Page 7 | Tradesman chasing for payment

CharlesIsQueensHorcrux · 2022-06-19T10:24:31+00:00

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?

LetitiaLeghorn · 19/06/2022 12:38

Beees · 19/06/2022 12:18

Well so far all the entitled people saying it's fine have given really stupid reasons like because I can or because I need to get my finances together so I suspect the OPs excuse should they return will be equally wishy-washy.

Honestly baring something hugely unexpected like a death in the family or sudden emergency there is absolutely no reason not to pay a trades person on the day the job is completed.

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If I had done that, I'd never have been able to get them back to fix the multiple problems they endangered the structure of my house. I don't get paid for between 2 to 6 weeks after I've done my work. I don't think waiting two days over a weekend is too much. My sister had a plumber round to do some work and harassed her for payment on a friday. She felt bad so she paid. One outside tap doesn't work properly and he put the wrong fitting on the washing machine so the new machine couldn't be fitted. Will he come back to sort it out? No, of course not. If I have an unknown tradesman in my house, I make sure everything is OK before I cough up money.

PinkSparklyPussyCat · 19/06/2022 12:39

StickyFingeredWeeNed · 19/06/2022 11:43

Tradesmen - cash - ON the day!

window cleaner would always catch me out and I’d not have cash on me - but I’d stick it in his account before he’d even started next door.

I had some work done last Wednesday. I'm still waiting for a receipt and I'll pay once I had it. Do people really pay without receiving an invoice?

Comefromaway · 19/06/2022 12:40

YANBU

i actually work in the construction industry.

If I received an invoice on a Friday evening it would not be paid until Monday. My banking app does not allow me to pay a new person more than £1000. To do that you need a dongle thing and it has to be done from a pc.

it would definitely put me off using him again.

LetitiaLeghorn · 19/06/2022 12:40

All U.K. banks do Faster Payments now - what banks are people saying “don’t do transfers on a weekend” or after 6pm????

Barclays. There's a message on the payment page.

coffeecupsandfairylights · 19/06/2022 12:41

PinkSparklyPussyCat · 19/06/2022 12:39

I had some work done last Wednesday. I'm still waiting for a receipt and I'll pay once I had it. Do people really pay without receiving an invoice?

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Most of my clients pay me well before I even have to get to the invoice stage- so, yes, I'd say that was quite normal.

My payment terms are that payment for the week (I'm a dog walker) is due within 24h of invoices being sent on Fridays. In two years, I've probably only had a handful of occasions where clients waited until receiving their invoices before paying me.

Everyone else leaves cash on the side, or does a bank transfer on the morning of the last walk of the week at the latest - some pay me in advance on the Sunday night for the upcoming week.

Anniefrenchfry · 19/06/2022 12:42

PinkSparklyPussyCat · 19/06/2022 12:39

I had some work done last Wednesday. I'm still waiting for a receipt and I'll pay once I had it. Do people really pay without receiving an invoice?

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She had an invoice, it was payment within 24 hours. Unlike the tradesman she didn’t abide the agreed terms.

and no I don’t need an invoice I can see if the work is done and to standard, if so, I pay what I agreed immediately.

LetitiaLeghorn · 19/06/2022 12:43

Grapewrath · 19/06/2022 12:23

You should pay on receipt of the invoice. I wonder why you haven’t paid if you have the money but can go to the effort of posting on here?
He probably needs the money

So quick to criticise. If you'd bothered to read her messages, you'd see she'd paid before posting.

billysboy · 19/06/2022 12:43

if he is a one man band just pay him and move on

liveforsummer · 19/06/2022 12:43

LetitiaLeghorn · 19/06/2022 12:40

All U.K. banks do Faster Payments now - what banks are people saying “don’t do transfers on a weekend” or after 6pm????

Barclays. There's a message on the payment page.

That's for the chaps payments. The faster payments available in app are instant the same as any other bank.

DameHelena · 19/06/2022 12:44

coffeecupsandfairylights · 19/06/2022 12:11

But surely as a freelancer, you can set your own payment terms?

I run my own business and payment is due within 24h of the job ending. I'm a dog walker, so for me, that's within 24h of the final walk of the week.

If I don't get paid, all walks/services are suspended until payment is made in full. As it happens, all my clients respect my terms and pay on time, so I've only ever had to threaten that course of action once. Miraculously, the client managed to pay her invoice within five minutes of me sending that text, lol.

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As in my previous answer, it would not be meaningful of me to set my own terms.

I once went down the route of charging a late payment fee, in line with the legislation that allows me to do so. The big cheese of the company, who I would have thought was a sensible grown-up but this made me wonder, sent me a huffy email saying 'there isn't some conspiracy to not pay you' . Like I thought here was. Then they never used me again.

Other clients seem to have vastly bureaucratic payment systems requiring sign-off by seemingly about five people and all the right boxes to be ticked at the right time. Having worked in-house previously, I do get that the fairly junior people usually tasked with putting payments through are busy and that chasing those more senior for 'menial' stuff like authorising payment is often difficult and frustrating. But I sometimes find it hard to have sympathy when it's two months since I did the work and I still haven't been paid.

