Late payments

[pxl8]

I've been having fun this morning chasing payment for invoices past 30 days, most of them are for less than £50 for prints from various things. The conversation has always been along these lines:

Me: Hi, I'm chasing payment for invoice 123456 dated 12/07/07.

Them: Ah yes, it's being dealt with this week, you should get payment next week.

Me: Ok, well as the invoice is now more than 30 days old under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts Regulations 2002 I am entitled to add interest plus compensation of £40.

Them: We'll put a cheque in the post today.

:D

[scraggs]

I wish I could do that with my customers, they would just laugh.

[pxl8]

The worst payer by far is my County Council, I've just spoken to them and the person who was sent the invoice says it wasn't their department so ignored it! They will be getting a 2nd invoice for interest + compo which more than doubles the original amount.

http://www.payontime.co.uk/ has some useful info about these regulations.

[scraggs]

Councils are terrible payers and I will no longer deal with them.
It's amazing how different customers can be, I have some who try to drag it out as long as possible, but I have weeded most of them out now, but I deal with a golf coarse that will not let me leave the site until they have paid.

[petemc]

I wish I could do that with my customers, they would just laugh.

Yup mine do the same. "Its in the post!" Sure, and I'm Mick Hucknel.

[Yv]

Yup mine do the same. "Its in the post!" Sure, and I'm Mick Hucknel.

Which explains that weird avatar :naughty:

[pxl8]

From this month I switched to payment up front for all customers because I got so fed up with chasing people - if anyone asks for 30 days I'll tell them it's subject to a 100% handling fee and that I'll need a 50% up front anyway :)

[Ian T]

I've been waiting for one for two months. About time I chased it up. By the time I get the payment it'll hardly be worth it, but there's no way I'm letting them get away with it.

[pxl8]

If the debtor is a company then you can stick another £40 on top right away, £70 if the debt is between 1 and 10k, and £100 for more than 10k - interest is 8% above BoE base rate. Just send another invoice for the penalty and interest.

[Brains]

Some companies really are slack....I am owed approx £3k....I know I will get it and it is my fault for being so slow in pushing them. Maybe you should get up front payment? Is this possible? I am starting to do this now.

[Forbiddenbiker]

:lol: I like your style Pxl8. :thumbs: Theres only one way to do business I've learned, with a very friendly, smiling ... iron like grip. :bat:

[Slipper-one]

Councils are terrible payers and I will no longer deal with them.
It's amazing how different customers can be, I have some who try to drag it out as long as possible, but I have weeded most of them out now, but I deal with a golf coarse that will not let me leave the site until they have paid.

Early 90's one owed me 30k+ for over 6 months, they'd over spent, so they decided to pay you if you came to the top of their list, needless to say I was near the bottom.
The cheeky sods even asked me to do more work whilst waiting to get paid. For most of them it's simply a way to fill the 9-2-5 slot and get paid,they generally don't give a toss. Withhold your council tax and see what happens.

[Steep]

Back when I was self employed the worst customers by far were those with money, especially the nouveau riche. My local council had been terrible for late paying but in recent years had made a promise to pay small contractors on time and did.
Good on you for getting stuck in pxl8! :)