customer wont pay

[Guest spiderman]

anyone got and non-malicious suggestions or advice on a customer who is disputing the cost of cutting a tree and basically refusing to pay the cost?

 

I viewed and quoted to cut a small conifer to a stump, then while on-site (him not at home) he asked me to cut a second tree (eucalyptus, of similar size) to a stump as well.

he is now disputing the amount ive asked for the second tree.

in hindsight I accept I should have told him the price before cutting the tree, but at the time it seemed a given that the cost would be accepted.

hes trying to tell me he would have cut it himself if he had known I wasn't doing it for next-to-nothing. him being an electrician by trade and gives me the argument if a customer asks him to put in another socket he will do it for free, but in relative terms this is a customer asking him to re-wire a second room not put in a new wall socket.

hes disputing every step of the second price, saying I have no materials to cover and shouldn't be including costing for vehicle and working insurance, tool maintenance, etc for each specific job.

basically he is offering about 1/3 of the cost I asked for the tree, and saying I'm trying to rip him off, claiming the tree wasn't that big. alas now gone and recycled.

 

any comments?

[Steve Bullman]

Tricky one mate, specially as you didn't give him a quote for the tree.  You might have to take this one on the chin and take the 1/3 I think.  Unless anyone else has a better suggestion

[Gary Prentice]

 

1 minute ago, Steve Bullman said:

Tricky one mate, specially as you didn't give him a quote for the tree.  You might have to take this one on the chin and take the 1/3 I think.  Unless anyone else has a better suggestion

Agree with Steve, I don't know where you stand in whether you have any contractual status, or not. Small claims court would look at what was a reasonable, average cost for the job and hopefully take that into account. Unless it's a lot of money, to you, I'd accept it as learning by experience and don't make the mistake again. 

 

For extras instructed on site by an absent client even a text message confirming agreement of the extra cost is worth the few minutes it takes. Takes the "I said/you said" out of any argument.

[AHPP]

Blind him with Consumer Rights Act 2015, s 51 and tell him he can either pay the price you’re asking or he can take his chances with whatever a court thinks the going rate is.

 

Not legal advice.

Edited June 20, 2018 by AHPP

[Gary Prentice]

4 minutes ago, AHPP said:

Not legal advice.

[AHPP]

[emoji3]

Not a lawyer and he can’t sue me if I’m wrong. I’ll have a punt at the answer like every other tree surgeon on here though.

[Chipperclown]

Step back from it and email these guys they are very good and cheap also.

 

Thomas Higgins Limited

Registered Office
Lloyds Chambers
19-21 Seaview Road
Wallasey
CH45 4TH

[josharb87]

What was the price of the original job and time it took?

what was he price of the extra and time it took? 

Removal of waste for both?

[Guest spiderman]

22 minutes ago, josharb87 said:

What was the price of the original job and time it took?

what was he price of the extra and time it took? 

Removal of waste for both?

original price was £140 to cut a small conifer to a 2 foot stump. simple enough, close to a fence, strip (cut and drop) branches to about 10 foot then gob and drop from base. whole tree was maybe 14 foot. usual brown conifer 'leafy-shit' everywhere. maybe 2 hours total work.
second tree 20 odd foot eucalyptus, in decked corner area, serious lean to next garden over shed, from ladder branches all roped and cut under control, 2 log sections roped and last 2 trunk sections cut and hold to shoulder/waist. stump left at about 2 foot as requested by customer.

additional 90 mins work to total job. doubled the load to be recycled.

total recycling cost £18 (plus fuel and time, etc)

 

ya cant look at a 20 foot tree and think its gonna cost half the price of a 14 foot conifer, just 'because you were there already'

 

or am I wrong?

[Rough Hewn]

Shit happens
Guys a pr**k.
Take it on the chin as Steve says.
And never work there again.
We've all been there.
[emoji51]