AIBU to feel annoyed by a payment reminder after 36 hours?

[SixtySomething]

We have a weekly service at our house. The company sends us a bill a few hours after finishing the work and we pay by bank transfer. The cost can vary so we don't pay by direct debit.
Recently, we received the regular bill but didn't pay immediately. The bill was followed up with a reminder 36 hours later. We are longstanding customers.This left me feeling really narked. AIBU?
YABU: They did the work, so you should pay them straight away.
YANBU: They should give you a week to pay. This is pushy behaviour.

You forgot. So a reminder was both appropriate and helpful 3 days later.

I still don't get why you are narked just because you used to pay cash and if you didn't have it you'd pay a full week later. That was probably a big motivator for companies to move to electronic bank transfers. Plus you can do it immediately once you have the email invoice. No faffing around looking in your purse or having to go to the cash point. If you still forget then you need a reminder.

At my firm (solicitors) we have a whole team of people who work full time chasing late bill payers and non payers. Those salaries could be saved and not factored into our rates if people just Paid The Invoice when it arrives.

Mu daughter runs her own company whichbisvin demand, when clients are slow to settle the invoice because 'they forgot', they don't get a repeat service.

YANBU to be narked but a reminder doesn't actually do you any harm does it, it's not like they are threatening fines or consequences if you don't pay up instantly. Ignore the reminder and pay the invoice as soon as it is practical to do so after you receive it. I can't see any reason to leave it as long as a week, it's not like it's difficult to pay a bill, but it's fine to not drop everything and pay it the moment it arrives.

We get "reminders" with a much shorter or even actually negative elapsed time - our cleaner comes on a Friday and the Agency woman sends out her reminders to all customers the following Tuesday. Not all customers get invoices because it depends what their exact arrangements are, but it is regularly the case that we only receive our invoice a few minutes before, or sometimes a few minutes after the general reminder to pay up.

Well you said you forgot, so the payment reminder was needed then. I think they are fine to have sent a reminder

That may have been the case with some services, but my recollection is that I generally received an invoice/payment request with at least 7 days to pay so that you could inspect the work and post a cheque.

OP if this company/trader requires payment within a certain timeframe then they should state this. I'd be narked too.

You wouldn't go to Sainsbury's and expect to be given a grace period to pay.

Yes I agree with everyone, you should always pay on the day of service, or set up a standing order for the day before or something, businesses can’t afford to wait until clients feel like paying these days and neither can individuals.

You have to follow their payment terms and T&Cs to use a service, not just make up your own

Of course you’re being unreasonable! You forgot to pay, so they sent you a reminder. Why do you think that’s unreasonable? The company weren’t to know whether you would remember to pay after a day or a week, or if youve just decided to become a bad payer.

So if 36 hours is too soon when do you think they should have reminded you?

Keeping in mind that if you don’t pay they’re not going to want to come back the following week and will want time to be able to do a second reminder and then find another customer to fill the space if you don’t…

You are obviously being unreasonable but perhaps you should message back “sorry I forgot to pay, do you mind if I have 48 hours to pay in future?” And see what they say.

Set yourself a reminder to pay or set up a standing order.

Good for her. My friend's husband had a tree surgery business, very much in demand, waiting list of jobs but it ended up folding because people just didn't pay on time and the business couldn't then funds its own overheads. Cash flow is a huge issue especially for small businesses. He's going to try and set up again as a sole trader but requiring payment up front.

It’s really a long time since everything was done in cash. I’m not sure that’s an excuse.

If you generally pay promptly then the company probably realised you had forgotten and thought they were being helpful.(which they were)

We get a regular gardening service, I try to pay as soon as the invoice arrives but I really appreciate a wee nudge if I forget. Life is busy, but people should be paid for their work.

Then you're a flaky customer who they dont trust.
Just pay the man.
I assume you get paid on time and don't hang to have around hoping your employer doesnt forget?

If it’s the sort of service that until a few years ago you would have been expected to pay cash at the time of service for eg cleaning, gardening, babysitting etc then yabu, being able to pay by bank transfer doesn’t mean you can rely paying, in fact my hairdresser allows bank transfer only if you pay there and then because too many people have abused it

Just pay up. Stop getting inappropriately snarky.

They don't have payment terms and T&Cs .

Yabvu. I assume you don't forget to pay when you go to a shop?

Expectations change because folk aren't paying on time. Theyll do it to everyone I'm sure. You have heard about the rise in the cost of living??

Well that's what the reminder is for.

I think you're overthinking this. They will have incurred costs in providing the service to you, eg they have to pay their own staff. No need to be narked, just pay them promptly.

Do you have to send your boss a 36hr reminder then, to make sure you get your salary....?

Yes but this isn't Sainsbury's.
My DH runs his own business. I think he's be pretty surprised if people paid him the way it's being argued for on here!

They don't have staff.

I think it’s fine for them to remind you. It’s probably automated.

Then you're a flaky customer who they dont trust.
No, I'm not!