Non paying customer

[plumb-tech]

Hi has anyone ever had a client turrn round and say there not paying for the work done.
Had a client today did 2 days work for her then she tells me she's not paying and tries to keep finding small things that she says are wrong which are clearly not.
In the end i had to reduce my charges to recieve some sort of payment, hopefully the cheque clears!

 

[macplumb]

Had a mate fitted a bathroom went back the day after he finished for payment. Custemer told him he had never saw him before and mo work had been done at the property and shut the door in his face. Not a happy chappy

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

Hi has anyone ever had a client turrn round and say there not paying for the work done.
Had a client today did 2 days work for her then she tells me she's not paying and tries to keep finding small things that she says are wrong which are clearly not.
In the end i had to reduce my charges to recieve some sort of payment, hopefully the cheque clears!

sorry you have been caught mate,learn by this,you will get a feel for peoples characters after a while,if it feels dodgy either walk away[i know thats hard in the times were in]or draw up a contract/works sceduale get them to sign it before you start work they were on the take

 

[Robtheplumb]

Hi has anyone ever had a client turrn round and say there not paying for the work done.
Had a client today did 2 days work for her then she tells me she's not paying and tries to keep finding small things that she says are wrong which are clearly not.
In the end i had to reduce my charges to recieve some sort of payment, hopefully the cheque clears!

I hate this! If you have done a good job and there are no problems then you should get paid. YOU shouldn't have to drop your rate because someone grumbled about the price, you did the work, and I assume you agreed a price first so they should cough up. I had a customer who had some work done over Christmas and New Year, because of the VAT change he quibbled his bill, after some phone calls and a breakdown of cost he was happy to pay the full amount (the extra VAT was £7.50!) You should never have to reduce your charges.

If you went into Tesco on a Friday, got yourself a nice steak, had it for tea on a Saturday, you wouldn't go back on the Sunday and ask for some Money back because you didn't eat it all!!!
Tell the Cow to cough up.

 

[REDSAW]

all been there, got a customer after fitting new system 7 weeks aago still owes us £500.
excuse was oh, didnt realise you finished, i dont have the money today......tick toc.
always get half when you start, that way you only loose labour.

 

[Robtheplumb]

We will have to send the boys round.... I must admit I don't have a lot of trouble with non payers, might have to send a reminder out but it isn't very often I need to send 2 reminders

 

[oldplumber]

send round the wife, mine gets on the phone as and when required, they dont have her mobile so they pickup and she tootles on round in her car for the dosh, only 5'2" but not to be argued with, if she fails, rarely, i dont shave for a couple of days and pop round of an evening for a chat, only failed once when I realised the guy was a poof and wanted me to come in for a chat!!!!!!!!!!!!! ( never got my money on that one)

 

[Puddle]

Touch wood not had a problem for a while,one trick is to find out were they work and call in with your invoice,surrounded by work mates and the boss can work wonders,does not look good when you say have done two days work and not got paid
My Friend used to go round with his gas bill ect and ask them to pay it

 

[Plumbstar Tom]

everyone will get these 'cowboy customers' throughout there working life

And they are not easy to spot

Im a fan of take half money now and half later

I do benefit from pursuasive friends and wouldn't want any accidents to happen to their property whilst i waited for money

 

[stevetheplumber]

send round the wife, mine gets on the phone as and when required, they dont have her mobile so they pickup and she tootles on round in her car for the dosh, only 5'2" but not to be argued with, if she fails, rarely, i dont shave for a couple of days and pop round of an evening for a chat, only failed once when I realised the guy was a poof and wanted me to come in for a chat!!!!!!!!!!!!! ( never got my money on that one)

really ,what did you get ?lol

 

[Plumbstar Tom]

really ,what did you get ?lol

brilliant!

 

[tibbs]

I m a plasterer and in my line its difficult taking money up front prob because the materials are considerably less than in your game. You do get the odd suprise at times but as long as you stick to your guns then there should nt be a problem . Some people do hpoe that they can intimidate you into walking away or accepting less but once you agree a price thats it. If you re soft then expect to get s*** on simple as that and its usually a certain `type` of customer that tries it on but i could nt possibly say which on here🙄

 

[jasondude]

Make sure you get half as a depo before the work has been started. That is a safety net..

Jason Karitt
London Surrey Plumber

 

[wnjswozo]

always half up front anything over£200,

 

[dontknowitall]

I like to trust my customers and wait for payment only when I've finished a job, unless it's over a month long.

It's a risk but so is running a business. If I'm asked if I want an interim payment I turn it down saying that I like to finish everything before asking for money and I feel it creates a better impression.

