Paying the plumber - AIBU?

[Hanhan22]

We had work done to fix a leak on Friday. Plumber we have used before. He asked we pay within 10 days as is normal (we’ve always paid promptly in the past though).

We thought, great, as we are a bit tight with coats due to Christmas and DH not paid until today. Anyway, Saturday the plumber texts and asks if we can pay any earlier - we apologise and say we can’t until today as waiting for payday. He texts again yesterday to ask again incase our circumstances have changed, we again said no (politely).

We’ve paid this morning and text to confirm which he has read and not replied.

AIBU to feel he was a CF? If you don’t want a delay in payment, then don’t give 10 days for it!

Edit - obviously the title is meant to say ‘Paying’ if someone can change it please. No idea what happened there

[Title edited by MNHQ]

Oh what a hilarious auto correct. Not intentional at all.

You were surprised he wanted to be paid just before Christmas? I think he should have been a bit more assertive and was maybe overly generous but doesn't make him a CF

Is this the greatest Christmas present autocorrect has ever given us?

30 days to pay in more usual in my experience and we use plumbers, electricians etc a lot
( it’s also what we invoice )
sometimes an emergency call out is a week or so though

So you paid within the ten days…no problem.

If you get an invoice that says pay within 10 days, and you pay within 10 days it’s fine. If it’s just something he has said then that’s a bit more vague. It was perfectly reasonable to tell him you would pay him as soon as your husband got paid, if it was within the 10 days on the invoice.

I think if he reiterated that you need to pay within 10 days then he shouldn’t chase you up until then.

I clearly missed an earlier title to the thread.
Pegging is marking out though

what are you all thinking 🫢 🤭

Dammit, I liked the old title better

BOOOOOOO Mumsnet for changing the title!

Thanks MN for the title edit - hopefully I’ll have some serious responses now.

You arent unreasonable to stick to the payment terms that he gave when he accepted the work but he's also not unreasonable to ask politely, as long as he accepts you sticking to his own dates if thats what you want to do.

I hope not.

Jingle balls, jingle balls...

I'm surprised mn changed the title tbh. I had a typo years ago and mn wouldn't change it as they said it would mean the replies on the treat wouldn't make sense.

I’m surprised his payment terms are so lenient. I always pay tradespeople immediately.
I appreciate things were tight for you before Christmas, but he too is likely busy. You paid him the amount he quoted for, within his payment terms (but not early, just before Christmas). He’s probably very busy. I don’t know what you expect from him tbh. Admin is a lower priority at this time of year, than you paying him was. Had you paid him immediately, or tipped him, maybe he’d have prioritised replying. But neither of those things happened.

Mumsnet does like running a joke to death.

I'm surprised no one has suggested cancelling the cheque.

He asked, you couldn’t manage.
But you’re absolutely not unreasonable to pay within the terms of his invoice.

Neither of you has done anything unreasonable as such.

However, he may not prioritise working for you in future and other customers who pay more promptly may get his attention quicker, or get help in an emergency situation.

Slightly different l know, but I'm a private tutor and I currently have several families who leave paying right up to the deadline and need chasing or they ask for payment extensions right at the last minute. These clients don't get any favours or extras like some of my quicker payers do and they'll be the first I drop if I need to. They cause me extra admin and stress, so I don't feel much loyalty to them.

🤣

But she paid 5 days into a ten day invoice
So 5 days early !!

If he’s a good workman, then I’d have paid straight away, with a decent tip.

That's the way to get priority in future, 👍

Maybe he wanted to get all his invoices in order before Christmas because he has holiday plans and wants to relax?

I wouldn’t have got a plumber in if I couldn’t afford to pay him straight away, regardless of whether he had said 10 days or not. What if he hadn’t said 10 days? What would you have done then?

I'd expect to pay a tradesman on the day, especially in the week before Christmas. He shouldn't be cash-flowing your Christmas. I'd go overdrawn if I needed to.

I work for a small plumbing firm.

you are not being unreasonable. It’s entirely understandable that people may need to wait until payday. When a plumber goes out on call they have the right to decide payment terms. That might be pay on completion, 7 days or 30 days but you don’t change the terms AFTER they’ve been agreed.