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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

148 replies

MourningEveryone · 07/10/2022 15:35

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

OP posts:
Moonlaserbearwolf · 07/10/2022 15:49

@Testina what I mean is that you have to follow the terms on the invoice - which often say within 7 or 14 days. If someone gives you an invoice stating 7 days, they can politely ask for payment quicker, but cannot demand it!

Some trades people now carry card machines with them, which I think is a great idea. Then customers can pay as soon as the job is finished.

NoSquirrels · 07/10/2022 15:50

He’s asking if there is a problem - is there? Or is the invoice saying the same as you agreed to pay? In which case - pay him!

If it’s for a rental and you’re organising trades you really REALLY want to pay promptly. It’s a nightmare finding good people so look after them well when you find them and they’ll do you a favour when you urgently sort an issue.

BeastOfBODMAS · 07/10/2022 15:52

His quote should have included payment terms “on receipt of invoice” or “within 7 days of receipt of invoice” etc
The invoice itself should also state when it is payable
In absence of either of these YANBU technically…

HOWEVER decent tradies are like hens teeth so if you’re satisfied with the work you pay immediately and thank him profusely for a good job if you might ever want to use him again!

Smellywellyhoo · 07/10/2022 15:52

In the time it took you to reply, you could've just paid him 🤷🏻‍♀️

notdaddycool · 07/10/2022 15:56

You could have paid in the time it took to write your post.

Ponderingwindow · 07/10/2022 15:57

Residential plumbers are typically paid before leaving the job site. If you weren’t using a company that regularly services business accounts, then invoicing will be unusual. paying upon receipt would at least be as close as possible to paying before the plumber drives away. If you want to be able to be invoiced and pay on a regular billing cycle, you might need to use a larger commercial oriented vendor.

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 07/10/2022 15:58

So why not pay as soon as you got it?

Presumably you like your rent paid when it's due?

rageapplied · 07/10/2022 15:58

Why haven't you paid him! You could've done it in the time you wrote the posts here!

SoupDragon · 07/10/2022 15:58

MourningEveryone · 07/10/2022 15:45

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. .

Well, you have the invoice now. Pay him!

Johnnysgirl · 07/10/2022 15:59

No, of course plumbers don't offer credit terms 🤦‍♀️ You pay on completion. How can you not have had time to look at it since Tuesday?!

TheSheerCheekOfSomePeople · 07/10/2022 16:02

It's a bit much to be chasing you within 48 hours. The invoice should say the terms. From the Consumer Action Group website: 30 days is the "default" time for payment to be due, or before non payment action can be taken, if not specified on the invoice. A company/sole trader can put whatever payment terms they like on their invoices if it's in their normal trading terms.

However, a lot of plumbers are self-employed and are being affected in both their personal finances and business by inflation and may genuinely have concerns about paying their mortgages or van loan etc. They also might do their accounts and invoicing monthly hence the 4 week wait. And a good plumber with whom you have a relationship is like gold dust if they will come out at short notice to fix something in an emergency and not charge you an completely exhorbitant amount. So I'd pay it within about 3 days of the invoice if I were you and not huff and puff too much at the plumber although saying "it is a bit much to chase me within 24 hours, please refrain from doing so unless I seem to have forgotten after a few days/a week" nicely might be okay.

dirtyasadustpanlid · 07/10/2022 16:04

Pay the man FFS, fuckery like this riles me. The work was done, you GOT the invoice, it would have taken seconds but you tell him that you have not had time to "look" at it?? Then 3 days later you have still not "looked" at it? You saw it alright but did not "look" at it.

Jesus Wept.

TheSheerCheekOfSomePeople · 07/10/2022 16:06

How can you not have had time to look at it since Tuesday?!

There are a lot of things I haven't had time to look at or do since Tuesday or even a week last Tuesday including some of my emails. Some of us have a lot of work and study and caring responsibilities on top of us and aren't on our phones etc all day every day. I've also been somewhat wiped out after having a vaccine. Get real!

