non paying customers !

[ukplumbersusery]

That is not what the post I was on about said. It said to get the customer to sign an agreement. Quoting is different. But to be honest if I can fix the job onsite then the quote is always verbal anyway.

Sorry I was generalising. This only applies to consumers but since the Consumer Rights Act 2015, if you take an order in someones home there must be a written pre contract document with various legal requirements. The following is from the .gov.uk website "If you don’t tell the customer about their right to cancel, you could pay an unlimited fine and go to prison for up to 2 years." I bet most tradesmen contracts break the law but the key message was that customers in the know can legally avoid paying if there is no written pre contract document. If anyone wants to know the links to the details then just ask.

 

[Bimble]

I'd agree with that 100% OZ. I wish I'd done this sooner. The company we used charged us 0.25% for debit card transactions and 0.9% for credit card transactions. Monthy terminal fee of £25 for the terminals which worked on all networks so very rarely lost signal when taking payment. Ok, so extra costs to pay but how much of my time did I spend each month chasing people for payment? About 2 hours normally, instead I could have been doing a couple of boiler services and earning more than enough to pay for the card machines that month.

Also a lot less stressful too, never have to worry about someone stinging you.

I have been thinking about this for a while. Seems like the best solution. I spend too much time chasing the same slow payers. In any case I don't like giving out my bank details to everyone (after a Nigerian tried to rip me off a while back). The charges you mention are lower than any I have seen to date. Which company are you using?

 

[cr0ft]

Chip and Pin Machines, Card Machine Payment Solutions | Card Cutters

 

[Scott_1979]

Chip and Pin Machines, Card Machine Payment Solutions | Card Cutters

Interesting, I'll take a closer look later on

 

[Bimble]

Chip and Pin Machines, Card Machine Payment Solutions | Card Cutters

Thanks for this.

 

[pjohn]

Put their name and address on a postcard. Big red 'OUTSTANDING MONIES' and then the amount, what it was for, your details and stick it through the next door neighbours letterbox.

I know you're only joking, but please nobody do that, it's very much against the law.

The other option is to look into factoring companies, they pay you up front (charging a small percentage) and then they are the ones who chase for payment if none is forthcoming.

 

[SimonG]

Not joking at all. I'd also love to know which precise law posting something through the 'wrong' letterbox contravenes?

 

[pjohn]

Not joking at all. I'd also love to know which precise law posting something through the 'wrong' letterbox contravenes?

Harrassment, the argument that you put it through the wrong letterbox would not hold water as you'd worked at their property.

Harassment by creditors

The actual law that covers this is the Administration of Justice Act 1970

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1970/31


(40)A person commits an offence if, with the object of coercing another person to pay money claimed from the other as a debt due under a contract, he—

(a)harasses the other with demands for payment which, in respect of their frequency or the manner or occasion of making any such demand, or of any threat or publicity by which any demand is accompanied, are calculated to subject him or members of his family or household to alarm, distress or humiliation;

 

[SimonG]

I'd still do it. Somebody else dropped it off for me.

If the custard was an obnoxious pratt I would just sell it to the leg breaking squad.

 

[pjohn]

I'd still do it. Somebody else dropped it off for me.

If the custard was an obnoxious pratt I would just sell it to the leg breaking squad.

As you wish, just wanted to point out that it's generally a bad idea that can get you in hot water