To think you generally get 7 days to pay an invoice?

[MourningEveryone]

Plumber sent an invoice on Tuesday for work he did on September 6th. He sent another message the following day chasing it. I said I hadn’t had a chance to look at it yet as had been busy. Today (Friday) he is asking if there is a or

If there is a problem.

Does one not usually get 7 days to pay? It’s fine for him to take 4 weeks to send it but then he expects it paid the same day?

Yabu. If its domestic, why does he even need to invoice? Don't you just pay on completion of works before he leaves your house?

yabu. pay it instantly. he should have took payment before leaving you

I always pay in cash or bank transfer the minute they've finished. I have it ready for them.

However, if you're a freelancer like me, then clients can apparently take as long as they bloody want.

Terms vary from company to company and invoice to invoice

Why didnt you just pay it at the time, did you know how much ut was for. I pay BACs within 24hrs.

In these days of online banking, you get the bill, you pay it there and then.
Why do you need a whole week?

I’ve always paid on completion of the work for things like that. Usually an invoice has a date to pay by but it’s best to pay it immediately unless you have a good reason you can’t and then you should explain that to them. Otherwise you might forget to pay.

Sounds like his admin is poor and he has a cash-flow problem! You absolutely don't have to pay it straight away.
I got a bill for some work the other day (the same day that the guy did the work) and it said pay within 7 days. He was desperate for the money asap because he had a cash-flow problem and I was happy to pay immediately, but you don't have to.

No you don't get 7 days unless he told you you do. Can you imagine the worry and anxiety some people are going through right now about money. Pay the invoice!

Whatever the Ts and C's say, if you don't have Ts and C's more fool all of you.

And there’s no “usually” about it. My ex was a home handyman type, mostly fitting bathrooms and kitchens. People either paid straightaway / next day, or they went over 7 days and wasted his time chasing. People are generally payers or not payers. If you wait 7 days, you’re the type to wait longer. So I think he’s write to chase you. What’s the big deal that he did? Just pay what you owe.

It’s been 4 weeks since he did the work. Won’t take you 5 minutes to open the invoice, go ‘Yep, that’s right’ and do an online bank transfer.

I can see it’s annoying to be chased but honestly - it doesn’t take 7 days to look at an invoice and pay it.

For a sole trader like this no, you pay straight away.

He should have billed you sooner but I expect a. he was busy, b. admin isn't his forte.

Why do you need 7 days? Have you not got the money? Are you punishing him somehow for not sending the bill in time? Are you an arsehole? Are youso busy youhaven't got time to do it though you could have done it in the time it took you to type your post ?

If none of those things apply, just pay the bloke now for the work he's done.

How can you say, “you don’t have to”?
You don’t know if the invoice said, “due immediately”.

He has already waited 4 weeks to be paid so theres no reason why you need another week.

Technically unless you have a contract with specified terms (which might have been outlined on a written quotation) you legally have 30 days before he can take legal action against you….

www.gov.uk/invoicing-and-taking-payment-from-customers/payment-obligations

However, it is good form to pay asap. And there is nothing to prevent him from contacting you repeatedly until you do pay

No you absolutely don't ffs you pay tradesmen on completion of the job unless payment terms like that have being given prior to the job commencing! Its his business and his payment terms.

Same some of my clients refuse to pay me until 30 days after by which point some of the work I did 60 days ago!

Just re-read - you’re not even complaining about being chased next day.
You needed to be chased on Wed for Tue, clearly, as it’s Fri and you still haven’t paid.
Is there some dripfeed about this invoice being especially complex to check? Cos it sounds like you’re taking the piss 🤷🏻‍♀️

It’s for a rental property so I wasn’t present when the plumber visited. I need an invoice to send my accountant for tax purposes. .

Depends on the terms on the bottom of the invoice? It should say "Payment to be made within x days".

Legally speaking, you have 30 days to pay, but why would you make someone wait unnecessarily? If someone has completed work for me, I pay them right away.

I'm not sure what that's got to do with the price of fish. Just pay the bloke as soon as you get the invoice. I would before you find yourself on the non-paying blacklist of local tradesmen which, believe me does exist.

You should pay on completion of its a sole trader so yabu.

Sounds like he only bothers to invoice when he needs the money and then expects a problem mainly caused by his lack of timely admin to be treated as an emergency by his customers.

For an invoice sent on Tuesday, I'd expect it to be paid within a few days, but wouldn't chase it until the next working week, in case most people deal with their admin at the weekend.

If he wants to be paid quicker, he needs to be clear on his terms and send his invoices out on completion of the job.