Only difficulty I've had so far is a long wait for money, but so far patience has always been rewarded.

 

[quality]

I like to trust my customers and wait for payment only when I've finished a job, unless it's over a month long.

It's a risk but so is running a business. If I'm asked if I want an interim payment I turn it down saying that I like to finish everything before asking for money and I feel it creates a better impression.

Only difficulty I've had so far is a long wait for money, but so far patience has always been rewarded.

I have worked on a similar basis for over 20 years and have never not been paid

 

[tibbs]

I like to trust my customers and wait for payment only when I've finished a job, unless it's over a month long.

It's a risk but so is running a business. If I'm asked if I want an interim payment I turn it down saying that I like to finish everything before asking for money and I feel it creates a better impression.

Only difficulty I've had so far is a long wait for money, but so far patience has always been rewarded.

Exactly my approach. It annoys you when your`re taken for granted but these customers are in the minority. The good reputation gained is worth it in my experience.

 

[peteh20]

small claims court will cost 75 ish but the officicial court letter normally works and loosing 75 is better than loosing over 500 but no concilation we've all been there and got the t-shirt.

 

[unguided1]

Revenge is a dish best served cold.
You may, end up not getting yer money back, but it aint half satisfying knowing the sort of dammage a couple of well shaken, large tins of expandy foam with the tops knocked off can do, it plays havoc with the hoover

 

[Winston]

LOL once for a pub landlord, wasnt going to pay after I had written to him chasing payment, went to the wc,s and removed the syphons and then stuck the lids down with sealant. Job done 😀 think he got the message after I asked if I could have a few pints and not pay 😀

 

[oldplumber]

really ,what did you get ?lol

no money, but if your interested I can let you have his number😉

 

[plumb-tech]

Got £450 out of her in the end so only lost £50, funny because i do a lot of work in her block of flats (4-5 a month), was there the other day and she came over to me and asked if i could come back and tighten something that was loose, i just laughed at her and told her to p*** off.

 

[Puddle]

asked if i could come back and tighten something that was loose

Probably one her screws loose 😛
Anyway pleased you got most of the wonger

 

[stevetheplumber]

Revenge is a dish best served cold.
You may, end up not getting yer money back, but it aint half satisfying knowing the sort of dammage a couple of well shaken, large tins of expandy foam with the tops knocked off can do, it plays havoc with the hoover

turn of the outside stopcock and fill with cement is good as you can watch the action unfold

 

[Sazn Rai]

Im having the same problem. I installed a new shower and now am having problems getting the payment. I had initially spoken to the person living there before commencing work. We discussed the price and everything and he agreed with us. When we began the work.. oh my god.. the place was so dirty and filthy.. they were living like animals.. roaches and insects and dirt and hair everywhere... Just after that I wanted to leave the place immediately. But we had an agreement so we did the job. We hadnt prepared an invoice then so we said we will send an invoice 1st, then you can pay us. So I made the invoice, sent him. But now its been over 3 months and still we arent getting paid. We went to the place and found out that the person we had been talking to has ran away from there.. he ran away back to his country owing everybody money. There still were people living in that flat, so we thought of contacting the landlord. Because in the end the landlord must be the one paying. But the people living there say they dont have the number, they just have the bank account number of the landlord and each month they pay the rent. No contact. I was so furious with them.. we went many times trying to talk to them to reach a conclusion.. Its been a week of just getting there and returning empty everytime. I talked to one of the people who other people living there claims hes the the person in charge. So when I had a chat with him over the phone, he says I cant do anything. It had been so frustrating for us that we said we dont need the money, we will just take out the shower and leave. But they wont even allow us to do that. They say they will call the police and they say that the police will support them. I dont know what to do.. I'm hating myself so much for not taking the full payment before hand.
I dont know what to do. I've done my plumbing course from FTC .. Level 1 & 2 and im sure I can work with that certificates. City & Guilds Plumbing Level 1 & 2.
I dont know what to do...

 

[Bubblecraft]

I had a couple last year who refused to pay the final balance. It was an insurance job which they extended into more work. They moaned about the extra 3 days it needed to do the extra work & refused to pay. I was running my self into the ground to try & meet the dead line as I couldn't knock back the next 2 months of work.
I had to cut my losses with them & they got away with £1250. It nearly broke me.
Lesson learned though!

...They got rattled for insurance fraud after that!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - Couple a' Tools

 

[dontknowitall]

Normally I issue an invoice and sort payment on completion of the job but this job was not complete (first fix done, and date made for completion of final fix.)

Was phoned last week and told I didn't have to return as builder would finish off job, so could I send an invoice.

