Rude store manager?! Take my money elsewhere

[Sellotapeandlime]

Hello everyone,

Had a bit of a shit day but I want to know if AIBU.

I have been to three carpet stores and have been comparing quotes and have decided to (of course) go for the cheapest quote. I get there and I'm ready to pay for my deposit. However, the manager said that I need to pay the rest of the money in cash to pay the fitters on the day of the carpet. I told him "no" that I prefer to pay the rest of the money by debit/bank transfer on the day so that I have a digital record of the payment. I said I was happy to put down a higher amount for the deposit- but it would be too much money to cash out and due to the large amount, I prefer to pay the rest of the balance by card.

All of a sudden he got very angry, face red, shaking and said "NO! You pay all of the money upfront or half on the day in cash or nothing at all". I replied to him "Well, I can see that you are angry and I don't feel comfortable with the way you are behaving, so I'm going to leave and look elsewhere. Then he said "Bye!", and I left.

I mean what the hell???? Can anyone please tell me if AIBU?? Was I wrong to request that I would like to pay the rest by card?

Also! I'm now stuck as my only option is to pay for the expensive carpet place who are known to do a very good job but are very expensive. We need to move into our new home within three weeks. What should I do????????

Yes, that's what I said. I said I was happy to do a bank transfer and/or pay a higher amount when paying the deposit so I don't take out a lot of cash. He said "no" pay half and the rest in cash.

Well I guess the majority are saying it's the norm for fitters to be paid in cash. So I guess I was in the wrong. I just didn't like his attitude at all and I was worried that if he was like this then imagine what he would be like if I wasn't happy.

I work at a carpet retailer. That's normal.

You're buying made to measure product, they aren't going to cut it and deliver it without you paying upfront for it. Until the order is paid, the supplier doesn't get paid and until they get paid, it doesn't get cut.

Our fitters are also paid separately as they are separate companies. Usually cash as most of them don't carry card machines but the younger, more tech savvy teams do accept bacs payment to business accounts.

The older guys still do hand written receipts, no way are they going to get with the times this close to retirement and as a business, its their choice what tender they accept.

The only orders where customers pay us everything and we pay the fitters, are insurance orders and they are subject to a higher admin charge as its a ballache and takes a good half hour extra per order to process. The company are very strict about no exceptions to this as its the insurance company that pay not the customer.

They don't. I can pay even days after the fitting.

The item has to cost more than £100 but you don't need to pay all of that by credit card to get full protection.
But yes, you're probably right about the fitters not being covered under this.

Why don’t you buy the cheaper carpet and find someone else to fit it?

you dont need a digital receipt if they give you a paper receipt that they sign

The local carpet shop I use always asks for a card payment after fitting, 1/2 deposit before hand.

Also - revolutionary idea here - you could ask the fitters to write a receipt? I know, this new fangled pen and paper thing. "Received from Ms X, £240 for fitting lounge carpet". It's called proof of payment.

Just source the carpet you like online yourself and get an independent fitter to fit it?

I’ve used the same independent fitter for 15 years. He always wants as much of it in cash as possible.

I actually think you were rude first. He told you how payment works in their company and you said “no” and then told him how you’ll be paying instead.

Like fine if you don’t want to pay like that but they’re entitled to run their business how they like- arguing the toss is pointless.

In the past we have paid the fitters by cheque. Is that an option?

Him being so aggressive is not ok, completely odd behaviour.

I do think you were unreasonable trying to make your own rules up in his shop. This most likely got his back up.

Ive always paid carpet fitters in cash on the day. I can’t understand why you don’t want to do this? You check the job, when you’re happy you pay? Whats the issue?

I’m surprised that so many people are fine with being part of allowing people to fiddle their taxes. What’s being self employed got to do with it? I’ve been self employed, I wasn’t paid in cash and I did self assessment every year.

I don’t pay my window cleaner cash, it’s a bank transfer.

What’s so special about carpet fitters?

You could say that about all sorts of services that only accept cash? Butchers, takeaways, car cleaners, mobile hairdressers, the large local market, my sister a beautician only accepts cash as the card charges were ridiculous. Do we assume all these businesses are fiddling taxes? I assure you my sister doesn’t.

Most small trades people have card machines or can digitally invoice through quick books etc. Cash in hand without an invoice is not the norm.

Carpet shops often use independent fitters, even John Lewis etc. but some handle the money side in one place and some don't.

But those aren’t the large amounts that the OP is talking about and they are unlikely to need the extra protection that credit card payments provide

Providing an invoice is the norm. Bank transfer for larger sums as invoiced is also popular.

Yes - I could and I do.

Like I said, I’ve been self employed. I did the job, sent in an invoice and was paid into my bank account.

Are the fitters part of the company? The local company I use the fitters are self employed so you pay for the carpet then they just have a few cards for those they recommend and I've always paid cash for the fitters

This is standard practice. I’ve had loads of renovations done recently and even big items like kitchens and bathrooms you pay the fitter cash. Didn’t bother me. I just want to keep them on side and doing a good job and if cash is their preference, that’s fine.

Why do you need a digital receipt?
Why is a normal receipt not enough for you?
It's always been standard round here to pay fitters this way and I've always had a receipt

"It's the normal way everywhere"

So what? Norms change over time. Increasingly people don't have cash on hand and don't want to withdraw hundreds of pounds and have it lying around the house, it's a perfectly reasonable view especially as easy alternative payment methods exist (albeit without the same scope for tax evasion).

Either businesses keep up with what the customers want, or they'll find that more forward thinking businesses spring up who are happy to take their customers. That's probably why the guy was so quick to anger, maybe he's had lots of similar requests and is panicking as he's seen the writing on the wall.