Bad (non pay)Day

Discussion in 'Other Trades Talk' started by Bigplumber, Sep 30, 2005.

  1. bathstyle

    bathstyle Active Member

    Oh my God!

    I bet you struggled marking up the tiles because your hands were shaking so much!
     
  2. Well they were all very pleasant actually and quite curious how we fitted the stuff.

    I certainly made sure it was a spot on job though!

    Worked late, got out as quick as possible!
     
  3. Mr Brabus

    Mr Brabus New Member

    Hi Big Plumber,

    I sympathise with your situation, I seem to get customers trying to weasel out of paying all the time. (Reckon its cause I'm 24)

    Even though I take deposits for materials and charge a daily rate which is to be settled every day or 3 days I come across customers who are simply at it.

    I used various tactics to extract any money due to me and the most effective I've found is to agree on a snagging list, both parties sign it with a firm payment date and take photographs before and then after you completed snagging list.

    Real gits will still try it on which is why you have a lawyer phone them at work and at home to prove its not a bluff.

    I've had to do this twice now, once with a "scrooge" like Italian, the other with an Asian restaurant owner. Got most of my money off both of them and walked away.

    As others have said the court costs are ridiculous if you have to fight those with legal aid. Worst case scenario is to take photos of everything draw up a non paying customer alert and drop them through the neighbours letter boxes and at their place of work.
     
  4. bmbplastering

    bmbplastering New Member

    a little word of advice to all trades. if you employ less than ten get in touch with the federation of small businesses in blackpool. join them £150 per year and you get legal cover. they just got me £370 from a customer who hasnt paid for 6 months contacted them next day a solicitors letter gos to customer 2 days after that i have a cheque in the bank. there are loads of other incentives to joining too give them a call i recon im £220 up on the deal this year.
     
  5. bmbplastering

    bmbplastering New Member

    definatley theft if they refuse to release your tools.
     
  6. bmbplastering

    bmbplastering New Member

    unfortunatley they can get you for criminal damage to there property. a builder i know supplied and built a garden wall, didnt get paid so took it down. he got a £1500 fine and orderd to re build the wall then was paid the £900 by customer.
     
  7. Ghost-1

    Ghost-1 Active Member

    So So tempting to just put a brick through there window!

    Or Is that just me?
     
  8. Boff

    Boff New Member

    unfortunatley they can get you for criminal damage to
    there property. a builder i know supplied and built a
    garden wall, didnt get paid so took it down. he got a
    £1500 fine and orderd to re build the wall then was
    paid the £900 by customer.

    Just claim it's bad workmanship :)
     
  9. crash

    crash Member

    The solicitor told me my case was winnable, after paying him £5,000 he changed his mind and suggested I settle out of court. Be very careful! <<<

    Small claims court does not require a solicitor - just some nouse on how to word the claim in laymans terms and defend any counterclaim by them with evidence - photos and a covert tape recorder (if you have doubts about the bill being paid - most phones these days have them built in so looks normal) always goes down well

    regards

    mark
     
  10. crash

    crash Member

    they might threaten to call the police ignore them
    the police can t do anything its civil mate

    wrong!

    If they bought the tiles they are the legal owners - if you are there damaging them, then you are leaving yourself wide open to a burglary allegation

    Good idea though - people don't really like the agrivation but be careful my friend -
     
  11. Pride'N'Joy

    Pride'N'Joy New Member

    Try and reason with them, offer to put right what they percieve to be wrong and if that does not work then slap two coats of pva over her, then sell the debt to a debt collection agency, trust me within two weeks they will cough up.
     
  12. So far that's the most sensible suggestion for a use of PVA made on this forum...:)
     
  13. Pride'N'Joy

    Pride'N'Joy New Member

    Cheers Mudster! Not quite as helpfull as some of your suggestions though!
     
  14. Bigplumber

    Bigplumber New Member

    Cheers guys. Dicided to leave it, and poured paint remover over his car bonnet instead on the way home from the pub. Will cost him more than my fee to get his BM resprayed.
     
  15. crash

    crash Member

    Cheers guys. Dicided to leave it, and poured paint
    remover over his car bonnet instead on the way home
    from the pub. Will cost him more than my fee to get
    his BM resprayed.

    smile - your on cctv ;)
     
  16. ukwoody

    ukwoody New Member

    expanding foam on disk brakes and up exhuast has been known to work very well... so I hear;-)

    Only evr had one complaint about my workmanship in 20 years. Two weeks ago from a "close family friend". has caused major family probs, not helped by her husband being a solicitor! Eventually cost me £220 which was my wages for the two days. Even though he is solictor they wouldn't even give me chance to try to rectify the problem. Even though I dont really accept there is one!
    *****!
    Woody
     
  17. crash

    crash Member

    Even though he is solictor they wouldn't even give me chance to try to rectify the problem. Even though I dont really accept there is one! *****!
    Woody

    Legally they should of
     
  18. ukwoody

    ukwoody New Member

    Tell me about it Crash!
    Thats the problem when working for family and so called friends I guess:-(

    Actually it is good to hear that everyone at some stage gets one. I was really peed off to the point I questioned my own ability to hang doors. Took it very personally. I know it's stupid, but when you've never had any significant complaint over the years it does smack a bit when you do your darnest to do a good job and take pride in your work, for you to get stung by someone.

    Woody
     

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