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]

I’ve never heard of payment terms unless you are a business. Did he say again this time it was 10 days or just what he has said previously? I’d alway expect to pay when job is complete. If he hasn’t already I’m sure he will change this to payment on completion. He wouldn’t be asking unless he really needed it too, especially twice. He really isn’t being cheeky at all. If anything he’s been a fool to not insist he’s paid when the work is done.

A sole trader is a business, payment terms are standard for sole traders, we deal with a wide variety of customers from the couple at number 33 to national companies - as such our invoicing needs to be as on point as a multinational, including payment terms, terms of business etc.

Often immediate payment isn't possible, which is where the payment term comes into play.

If no payment term is given on the invoice the law defaults to 30 days.

So many posters berating op for not having the money to pay the plumber immediately- why is no one asking why the plumber hasn’t budgeted better so he doesn’t have to chase for payment earlier than his invoice states?!

You are NOT a sole trader obviously. If you deal with schools, hospitals, estate agents you are signing contracts with them that state terms and conditions for both sides. Those contracts will have gone through procurement processes and you too will have gone through vetting. .
A plumber who comes to my house to fix a leak, who normally allows payment WITHIN the next 10 days but who, because it’s Christmas, calls to say “any chance of payment” is not the same as you.
He didn’t demand or hassle for payment when he called he only asked if there was any chance of payment. That doesn’t make him.an evil CF.
if I was that plumber I’d never darken her doorstep again - leak or no leak.

Literally one day after the work had been done, as well.

If he was so hard up surely he'd have known that by the Friday? Why didn't he say "I know I usually say pay within 10 days but is there any chance you can pay on completion for this one?" when he first quoted/arranged to do the work, or when he turned up?

As per the traditional MN saying "use your words!"

Saying "ten days is fine" then sending repeated guilt tripping text messages 24 hours later is just unprofessional.

Of course you can be a sole trader who does jobs for larger companies or organisations. Do you think you’re only a sole trader if you’re repairing Mavis next door’s shed roof?’

In order to do work for nhs, government agencies etc. you have to bid for contracts and adhere to their terms and conditions. There are procurement processes. While some sole traders could, possibly, bid for these contracts it would be unusual. L

So you can’t be a sole trader who does work for estate agents or restaurants?!

Yes of course you can be a sole trader who does/has work for small local estate agents/local restaurants/private businesses etc BUT for any public or government body you would have to go through procurement processes which then stipulate how you do business with them including payment terms and conditions.

Nope, I'm a sole trade, and count the NHS as one of my customers, they ring me up and ask me to price a job, and I invoice them in exactly the same way as I do for Mr Jones round the corner - the process is exactly the same. The procurement process is the estates manager calling and asking if I can pop up to the hospital and change a few lights or whatever, its no different from the little restaurant or Joe Public save for having a PO number for the invoice - its only more complex when you get into big bucks contracts.

I've never had to bid for anything, that only applies to contracts over a certain value, and those wouldn't be taken on by a sole trader, be too big by nature.

I am a sole trader, by virtue of the fact that:
There is only me, no one else.
I'm not a Ltd. company
Therefore I'm a sole trader, I, and a lot of others work not only for private customers, but also for SME businesses and larger organisations like the NHS and the local authority.
In terms of vetting for the bigger customers, I have a DBS and have attended various safeguarding training sessions at various establishments so I can work on their sites unsupervised. The rest, insurance etc is the same as for domestic work and comprises public liability and professional liability.
I have never signed a contract with anyone, there is a "bidding" / multiple quote system but that applied to higher value works, not call out maintenance / repair type work. With the NHS I give a quote, if they accept it I do the work and send in an invoice and get paid, almost the same situation as doing a job for Mavis down the road.
For schools / LA I've been doing it so long that I never get asked for a price, I just get called out to do the work and put in my invoice, they have their own account with the wholesalers and builders merchant that I am authorised to order through so I don't supply them any materials, I just order what is need for the job.
Locally there is a half dozen sparks like me, similar number of plumbers, couple of roofers, couple of decorators, a brickie - all similarly operating - we all do domestic too, its Christmas Eve and I'm off to sort out a fault on an old ladies lighting circuit and then to replace a hob.
Neither of those do I expect to pay today, they will get their invoices in due course and have 28 days to settle up.