To change my mind when he asked for payment in cash?

[Wardrobefred]

I wanted some work done in my garden. I know I should get 3 quotes, but I just wanted it done. Price was £1200 and he could start the following week so I accepted it.

Then he asked for a deposit to "secure the date" which seemed a bit much when he clearly wasn't turning down other work! I was going to agree, just to get the job done, it was £50 by bank tf. Then he said he'd want the rest in cash on the day of completion "so he could pay the men". TBH it never occurred to me anyone would want that much in cash and it certainly wasn't mentioned when we were discussing price.

I said I'm not comfortable getting out £1200 in cash, which I'm not. It's a faff because you have to go to the bank and then walk across town carrying it. So he said pay half in cash, which still presents the same issues. By this time I was thinking my quick decision to give him the work was a bit rash, so I said I'd decided to take more time to think about it.

I'm now on the local FB page as a timewaster...

Everything the government comes up with is bonkers to us but they have an agenda.

Red or brown?

Two or three visits to a cash machine is massively inconvenient!!!

Yeah, I knew you didn’t have one because it’s not true 🙄

Totally agree.

Different payment methods, and different business sectors.
A business that takes card payments gets charged by the bank to facilitate the transaction, for a business like a takeaway, which does multiple small value payments this adds up, so it makes sense to request cash.
In this case it would be the OP doing a direct transfer, and I've never heard of banks charging to receive a direct transfer of funds into your account. They usually charge the person making the payment, and even then only if it's a CHAPS or something, which isn't necessary for this amount.
There's no reason for a legitimate business doing small-volumes of high-value work for known clients to refuse to accept bank transfers.

People always talk as if handling cash is cost free it isn't. As a minimum insurance costs are higher. Even if everything goes through the books and staff are paid legitimately in cash some will need to be banked and that will incur fees. Counting cash and reconciling the till, banking all required time which costs. Property/staff security will also need to be tighter which also costs. But as these costs are diffuse over a number of headings they tend to be underestimated when considering the business options.

This was originally about a woman in an abusive relationship wasn't it? It is very likely that she wouldn't have ID or proof of address as her abusive partner controlled her in that way.

I don't think you need to keep arguing your point when it is so clear you have no idea that there are so many reasons some people don't have ID or bank accounts.

That being said obviously the tradesperson in the OP is avoiding tax!

Many elderly people no longer have a driving licence or passport. I found that to be a problem when I was advocating for my parents. (They had never held a driving licence and their passports had long since expired since they were not fit to travel.)

Most older people round my way have bus passes with their picture, but the banks won't accept those either.

My parents window cleaner gets paid in cash. In fact I think most window cleaners get paid in cash.

Most clients here will be getting 30 days credit and paying their invoice via bank. But, I absolutely will ask for hard cash if I think a customer is dodgy in any way, or is a business sub contracting me who's about to go under, (3/4's of part of my industry is going down, big and small, one by one) or if they insist they want to pay me in cash in the first place.
But they still get handed an invoice with the date to be paid in cash by, - or on the day, stamped 'paid' instead of the usual 30 days credit terms, and they are given a numbered cash receipt.

The only thing being hidden here through the use of cash as a payment method, is what I really think about the character or financial stability of some of the people I need to accept work from, including some of the well to do.

They still get invoices and receipts and it all goes through the books.

I pay my window cleaner by bank transfer. In fact, I think I pay all the trades I use that way: painter and decorator, plumber etc.

"And I'm not wrong about the £1000. Anything over that has to be declared. Look it up."

Where does TMA say that?

Asking for cash is absolutely a tax avoidance method, it's not a myth. I won't assist or condone tax dodging because I see it as theft. Theft from all of us.
So if a tradesman asks for cash or a cafe or bar is cash only I walk away. Even my hairdresser who works from home and my window cleaner takes digital payment.

You were right to walk away OP and it's not easy because his type can be intimidating.

the fact that he's chosen to go on FB to bad-mouth the OP is enough reason to walk away - what a red flag!