They are not allowed to use the services of someone not appointed by you if they are planning to deduct the amount for those services from your bill. That's the same as saying you're paying for those services and surely you don't agree to that, especially if you have zero say in who they appoint and at what rate.
I literally just got back from meeting my solicitor, and she said the exact same thing. I have palmed it off on her now and she is going to progress it, and give them the option of me going round to rectify the switch as gesture of goodwill. Failing that she is going to progress it once the 28 days has passed to a small claims court etc etc
Next time collect 95% of the money upon delivery of the kitchen to their home., leaving just a 5% balance to collect at the end. That's a better deal than they would get from the national kitchen installation companies.
Thing is, I got this contract by recommendation, I fitted there neighbours kitchen....lovely people and paid card before I had even packed up my gear for the last time. I must admit, working in a property with solid marble floors does make you worried all the time about scratches etc, I think this will be the last House on millionaire street I do.
I set a credit limit of around four hundred quid for most customers, but I won’t just buy kitchen cabinets and appliances without payment on delivery. Some kitchens I got the customer to pay the supplier through my account then the supplier applied a credit allowing a profit. Ideally the day you start work in the customers home they should have paid for the kitchen, appliances and labour leaving the final payment as profit, however some customers will still try and get out of paying the final balance in full. Really there’s no reason why the entire payment should not be collected before installation, you will not get a kitchen or bathroom from the big boys without making full payment. Try driving away from a garage with a car you have not paid for!
I have walked into houses to fit kitchens where a new floor has just been laid and the customer has informed me that I would have to pay for any damage to it, I simply say I won’t fit the kitchen and they can find someone else, I will do my best to protect the flooring but they made the decision to get the kitchen installation done after the flooring was laid, so they can take responsibility. No one ever actually declined to have their kitchen fitted and, touch wood, no floors were damaged. I have had one person phoning me in the last ten years or more saying they wanted to claim on my insurance as they said I had caused a water leak no where near where I was working two weeks beforehand, I told them to sod off then phoned my insurance company and they said they would tell them to sod off as well, I have never heard anything about it since.
I often fit kitchens in 1m+ houses and to be honest, don't find customers or payment to be a problem. As a rule though i find peeps that have made money themselves to be nicer and more down to earth, most peeps that have inherited money tend to look at tradesmen as they would something smelly to wipe off of their shoes. One thing i find odd with this entire thread though, why would someone that owns a 1m+ house only spend £6,000+ on kitchen ? The last one i fitted in a 1m+ house was £68,000 and £22,000 of that was just appliances.
Can bring back damaged goods, return within two weeks if bought online and you can see what you are paying for. Trade person you can’t.
I think so, the whole job was odd if you ask me, £30,000 for a kitchen supplied from ****Marx including the granite worktop nothing custom like you would expect and generic appliances
I am paying my solicitor but a reduced rate as she is an ex customer of mine Edit: I am also going to back charge the customer any and all fees incurred in chasing the payment
In the grand scheme of things £3,000 approx is a drop in the pond to what they have paid so far, but at the end of the day outstanding money is still outstanding money.
and why suggest that? Non payment of a solicitor by a customer is no better than non payment of a kitchen fitter by a customer is it? To the OP, glad to see this is progressing. I fear you will struggle to recover solicitors costs unless it goes to court and costs are awarded to you or your terms of business explicitly provide for you to recover costs in this way. Sorry I might sound harsh but that’s the way I think it is
I do have terms that state it, but like you say whether or not this would hold up outside of court is anyone's guess. I just have to wait and see if this gets sorted.