Mates rates

paddyrg

Seeing as the moment a 'mate' is involved, you have a lifelong free-of-charge support contract, the best best is invariably 'Ooh, I'd love to help you out, but I can't for <reasons>. What I can do, though, is help you pick someone suitable and make sure they don't spin you any lines!

That's a mates thing to do.

moneyistooshorttomention

theartfullodger wrote: »

I always insist on paying normal rates.. and suspect many of those offering "mates rates" may be forgetting minor items like income tax & VaT.... I could of course be wrong..

As my father-in-law used to say, if a jobs worth doing, its worth charging for it..

You could, of course, be wrong...but I wouldn't care to lay a bet on it:cool:

TBagpuss

I think it is reasonable to pay full rates, unless there is a reciprocal arrangement - for instance, my next door neighbour is a motor mechanic. I know from chatting to him that he has done work for our local plumber, who is a friend of his, at cost price in return for the plumber doing work for him on the same basis.

I do think it also depends a bit on the nature of the relationship - for instance, I did some work for free for a friend of mine, but she is someone who has been my closest friend for over 20 years, (and the nature of my profession is such that it only cost be time and a bit of thought, there is no wear and tear on tools or use of materials)