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????????

As everyone said it’s normal. I’d go so far to say it’s normal to pay all trades in cash. Just paid a roofer £1000 cash to fix my roof. Paid a builder in cash for a garage conversion. Paid carpet fitters cash. Plasterer etc. Cash is always their preference. I imagine some would accept BACS if requested but they all ask for cash. Probably because not all of it makes it through the books

I don’t know why you are making such a big deal out of this, cash is legal tender, you’re not being asked to pay with the blood of young virgins. Ask for a receipt when the work is done.
Although it sounds like you’ve strangely burned your bridges with that shop when you decided to start dictating how you would be paying for something.

What is it with carpet stores?

I went into the local independent with my mother to order some new bathroom flooring. Chose and ordered it.

It was delivered and fitted fine. After they left I rang up and paid for it on my card.

The receipt arrived a few days later addressed to my husband.I have no idea where they go that from unless it was from a previous order.

The rest of the flooring I will be buying elsewhere and I have told them so.

I don’t think it’s acceptable in this day and age to insist on cash, even if most posters say that’s the norm. We had flooring done last year and did have to pay the fitters on the day but we paid them via bank transfer which was instant. Other trades I’ve used recently accepted bank transfer or had a card machine. It’s 2025, insisting on cash is ridiculous!

And you’re fine with that, all these people not paying their fair share of tax?

They get away with it because you the customer allow them to.

I didn’t pay my roofer or plasterer cash.

This most definitely and I'd always want an invoice of some sort even if they did want cash. Obviously, you want trades people who put stuff through their books.

Exactly this ^ it’s a pretty straightforward thing and you just need to inspect the work and confirm you’re happy. How much were you being asked to pay in cash? I think if it’s less than £200 that’s a reasonable amount to ask for in cash.

It’s very common for kitchen installers/builders etc to use a decorator/gas engineer or whatever, who you will be asked to pay separately as they are all self-employed tradesmen. Fairly common to be asked for this payment in cash. If you’re really stressed about having a paper trail, just say you’ll need a receipt, and they’ll probably give you a hand written receipt on the day.

Yeah. I don’t really care what tax people pay. If I could get away with not paying tax I’d do the same

This

YABU.

Is this Tapi? We recently did this. They outsource the fitting and they are perfectly good at their job. You just need to pay cash as they don’t have the other payment facilities.

So you’d be happy for schooling, health, libraries, social care, roads etc etc etc all to stop being free to use?
You’re not bothered by funding or lack thereof?

We’ve paid the fitters cash on the day in the past, but much more recently were told that a bank transfer on the day would be fine. Same big chain carpet shop.

My was great on the day.
A few months later the stair carpet bagged. So dangerous. I got him back in... He banged it back in but clearly wasn't interested.
He was experienced but the nipper that fitted the stairs wasn't. He also fitted laminate that has come apart/up.
It will be such a pain getting them back in to fix it I'm living with it until I can afford to have it redone. I don't want them back frankly.

Lots of posts assuming cash payments are requested for tax evasion purposes. I’m sure that is the case sometimes. However I have also noticed that many tradesmen ask for a BACS transfer but it’s to a personal account, not a business account, so I’m pretty sure it’s possible to fiddle the books that way too.

And on a less cynical note, many self-employed trades work on a very tight cash flow, and really need to make sure they are paid straightaway, rather than chasing customers/tracking payments. And we all know that lots of customers conveniently don’t prioritise paying bills once they’ve had the service…

It's 2025, they will have other means. Cash is preferred, but should only be your form of payment if they provide an invoice.

I’ve never paid fitters separately.

The cheapest quote isn’t always the best choice. There is a lot of truth in the saying You Get What You Pay For. Cheap prices are the only way some firms can get jobs because their work and customer service is so poor.

People demand cash payments because they don’t want to pay tax or their staff are illegal in some way, or maybe in the business is in such financial difficulty that payments into their bank account will be swallowed up by an overdraft.

Why do people assume it's a tax fiddle?
Just ask for a receipt!

I’ve refused to use a trade person because of it being a personal account.

I’ve had so many bad experiences with tradespeople I’m ultra cautious with who I use. And I probably do end up paying more.

I've also never paid the fitters separately, I've always used the same independent shop over the years too.
And I have also paid independent traders via cards as a lot of them our way now have the small sum-up card readers they keep with them.

I'm self employed. I don't accept cash payments at all.

You were happy with the job but you're going elsewhere due to am admin error?

Creepy sexism not 'admin' and also duh admin is a good reason

This might already have been covered. What if you need to pay by credit card? How would that work?

They insist that they are paid in cash so they can understate or avoid paying tax.

Exactly - my cousins own their own carpet fitting business, they get business from carpet and flooring shops but they don't work for them.

They do have a card reader but that it rare as most prefer cash.

The man may have gotten angry but you were insisting on an option they don't provide. If the fitters they use say cash only then that is what they tell the customers.