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Posted: Mon Jun 16, 2014 9:03 pm
by sy76uk
I had a brief conversation with a mate of mine a few hours ago and apparently his grandmother has had a quote for her driveway that is no more than 50m2 for 7 and a half thousand pounds.
I don't know the in's and out's but niether does he. It sounds a bit much to us bot. Well a lot much really.
The company has taken half the money up front so I think it's too late for her to back out.
He think's the company has seen an old lady and taken advantage. So do I TBH but I don't know all the details.
Even if they're laying tegs, have to lay new edgings and put new drains in I can see it it being more than 5k.
Am I right or am I too cheap?
Posted: Mon Jun 16, 2014 9:17 pm
by dig dug dan
sounds ott to me. unless they are removing a drive made of asbestos and nuclear waste?
Posted: Mon Jun 16, 2014 9:24 pm
by sy76uk
It's a cracked old concrete dive, that much I do know. Don't think haz mat suits are needed though 
Posted: Mon Jun 16, 2014 9:36 pm
by bobbi o
sy76uk wrote:I had a brief conversation with a mate of mine a few hours ago and apparently his grandmother has had a quote for her driveway that is no more than 50m2 for 7 and a half thousand pounds.
I don't know the in's and out's but niether does he. It sounds a bit much to us bot. Well a lot much really.
The company has taken half the money up front so I think it's too late for her to back out.
He think's the company has seen an old lady and taken advantage. So do I TBH but I don't know all the details.
Even if they're laying tegs, have to lay new edgings and put new drains in I can see it it being more than 5k.
Am I right or am I too cheap?
Considering your in the paving business- you should really offer to help sort it out, as the old lady is probably in the process of being robbed of her life savings !
Posted: Mon Jun 16, 2014 9:47 pm
by sy76uk
What can I do? She has asked for a quote, excepted it and gave a 50% deposit. As far as I'm aware nothing illegal going on.
My mate's pissed off because she got the quote without consulting with the rest of her family. If she had then it would have been me doing the driveway and it would have probably cost half of what she's paying now.
Posted: Mon Jun 16, 2014 9:50 pm
by Kuts
Is it Everest or someone silly like that? they quoted £200m2 to a customer i saw, when she laughed he said he could knock 50% off
Posted: Mon Jun 16, 2014 9:55 pm
by dig dug dan
is she within the 14 day cancellation period??
Posted: Mon Jun 16, 2014 10:17 pm
by sy76uk
Don't know who the contractor is. I do know that they said anyone else would have charged her 9k.
I don't know Dan. TBH honest, I didn't know there was one. How would that effect her deposit? Before anyone jumps on me for not knowing, I've only been runing my business for a year and have only been busy for the last few months. Before that I was in the commercial sector working for a big company so the domestic market is very new to me.
Posted: Mon Jun 16, 2014 11:08 pm
by lutonlagerlout
a price is a price
nobody has to accept it
sounds on the heavy side but we dont know what is priced for
there may be walls and all sorts
1/2 the money upfront rings all the wrong bells for me though
LLL
Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2014 10:46 pm
by sy76uk
I'm not being too quick to judge. From what I've gathered though they did see the lady comming.
I asked my mate how long ago she placed the order and he's sure it was over a couple of weeks ago so she's stuck now unfortunately.
Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2014 7:11 am
by GB_Groundworks
I know plenty and I'm sure there are some on here who want some money upfront before starting a job, ford don't let you take a new car away with nothing down.
Who in the private game uses signed contracts on driveways?
Anybody?
I bet none, it's all done on trust and that's a two way street. What other business without any form of credit check or references would give 3-15k of credit without any upfront credit checking going on?
Edited By GB_Groundworks on 1403071966
Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2014 1:02 pm
by Carberry
GB_Groundworks wrote:I know plenty and I'm sure there are some on here who want some money upfront before starting a job, ford don't let you take a new car away with nothing down.
Who in the private game uses signed contracts on driveways?
Anybody?
I bet none, it's all done on trust and that's a two way street. What other business without any form of credit check or references would give 3-15k of credit without any upfront credit checking going on?
I use signed contract, 30% up front. Got stung once and left with 200m2 of blocks.
How was the 50% paid? cash? credit card? debit card?
Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2014 5:16 pm
by Nigel Walker
Just over 3 years ago I started to take deposits.
Best thing I ever done. It helps the cash flow and shows and intent from the client.
The reason I started taking money upfront was that I had a client accept a job to start the first week of the New Year.
It was around £10k of work and lots of walling and paving.
Because of the Christmas holidays, I ordered the materials and got them delivered to the merchant before the New Year. This was so we could start right away after the holidays.
The night before we were due on the job, the client phoned up and said he didn't want the job doing anymore.
Some of the materials I had ordered were special orders which couldn't be returned without a hefty charge.
This totally buggered up my plans. I had wagons ordered, diggers booked and men all ready to go.
It cost me 2 days of lost work until I found some other work. it also cost me a couple of hundred in charges for the special order.
Best thing was, I drove past the job a few days later to find another company doing the work !!
So now, I take a 10% deposit upon acceptance of the work, then they get booked into the schedule.
On the first day we start the work, I take 40% of the total and the remaining 50% gets paid to me when the work is fully finished and the client is happy.
This system has worked great for me and I fully recommend other contractors doing something similar.
I have only ever had 1 person decline to pay the 10% deposit and this was for a £2k job. If someone refuses to hand over a £200 deposit then this sends the alarm bells ringing with me. Would they pay the £2k at the end of the job.
Nigel
Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2014 6:50 pm
by msh paving
Years ago I contracted to a national drive way co. We had to collect a % of the job on dig out another % when materials arrived and final payment then forward it to them, on a 5 day job it was a pain to do,then they sent my money after chq cleared, worst job ever,
I have never took any money up front, on a long job stage payments, a few times I have asked for upfront payment and have been given the funny look from customer,its ok for domestic work but commercial work you got little chace of money front MSH
Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2014 7:24 pm
by lutonlagerlout
if its a weeks work we just do it
I like to assess the customer at the site visit stage
you get a nose for the knockers and apart from one eejit it hasnt failed me yet
what Nigel said though with special orders such as argent I make it clear that once ordered these cannot be returned
TBH if the 7k includes VAT and drainage and its a pro job its not out of the realms
i see mates all the time get stung and whne i tell them they are like "I didnt realise you do drives/patios"
1 particular lady a nurse paid 2 indian guys £400 a day day work to lay a 30 m patio
strangely it took them 5 days
LLL