pay your invoice or watch your windows

[buzzlightyear]

I'm sick and tried of sending invoices to customer saying pay within the seven days and some customers try and pay late .I run a business not a charity, I now you have to give them 30days to pay in the invoice ,but stuff that ,we have all been their waiting for payment .I now send them pay now or face the wrath of buzz.

 

[Toneyz]

In what way have you not compiled

Not issuing the electrical certificate and I think the schemes take a dim view of this if they complain.

 

[MG201]

I’m not sure but as long as it is completed and issued as soon as payment is made there should be no issue

 

[Santa]

The company I worked for in Birmingham paid at the end of the month following the month the job was done. In the worst case, a job done on Jan 2, would not be paid for until early March. This was clearly stated on the order and no job would be paid for without an order.

Privately, I tend to pay quickly. For small jobs; on completion, but for more expensive work, I like to hold back at least a part, to make sure that nothing blows up/falls off as soon as the tradesman leaves. I work on the principle that I might well want them again and if they know I am a 'good' payer, I might get some benefit.

Discounts for prompt payment are a very good incentive.

 

[Jjc]

You are too up tight about this

I chase after 30 days .... Rarely before

That said the vast majority of my clients pay within 7 days

Building up a cash balance in my business account allows me to take this can you

 

[Jjc]

Good luck with that approach .... sounds like it doesn’t work

7 days for payment is a bit quick imho .... unless it’s after the 24th of the month

Can you walk out of a shop without paying for the goods and say I'll pay you within 28 days? Of course not ,so what's the difference you should be paid asap.

 

[chrisdungan]

How many sparkies on this site use one of the many mobile card payment devices we have down under??
I'm a Kiwi I rent a mobile card machine (Payclip) from my bank (BNZ) for $30/ month plus VAT that does chip and pin/swipe and contactless card payments. the Payclip bluetooths to a phone app and the payment goes direct into a seperate card account. Credit card payments cost me 1.75% , the other card payments cost me nothing. Longest time for the banks to transfer the money has been 36 hours.
Usually use it for those small domestic jobs where you're there for 2/3 hours with minimal materials. I write a manual invoice on the spot and say " just gimme ya card" Well I actually ask nicer than that but you get the picture.

 

[Harry_P]

I’m not sure but as long as it is completed and issued as soon as payment is made there should be no issue

You have no right to hold onto the electrical certificate and at the same time demand payment, If you are holding the certificate then there is no reason anyone should pay you anything because the job isn't finished until you give them the certificate. If you withheld a certificate and tried to sue someone for non payment you would be laughed out of court

 

[Darkwood]

Can you walk out of a shop without paying for the goods and say I'll pay you within 28 days? Of course not ,so what's the difference you should be paid asap.

The difference is important and no a contractual standard agreement for services done is 28 days or 1 month unless otherwise agreed, to try relate this to buying a sandwich at gregs or a tv at comet is a poor analogy, if you buy any product from any store then legally you can take it back within a given time period and ask for your money back for varoius reasons, the same applies to contractual work, once completed they have a settle in period that allows them to contend the work before payment, if you are financially struggling then don't blame the customer, blame the economy or your business model.

 

[Midwest]

You have no right to hold onto the electrical certificate and at the same time demand payment, If you are holding the certificate then there is no reason anyone should pay you anything because the job isn't finished until you give them the certificate. If you withheld a certificate and tried to sue someone for non payment you would be laughed out of court

I thought BS7671 was kinda worded in that way, but can't find that wording at the mo. I always issued my certificates before payment.

Going back to my car analogy, MOT's are now stored electronically, and you don't get the old embossed certificate. So even though you've not paid before picking up the car, the certificate is completed. However, you've no access to that certificate until you've paid, and then get a paper copy.

I guess it would be difficult to hold onto an EICR, as the customer would need to see, as thats your 'work', other than actual work done and EIC etc issued.

I know of a few sparks that hold onto the certificate until payment is completed, especially where builders are involved.

 

[Harry_P]

I thought BS7671 was kinda worded in that way, but can't find that wording at the mo. I always issued my certificates before payment.

Going back to my car analogy, MOT's are now stored electronically, and you don't get the old embossed certificate. So even though you've not paid before picking up the car, the certificate is completed. However, you've no access to that certificate until you've paid, and then get a paper copy.

I guess it would be difficult to hold onto an EICR, as the customer would need to see, as thats your 'work', other than actual work done and EIC etc issued.

I know of a few sparks that hold onto the certificate until payment is completed, especially where builders are involved.[/

I thought BS7671 was kinda worded in that way, but can't find that wording at the mo. I always issued my certificates before payment.

Going back to my car analogy, MOT's are now stored electronically, and you don't get the old embossed certificate. So even though you've not paid before picking up the car, the certificate is completed. However, you've no access to that certificate until you've paid, and then get a paper copy.

I guess it would be difficult to hold onto an EICR, as the customer would need to see, as thats your 'work', other than actual work done and EIC etc issued.

I know of a few sparks that hold onto the certificate until payment is completed, especially where builders are involved.

If it eventually went to court it would go something like this....

Judge: why haven't you paid Mr sparky for the work he did?

Client: because I haven't received an electrical certificate

Judge to Mr sparky: why are you expecting payment for something that you haven't yet provided? (Certificate)

Mr sparky: errrrrrrrrmmmmmmmmmm

Judge: case closed and Mr sparky can pay the costs of this court case and the costs of the client

 

[Midwest]

What?

 

[rapparee]

We pay 30 days after month end.

And if we pay later than that, sure what the hell.... do you want the work or not. You can be easily replaced.

 

[Bellendian]

Can you walk out of a shop without paying for the goods and say I'll pay you within 28 days? Of course not ,so what's the difference you should be paid asap.

I do this every day! As I imagine pretty much everybody here with a credit account does!

 

[Toneyz]

We pay 30 days after month end.

And if we pay later than that, sure what the hell.... do you want the work or not. You can be easily replaced.

Does that mean that when you do work and the company doesn't pay you at 30 days you take the same attitude?

 

[MG201]

There are lots of credit schemes now that are trying improve payments , a good incentive to the tier 1,2,3 contractors to pay earlier is that they get the Benefits of better prices the contractors who pay late get a % added to all quotes to aid the delay in payments