Being hounded for payment

[JJPP1234]

I've had a guy in decorating my lounge. The job took a couple of days and he finished today at 4.30. When he was leaving he asked how I wanted to pay so I asked if bank transfer would be ok. He said fine and emailed his details immediately.
An hour later I've looked at my phone and I've had 5 text messages and a missed call plus voicemail asking where his money is.
AIBU to have not paid him (I've done it now - was going to wait for DH to get home and i was making dinner) within an hour of him leaving my house?

@FrancisCrawford

OP had agreed by bank transfer. Why does it need to be immediate

And no it isn’t like buying from a shop!

YANBU OP. A bit OTT

It is reasonable to pay within 48 hrs

Even if you had done it immediately faster payment takes up to two hours, so he’s being totally unreasonable. But do make sure you deal with it ASAP.

Usually when I've had people doing work they send me an invoice a couple of days later and I pay within 24 hours. I really didn't think I was being slack. Just curious about what others think.

With the plumber I used last time, it was cash after the job was completed or an immediate bank transfer before he left the house. So perhaps not an uncommon expectation in manual work.

I'd also pay immediately. He's probably been stung before and learnt he needs to be quite insistent to get paid ASAP.

It's maybe a little OTT but he might have had problems in the last .You should have managed his expectations if you weren't going to pay immediately

I've always paid as they leave.

We've held off until the next day so we can check out the work in daylight first. I think that's pretty reasonable but we did mention it to them (and had paid a deposit).

"He's probably been stung before and learnt he needs to be quite insistent to get paid ASAP."

This.

You're hardly being hounded, are you?

If he wanted cash in hand he should have said. A transfer the next day would be reasonable.

Yes, OTT. So what if he has had bad experiences in the past. 6 chasers in one hour is excessive

I would class 5 texts and voicemail as hounding.

Tbh I do feel a bit hounded. He's basically driven home and then attempted to contact me every 5 minutes.
It's interesting that many people.do an instant transfer... What happens when it isn't instant though? If he'd had wanted cash this could've been arranged but he seemed find with the transfer. I shall bear this in mind for the future though!

Always paid immediately.

I think 5 texts and a voicemail in an hour is definitely hounding!

Perhaps hes been ripped off before and is paranoid.

YANBU. That's really weird. Use someone else next time unless he was good enough to risk lettuce no a crazy person into your house.

You were definitely hounded. My dad is a decorator. He would finish the job then invoice. Sometimes he would wait weeks for payment and that is legal

In my experience I have always been asked to pay cash or bank transfer before the decorator leaves the property.

He was being a bit OTT but there could be any number of reasons why he needed the money asap.

I'd pay up immediately.

Many businesses go bankrupt due to none payment of invoices.

You need to pay for a job once it’s finished and promptly- the decorator may have been stung many times before for all you know...

Perhaps he desperately needed the money right away. Perhaps he agreed to bank transfer as he presumed you would do it immediately.

It only takes a few minutes to make a bank transfer, you could have done it as he left.

yanbu
unless otherwise agreed before work starts it's bank transfer after a) I was able to inspect the work properly b) after receipt of a proper invoice