got a difficult customer who has sat on an invoice for 2 months and is now querying the bill. Is there any legal time limit for a customer to query an invoice and not pay it? I've been doing some internet searching but not found anything useful yet.
legal time limits on invoice queries
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Not to my knowledge.
Politely ask them in writing to outline their concerns in writing, then you will know what they are on about. How much is the invoice value?
Politely ask them in writing to outline their concerns in writing, then you will know what they are on about. How much is the invoice value?
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What do the T&C on your invoice say?
Mine say no credit facilities offered, payment is due in a reasonable time which in this context means withing 30 days. I reserve the right to charge interest at 4% over the BOE base rates on late payments. Title of goods supplied does not pass to the customer until the invoice has been paid in full. I reserve the right to take a late payment to small claims court or employ a debt collector.
At 3 months I send the "I am going to appoint a debt collector if not paid in 14 days" letter which so far has never failed to produce payment.
Mine say no credit facilities offered, payment is due in a reasonable time which in this context means withing 30 days. I reserve the right to charge interest at 4% over the BOE base rates on late payments. Title of goods supplied does not pass to the customer until the invoice has been paid in full. I reserve the right to take a late payment to small claims court or employ a debt collector.
At 3 months I send the "I am going to appoint a debt collector if not paid in 14 days" letter which so far has never failed to produce payment.
Do a search at the land registry and see if they own their house. if they do, write recorded delivery and tell them they will be county courted in 7 days, then go to "moneyclaim" online and just do it.
john..
john..
Before you threaten them will legal action you need to give the due opportunity to pay....
How have you chased payment and how many times?
How have you chased payment and how many times?
Sharpend
"It Just Is"
You will be well advised to give them the opportunity to explain their issues and seek resolve prior to legal proceedings.
Once you have given them the opportunity to write (give them a reasonable time frame to write) then if they fail to do so then commence legal route.
What about asking for a part payment until the issues are discussed/resolved?
this way you are seen to be being reasonable and as a company you will not be expected to receive no monies. Unless you have made a real dogs dinner of install which I very much doubt to be the case.
Once you have given them the opportunity to write (give them a reasonable time frame to write) then if they fail to do so then commence legal route.
What about asking for a part payment until the issues are discussed/resolved?
this way you are seen to be being reasonable and as a company you will not be expected to receive no monies. Unless you have made a real dogs dinner of install which I very much doubt to be the case.
I'm trying to keep things reasonable, but just really annoyed that the customer chose to complain after 2 months, hence the question - memory fades and all that. I have now added a line about querying within 7 days or tough **** to invoices. (not in those exact words).
Invoice value, not huge, around £600, so not worth spending too much time on.
We've had payments for certain aspects of work done, trouble is the guy employed a lettuced builder, who was supposed to be doing the first fix (job was re-instating electrics after repairs caused by damp, property being a barn conversion worth around £1.7million). I didn't give a fixed price, but an estimate to re-instate sockets ie 2nd fix, and test circuits on completion. I ended up first and second fixing, and repairing cables and fault finding, as well as other works the customer asked for, like 'check everything is safe'. I didn't help that the customer was away in Spain having sold his house there and moving back to UK. So job went a bit pear shaped due to others, as usual!
Invoice value, not huge, around £600, so not worth spending too much time on.
We've had payments for certain aspects of work done, trouble is the guy employed a lettuced builder, who was supposed to be doing the first fix (job was re-instating electrics after repairs caused by damp, property being a barn conversion worth around £1.7million). I didn't give a fixed price, but an estimate to re-instate sockets ie 2nd fix, and test circuits on completion. I ended up first and second fixing, and repairing cables and fault finding, as well as other works the customer asked for, like 'check everything is safe'. I didn't help that the customer was away in Spain having sold his house there and moving back to UK. So job went a bit pear shaped due to others, as usual!
