Invoiced for an email - Help please!

UnderThe_Cosh

Annisele wrote: »

Unless you said something in your original email along the lines of "I know you will charge for replying, and I'm happy to pay your standard rates", I don't think he has a leg to stand on.

I'd reply saying I didn't instruct him to do anything. I was considering instructing him - hence my email - but I've decided not to. I didn't agree to pay anything, and I won't.

If he tries to take it any further than that, I'd check if he's a member of a professional body - and if he is, I'd complain to them.

That's basically the reply I made. I told him it had fallen through and I'm still out of work and he said tough but I could arrange longer to pay the bill.

Good advice on contacting his prof body.

UnderThe_Cosh

sourcrates wrote: »

Forget it, take that bottle of champers outa the fridge, and enjoy your anniversary !!!!!!

Amongst a raft of great advice you may win the award :T

I will check in later

CalumHeath

He's trying it on. Don't pay it - you have no obligation to.

That's all there is to it.

[Deleted User]

Before I suggest paying in pennies, as better then nothing suppose I'd better attach this link in my feeling naughtier streak if nothing else!
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/9265126/Businessman-sued-after-dumping-crates-of-coins-in-accountants-garden.html

Hope this gets resolved, jokes aside, accountants seem serious enough, though right bit of marketing could get you some interest like it did for the defendant! :)

nrsql

The amount seems pitched so that people might pay without bothering to argue.
There's no contract so you don't have to pay, otherwise there would be a lot more web sites set up to use this trap.

pineapple

nrsql wrote: »

The amount seems pitched so that people might pay without bothering to argue.

Yes good point.

theoretica

If he charges £25 an hour and is billing you for £21 that is 50 minutes of his time. Either that must be quite some email, or he is a very slow worker.

January2015

I would email back and advise that I had not contracted his services at any point and request confirmation that the invoice was 'sent in error'. I would then point out that should he feel the invoice still valid I would be contacting whichever chartered body he is registered with to make a formal complaint. See what they make of his underhand tactics.

mumstheword***

I work in an accountancy firm and we have to get our clients to sign "letters of engagement" = effectively a contract for services. Do you know his qualification? Maybe consider contacting his professional body for advice (ICAEW, ACCA?) or even threatening to contact them?

persa

If a client asks me a tax question and I answer it via email, I charge them. However, the word to focus on is "client". You hadn't signed an engagement letter, so any "advice" given to you was purely business development - free chat in the hopes you would sign up. You didn't, such is life - he can't charge for anything.

Given how unprofessional he's been in attempting to charge you without a contract, and that his hourly rate is only £25 per hour, I'm willing to bet he's not actually a qualified accountant. If he is, complain to his professional body, because this sort of dodgy behaviour just brings the whole profession into disrepute. No decent accountant will attempt to bill you without either an engagement letter in place covering ad hoc work or at the very least, a clear agreement confirmed in writing.

I would politely respond stating that you did not engage his services and you look forward to a credit note being issued in due course to correct the error.

May we see the website in question? Do PM if you don't want to post publicly.