Tradesman chasing for payment

[CharlesIsQueensHorcrux]

Hi - I had a tradesman in last week, finished Friday & invoiced Friday night with email and message. Since then has messaged another five times chasing me! By the way I wasn’t ignoring him I messaged back saying I was out but would deal. Is it me or is he unreasonable to chase me all weekend for an invoice issued on Friday night? I was happy with the work but not sure now I would use him again as I feel a bit ick like there’s a suggestion I wouldn’t pay or something. Aibu?

We always pay on completion and in cash

I've just paid Spire for an operation, in advance.
Maybe I should pay when I get round to it.
I have a busy life you know.🤣🤣🤣

I hope my next invoice gets paid within 48 hrs.

But doubt it.

(Thank you hairdresser. My haircut is good. I’ll pay you next week. No I will pay but it will be next week. How dare you want paid now. I’m busy but I’ll ask MN what they think.)
Just pay your debt. He could come and undo the work he’s done. How would you feel about that?

Just read you paid him within 48hrs. I’d be fuming.

Just pay your debt. He could come and undo the work he’s done. How would you feel about that?

Would be a bit daft because he got paid. Before the end of the weekend.

Does your hairdresser usually invoice you?

YABU. My husband used to be self-employed and to be honest if people didn't pay immediately it would often be hard work getting them to pay as it's no longer at the forefront of their minds which then results in chasing. It's a large part of the reason he is no longer self-employed. This is fine if it's the odd small job but when it's an expensive job or when several customers didn't pay up straight away it would leave us struggling financially. I think if you told him Friday you would deal with it when you got back it's reasonable he would have expected payment that day so that fact he had to chase you all weekend suggests you didn't pay him for several days so I can see why he felt the need to chase, he may have been relying on that money. Whenever I've had work done at home the tradesperson has expected payment on completion and has always asked to be paid there and then.
I suppose you have to think how you'd feel if your employer didn't pay you on your usual pay day then just told you they'd get round to it when they can. No doubt you are relying on that paycheck to pay bills and put food on the table.

Pay the man! Times are tough

He provided a service, pay for it. He isn’t a mate doing you a favour, he’s a professional earning a living and probably has bills to pay. It’s rude that you made him chase and it’s rude of you to say chasing you gave you ‘the ick’.

For the umpteenth time, she paid him before she started the thread! It's in her second post!

It’s rude that you made him chase and

😂😂😂

I think the 'chasing' is why OP posted actually. But you work it out.

I'm thinking he's been stitched up before and lost out. I know workmen who are quite choosy who they will work for after bad experiences in the past and who, with certain customers will emphasise "This is my price, do not insult me by haggling- you either want the work doing or you don't". Crack on and pay him, he has overheads, you wouldn't walk away from a restaurant without paying and tell them you'll pay them later. Life is tough at the moment and people need paying ASAP.

I think it’s incredibly naive to think that OP had paid him before she started the thread.

I don’t believe for a second she had. What is much more likely is she hadn’t paid him, posted the thread to complain about him hassling her, got her arse handed to her within a few posts and rather than just saying “yep I was unreasonable, I’ve sent over payment now” she pretended she had paid him.

It’s a detail you wouldn’t leave out of an original post, especially if you’re complaining about someone hassling you for money. You’d definitely clarify you’d paid in that case.

That’s before even looking at the phrasing of the posts. If you thought “a day” meant a business day, why send over payment on a Sunday? You’d obviously wait until Monday in that case. I also highly doubt this man messaged 5 times between Friday evening and Saturday night. Again, what is much more likely is

• one message Friday night with the invoice


• one message on Saturday


• one message on Sunday (as it’s now been over a day)


• two messages on Monday (as it’s now been over two days) and with the second message prompting OP to post this thread as a reaction to it

So, no. I think everyone’s “just pay the man” still stands, as it was clearly BS to begin with. At least he’s been paid now, though (supposedly).

Just pay him, feels weird delaying it. Its
not like you can't pay it because it's the weekend

Exactly. God forbid someone wanting paid for completing work to a good standard and wanting paid after the work was completed. How dare he.

Honestly, the sheer entitlement from some posters on this thread. He’s only a tradie, he can sit and wait quietly until I decide when to throw him some crumbs. How dare he repeatedly ask to get paid!

Yet I guarantee if their pay was late they’d be the first ones emailing payroll that morning giving off about it.

I never let them leave without paying. Would you leave a supermarket without paying too. Very strange. Pay the man what he's owed.

Yes it can put one's back up to be hassled but I would read it as him being really desperate for the money and would feel sorry about that. And pay straight away, why wouldn't you? Is it that you are trying to gather funds? It's always courteous to pay asap, times are hard, and yes he may be out of pocket if he has paid for materials etc up front.

It's his business, he relies on being paid.He may have a cash flow problem.It's extremely tough having a small business and embarrassing having to chase customers up.He's no doubt been stung in the past,don't take it personally.

@Mascia - I was beginning to wonder if I was going mad, so it's nice to hear that other countries also work on an invoice for a job done and not immediate payment.

What if a day or so after the work is done a problem is found due to the work not being done correctly? Good luck on a positive outcome if the person has already been paid!

Overwhelmed with work?

Many are struggling for work because lots of people can’t afford to get the work done in the first place.

Noticing jobs that need doing and being able to afford to get them done, are not mutually exclusive.

Dear God @puffalo

You've literally written an entire forensic investigation to justify you missing the point that OP paid the trade within 48 hrs.

And 48 hrs is pretty good in anybody's book.

( why would I say that? Because I invoice for my money too, no payroll here )

This thread is clearly going to descend into a chorus of

"would you leave Tescos without paying"🙄
( because INVOICE)

"and what if your payroll was moved"🫠
( Err INVOICE)

It fits the convenient narrative of nasty person ripping off an honest tradie. Though the actual question was a bit more nuanced than that.

But times are indeed hard. And this tradesman obvs needed his money NOW .
But the lesson learned is
Give your payment terms at the beginning if 48 hrs is too long for you!!!! Or provide a way to pay there and then. Love a card reader myself. ^

^
And to the posters saying " oh you'll be blacklisted"

Well I'd love to hear that conversation in these tough times.

" Don't work for OP she takes ( drum roll ) 48 hrs to pay !"

That is not a comparison and you know it. You have to pay for some things in advance and the terms and conditions make clear that you do. The same often goes for package holidays.

If a tradesperson needs paying immediately they should tell you and not expect you to be a mind-reader. Many send the invoice after the event (or in my experience get their wives to do it). Those who need the money there and then have tongues in their heads and can ask for it. Those who need an advance to buy materials can also ask for it.

The main issue here is lack of communication (and then too much of it!)

There are lots of people who DO have money and they ARE getting things done! Tradespeople in my area are overwhelmed with work. If they weren't, they'd answer emails, do quotes and turn up when they are meant to.

It may depend on the area you live in, but on the whole there are too many jobs people want or need doing, and too few people with the right skills to do them.

Yabu

The main issue here is lack of communication (and then too much of it!)

👍🏻