Rubber cheques - Payment problems

[matt h]

Due to the inclement weather I have just been inundated with roofing repair requests. They all want now now now, and so I have just sorted them as priorities.. Is water coming in... Can it be temporary repaired and left til spring, etc. I ask for a deposit and immediately half of them dont want to know... then one who has water pissing down the walls of his bedroom gives me a cheque as deposit ... Itemporary repaired his firewall, and had started to cut ina lead tray before the weather got the beter of me yesterday... I get home and his cheque has bounced like a rubber ball. He had indicated that he wanted me to do other works on his property, so I guess its cash up front from now on or nothin doin methinks! Do you guys get the same run around where these jerks have no intention of payin, even when the work is quality?

[Dave_L]

Yes - although we are wise to them nowadays.

It's the big boys you've got to watch, as we have learnt in the past

[eazybarra man]

There is always some wido looking for anyway to rip off genuine contractors and in my experience it was the "rich" ones that try to take the pxxx when it comes to paying.
Deposits/stage payments at least cover expenses for materials, so if you get stung at least the suppliers have been paid. Its a hard pill to swallow when it happens, and it certainly makes you a lot wiser.
Its funny how you get all the tv programmes about rogue builders etc, maybe they should make tv programmes about rogue customers???

[matt h]

I could do a whole series about them on my own! You can smell them a mile off most of the time though, and a large deposit scares most of the would be thieves. But I agree its the ones with the money dont want to part with it under any circumstances, and yet those who are struggling usually pay up on time as they appreciate the trouble you've gone to on their behalf. The rich tend to think they are doin you a favour by employing you to sort their lack of planning, maintenance etc. It just irks me when you dig out blind to solve some minor catastrophe some pillock tries to shaft you

[eazybarra man]

Your spot on, the folk who dont have much, but do there best to have a nice home, would give you there last (The salt of the earth) You cant beat Genuine folk. They appreciate people trying to make a living

[Suggers]

EazyBarra Man hits nail on head - was preparing on client's roof, above his study, listening to him on the phone, boasting to his mate how he was gonna knock us for the job - we finished the day, then retired to his local boozer where he joined us with drinks all round. Smile on other side of face as the whole team jacked there & then - makes me go hot & cold even now thinking about it - what a fat f****ng c**t.
I despair of humanity from time to time - and I'm an optimist !!

[Rich H]

Same old story.

I like the idea of the TV programme "Rogue Customers"!

Here's a story for you. A few years ago, I did a big paving job for a customer in the middle of winter. Things were a bit tight so I ended up agreeing to a lower price than is ideal, but it wasn't bad for all that. Six months or so after I finished, she called up to say that roofers had been in and damaged the paving with their towers and by dropping tiles on it. She wanted me to write a letter stating that they had caused the damage. The few marks were tiny and I refused to do the letter but agreed to state that the paving was in good condition when I left it and I priced to replace the area affected although it didn't really need doing at all. That was the end of that, or so I thought.

A year later she asked me to price a picket fence. Unlike the previous time, she didn't haggle at all. I couldn't believe it. She then wanted me to price up a few other bit and pieces including electrical work. I told her I wasn't certified to do electrics and you just can't do that anymore. I recommended a couple of sparkies I work with but she was adamant it should be me who sorted it. Really odd. I refused because it was not only a waste of money but frankly I didn't want the aggro.

By this time, I'd pretty much finished the fencing and I was starting to smell a rat.

Three weeks after the job she still hadn't paid and I was starting to get shirty.

It turned out that she had sued the roofers and their insurance company who paid out would only make out the cheque to the company contracted to carry out the repairs. She had sent them my repair quote and duly got back a cheque made out to my firm.

She then sat on the cheque for months on end before coming to me to do the fence. What she was trying to do was get me to price up enough stuff to equal the value of the cheque!

She had a bit of a shock when I told her that cheques were only valid for six months and therefore I couldn't accept it. I had to threaten to take her to court before I finally got paid. She wrote me a letter saying how disappointed she was that I had treated her so badly. If only she'd been honest from the beginning it would never have been a problem.

[lutonlagerlout]

a roofer i know had £6 k withheld because one of his lads had got a mark about 1.5mm by 4 mm on a window sill
the roofer offered to get it repaired but the client started wanting serious lumps of the bill for the hassle and distress he had caused to a 10 year old upvc window
as i am sure you all do it just pays to be really really careful around existing stuff ,and if a lawn is going to get trashed by groundworks let the client know in advance what to expect I.E. new lawn needed after work
cheers LLL

[Stuarty]

My gaffer got bumped for about 2 months worth of work for a small property developer, was mainly man and digger work, with a couple of weeks worth of full squad digging trenches by hand. About 3 days before we were done, the developer just disapeared. Then the for sale sign was up outside the property, then the sold board was up. About 14 months later, and after many many phone calls and a couple lawyers letters my gaffer finally got paid.

[James.Q]

i find a big bloke ie 6ft 2 and 18 stone dosent suffer too much but when we do its big ouch . 2 jobs this year including materials 360 and labour

[James.Q]

by the way if ad all money owed id be loaded but you gota keep goin

[matt h]

by the way if ad all money owed id be loaded but you gota keep goin

wouldnt we all! Trouble is, if you start getting too heavy handed you tend to get a lot of adverse publicity, even if the client is totally at fault... took one client to court, got court order and the bailiffs went round, but her bank wouldn't release funds because the account was in joint names, hers and her partners! They had the money, but just had no intention of paying from the outset... but patience is one of my stronger points, and revenge is a dish best served cold so they say!

[matt h]

The feller has just brought round another cheque, this time to cove r all I've done so far... I have quietly informed him that nowt else gats done unless cash up front and he's agreable.. after all the work already done is fine. He'll still need the firewall capping in the spring, but at least for now the worst will be kept out.

[Tony McC]

Get yourself a written form of contract, Matt. I'm a firm believer in written documents that quantify and specify the work: they make sure the customer knows what they're getting for how much, and ensure the contractor knows what they've to do and when they'll be paid.

Saves a lot of heartache in the long run, and if you come across a customer that doesn't want to sign a contract, then you're as well having nowt to do with them!

[matt h]

fair shout .I have acontracy form drawn up by an ex barrister to the treasury...close to watertight, so they dont have a leg to stand on... but then some dont even pay when you've got a court order!:(