PrivateHall · 19/06/2022 12:44

AmaryIlis · 19/06/2022 12:35

How does he know you are not one of those nightmare customers who get the work done and then fail to pay, while ignoring requests or making excuses like 'the cheque's in the post' or 'I'm out but I'll deal'?

If she is one of those, messaging five times in less than two days won't change it. If it's uncertain, then it would be sensible to give it at least till Monday - after all, if she does the transfer now it won't hit his account till then, so there's nothing to lose by aiming to keep a bit of goodwill.

For all that people are massively sympathetic with tradesmen in these situations, it's a two-way street. I had a similar experience with a tradesman who had been consistently difficult to get hold of to firm up when he was going to come, only for him to cancel it at the last minute; then when he did turn up, he kept disappearing after a couple of hours, so that a job he could have done in one day took two weeks. When he finally finished he expected immediate payment and was not too keen even on giving us a chance to check his work first.

But the op never suggested that she had these issues with this man? Obviously your scenario was completely different. The responses though are aimed at the op's situation, not yours. I would have been raging too in your situation!!

holdingonforahero · 19/06/2022 12:46

@LetitiaLeghorn
So quick to criticise. If you'd bothered to read her messages, you'd see she'd paid before posting.

I did read the thread. She didn't clarify that she'd paid before posting until way after I posted my message.

You're a bit quick to criticise me as well?

MsTSwift · 19/06/2022 12:46

God I feel his pain. Anecdotally the very rich and lower income are the best payers. The worst are the middle class “ooh I’m so ditzy” 🙄

coffeecupsandfairylights · 19/06/2022 12:49

DameHelena · 19/06/2022 12:44

As in my previous answer, it would not be meaningful of me to set my own terms.

I once went down the route of charging a late payment fee, in line with the legislation that allows me to do so. The big cheese of the company, who I would have thought was a sensible grown-up but this made me wonder, sent me a huffy email saying 'there isn't some conspiracy to not pay you' . Like I thought here was. Then they never used me again.

Other clients seem to have vastly bureaucratic payment systems requiring sign-off by seemingly about five people and all the right boxes to be ticked at the right time. Having worked in-house previously, I do get that the fairly junior people usually tasked with putting payments through are busy and that chasing those more senior for 'menial' stuff like authorising payment is often difficult and frustrating. But I sometimes find it hard to have sympathy when it's two months since I did the work and I still haven't been paid.

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Damn, that sucks, I'm sorry!

In my experience it's always big organisations that don't seem think to paying people actually matters.

LetitiaLeghorn · 19/06/2022 12:49

liveforsummer · 19/06/2022 12:43

That's for the chaps payments. The faster payments available in app are instant the same as any other bank.

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I don't use the app. A horror story which I'm not going into. All payments are from the laptop.

Somanysocks · 19/06/2022 12:50

I'm a tradie and until I get paid I'm out of pocket for the materials/fuel so prompt payment is very much appreciated. Customers don't always appreciate that.

sunglassesonthetable · 19/06/2022 12:50

Pay him. Do you walk out of Tesco with shopping because you’re busy and will deal with paying later? Pay.

Hmm, I work freelance just like a trades. Wish I got paid the moment I invoiced.

It's NOT just like Tescos. 🙄

Personally I always pay straight away. But tbh I wonder why Trades have this power. Pay up front, pay for materials up front, paid straight away. Paid on 1 day of the invoice. Paid d at the weekend . Paid in cash.

I'm in the wrong job.

YouCantSpellAmericaWithoutErica · 19/06/2022 12:50

How long does it take to make a bank transfer? About 2 minutes tops? Assuming it’s payment by bank transfer. When you go to the hairdresser do you pay right before you leave, or do you go home and get round to paying the stylist for their services within in the next few days weeks/months/whenever you get round to it.

As an aside, you say you be using them again as they make you feel ick. Don’t be so sure they want your custom after this…

YouCantSpellAmericaWithoutErica · 19/06/2022 12:50

*you won’t be.

Mellowyellow222 · 19/06/2022 12:51

I always pay small businesses immediately. You should have paid him on Friday night and certainly as soon as he reminded you.

don’t use him again if this bothers you - but just pay the bill

Naughtyperson972 · 19/06/2022 12:52

Why did he need to chase you OP? Ask yourself that

collieresponder88 · 19/06/2022 12:54

He needs the money. Pay him right Away for the work he has done

liveforsummer · 19/06/2022 12:54

@LetitiaLeghorn the faster payments are also available via online banking as well as the app. I know because my dad banks with Barclays and I often give him cash so he can transfer money in to my account at the weekend when I can't go in to my branch to do it. He won't do anything like that from his phone either.

Puzzledandpissedoff · 19/06/2022 12:55

Well done for sorting it, OP
FWIW I'm another who pays on the day - it seems to be standard - but it's occurred to me that trades are unusual in having this expectation. Yes they have to pay for stuff upfront, but so do countless other businesses, and they certainly don't all expect immediate payment (and wouldn't get it even if they did)

Still, if that's what's in the T&Cs we have fair warning and don't have to use them if we don't like it

Comefromaway · 19/06/2022 12:57

Tesco have card machines. Hence you pay immediately.

I have access to my pc Mon-Fri 9.00-4.30pm. That’s when new payees can be set up.