Paying the Electrician

Badger_Lady

Hia, hope you can help...

The electrician finished my rewiring on Friday... the original estimate was £2,500 but he added an extra £500 on to cover plasterwork. We had a bit of an argument because the plasterwork was truly appauling (he asked if I was happy to fill the remaining holes myself). In the end, he stayed late on Friday redoing most of the plasterwork until it was reasonable.

I gave him £700 cash upfront, £800 by bank transfer halfway through, and another £1,000 in cash on Friday. By the time he had finished the plasterwork, the banks were closed but I told him that I would pay the final £500 by bank transfer once I recieved the certificates to prove my house was properly wired.

Well he dropped the certificate round on Sunday and I went into my bank on Monday afternoon to arrange the transfer. As standard, the lady in the bank said it could take 3-5 days to appear in his account. I texted him to let him know.

Well, yesterday he texted to say it hadn't yet arrived and could I "check my end". I told him again, it could take 3-5 days so let me know after that time has passed.

Today I've had another message: "Still nothing - please could you arrange alternative payment as I have to pay my subcontractors".

Well, I just don't know what to do - the money has definitely left my account and is within its SLAs to arrive in his, though it could be after Christmas now. I frankly don't have the time to go into the City and visit my bank today (even if it is open after midday?), and there's certainly nothing I can do to speed things up over the internet. I can't even draw money out of a cashpoint and have him collect it, because I'm currently at work 20 miles away and will be heading straight off to see family this afternoon.

Is it unreasonable for me to say, "Sorry mate - you have to wait until it clears"? I really don't think I've been overly late with my payments, but equally don't want to be harsh

keystone

He'll probably find that it will be in his account and available for him to use from midnight tonight.

If he has internet banking he can check whether the money is credited to his account and just not available to him yet. If he does not have internet banking then he can still go into his bank and talk to them directly.

The money has been debited from your account. How now can it be your responsibility to make alternative payment arrangements? If you had given him a cheque you would still have paid him and it would then be up to him to bank it and wait for it to clear - whats the difference?

As a tradesman I have some sympathy with him (I'm currently rather pregnant on a large cheque I banked on Monday clearing tonight) but his cashflow problems are not your responsibility IMO nor should he attempt to make them so.

Cheers.

Fire_Fox

Just ignore the texts - they aren't exactly a professional way to communicate with your customers.

27col

Once the money has left your account it seems to me that the problem is his. What else does he expect you to do. As has been said, if you had paid him by cheque he would be waiting just as long for it to clear. It is not up to you to fix his cash flow problems.

keystone

Fire_Fox wrote: »

Just ignore the texts - they aren't exactly a professional way to communicate with your customers.

Except if you read the first post you'll see that it was the OP who sent the first text to which he responded. It might be construed by him that that was his clients preferred method of communication as a result.

Whilst I agree with you in principal you may be being just a tad too quick to judge in this case.

Cheers

phill99

By monday he will have his money and it will all be forgotten. Don't stress too much about it.

robv_3

phone him. Tell him the truth, eg you requested the transfer and it will take 3-5 days to arrive. On Tuesday if the money still has not arrived you will chase the bank / pay in cash or whatever.

Surprised it will take 3-5 days. Most transfers now arrive the same day since the new clearing systems came in at the end of last year.

http : // www.ukpayments.org.uk/sort_code_checker/

Swipe

phill99 wrote: »

By monday he will have his money and it will all be forgotten. Don't stress too much about it.

Unlikely as Monday is a bank holiday

McKneff

Tell him you cant afford for two payments to go out so he'll just have to wait for the payment to clear.

Poppy9

I wouldn't stress about it. You've paid the full £2500 he quoted and presumably the added extra was only known about on Friday at the end of the job.

Why didn't he quote for the replastering at the time of quoting as surely he would have realised it needed doing? Not sure I would have agreed an extra £500 unless his original quote made clear that there was no making good.

Anyway you've made a reasonable attempt to pay him in a timely matter. there is no way you should feel obliged to give him cash as well as the money has left your bank account for the transfer and you cannot stop it once it's submitted and I would worry about trying to get it back off him.

cliffski

Never ever ever ever pay in cash, certainly not that sort of money.
What excatly would you do if he turned around and claiemd he never got the cash?
ny workmen wanting payment in cash is likely dodging tax and not someone you should deal with.