There is nothing morally wrong with not having paid him yet although now she has been made aware of it then she should pay him today or over the weekend.

minidancer · 07/10/2022 16:06

Just pay .......no wonder it's so hard to get decent tradespeople. They do a job and get fucked around. They are a small business.......you wouldn't walk out of a beauty salon and ask for 7 days to pay them. Works done......PAY

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 07/10/2022 16:06

Hope you don't need a plumber for that property again soon Grin

Johnnysgirl · 07/10/2022 16:09

TheSheerCheekOfSomePeople · 07/10/2022 16:06

How can you not have had time to look at it since Tuesday?!

There are a lot of things I haven't had time to look at or do since Tuesday or even a week last Tuesday including some of my emails. Some of us have a lot of work and study and caring responsibilities on top of us and aren't on our phones etc all day every day. I've also been somewhat wiped out after having a vaccine. Get real!

There is nothing morally wrong with not having paid him yet although now she has been made aware of it then she should pay him today or over the weekend.

Get real? Don't be daft Confused.

Op has availed of the services of a tradesman, she can't reasonably claim excess busyness as to why she still hasn't paid the bill three days later. Most people pay on the spot.
Even busy people know how to prioritise.

TheSheerCheekOfSomePeople · 07/10/2022 16:09

Residential plumbers are typically paid before leaving the job site.

And yet none of mine ever have been - a combination of sole traders and small to medium companies over the years. They have all invoiced me either on paper on the day or within a week or two by email and I pay a few days or maybe a week or two after that. In these dire times I would attempt to pay them sooner rather than later especially if prompted. This includes the ones who came last year and are coming again later this month. Normal smallish plumbing company in a big city, nothing unusual.

Johnnysgirl · 07/10/2022 16:11

TheSheerCheekOfSomePeople · 07/10/2022 16:09

Residential plumbers are typically paid before leaving the job site.

And yet none of mine ever have been - a combination of sole traders and small to medium companies over the years. They have all invoiced me either on paper on the day or within a week or two by email and I pay a few days or maybe a week or two after that. In these dire times I would attempt to pay them sooner rather than later especially if prompted. This includes the ones who came last year and are coming again later this month. Normal smallish plumbing company in a big city, nothing unusual.

It is very unusual to pay a plumber a whole month after the job has been done, actually.

Floomobal · 07/10/2022 16:11

I’d say it’s pretty disgraceful to get an invoice from a plumber on Tuesday, and STILL not have paid by Friday. It implies you’re not paying until Monday at the earliest, which is almost a week after receiving the invoice.

Whatever you think you’re entitled to (7days etc) it’s wrong to make people wait so long for money that you owe them

dirtyasadustpanlid · 07/10/2022 16:16

TheSheerCheekOfSomePeople · 07/10/2022 16:06

How can you not have had time to look at it since Tuesday?!

There are a lot of things I haven't had time to look at or do since Tuesday or even a week last Tuesday including some of my emails. Some of us have a lot of work and study and caring responsibilities on top of us and aren't on our phones etc all day every day. I've also been somewhat wiped out after having a vaccine. Get real!

There is nothing morally wrong with not having paid him yet although now she has been made aware of it then she should pay him today or over the weekend.

COP on, it takes the click of a mouse, if you have enough time to open an email you have enough time to send a bloody payment. If you have enough time to send the poor man a message to say you have not had time to fucking look at it you have time to send the bloody payment. The work was done a MONTH ago. The invoice was sent 3 days ago and the poor fucker is still waiting. It's so bloody rude.

girlmom21 · 07/10/2022 16:17

There's no excuse for not paying immediately.

Mummyoflittledragon · 07/10/2022 16:19

If you want him to return to the property if another job arises, it is in your best interest to pay him pdq. It is hard to get trades to work fast for you, unless you use those working through an agent, who often charge a premium. Just my take as a ll.

lunar1 · 07/10/2022 16:19

It would have been quicker to pay than write out a thread.

FallopianTubeTrain · 07/10/2022 16:22

All tradespeople we've had in our house do the work then send an invoice with their bank details on the same day or shortly thereafter. All invoices say payment in receipt of the invoice. Even if they didn't I'd still pay them as soon as I had the invoice with the bank details on as they've done the work so should be paid.

Why do you want to wait 7 days?

Johnnysgirl · 07/10/2022 16:23

Jesus, it's three days since the invoice, a month since the actual work was done!!
And I'm being told to "get real" when I questioned how anyone could be too busy to have paid by now 😂
Some people just can't wait to embarrass themselves.