Bad payers

[Steve Bullman]

How do you go about collecting money from bad paying customers? im about to go the route of small claims court but unsure what it entails and if it costs me money?

[Lee Winger]

I've never had to that route,but I did get a letter a few years back from a local licenced debt collections company offering me their services, i'll send you their details if you like..

[Peter]

One of the firms i used to work for had a scheme with the federation of small businesses which included free legal advice and a debt collection service. Keep meaning to look into it for myself. Small claims court is fairly easy to do yourself in terms of paperwork/expense, but you still hope that being served with the summonse is enough to frighten them into paying!

[Steve Bullman]

its only £200, not worth getting a debt collecting agency involved for that ammount!

[Peter]

As far as i remember, starting the ball rolling with small claims costs about £60. Of course, if it goes to court and you win, you can also claim back your costs.

As for the debt collection agency, it depends whether its a debt collection agency or a "debt collection agency". Murky waters!

[Arborist]

Why wont they pay? If its just that they are stitching you up and all work done is properly, garden tidy and nothing broken then id be going around there with a mate. Its not funny not being paid as weve all got bills to pay and you have kept to your quote/word by turning up doing the work and having to pay your ground staff. Happend to me before the bloke s**t him self and got me the cash.

[Steve Bullman]

its a b it awkward...its a regular customer who was made redundant so i initially told him not to worry about my invoice till he got himself sorted out...basically i was trying to help the guy out, that was a year ago. im going round tomorrow and i told him im expecting full payment, so we'll see what happens.

[Arborist]

Good luck mate, hope you get your money!

 

People come up with all sorts of bull it just aint funny.

[TimR]

if he still cant manage it in one go try and arrange a payment system ( so much a month ) BUT get it in writing with signatures ..... saves the hassle of court etc... and include a clause that any outstanding/missed payments by ten days will incurr intrest at 3 or 4 % above base rate

[squisher]

I always like to work the classic Joke "Oh the guy who owns all the chainsaws and knows where you live always gets paid he he (insert Crazy eyes:drunk:)" into the job somehow or other and suprisingly I've had no problems thus far.