Bathroom fitter - 20% upfront deposit

paint wrote: »

This sounds very dodgy to me, and I wouldn't touch it with a barge pole. Unless he has lots of bespoke materials to purchase for your job, then he should have no reason to request any money upfront. It sounds to me like he's in trouble and desperate for the cash. Don't pay a penny in advance - it sounds like he's trying it on to me.

Utter bull

We live in the era where people waste your time for fun

I'm self employed and never ask for a deposit unless I get a feeling about the customer. In the last few years we have had a couple of time wasters who commit then back out a week before. Given that we are booked solid for months its hard to pull a install forward at zero notice . A deposit is exactly that - to secure his time, we don't all sit at home waiting for the phone to ring and if we aren't working we ain't providing for family!!

paint wrote: »

Thanks, charmed, I'm sure. There are ways of expressing different opinions without resorting to insults.

Personally speaking, I would not pay a deposit in order to secure a booking if I were the OP.

Potential customers changing their minds before work starts is a risk to any business. Some businesses choose to mitigate it by asking for a deposit, and others do not. I only give my custom to those which do not.

Why should the self employed take unnescery risks.?? Would you be happy going to work tommorow to be told your not needed , take the rest of the week of without pay?? Most arnt out to rip folk off, just to provide for family and have enough left at the end of the week to get by

andyhop wrote: »

Why should the self employed take unnescery risks.?? Would you be happy going to work tommorow to be told your not needed , take the rest of the week of without pay?? Most arnt out to rip folk off, just to provide for family and have enough left at the end of the week to get by

I've highlighted your word "most" here. Those that are out to scam a great way to do it is to ask for a lot (or all) money upfront so I can see exactly why the OP is cautious (as I would be).

Our bathroom fitter asked for nothing in advance and nothing until the work had been completed.

I dont see anything wrong with a 20% advance payment being asked by the fitter.

If you had contracted a company to supply and install the bathroom, they would have asked for a percentage of the money upfront as a deposit and this would include the cost of goods and installation costs.

If you order goods and source your own installation you goods supplier is going to ask for a percentage upfront to get the goods in and this deposit or atleast a good potion of this is not going to be refundable. This covers the risk that you decide for whatever reason not to proceed with the order and they have to send goods back or hold on to them till such a time that they can be resold.

Likewise, your fitter is going to block his diary for a period of time and this is your commitment to him of getting him to do the work. Without a deposit, you may find someone else you prefer and he is left out to dry and loses this ability to earn money. He may also need to source materials and your deposit might go some way to source these goods. Also do not forget that without a deposit, he is equally entitled to find someone who will willing to pay him a deposit to secure his dates and could leave you in the lurch.

If you dont trust him with a deposit, you should be questioning if you have done your homework properly and whether you want this person walking around your house for what might be the best part of 2 weeks.

It ought to be material enough for both parties not to renege on. Wouldn't OP be prepared to forego the £50 if he found someone willing to do the job £500 cheaper? Equally, if you fitter found more lucrative work, would you be surprised if he prioritized that over a job on which the customer doesnt trust me has feel entitled to his full commitment with only a £50 deposit?

Ultimately whats good for the goose is good for the gander. Trust is a 2 way street. There is a possibility that a compromise could be struck somewhere in between at say £500 4 months ahead and another £500 2 months ahead. But anything else would be unfair to one of the 2 parties.