Page 4 | To think you generally get 7 days to pay an invoice?

MourningEveryone · 2022-10-07T14:35:50+00:00

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

Johnnysgirl · 07/10/2022 16:44

Daftasabroom · 07/10/2022 16:40

Er no. The invoice is not a contract. Terms should be agreed before not after the work is undertaken.

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Most people of normal intelligence would know full well when the bill needs to be paid.

They don't need the "terms" of payment for a residential plumbing job spelled out. Trade credit doesn't apply here.

Testina · 07/10/2022 16:48

Daftasabroom · 07/10/2022 16:36

It doesn't matter what the invoice says, it's not a contract.

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It does matter, because OP isn’t asking about her legal rights, but just what “usually” should happen. She has some vague idea that you “should” have 7 days. If it’s specified on the invoice that it’s due immediately, that closes off any pondering about 7 day custom and practice.

The 30 day delay before court action isn’t to impose a 30 day payment period on all invoices. It’s just to reduce the cases going to court, and it gives time to weed out late payers. You can have a contract that states any payment terms you want - though I agree with you that the invoice is not the contract.

Regardless, OP could just stop pissing the trader about and pay what she owes 🤷🏻‍♀️

pattihews · 07/10/2022 16:49

In an earlier incarnation I worked with a lot of tradespeople — plumbers, builders, plasterers. A lot of them are great at their trade and rubbish at admin. Some of them struggle with literacy. They get home at night weary and they forget to do their invoices and then they forget what they'd agreed. A lot of them are rubbish at the apps and technology that would enable them to manage it quickly and easily. He probably checked his account at the weekend, realised he hadn't invoiced and is now panicking about getting overdrawn.

It's more than a month since the work was completed. You've know you'd have to pay within 30 days. Just pay up now and put the poor bloke out of his misery.

StrictlyAFemaleFemale · 07/10/2022 16:54

Thanks for the reminder - I have now paid the window cleaner! I don't know what happened I normally pay when the invoice comes in.

neverwakeasleepingbaby · 07/10/2022 16:56

Gosh sometimes it's not possible to do every task you're asked to do immediately...!! I've spent the last year on mat leave making lists of minor tasks that I can't do immediately but I know need doing...once the baby goes to sleep!!! And that list is sometimes incredibly long. I think they can wait 24 hours for heavens sake

Roselilly36 · 07/10/2022 16:59

I always pay trades on receipt of invoice.

PlantsAndSpaniels · 07/10/2022 17:00

He probably invoices a few jobs together to save time rather than invoicing each night after a job. I would think if you were happy with the work, you should pay once you've had rhe invoice. You've had time to post on here so enough time to pay him.

whynotwhatknot · 07/10/2022 17:01

why cant you pay its been a month ffs-how long wo9uld you have left it

caringcarer · 07/10/2022 17:02

So work full as done in early September and now you have invoice you have still not paid immediately. That is really poor. Unless you are unhappy with the work you should pay up. He won't want to come back to you.

EmeraldShamrock1 · 07/10/2022 17:03

Yabu.

Service fees are usually paid upfront, receipts follow.

Use receipts for tax purposes.

NannyOggsWhiskyStash · 07/10/2022 17:05

I always thought you had a month to pay!

HikingforScenery · 07/10/2022 17:06

unless the invoice stated payment due in 7days, Yabu . Surely the tenants let you know he’d been?

TwoWrightFeet · 07/10/2022 17:06

I always pay trades peoples invoices as soon as I get them. If you have time to read a text chasing payment, you have time to transfer the funds.

Get off MN with your fake outrange and pay for the work has has been done!

A580Hojas · 07/10/2022 17:09

OopsUpsideYerEad · 07/10/2022 16:34

😂

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This.

EmilyGilmoresSass · 07/10/2022 17:15

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.

I'm a lone parent and a full time student. My phone isn't glued to my hand and I still manage to pay my bills promptly. So done try using that as an excuse.

Kite22 · 07/10/2022 17:20

From your title, I was going to say I would generally think most businesses probably would allow you at least 7 days, but from your opening post, like most, I would have expected to pay him as he finished the work - cash, cheque, card reader, or transfer to his bank that evening when I sat down.
I have no sympathy with you not having paid a plumber for work completed on 6th Sept when it is now 7th October.

