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That is not what the post I was on about said. It said to get the customer to sign an agreement. Quoting is different. But to be honest if I can fix the job onsite then the quote is always verbal anyway.

Sorry I was generalising. This only applies to consumers but since the Consumer Rights Act 2015, if you take an order in someones home there must be a written pre contract document with various legal requirements. The following is from the .gov.uk website "If you don’t tell the customer about their right to cancel, you could pay an unlimited fine and go to prison for up to 2 years." I bet most tradesmen contracts break the law but the key message was that customers in the know can legally avoid paying if there is no written pre contract document. If anyone wants to know the links to the details then just ask.
 
I'd agree with that 100% OZ. I wish I'd done this sooner. The company we used charged us 0.25% for debit card transactions and 0.9% for credit card transactions. Monthy terminal fee of £25 for the terminals which worked on all networks so very rarely lost signal when taking payment. Ok, so extra costs to pay but how much of my time did I spend each month chasing people for payment? About 2 hours normally, instead I could have been doing a couple of boiler services and earning more than enough to pay for the card machines that month.

Also a lot less stressful too, never have to worry about someone stinging you.
I have been thinking about this for a while. Seems like the best solution. I spend too much time chasing the same slow payers. In any case I don't like giving out my bank details to everyone (after a Nigerian tried to rip me off a while back). The charges you mention are lower than any I have seen to date. Which company are you using?
 
Put their name and address on a postcard. Big red 'OUTSTANDING MONIES' and then the amount, what it was for, your details and stick it through the next door neighbours letterbox.

I know you're only joking, but please nobody do that, it's very much against the law.

The other option is to look into factoring companies, they pay you up front (charging a small percentage) and then they are the ones who chase for payment if none is forthcoming.
 
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Not joking at all. I'd also love to know which precise law posting something through the 'wrong' letterbox contravenes?

Harrassment, the argument that you put it through the wrong letterbox would not hold water as you'd worked at their property.

Harassment by creditors

The actual law that covers this is the Administration of Justice Act 1970

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1970/31


(40)A person commits an offence if, with the object of coercing another person to pay money claimed from the other as a debt due under a contract, he—

(a)harasses the other with demands for payment which, in respect of their frequency or the manner or occasion of making any such demand, or of any threat or publicity by which any demand is accompanied, are calculated to subject him or members of his family or household to alarm, distress or humiliation;
 
I'd still do it. Somebody else dropped it off for me.

If the custard was an obnoxious pratt I would just sell it to the leg breaking squad.

As you wish, just wanted to point out that it's generally a bad idea that can get you in hot water 🙂
 
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Doubt it, but would be typical of this country that you could be classed as harassing somebody whilst chasing your hard earned coin.

Info is stored and shared. Unofficial customer blacklist.

It's a pity you can't credit check them before starting work and buying materials, because it's a huge wodge of cash if they don't pay up, but guess you'd have little to no business doing that ... but look into factoring companies for bigger jobs, or where you think they may be a problem payer, but you have to offset that against their charges.

Should add, just had our en-suites redone (plumber finished today) and I'll be transferring the cash as soon as I get his final invoice in, some of us pay our debts on time, and I've been self employed before and know how much a non-paying customer can hurt.
 
I would call it accidental humiliation. 🙂
Getting someone to post it for you, but they made a mistake and posted in wrong door. Or 'accidently' calling at the customers door when they have visitors.
Am sure we all have at some time been spoken to about an unpaid account at a merchants in front of other customers. It happens.
 
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Would it help if you could receive card payments instantly without needing a chip and pin machine? Thinking of an idea for no monthly fee etc...
 
Do you take bank transfers on the spot? Does that work well? Maybe a card machine is not necessary then?
 
It only makes sense if bank transfers are an issue to be honest.

Just thought an easier way might be an instant invoice. You create instant invoice via your phone and then when customer pays by credit/debit card on their phone, you get an immediate confirmation.

As everything on mobile and you get immediate feedback, you can ask them to do it while waiting. So could be easier than bank transfer as most people regularly pay for stuff by card on mobile now.

But if bank transfer not an issue probably doesn't make sense!
 
It only makes sense if bank transfers are an issue to be honest.

Just thought an easier way might be an instant invoice. You create instant invoice via your phone and then when customer pays by credit/debit card on their phone, you get an immediate confirmation.

As everything on mobile and you get immediate feedback, you can ask them to do it while waiting. So could be easier than bank transfer as most people regularly pay for stuff by card on mobile now.

But if bank transfer not an issue probably doesn't make sense!
I have something that does that already mate. But thanks anyway.
 

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