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In 40 years odd working, one customer who currently has a debt collector on the case and just about to go to court all over a few hundred. nvm
 
Never had anything serious, a couple of quite late payments, one guy paid me monthly because his bank account was apparently cleaned out by fraudsters.
 
I've only had one customer who has ignored requests for payment. It was a small job, in July, for a local kitchen company called Rural Living Ltd., in Haslemere.

Their answerphone has been unable to take messages for months and I've never seen their shop open. I tried contacting one of the directors, Nathan Smithfield, via LinkedIn. He replied to my first message, but went quiet as soon as I said that I was after the money he owed me.
 
the threat of paint stripper on his BMW one dark night is usually an incentive for a builder to cough up.
If things get desperate you could always sell the debt to someone who is more persuasive,I have never had to do this but if that was my best option I wouldn't hesitate to do so. Ruining someone's car won't get you your money and will cost you a few more quid to buy the paint stripper.. Have you seen the price of paint stripper lately? Hahaha
 
If things get desperate you could always sell the debt to someone who is more persuasive,I have never had to do this but if that was my best option I wouldn't hesitate to do so. Ruining someone's car won't get you your money and will cost you a few more quid to buy the paint stripper.. Have you seen the price of paint stripper lately? Hahaha
Plus; paint stripper ain't as good as it was years ago, may need 3 or 4 applications to get a good result:mad::mad::mad:.
 
In my area local trades share this sort of info on the quiet. Helps to know so when they ring you have an answer to get rid of them.

Just had a customer before Christmas quibble over a job I did but thankfully she paid. More work is required, but I'll not be doing it. Recently I also had a late payer ask about a commercial job, I've done domestics for the previously, so have added a % on to reflect it will take ages to get paid and I'll have to chase them half a dozen times for the money!
 
I don't mind late payment as long as it's agreed beforehand. It's the customers who think it's a try before you buy type service! that annoy me.

best way of avoiding late payment is to be transparent as you can. have as much agreed in writing before the job starts.

it's the daft little things that usually cause the problem.
 
I don't mind late payment as long as it's agreed beforehand. It's the customers who think it's a try before you buy type service! that annoy me.

best way of avoiding late payment is to be transparent as you can. have as much agreed in writing before the job starts.

it's the daft little things that usually cause the problem.

Hit, nail and head spring to mind
 
You wouldn't go into Tesco fill your trolley with goods then go to the checkout with some excuse either not to pay or suddenly decide you will pay when it suits you!

Pee's me off when some customers think that's acceptable behavior!

Fortunately I've only had a few like that.
 
I've only been doing this self employed thing for the last few years. All my work is domestic, but I've been somewhat amazed on how long people take to pay invoices. There are the odd few, who are anxious to pay you as you leave the door, but most seem to take at least a week. I've had to chase a few, and got the 'didn't get your email' trick.

Seems I've been lucky, from what I've read on this forum about the subject. I might try it next when I go shopping in Sainsburys, or take my van for a service. :rolleyes:
 
Reminds of one time I did a bathroom re-furb for a client. At the end of the job the fella asked me if I wouldn't mind re-fitting an alarm door contact which had been removed when he'd had a new front door fitted a while back.
The door was brown and he preferred a brown contact to match so I headed off to my supplier got one. When I returned I went to power down the alarm panel and found it already isolated and battery removed. He told me it had been like that since the original contact had been removed.
I proceeded to install the new contact (20 minute job tops) then re-energized the panel ready to test the system. The panel would not respond, I checked all the PCB fuses, all intact. I messed about trying to get it going to no avail.
The fella got shirty and accused me of damaging the system! I explain that all I'd done was re wired the contact as previously done and the connected the battery in the panel and re energized the supply to it. He was having none of it and tried to place the blame on me saying I would have to supply and install a new panel @ my own cost.
He knew what he was doing! Come to think back now he'd played the game all along because during the bathroom install he had constantly asked one of us "can you just" mostly minor things but never the less they all mounted up to a decent load of freebie jobs done.
 

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