AChickenClucks · 07/10/2022 17:23

Ha Ha! Our plumber often forgets to do his invoices for months! We're very used to getting them several months after the work he's done! We always pay as soon as the invoice arrives, but it does make us laugh.

He's been our plumber for over 20 years, though, and he's flipping good, so we will cope with his tardy invoicing for the service her provides 👌

Not helpful for the OP, however, if they do not have a history of give and take, and I would (usually) expect invoices to be sent in a timely manner, and for us to make payments in a similar way.

Chaos breeds chaos (that's aimed at OP's plumber, not the OP 😂

reigatecastle · 07/10/2022 17:24

OneTC · 07/10/2022 15:39

Terms vary from company to company and invoice to invoice

In the real world, yes.

On MN, everyone pays before the trades(wo)man leaves the house, even if they haven't inspected the work and even if she hasn't asked for payment yet.

But I think they are keen on prompt payment as they often have cashflow difficulties due to having to buy materials (hence why some ask for payment in advance for materials) and they often have to pay people themselves. But if they want paying right away they need to say so.

I would also assume 7 days, it's not unreasonable, given companies take 30 days and often longer, and I don't know why consumers/individuals are deemed to be more able to pay quickly than a company!

Sarahcoggles · 07/10/2022 17:25

YANBU.
I don't know why people keep saying "he did the work a month ago, you should pay him". It's his fault he took so long to invoice you.

I'm a pay-ASAP person, because I hate having bills hanging over me. But if I'm having a manic week I literally don't have time to read my emails, and if I see one that looks official and will need concentration, I leave it till I've got the headspace.
It's very rare for plumbers to ask for payment at the time of the job in my experience. They always post an invoice.
And back in the old days they'd have had to wait for a cheque to be posted, which could take days!

Sarahcoggles · 07/10/2022 17:27

Kite22 · 07/10/2022 17:20

From your title, I was going to say I would generally think most businesses probably would allow you at least 7 days, but from your opening post, like most, I would have expected to pay him as he finished the work - cash, cheque, card reader, or transfer to his bank that evening when I sat down.
I have no sympathy with you not having paid a plumber for work completed on 6th Sept when it is now 7th October.

Did you not see the bit about the plumber not sending the invoice for a month.?

reigatecastle · 07/10/2022 17:27

I have no sympathy with you not having paid a plumber for work completed on 6th Sept when it is now 7th October I would agree but he didn't send the invoice on 6th September.

mountainsunsets · 07/10/2022 17:28

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.

So you have time to post about your excuses on here, but no time to pay the bills?

Loics · 07/10/2022 17:30

Does it matter if you think you have 7 days to pay or not? He's done the work, pay him instead of fretting on Mumsnet. You say you haven't had time to look at the invoice, surely you're just checking the amount matches what you expected? No idea why people do this and hold out giving others what they're owed.
It's not necessarily a cash flow problem on his part either. I have my own business alongside my salaried role. We are by no means short of cash, however if you don't pay in advance you don't get the end product. Perhaps he will be similar in that I also talk to people in the same/similar lines of work, and we do warn each other off taking work from hesitant/non-payers, by name.

reigatecastle · 07/10/2022 17:32

So you have time to post about your excuses on here, but no time to pay the bills

I suspect that post took about a minute to type. Depending on your bank, it can absolutely take much longer than that to log in, create a new payee, use the card reader etc and make the payment. Not only are some banks very difficult to use for bank transfers but some won't allow them at all if you can't match the payee name and bank account and some banks aren't part of that scheme. In that instance you might have to resort to a cheque!

If tradespeople want to be paid immediately (this one obviously didn't as he took nearly a month to send an invoice) the best option for them is to have a card reader and take payment before they leave.

Sarahcoggles · 07/10/2022 17:32

Why is it OK for a plumber to be too busy to send an invoice, but not for a customer to be too busy to pay it?
And as for paying on the day they finish - personally I think that's a bad idea. I had an electrician do some work recently, when I had a shower fitted. He'd been a nightmare to pin down, wasn't great at replying to messages etc. Anyway he did the work, and wanted paying straight away, but his card reader wasn't working, he wouldn't take a cheque, and I didn't have that much cash. He said he'd post an invoice. The following day the plumber arrived to do his bit of the job, and being an all round handyman and veteran shower installer, he realised that the electrician had done his bit all wrong. It had to be completely redone. If I'd paid the electrician already he would never have come back, I'm sure of it.