Trade invoices from sole trader

BobbyDarling121

Does anyone know what I should expect to be on an invoice from a trader who did our guttering? 

The invoice we received had a business name but no address or other contact details. No breakdown of the costs either. Fair enough we agreed to quote and will pay the amount asked but the invoice seems really unprofessional. 

Many thanks for any advice 🙂

MattMattMattUK

BobbyDarling121 said:

Does anyone know what I should expect to be on an invoice from a trader who did our guttering? 

The invoice we received had a business name but no address or other contact details. No breakdown of the costs either. Fair enough we agreed to quote and will pay the amount asked but the invoice seems really unprofessional. 

Many thanks for any advice 🙂

Technically he could write it on a napkin with ketchup if he is not VAT registered. 

If the costs are what you agreed, why are you looking to be difficult?

user1977

There's no need for there even to be an invoice, never mind have anything in particular on it. The time to check their address etc is before you get them to do the work.

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

If it was a distance or off-premises contract then everything detailed at the link below should be provided via a durable medium, this doesn't have to be on the invoice but it does include for example the geographical address at which the trader is established and, where available, the trader's telephone number, fax number and e-mail address, to enable the consumer to contact the trader quickly and communicate efficiently;

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2013/3134/schedule/2

MattMattMattUK said:

BobbyDarling121 said:

Does anyone know what I should expect to be on an invoice from a trader who did our guttering? 

The invoice we received had a business name but no address or other contact details. No breakdown of the costs either. Fair enough we agreed to quote and will pay the amount asked but the invoice seems really unprofessional. 

Many thanks for any advice 🙂

Technically he could write it on a napkin with ketchup if he is not VAT registered. 

If the costs are what you agreed, why are you looking to be difficult?

Perhaps the OP wants the guys details so he/she can seek recourse if his/her guttering falls apart in two weeks time.

BobbyDarling121

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head said:

If it was a distance or off-premises contract then everything detailed at the link below should be provided via a durable medium, this doesn't have to be on the invoice but it does include for example the geographical address at which the trader is established and, where available, the trader's telephone number, fax number and e-mail address, to enable the consumer to contact the trader quickly and communicate efficiently;

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2013/3134/schedule/2

MattMattMattUK said:

BobbyDarling121 said:

Does anyone know what I should expect to be on an invoice from a trader who did our guttering? 

The invoice we received had a business name but no address or other contact details. No breakdown of the costs either. Fair enough we agreed to quote and will pay the amount asked but the invoice seems really unprofessional. 

Many thanks for any advice 🙂

Technically he could write it on a napkin with ketchup if he is not VAT registered. 

If the costs are what you agreed, why are you looking to be difficult?

Perhaps the OP wants the guys details so he/she can seek recourse if his/her guttering falls apart in two weeks time.

Thanks that is exactly why. 

FluffityBunny

How did you contact the trader in the first instance? Was it by phone, email or was it someone just knocking on doors looking for business?

BobbyDarling121

FluffityBunny said:

How did you contact the trader in the first instance? Was it by phone, email or was it someone just knocking on doors looking for business?

No it was phone number given to me by someone else. He did quote on headed paper. All work I have had done by other traders for example, guy that did fence and plumber, gave invoices with breakdown of labour and costs. So I just thought that this was standard practice. That’s why I posted on here to see what was standard really. 

Thanks for your reply

BobbyDarling121

MattMattMattUK said:

BobbyDarling121 said:

Does anyone know what I should expect to be on an invoice from a trader who did our guttering? 

The invoice we received had a business name but no address or other contact details. No breakdown of the costs either. Fair enough we agreed to quote and will pay the amount asked but the invoice seems really unprofessional. 

Many thanks for any advice 🙂

Technically he could write it on a napkin with ketchup if he is not VAT registered. 

If the costs are what you agreed, why are you looking to be difficult?

The problem is he trades under a business name not his own so assumed (correctly) that he needs to provide contact details and address on paperwork. If the guttering fell down in the next few weeks and he ignored my phone calls and text messages I wouldn’t be able to do anything about it. My only mistake is probably not checking his business name out online before getting work done.

Sandtree

MattMattMattUK said:

BobbyDarling121 said:

Does anyone know what I should expect to be on an invoice from a trader who did our guttering? 

The invoice we received had a business name but no address or other contact details. No breakdown of the costs either. Fair enough we agreed to quote and will pay the amount asked but the invoice seems really unprofessional. 

Many thanks for any advice 🙂

Technically he could write it on a napkin with ketchup if he is not VAT registered. 

If the costs are what you agreed, why are you looking to be difficult?

Technically yes however there is information that must be there... whilst there is no obligation to provide an invoice  if they choose to do so certain minimum information must be present...

Invoicing and taking payment from customers: Invoices - what they must include - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

zoob

Suspect it's not a distance sale as trader would more than likely visited to work out a price for the quote 
As far as I'm aware unless there vat registered the trader doesn't legally have to provide a receipt, certainly it wouldn't need to be a detailed one unless it was part off the original agreement when quoting for the job
If its a B2B that's different, the trader needs to provide a receipt if requested but doesn't need to be detailed and just requires business name and contact details also Vat number if applicable 

Manxman_in_exile

zoob said:

Suspect it's not a distance sale as trader would more than likely visited to work out a price for the quote... 

If you are replying to the post from @the_lunatic_is_in_my_head, you may have missed that they referred to a distance sale OR an off-premises sale.  If the trader visited the OP's home in order to do a quote and agree a price, then that meets the definition of an off-premises sale doesn't it?

If it does, then the trader is required to supply the info referred to in Schedule 2 of The Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regs.