Bad doobies

[SPARTYKUS]

Hi

Anyone know of a way of checking out if a customer is ropey / a non payer? Is there a web site?

Not end of world but learnt to trust spider sense, and its tingling. Only a 1/2 day job so not end of world but.....!

 

[Deleted member 19807]

i would get them to sign a contract, don't forget the door step selling regs if its over £35.00

 

[SPARTYKUS]

Ta. Re regs thing, isnt that only if you were a cold caller? I was invited round to quote.

 

[needasparks]

I think the best check you can do is trust your nose, once you've been knocked a few times you get a smell for it. Trust me.

 

[SPARTYKUS]

Needasparks totally agree. Got a funny feeling on this one dont knOw why, just have!

EDIT might do it anyway as a kind of reality experiment. Just to prove/disprove the fabled 6th sense

 

[alarm man]

Needasparks totally agree. Got a funny feeling on this one dont knOw why, just have!

EDIT might do it anyway as a kind of reality experiment. Just to prove/disprove the fabled 6th sense

use those credit check agencys doesnt cost that much

Consumer Credit Information | Credit Scoring For Consumer Lending | Experian Consumer CreditCustomer & Individual Credit Report from Credit Check Services

 

[oldtimer]

Well funny enough a customer is allowed to review you if you are on that type of site but you cannot do the same because yes there is good customers and bad ones just like sparks and I should know because i got a stinker because I put my hands up and said I just dont need the hassle and lost money as well so tread carefully and like everthing else every day is a school day

 

[Deleted member 19807]

Ta. Re regs thing, isnt that only if you were a cold caller? I was invited round to quote.

no, its for contracts made at the clients home or place of work, not just if you cold call.

unless the customers comes to your office to sign the contract it applies to all jobs of £35 and over.

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2008/1816/contents/made

 

[JamesBrownLive]

no, its for contracts made at the clients home or place of work, not just if you cold call.

unless the customers comes to your office to sign the contract it applies to all jobs of £35 and over.

The Cancellation of Contracts made in a Consumer

The fact that customers can cancel by email, leaves this system open to abuse... They say they sent the cancellation notice, but none arrives. Where to now?

It might be worth the trouble of including a SAE along with the written notice, to encourage them to send that one back rather than emailing.

 

[Deleted member 19807]

yes its a right pain in the arse, most if my customers think i'm taking the **** when i say i either have to give them a 7 day cooling off period or they have to sign a waver so i can do a 2 hour job as it will be over £35. luckily most customers are as unaware of the regs as most of us are, but it dose leave the door open for the ones that just want a job done for nothing,

as always its the small trader that will carry the costs.

 

[SPARTYKUS]

Thats the feeling I get about this one, wants done for nowt!

 

[oldtimer]

You will always get this when a customer wants the job done for £10 more than the cost of the materials I alway say I will send you a quote if you get a cheaper one take it dont get me wrong I dont say it in a bad way I say it before they do.

I did a PIR for a guy will not go into the details but he was "telling" me what a new DB would cost I well next I seen the conversation going down the dont tell me what to do so I said no probs send you a quote he had to get in the DNO because the main fuse had a bit o 1.5mm copper across it plus he had one of those total maintenance from a certain big company so I thought well if they get in they send him telephone numbers sure enough he got back to say he would review the quote

 

[GLENNSPARK]

I know a few builders and some joiners that have had "the treatment" from iffy customers and have been advised that when i start trading for myself to watch out for those like you say that want it for just above cost and also to be carefull of them that keep changing their minds and add stuff on half way through the job.......i guess its experience of dealing with the public that gets you the right sort of customers here but it just goes to show that it aint just us trades that can get a bad name......seems to me that wherever you go you will get shark types both at the bottom and the top of the food chain.......think i will always get a customer to sign beforehand for the work agreed so we both know exactly whats being done and for how much etc and anyone that doesn`t like it really shouldn`t be trusted as it dont take nothing for an honest person to sign does it? After all it covers them as well......