Withholding certificates until you've been paid?

[Octopus]

I was asked today to review an EICR produced by another , a in Exeter to be precise, so far to far for me to be even vaguely interested in the job

What caught my eye on their email was the following:

Please note the process to certification is as follows:

1. Electrical testing carried out.

2. Invoice.

3. Invoice Paid (cleared funds).

4. Test docs go into processing.

5. Certificate created following processing and outcome marked as either satisfactory/unsatisfactory.

6. Certificate emailed to you in pdf format.

EDIT: This is a NICEIC contractor and I thought their rules are certifcate with invoice


I never withhold a certificate until payment, let alone cleared funds

Thoughts?

 

[SparkyChick]

I'm with you. I don't with hold the certs because as far as I'm concerned, the job isn't complete until the cert is in the clients hands... in the case of an EICR, that is what they are paying for after all.

Nearly all of mine are attached to the same email as the invoice.

 

[Risteard]

EDIT: This is a NICEIC contractor and I thought their rules are certifcate with invoice

Whilst they may discourage it, I'm not sure that they have a "rule" on it. Surely if this was agreed with the client beforehand then it's simply a matter of contract.

 

[Andy78]

EICR is different to EIC or MWC as the customer could argue that alterations are not completed to BS7671 until certs are issued.

I always issue all certs before asking for payment though.

I know of one local NICEIC AC firm that does cheap EICRs then tries to bully customers into having remedial work done saying they cannot have their report until quoted works are completed.

 

[rolyberkin]

Just ordered myself a card reader can't get my head around this whole invoicing thing, if I go and have my hair cut they don't invoice me!

 

[jackhammerJIM]

cert follows payment for me unless its a trusted client .

 

[Briggs69]

cert follows payment for me unless its a trusted client .

Am the same as you trust no one unless regular client.certs once paid

 

[Des 56]

I suppose its a little different issuing a report to issuing a certificate
Electrical "installation"contracts carried out may not be compliant with the regs unless a certificate is compiled
A report on the other hand seems to be a different animal

We are all aware of the main reason for a report regards landlords etc,they are concerned only with a satisfactory and low cost,in that order
By issuing the report after payment,it may remove the power of a landlord being influential in its outcome or not paying at all, if the report is negative

 

[Briggs69]

You find faults and they think you are trying to screw them to get work on eicr’s.thats my biggest bug bear with them.

 

[Octopus]

I've done an EICR today. Tomorrow I will email the client the invoice and the report.

I'll only spend time on an estimate if they ask me to!

 

[westward10]

We lost a contract from a major retailers couple of years ago but they frequently contact asking for copies of EICRs they have had once already, of course we say but there will be a £300 admin fee.

 

[Cadgey123]

I withhold my certificates until all the final bits have been finished and accepted by the client.
I have a retention which I leave until the job is completed.
Once the final balance is cleared I release them and notify building control.

Customers are quite quick to hold your money so why not?

 

[freddo]

in Exeter to be precise,

Well at least it's not one of ours! Our certs get printed and then posted with the invoice.

 

[baldelectrician]

I do not issue a cert until payment is made, in the unlikely event they ask for one I send one all marked with 'lim' and unsigned. Then they are told they get a completed one once payment is made

I did an EICR at the weekend (Saturday) and issued an invoice on Monday (afternoon), the client paid me via card on Monday afternoon and I sent the cert via email 6 hours later (and she moaned it took too long)

 

[The Ghost]

Strange but I feel it is dishonarable to withhold the certificate. If someone does not pay me that is them being dishonarable. I won't play --- for tat. But I must say I can't remember when someone has withheld payment yet in 45 years, must be charmed.