Customer won't pay up

Ted M

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Shropshire
Hi all,
I have done a small amount of baling work and a bit of grass overseeding for a local farmer/straw merchant on three separate occasions, put it all on one invoice at the end of the summer of 2014 and spent the last 12 months trying to get the money.
All the usual lines, "waiting for a cheque to clear", "have it next week"," lost the bill" etc. Its only for around £450 but I feel its the principal and I have also paid for the fuel, net and wrap so am probably out of pocket for more like £600. I have bills to pay too.......any advice on small claims court etc would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance.
 

Chae1

Member
Location
Aberdeenshire
Hi all,
I have done a small amount of baling work and a bit of grass overseeding for a local farmer/straw merchant on three separate occasions, put it all on one invoice at the end of the summer of 2014 and spent the last 12 months trying to get the money.
All the usual lines, "waiting for a cheque to clear", "have it next week"," lost the bill" etc. Its only for around £450 but I feel its the principal and I have also paid for the fuel, net and wrap so am probably out of pocket for more like £600. I have bills to pay too.......any advice on small claims court etc would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance.
Why have you billed him for £450 but your out of pocket for £600?.....

If he's a straw merchant I'd threaten him with @Thick Farmer
 

Ted M

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Shropshire
Maybe I'm looking at it wrong, just thought I've probably paid out about £150 in net, wrap and fuel which has gone from my account and still waiting for the £450 if you follow me.
Either way he still owes.
 

Grouse

Member
Debtguard Solicitors £2 to send a solicitors letter - if no payment within 7 days they put it into the small claims court - I have used them successfully - very professional and totally painless - you can upload all the details on the web - very easy to do. The tosser who owed me coughed up immediately plus he had to pay interest and their fees and court fee.

Not only did I get my money but it taught him a big financial lesson = very satisfying :)
 

Grouse

Member
I thought they were too good to be true but I had a cheque within 2 weeks! They even issued the papers to the offender by email - no messing about at all - I think the debtor was quite shocked how fast things were going wrong for him.

The way I see it if people owe you they should not be instructing work. There were 2 options - the legal way and boys with bats - the first worked ;-)
 

Ted M

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Shropshire
Get a load of straw delivered from him, then tell him to feck off!
It would seem he's wise to this as he's done the same thing to the lad who vouched for him, seeing as I had done no work for him previously. Suddenly straw supplies dry up...........weird!:scratchhead:
 

MickMoor

Member
Location
Bonsall, UK
Thomas Higgns. Cheap, and first letter nearly always gets a result, and if they ignore that,they carry on to the next bit, until you get paid, if you want to. If it is contested they have very good solicitors to take your case all the way. I had one chap I took to court, paying a couple of hundred a week; to the bailffs, till he had paid their bill, paid interest and cleared the invoice. I can't speak too highly of them.
 
Hi all,
I have done a small amount of baling work and a bit of grass overseeding for a local farmer/straw merchant on three separate occasions, put it all on one invoice at the end of the summer of 2014 and spent the last 12 months trying to get the money.
All the usual lines, "waiting for a cheque to clear", "have it next week"," lost the bill" etc. Its only for around £450 but I feel its the principal and I have also paid for the fuel, net and wrap so am probably out of pocket for more like £600. I have bills to pay too.......any advice on small claims court etc would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance.
Be careful about going to court if you've nothing singed be the customer to say you've done the work or a contract that you've been employed by him to do the work could be spending good money after bad
 

MickMoor

Member
Location
Bonsall, UK
Be careful about going to court if you've nothing singed be the customer to say you've done the work or a contract that you've been employed by him to do the work could be spending good money after bad
Well I had nothing signed, but stil went to court with the solicitor recommended by Thomas Higgins, and won. The solicitor, specialising in this type of case, was Deborah Bond. I cannot speak too highly of her.
 
Who puts terms on bottom of bill.ive given up with builders as i allways get paid.another customer yesterday i put 10 days on bill so will anticipate getting money end of month
Nick...

I have 30 days nett on bottom of mine

Also says all items remain property of RWG until paid in full, if they don't pay I go and start taking roof sheets off. Only had to do it once though thankfully, soon as we got ladder up to roof he came running out of office with a cheque (y)
 

Matt

Member
on the flip side, what as a customer do you do when they dont seem interested in coming and putting things right? The customer has signed a order form but the job has not been completed they have been informed, how long do you wait till you start sorting it yourself?
 

ARW

Member
Location
Yorkshire
I have 30 days nett on bottom of mine

Also says all items remain property of RWG until paid in full, if they don't pay I go and start taking roof sheets off. Only had to do it once though thankfully, soon as we got ladder up to roof he came running out of office with a cheque (y)
I have the same written on my invoices. Getting paid is the bain of my life, when I first started 7 years ago getting paid was easier, but I can't help but get the feeling that farmers now thinks it's ok or normal to be a late payer running off other people's cash flow. I can't go take a fence down to get the cash however I can't Un - cut a hedge
 

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