Non-paying customers !!!

[Deleted User]

So annoyed at this.....

Wife just did well over £500 of aestehtics work for someone today. Confirmed price in advance etc.

After she'd done it woman asked her to drop her around cashpoint machine so she could get money. Off course, max she could get out was £200. Try going into Tescos and asking for £100 worth of food but moaning you've only got £50 on you...

Now we're £300+ short and woman is going to pay by bank transfer but I smell a scam here......

Obviously, we cant be so rude as to ask for money up front but I'm so annoyed that someone doesn't make sure they can pay first before doing this. If this person doesnt pay what recourse do I we have?

paddyrg

Why can't you take a 50% deposit upfront with the booking? I wouldn't consider it rude myself.

texranger

yes ask for a 50% non refundable deposit up front at least this way you should have covered the costs to you, then if thyey do a runner and not pay the other 50% thyen at least you have only lost your profit which is still bad, but not as bad as losing the lot.

[Deleted User]

It gets worse. Shes text today and said shes not happy and wants a refund. I could see that coming.....

No bank transfer yet but I doubt she even did it. What can I do?

So far she hasnt even paid the cost of the product used so we're out of pocket...

Quentin

You can sue her (if she has got funds) via MCOL, though by the sound of it she will defend the claim as well as counterclaim the £200 - meaning it may have to go all the way to a hearing with a chance she wins, and consequently you lose all the court costs as well.

[Deleted User]

Quentin wrote: »

You can sue her (if she has got funds) via MCOL, though by the sound of it she will defend the claim as well as counterclaim the £200 - meaning it may have to go all the way to a hearing with a chance she wins, and consequently you lose all the court costs as well.

Yeh, trouble is no written contract or anything so she can just deny everything...

texranger

even with everything written it can still be hard.

i run a hosting business and something customer dont pay as they decide they dont need hosting but never cancel, just stop paying invoices.

after 4 days we would suspend their account and then after 7 days terminate their accounts if after a further 7 days we would issue a letter before action (LBA) and iof this is ignored we can opt for a small claim against them, normally if they dont reply to an LBA we just right it off. Once after an LBA was issued to an ex client we started getting abusive emails and phone calls this client had not paid for 3 months (total owed £ 80), so due to the abuse and threats we decide to take him the small claims and in the end we won, so with all fees etc. his £80 debt become £225 which he had to pay at his local court or the court would send bailiffs, he paid. this is the only time we have taken a debt this far, iof he had not been abusive the LBA would of been the end of the process for us.

everything was written in our TOS which he agreed too when he started hosting

pelirocco

I cant stress enough the importance of having signed T&S's and contracts , and getting at least a deposit upfront . We are a mid sized company and we still get caught with non payers , it drives me nuts . Give a 7 day warning , then follow it through , making sure if they dont pay or submit a defense you following through with the CCJ , then bailiffs

[Deleted User]

To be honest, the document they sign pretty much makes it clear what is what. However, its apparent that people dont listen.

This particular person has part paid for the treatment but still owes £370. Getting some really nasty texts demanding refund of the money already paid.

Shes obviously been googling etc and seems to have a view on the quality of treatment done which is a bit much since it was all done properly.

Tempted to just keep the money paid (it barely covers costs) and forget about it.

Not interested in getting into argument with her about it. Probably going to reply in writing to her telling her that she owes money but we're severing the business relationship and we dont want to hear from her.

[Deleted User]

pelirocco wrote: »

I cant stress enough the importance of having signed T&S's and contracts , and getting at least a deposit upfront . We are a mid sized company and we still get caught with non payers , it drives me nuts . Give a 7 day warning , then follow it through , making sure if they dont pay or submit a defense you following through with the CCJ , then bailiffs

Trouble is with this they make a complaint. We've got indemnity/malpractice insurance and we're obliged to tell them.

This is expensive enough as it is and this sort of thing hikes the prices up a mile unfortunately.

Know quite a few people in the business and this sort of thing does happen unfortunately. There seem to people out there who either want something for free or just dont listen when things are explained to them.

Acc72

[quote=[Deleted User];48535059]

Tempted to just keep the money paid (it barely covers costs) and forget about it.

[/QUOTE]

And this is probably what she is hoping for !

If you are confident that you have provided the service agreed, to the agreed quality then surely it is only reasonable that your customer pays the total amount agreed ?

Just write to the customer on letter headed paper, stating the treatment given, the cost, amount received and amount outstanding to be paid immediately.

You then can start a paper trail. The week after send a reminder letter, and the week after (assuming the amount has still not been paid) send a 7 day letter.

You can then pursue this through the small claims court - you can do this on line relatively simply and low cost.