Difficult customer- need some advice.

[SparkyPete221]

Use your gut instinct, quote in writing


If you have not given him a written quote with 14 day cooling off period you cannot enforce an invoice (assuming the client is domestic and lives in the house- and the job is over £42)

I now do written quotes- I use Xero and have formats (EICR's / business to business / landlord work / standard works), they all have my terms and conditions attached to each quote which they can click to accept (or not)

Can I ask if the terms are a template given to you by Xero or did you have to get them written up professionally?

Also they have to click to sign them!? That’s great!!

 

[SparkyPete221]

Use your gut instinct, quote in writing


If you have not given him a written quote with 14 day cooling off period you cannot enforce an invoice (assuming the client is domestic and lives in the house- and the job is over £42)

I now do written quotes- I use Xero and have formats (EICR's / business to business / landlord work / standard works), they all have my terms and conditions attached to each quote which they can click to accept (or not)

Sorry also, for the 2nd half of the job I did give him a written quote, I don’t believe my terms have a cooling off period on them no? Does the lack of cooling off period invalidate them?

 

[SparkyPete221]

if he agreed with the quote then he needs to pay you regarding what you have put in ,put your big boots on and walk .

I am just a bit concerned about him coming at me legally in any way.

 

[baldelectrician]

Sorry also, for the 2nd half of the job I did give him a written quote, I don’t believe my terms have a cooling off period on them no? Does the lack of cooling off period invalidate them?

Yes, you cannot enforce an invoice without a court order if you do not have this.

See this thread

Cancellation rights trap.

Just got out of a small claims court. A technicality just cost me £750! Goes like this: I provided an estimate for remedial works left over by a previous electrician who was sacked bt the client. Dont usually take these on but his wife was 9 months prenantand they were desperate to get the...

www.electriciansforums.net

 

[SparkyPete221]

Yes, you cannot enforce an invoice without a court order if you do not have this.

See this thread

Cancellation rights trap.

Just got out of a small claims court. A technicality just cost me £750! Goes like this: I provided an estimate for remedial works left over by a previous electrician who was sacked bt the client. Dont usually take these on but his wife was 9 months prenantand they were desperate to get the...

www.electriciansforums.net

God that’s difficult reading wish electrical bodies we spend £1000s with would give these types of services. Craziness not even sure where to start

 

[baldelectrician]

God that’s difficult reading wish electrical bodies we spend £1000s with would give these types of services. Craziness not even sure where to start

I did a sample document for people to download

14 Day cooling off period sample

baldelectrician submitted a new resource: 14 Day cooling off period sample - Copy of cooling off stuff in word format- checked by local trading standards I have attached a copy of the cooling off stuff in word format It is good as you can peg it on to the end of quotes etc, this allows you to...

www.electriciansforums.net

 

[LukeD]

And in just about every legal situation....MEDIATION is a requirement . Dont think courts will entertain much unless you have followed a simple course of trying to mediate the issue etc

 

[SparkyPete221]

So frustrating. I know there’s plenty of laws in place to protect the customers from dodgy tradesmen but also makes our lives difficult when people try it.


Doesn’t help that he went out of his way to complain about me to a neighbour he hasn’t even spoken to before. Little did he know this neighbour was a past customer who stuck up for me.

 

[buzzlightyear]

I know there’s plenty of laws in place to protect the dodgy customers but also makes our lives difficult.

yep, sounds more like it .

 

[littlespark]

Agree to go back, but spend your time ripping out everything and taking back materials he hasn’t paid for yet.

Not something I would encourage