Tricky customer Quibbling price after emergency job, what would you do?

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

2 minutes ago, Mark Bolam said:

I wouldn’t ever bother trying to justify anything to a twat like that.

Felix has given the right answer, although I would be very, very tempted by Mick’s plan.

??

[Mick Dempsey]

6 minutes ago, felixthelogchopper said:

Some things are. This isn't. The customer is a dick who is chancing his arm. Do you honestly think he is going to give a tuppenny shite about what somebody says to him? Water off a duck's back would be my call.

A verbal agreement (which is what you had) is not worth the paper it’s written on.

 

Forget the money, the lesson you’ve learnt is worth much more.

[tree-fancier123]

it does seem the customer was leaving himself wide open by not asking for at least an estimate once you had arrived and seen the site

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

2 minutes ago, tree-fancier123 said:

even if it was him alone, no one else to pay and no arisings to cart?

Price the job not the means of achieving it.

 

Chummy could pay a clown 200 to make a hash of it or pay the appropriate rate for the confidence that a professional will do the job properly.  

 

From the description given, it sounds like it should have commanded more than 4 ½.  How are we ever going to get to a state where the training, tools, experience and cost of the job provide a decent return unless we price appropriately.

 

Difficult if you are constantly competing against the 100/day brigade granted.

[felixthelogchopper]

3 minutes ago, Agent-Arb said:

Nice one fellas, like it Mick yes I can think of some really satisfying lines to kiss goodbye to an easy settlement but I’d rather get the whole amount due.
Kev, that’s without a groundy wage of £150 as my mate did that & he’s being paid by customer - but all the same very good point! I expect some handwringing coming soon over knocking off £150 from my bill for paying that a gardener/groundy lol!
Felix, nothing in writing though - where do I stand?
Thanks

You have enough correspondence to show that there was a contract so the only question is how much for what you did. If you have emails to the effect that he is not paying what you have asked then he is trying to vary the terms of the contract after you have performed your part of the deal which he cannot do. He failed to negotiate your fee before you did the work which is his problem, not yours. Your fee is reasonable for what you did, and reasonable is the word of importance in UK law. It will be for him to defend himself against your action and it will come down to whose story the court likes most.

[felixthelogchopper]

2 minutes ago, Mick Dempsey said:

A verbal agreement (which is what you had) is not worth the paper it’s written on.

 

Forget the money, the lesson you’ve learnt is worth much more.

Have to disagree with you on this one, Mick. That quote is the thing that's not worth the paper.

[Rich Rule]

Imagine being a fly on the wall as he is trying to get finance for his new Aston...  all because of a CCJ for non payment of 450 quid to rectify a problem tree in an emergency.

 

 

[Mick Dempsey]

5 minutes ago, felixthelogchopper said:

Have to disagree with you on this one, Mick. That quote is the thing that's not worth the paper.

Why lower yourself for 250 quid? You think he’ll learn his lesson? £2500 maybe.

 

I (from my armchair) would prefer to take nothing off him and enjoy letting him have a piece of my mind.

 

(And yes 450 squid is too cheap for a days emergency work)

 

[spuddog0507]

i know it pisses you off when you think you are working for some one that some one else says ,oh hes as sound as a pound, but what they failed to tell you is they are as tight as a ducks arse, iv had it several times last one was a log customer, made a brew when got there and talked about getting another load off me but when he went to get money, he couldnt find it as Mrs must of took it so he went for check book and Mrs had taken that as well, i will drop it off for you he told me, 3 wk later still no payment, so rang him and he hung up after i told him who i was, about 4 months later i see this volvo parked up in a car park at a forest enterance, i slam on and just roll back BASC and a dog is for life sticker in back window thats Barrys i thought and if its got a dent n scrape on NS front wing its definatly his, picked bins up and had a scan up track and about 4-500 mtrs up track there is a guy walking up the hill with his springers its Barry i watched him till he went out of sight had a good look around no other cars or people about 45 seconds later 4 deflating tyres on his volvo and to replace them would be more than £80, i would take his £200 and wait several months and get your revenge and satisfaction some other way that would hurt him more in the pocket than you asked for, i so Barrys car about 3 wks after on a super market car park with 4 new tyres on it and as i was going in he was coming out and i asked him for my £80 he got his wallet out and gave me what paper money he had £55 all he could say was i forgot all about that and then he asked me if i would deliver him some more, i reminded him about hanging up on me and me having to waiting near on 12 mth for only part payment go fuck yourself,

[felixthelogchopper]

Just now, Mick Dempsey said:

Why lower yourself for 250 quid? You think he’ll learn his lesson? £2500 maybe.

 

I (from my armchair) would prefer to take nothing off him and enjoy letting him have a piece of my mind.

 

(And yes 450 squid is too cheap for a days emergency work)

 

Do you honestly think telling him to stick it up his arse is going to hurt him more than getting him to pay the full amount of what he owes? Like I said in a previous post, insulting him wouldn't even register as he laughed about having somebody over.