I've just typed up an invoice and added a 7% chunk to the value. Payment for original amount if paid within 14 days. If they pay within around 21 days with the lesser amount I don't mind as it's only a week late.

I love it when they pay late as it's extra hour's dough for doing nothing, even if I do have to wait for a month or two.

However, if customers (these ones should be fine) end up not paying after around 3 months I will chase a bit, perhaps think of something to shame them into it then leave it as a bad debt. One or two people are like that but most have a reason for not paying.

I'm on my guard if no mention of payment is made during the process of getting the job and/or doing the job. I'm also on my guard if someone asks how much a job is before mentioning anything else. I walk from a job if I'm worried about not being paid. I'm here to do plumbing, not chasing debts - that's someone else's job and I'm not willing to pay someone else to chase my debts or go through the worry of not being paid and being out of pocket.

As I said in an earlier comment, communication is the key - just about all the time the customer would be happy to pay but has an issue over something. The only thing they have over you is not paying as they fear you'll abandon them and they'll have to pay someone else to sort it out.

Hope the issues are sorted quickly.

 

[alexterry]

I agree asking for a 50/50 payment before and after the job is always a fail safe. If someone isn't willing to do this then they're more likely to be one of those who doesn't pay once you've finished!

 

[mfgs]

I agree asking for a 50/50 payment before and after the job is always a fail safe. If someone isn't willing to do this then they're more likely to be one of those who doesn't pay once you've finished!

I dont agree with this. I would never pay anyone 50% upfront before doing any work for me, and I would never ask for 50% upfront either from one of my customers. If it was a massive job with thousands of pounds in materials, I may ask for some money to cover the materials cost but only once they were on site and certainly not before.

 

[Roger Welton]

I never ask for money upfront, or indeed until a job is finished, if alarm bells are rining when quoting then i will just politely refuse to do the work. I Have had a couple of people not pay up though, but never been enough to cause major stress, and I have a LONG memory for things like this and don't mind telling anyone that asks about it (every one knows everyone around here).

 

[SimonG]

Nothing up front, but if a lot of money on materials I ask for payment on delivery and if it's a big or long job I agree stage payments.

If I get a funny vibe when looking at a job they either get a price that's double or nothing from me at all.

 

[WaterTight]

I ask for money up front but nobody has yet had a problem with it at all. Only about 1 out of 20 even ask for a receipt for the money given up front. But I do come across as very trustworthy (I know everyone thinks they do...this can't by definition be the case..) I seem to be instantly trusted by people who leave me alone in their homes with blank cheques after the first meet. The flipside of this personality I have is I also come across as a total pushover and therefore have been stung a few times in the past. Hence money upfront.

Plus who wants to spend weeks out of pocket waiting for money? Cash flow is important.

 

[hammers4spanner]

its not just customers i find that can be awkward helping mates out can be just as bad !!The amount of times i have helped out other plumbers when they need a push on a job and then come friday when its payment time the phone is suddenly off!!!Then get the text sorry mate busy at mo will sort you out later ,,,,,, which turns out about three weeks later and then get the how much was it ???Oh sorry only got hundred out will pay the rest tomorrow !!!does my head in .

 

[dontknowitall]

I'm one of those who ask for money on completion, except for one job where I asked for interim payments.

I've never been asked by any tradesman for money upfront and only once for interim payments. I suppose round here we're more trustworthy, but also bad names travel quickly in these parts (whether it applies to a tradesman or a customer).

There is obviously a risk involved with my method, but I assess that risk before I take on a job and I like to trust my customers to keep to their part of the bargain. So far, with a couple of exceptions, so good.

 

[Mike Jackson]

I feel it's more professional to ask for money on completion on most jobs. Most of my materials are on credit accounts so I don't have to pay for at least 30 days. If it's a big job I'll ask for stage payments with the first one when materials arrive on site so that the customer has the comfort of knowing that if I do a runner they've at least got the materials.

I'm always suspicious when asked for money up front.

 

[mfaf]

I always ask for all materials to be paid up front that way then I know there commited, never had to reduce prices but I do remember doing a re-fit at an indian takeaway for a builder time to pay up and the owner had been keeping a tally on all the cups of tea and curries the lads had and wanted it knocked off his bill the builder went manic we all thought they were free must have cost him a few quid

 

[sparra1100]

having been done twice i always get the money for the boiler upfront and if they dont want to do it i dont do the job but most people offer to pay for the boiler upront anyway

 

[tamz]

Everyone will get stung at some point. Small claims courts work to an extent but you can't get blood from a stone and the inconvenience and cost time wise to yourself sometimes isn't worth the trouble. This is where a bit of revenge may be satisfying for a day or 2.
I think money up front comes across as unprofessional but if it works for you why not.
If i added all the money i've been bumped for over the past 25 years (mostly by builders going bust) i could buy a new Aston Martin for cash and still get change.
I refuse to do work for any builders now no matter who they are.

