[Help] General question on deposit for building work

[lost in london]

Where else can you receive your product and then pay later.

Lawyers and accountants usually work on that basis, hardly unusual.

 

[Uncle C]

Sorry, I should’ve read your original post more carefully. Was there anything recorded in writing about the deposit?

Asked for and got a dated receipt.

 

[Questions]

Lawyers and accountants usually work on that basis, hardly unusual.

I suppose.
It’s just being a sole trader you are only really ever doing it for wages

 

[The Antikythera Mechanism]

Asked for and got a dated receipt.

I’m more than happy to help a fellow NSC member, free of charge, to try and get this sorted. I’m a consultant QS so am used to these situations, albeit usually in £millions. If you want to forward me all the paperwork and a timeline, I’ll draft you a letter to move things forward.

 

[Uncle C]

I’m more than happy to help a fellow NSC member, free of charge, to try and get this sorted. I’m a consultant QS so am used to these situations, albeit usually in £millions. If you want to forward me all the paperwork and a timeline, I’ll draft you a letter to move things forward.

What a wonderful gesture!

I will bare this in mind, but I've had my fair share of financial tussles over the years and have assembled a pretty strong armoury of 'weapons'. In a distorted way I quite enjoy the battle.

In summary, if I cant get my money back I will destroy their lives and their business. One of my favourite mantras is "Don't get mad get even"

 

[The Antikythera Mechanism]

What a wonderful gesture!

I will bare this in mind, but I've had my fair share of financial tussles over the years and have assembled a pretty strong armoury of 'weapons'. In a distorted way I quite enjoy the battle.

In summary, if I cant get my money back I destroy their lives and their business. One of my favourite mantras is "Don't get mad get even"

More than happy to help, but sounds like you won’t need it

 

[Balders]

I’m more than happy to help a fellow NSC member, free of charge, to try and get this sorted. I’m a consultant QS so am used to these situations, albeit usually in £millions. If you want to forward me all the paperwork and a timeline, I’ll draft you a letter to move things forward.

As posted earlier, we went down the CCJ route, pretty painless and cheaper than the Small Claims Court. It may spark him into action, as long as you have everything documented we got it back within a fortnight without any additional correspondence.

 

[The Antikythera Mechanism]

As posted earlier, we went down the CCJ route, pretty painless and cheaper than the Small Claims Court. It may spark him into action, as long as you have everything documented we got it back within a fortnight without any additional correspondence.

You’re absolutely right, record everything and you have the upper hand,

 

[Questions]

Lawyers and accountants usually work on that basis, hardly unusual.

I spose

 

[Uncle C]

Update

I had set the deadline for my refund at midnight tonight. It had been all quiet for 4 days till 6 o'clock this evening when I sent a final reminder, together with their first sighting of my 8 point plan to recover the money. (see above)

By 3 minutes past 6 o'clock I had an e mail and at ten past six payment in full was made.

 

[South Stand Bonfire]

Update

I had set the deadline for my refund at midnight tonight. It had been all quiet for 4 days till 6 o'clock this evening when I sent a final reminder, together with their first sighting of my 8 point plan to recover the money. (see above)

By 3 minutes past 6 o'clock I had an e mail and at ten past six payment in full was made.

Good news. Now go and invest it on a 2-1 win to BHA on Sunday

 

[WATFORD zero]

Update

I had set the deadline for my refund at midnight tonight. It had been all quiet for 4 days till 6 o'clock this evening when I sent a final reminder, together with their first sighting of my 8 point plan to recover the money. (see above)

By 3 minutes past 6 o'clock I had an e mail and at ten past six payment in full was made.

Excellent news

If you can afford to leave the job 6 months, I suspect you will find it far simpler to source a good quality builder.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

There's a more subtle way of doing this. A friend of mine happened to have access to a rather posh car, so he got two more of his friends to help out. One of them - a big bloke, a rugby forward, put on dark glasses and a suit and drove the car. The other sat in the back. They drove up to where the builder was working, and the chauffeur got out of the car and opened the back door for the other bloke to casually get out and say "you owe my associate John Smith £x, and he wants it back. Tomorrow." Then got back in the car and drove off.

No threats were offered at all, but he got the money the same day.

 

[mikeyjh]

there's a more subtle way of doing this. A friend of mine happened to have access to a rather posh car, so he got two more of his friends to help out. One of them - a big bloke, a rugby forward, put on dark glasses and a suit and drove the car. The other sat in the back. They drove up to where the builder was working, and the chauffeur got out of the car and opened the back door for the other bloke to casually get out and say "you owe my associate john smith £x, and he wants it back. Tomorrow." then got back in the car and drove off.

No threats were offered at all, but he got the money the same day.

#dhotya

 

[B-right-on]

Excellent news

If you can afford to leave the job 6 months, I suspect you will find it far simpler to source a good quality builder.

This.

 

[B-right-on]

Update

I had set the deadline for my refund at midnight tonight. It had been all quiet for 4 days till 6 o'clock this evening when I sent a final reminder, together with their first sighting of my 8 point plan to recover the money. (see above)

By 3 minutes past 6 o'clock I had an e mail and at ten past six payment in full was made.

I'd do the local paper thing anyway just to stop him doing someone else over.

 

[Rowdey]

Most service industries.
Payment in advance is for buying stuff. If I order some clothes online then I pay in advance. If I order a meal in a restaurant I receive the product then pay later if it is to the expected standard. Same applies for tradesmen and with communication mostly works really well. We have built up a local network of decent people who have done some really good work on our house. All on recommendation. The one mistake we made was finding someone online and they are the ones who have had scaffolding on our house for months whilst not finishing the job.

Personally speaking, i only invoice in advance on boiler installs.. usually a token amount (say £1k plus vat) and then invoice the rest upon completion - There's no way i'm leaving a boiler on someones wall without payment towards it..

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

Personally speaking, i only invoice in advance on boiler installs.. usually a token amount (say £1k plus vat) and then invoice the rest upon completion - There's no way i'm leaving a boiler on someones wall without payment towards it..

Fair enough. It makes sense to judge on the balance between service and stuff. If a big part of the bill is stuff then seems reasonable to charge a deposit if you don’t know a customer.