjamaschocolateandwine · 28/04/2015 14:29

Because generally it is. Not all the time but generally we all know it is to avoid tax.

We had an HMRC audit for both of our businesses and it was very stressful even though we could show complete audit trails.

By paying in cash you are potentially helping a tradesman dodge tax and that's wrong. He/she might be perfectly above board but you won't be sure.

Look at Greece. That's what happens when paying tax is generally avoided.

Op running a business is tough. As A cm I have met late payers like you and lazy payers and it's incredibly annoying.

GottaFeeling · 28/04/2015 14:30

I think you're right OP. Absolutely you should pay promptly, but they need to give you reasonable time to check the work and arrange the payment IMO.

Yes, I want paying once I've done some work but I have to wait the end of the month. I don't think it's unreasonable to expect a tradesman to wait a day or two.

flowerygirl · 28/04/2015 14:33

I think being chased for payment that soon is a bit much. But I can see why he would want the money as soon as he'd finished. Still, it's a bit pushy. I've worked in AP and all invoices give you at least 14 days. It's not your fault OP that he's a sole trader.

The builder we used for a lot of work on our house specifically told me he wanted cash to 'keep the taxman out of my arse'. Nice. It is dodgy to always pay cash with no invoice because if there is any dispute where's the proof?!