To Sazn
You are on a hiding to nothing here. The landlord is not bound to pay as he never authorised the work. You should have walked out the door with the tenants cash on completion or a shower under your arm.
It has cost you a couple of hundred for a lesson in life. You will know better in future.

 

[Roger Welton]

Tenants contacting me directly always sets alarm bells ringing, I always ask for the landlords number to confirm and if not forthcoming I'm not putting my boots on!

 

[dontknowitall]

That's what I do as well!

 

[cr0ft]

After being stung once I ask for full payment for any materials specific to the job (boilers etc) up front. For a larger project like a full bathroom installation or re-plumbing a house, I usually split payments for labour into first/second fix. All of this is covered in a signed contract (if the job is worth more than £1,000 inc. VAT) for both mine and the customers protection. Not had a single non-payer since I started working this way and customers actually like having a contract. If you use a template it doesn't take long to do either.

 

[johnnyplumb]

I m a plasterer and in my line its difficult taking money up front prob because the materials are considerably less than in your game. You do get the odd suprise at times but as long as you stick to your guns then there should nt be a problem . Some people do hpoe that they can intimidate you into walking away or accepting less but once you agree a price thats it. If you re soft then expect to get s*** on simple as that and its usually a certain 'type ' of customer that tries it on but i could nt possibly say which on here🙄

i've heard people saying that you should never do work for Hamilton accies, i wonder why that is lol

 

[RR1981]

turn of the outside stopcock and fill with cement is good as you can watch the action unfold

Interresting to hear this...am writing a story about non- payment and an arrogant guy who winds the plumber up more and more when he wont pay. Are there any other ways such guys can be pranked? Cheers

 

[Veggie Dave]

Interresting to hear this...am writing a story about non- payment and an arrogant guy who winds the plumber up more and more when he wont pay. Are there any other ways such guys can be pranked? Cheers

You're a writer? One hopes you put a little more effort into your work than you do into forum posts... :book:

 

[WaterTight]

He might be dysleixifnchticc.

 

[WaterTight]

I think that's how you smell it.

 

[tamz]

Are there any other ways such guys can be pranked? Cheers

I once knew a brickie who threatened to do this (and he would have done)

[video=youtube;avER-t6GL4U]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avER-t6GL4U&feature=related[/video]

 

[ndsmith]

We use letters reminding them, and then pass the debt on to a local debt collector, £60 per case, as soon as people get a debt collector at their door they normally cough up instantly!

saying that we are still in dispute with a barrister for payments from last july, she just ignores everything, think court is the only way forward now though.

 

[chris watkins]

A tip which will stand you good over the years, never ever ever work for barrister's, judges & even think twice for solicitors, for some reason they all seem to think that because they work with the Law that they can use (& abuse it) against us to not pay for proper services rendered !! Which is quite worrying to me should I ever have cause to rely on their services.
(I think it may be something to do with defending those that they know are guilty?)

 

[Masood]

always get half when you start, that way you only loose labour.

Sound advice. Except for very small jobs I always put on the quote that 50% is payable by bank transfer before work starts, to cover material costs. On the flip side, I also say that remainder is not due until 14 days after completion, so that they have had a chance to live with the work and find any niggles / issues. I've never had anyone quibble about the deposit, nor has anyone waited the full 14 days to pay...

 

[CMcM]

Done a boiler change and replaced a few rads all agreed on a price before install, when I was doing the install the girls dad, a joiner, ripped out the kitchen bursting/ splitting hot and cold water pipes. Once boiler was fitted the girl was in tears because she would have not have a working kitchen cos of what her dad done. I fixed the pipes. After my good dead was done I asked for payment AND NO joke as I was asking for payment she disputted the agreed pice saying they were skint her partner and dad were hanging a NEW 3D.. my jaw hit the floor in disbilef!

 

[markfxy]

take the 3D telly as part payment!

 

[stevetheplumber]

im currently chasing £120 for a blocked waste turned out the landlord is in new zealand

 

[dholi85]

What about renting one of those card processing machines, instant payment, less chance of people not paying?

 

[deadstare]

Always fit a service valve some where out of sight if they dont pay turn the valve off and leave they will soon pay up

 

[Millsy 82]

I was speaking to some one who says they pass the debt on to a debt agency does anybody do this. Chasing payment was the worst thing of being self employed glad I dont have to do it now.