Waiting 6 months for bills from plumber

[JeanieJeanie]

We had a new kitchen fitted in June/July. Have paid for all cabinetry & tiling as soon as they were invoiced but are still waiting for a bill from the electrician & plumber. The joiner tells us they are both notoriously slow at billing. One customer apparently had a bill nearly 2 years later and refused to pay it. I’ve reminded them 3 times now to send me the bill as I want to get it sorted. I don’t like owing money. They must be rolling in it because it’s going to be a couple of thousand pounds I would expect.
How long do you think it’s reasonable for a tradesman to keep a customer waiting?

This is insane. I had a plumber do the same. He had to take tiles off a wall, sort out a leaking pipe in the wall then replaster & retile. That was last year, I still haven't been billed. I've given up waiting.

Stick the money in a premium bonds account and leave it there.

If they send the bill, pay it. In the meantime it may earn you a bond win!

Tell them you want the bill within the next 2 weeks and that if it isn't received by then, you will NOT be paying. That might spur them on. Also, write a poor review somewhere

This is strange - whether they’re ‘rolling’ in it or not, If I was a TP I would be wanting a near enough prompt payment for the work. There’s so many times you can remind them - might just get to the time when you have to put a reserve fund into a separate account for when they do ask. Insane though!

Also, if they’re that financially rich then they will be able to afford to employ an admin/book keeper to take payments.

I had an electrician wait four months before billing me and he sent me the bill a week before Xmas. Very odd indeed!

I still haven't had a bill from a plumber for 6 years now. I was waiting for months then thought how strange and only just remembered now reading your thread!

Something similar happened to us some 6 years ago. Don't wanna elaborate, or give too much away, as it's potentially identifying. A tradesman came and did a job for us (was £385+VAT, so like £460-ish.) He did the job, it took 3 hours, plus an hour and a half travel and petrol.

He said we would be invoiced soon. 3-4 weeks later, nothing. So I phoned them. 'Oh don't worry Mrs P' the receptionist said 'they will bill you soon, they won't be letting go of nearly five hundred quid!'

The weeks flew by, and months, and more months. It hit Christmas and was now 9 months later. I didn't chase it up again. I did it once. That was enough IMO. 6 years later, still no bill. The company is still going. Never billed me. I never used them again either. No reason other than I haven't required their particular services.

I think a company has up to 6 years to send a bill, currently waiting 3 years for an account.

Tradespeople often hate the paperwork side. I had to chase one up for a bill for over 20 grand's worth of work that had been done (bar a bit of snagging still left to do) for months. I know he'll do the snagging eventually, which is really very, very minor cosmetics only. He's worked for us before and I know he just loathes doing paperwork though he loves doing the actual work and does it very well. I think he was hanging back because of the little odds and ends still left, but I like to keep things straight and pay bills the day I get them, so DH ent him a reminder and he came round with the bill the day after. The chap how does our boiler servicing gives us a bill as he leaves, he was laughing when he told my Mum that last time the money was in his account before he got home.