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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:
GloriousGlory · 07/10/2022 20:12

melj1213 · 07/10/2022 20:03

Why does the plumber get to have a months grace to do their admin but the OP wasn't even given 24hrs to do theirs? Why are so many people quick to make excuses for why the tradesman might have taken 4 weeks to process the invoice but if anyone dares suggest that the OP might have had a valid reason to not have paid immediately then they're apparently unreasonable.

Yes you should pay ASAP once an invoice is received but ASAP is not the same as immediately. YANBU to be annoyed at being "chased up" 24 hrs after receipt of the invoice, I would expect them to give you at least 48hrs to respond before sending a reminder.

Do you suspect that OP as it was a rental property had told the guy she had to inspect before she paid? After a month, he may just have thought FFS you've had long enough, I'm invoicing and want payment.

This is the same OP, on MN saying "I've not had time to look at the invoice", yeah learn to prioritise and get off MN and pay the guy!

Isyesterdaytomorrowtoday · 07/10/2022 20:23

If I find a good tradesperson then I always pay on completion of work or same day as invoice received. They are like gold dust

GloriousGlory · 07/10/2022 20:31

Isyesterdaytomorrowtoday · 07/10/2022 20:23

If I find a good tradesperson then I always pay on completion of work or same day as invoice received. They are like gold dust

Tell me!

wonkylegs · 07/10/2022 20:50

I always pay as soon as I get the invoice particularly if they have done a good job as I want to use them again and good trades are hard to come by especially at the moment.

I'm a sole trader so I understand that it can be tough however I would always invoice within a week and my payment terms are on my invoice, they are usually 14days
They used to be 28days but too many people took the piss. With some clients/ jobs it's payment on receipt of invoice but it's always clearly stated.

I would say that some trades are not good business people however that doesn't mean you should take the piss.

lurchermummy · 07/10/2022 21:17

As a self employed person I may be biased but why should you get 7 days to pay?? Most small businesses don't have a huge cash reserve - if clients don't pay their invoices we can't pay ourselves a wage. Work is done, pay the bill!

PrincessButtercupToo · 07/10/2022 21:19

Moonlaserbearwolf · 07/10/2022 15:40

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.

It’ normal for invoices for domestic work to be payable immediately.

SarahSissions · 07/10/2022 21:24

Money is tight for a lot of people at the moment. You owe a tradie money you pay it as soon as you’re able not at your bloody convenience

MereDintofPandiculation · 07/10/2022 21:59

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 07/10/2022 15:37

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?

No point in paying until he’s told you exactly how much it is

Ineedsleepandcoffee · 07/10/2022 22:04

Some invoices are ok to take a week to pay but I would generally pay a tradesperson immediately or as soon as.

Kite22 · 08/10/2022 00:17

All those saying they pay immediately are probably a lot younger and so don't remember the way things were done pre-online banking

I'm definitely not considered young on MN.

I 100% remember "pre-on-line banking"
I agree with @BitOutOfPractice
I have always paid trades before they leave - in cash or with a cheque before some started getting the on-line card readers or before we were able to transfer cash instantly.

TenoringBehind · 08/10/2022 14:31

All those saying they pay immediately are probably a lot younger and so don't remember the way things were done pre-online banking

I’m in my 50s. I always pay immediately because it’s the right thing to do. I’ve had a service and should pay for it, just as if I bought something in a shop. Also I’ve noticed that if I pay promptly then tradesman go out of their way to come back promptly at a time that suits me when I next need them.

In the ‘old days’ I’d have sent a cheque off on the same day as they did a job, or just handed it to them.

NCFT0922 · 08/10/2022 14:33

If you can’t afford to pay until next week just explain that. YABU to assume his payment terms and no, it isn’t a standard 7 days across the board.

NCFT0922 · 08/10/2022 14:34

@Moonlaserbearwolf well you do have to if that’s what his terms are..

TolkiensFallow · 08/10/2022 14:40

It depends. I always offer the pay as soon as the work is done but if someone says “oh I’ll send out an invoice” which then takes ages to arrive, I’d assume they didn’t expect immediate payment. I probably would pay it as soon as I received it though.

My mechanic used to do this, I’d pick up the car, offer to pay, he’s say “oh I’ll send an invoice”, the invoice would turn up 2 months later and then I’d have to go to the garage to settle up as he didn’t do bacs. Crazy system but cracking mechanic so I never minded.

AlisonDonut · 08/10/2022 14:59

Would it have just been easier to pay the damn bill rather than start a thread on here asking about paying the damn bill?

melj1213 · 08/10/2022 16:20

GloriousGlory · 07/10/2022 20:12

Do you suspect that OP as it was a rental property had told the guy she had to inspect before she paid? After a month, he may just have thought FFS you've had long enough, I'm invoicing and want payment.

This is the same OP, on MN saying "I've not had time to look at the invoice", yeah learn to prioritise and get off MN and pay the guy!

Show quote history

Instead of making up multiple "what if" scenarios where the tradesman is the victim of an evil OP why not take the OPs posts on face value and assume minimal malice and just an expectation of minimal courtesy on their part?

Perhaps instead of the tradesman "getting tired of waiting" and issuing an invoice a month after the work was done, the OP had immediately asked for an invoice when the work was completed so they could pay promptly upon receipt of said invoice. After being made to wait a month for the invoices perhaps the OP thought the tradesman wasn't desperate for the money and therefore could wait at least 24hrs before chasing it up for payment?

Why aren't you suggesting the tradesmen get off social media and prioritise issuing their invoices in a more timely manner if they need immediate payment?

SoupDragon · 08/10/2022 16:50

Why aren't you suggesting the tradesmen get off social media and prioritise issuing their invoices in a more timely manner if they need immediate payment?

because they aren't the ones whinging on social media about it...?

A580Hojas · 08/10/2022 21:13

I was sent an invoice at 8.42 this morning for a shipping service I've booked to deliver on Tuesday. Less than 12 hours later they've emailed me to say they are postponing delivery because of non-payment by me. I am fucking furious and they'll get a filthy review from me once the move has happened.

GloriousGlory · 08/10/2022 21:35

@melj1213 it's tradesman not tradesmen

What social media are they on?

Let me know and I'll follow them?

How about thinking before you post and not embarrassing yourself by posting absolute rubbish!

LimeTwists · 08/10/2022 21:41

I pay invoices the same day if I can or the next day, unless it states that payment is due by a certain date. I think of it as follows: I wouldn’t leave a hairdresser after they’ve done the work and say I’ll pay you in a week. I’m self-employed though so I am really grateful when people pay me immediately without needing chasing. He clearly needs the money or he wouldn’t be fussed about chasing so soon.

CactusBlossom · 09/10/2022 03:07

You should pay on completion of the work. Does the invoice not specify this? As you have had 4 weeks when you haven’t paid, knowing that you would need to pay, I don’t think it’s unreasonable of him to chase for payment.

mrsbyers · 09/10/2022 04:01

The time you’ve taken to type on here you could have just paid him

Plantstrees · 10/10/2022 19:20

Kite22 · 08/10/2022 00:17

All those saying they pay immediately are probably a lot younger and so don't remember the way things were done pre-online banking

I'm definitely not considered young on MN.

I 100% remember "pre-on-line banking"
I agree with @BitOutOfPractice
I have always paid trades before they leave - in cash or with a cheque before some started getting the on-line card readers or before we were able to transfer cash instantly.

I disagree, this is business to business as it is a rental so there is no way I would be paying before I had a tax invoice for the work. I don't pay anyone without an invoice and have never used 'cash' on the day as my accountant would disapprove.

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