[Alby]

Use a different phone to contact them, they could of blocked your number, Write to them recorded delivery giving them notice before action, add a £25.00 charge for the letter and any further letters.

If you don't get any response then you could issue a summons, but you have to weigh up if it is worth spending more time and money  with no guarantee of success. Because you can bet your house if they take it as far as court they will say they weren't satisfied  with the job.  Which of course before and after pictures prove to be invaluable.

Even if you get a County Court order against them, which could take months, they will still have 28 days to pay, longer if the judge allows them because of their circumstances. Then if they default on the order you will then have to decide to pay further cost for a court bailiff to recover your money. The cost will be added to their debt. 

I have gone as far as sending out bailiffs many years ago, and they got my money straight away.  Glad I got my money in the end but it was a stressful journey, and one I would not like to go on again.     
 

   

[Steve Chapman]

https://www.moneyclaim.gov.uk/web/mcol/welcome

[Simon Gerrard]

Get a card machine and then only either accept cash or card, that way you walk away with the money every time. Give people the opportunity to get something without paying for it, if only over a few hours, then sooner or later you will get some who will seek to take advantage of it, so don't given them  the chance, simples.

Simon

[jim mca]

If you are offered a cheque and they cant pay cash or card take don't wait for bacs a cheque is proof they owe you the money so easier to chase up if you are in the ncca get a free payatrader account

[Kev Loomes]

Same as Simon, card or cash only on completion - sorted. We would only ever take a cheque if it is from a repeat who we know really well.

[vince viola]

I used to work for a company that would urge you to dump the dirty water onto the carpets of non paying customers!

[CleanerCarpets]

whats the best deal for card readers to take card payments

when i looked into it a bit the charges seemed high for the low volume i think i would take through it in a month

[Simon Gerrard]

We've just got  a new deal £18 per month for a 36 month contract and  0.4% on debit and 1.2% on credit cards.

[CleanerCarpets]

just looked at Worldpay Zinc - i think you can have a plan £12 a month and no transaction fee's

[Simon Gerrard]

You always pay transaction fees, it's how these people make money. Look a. Little deeper.
And if you do it through your mobile phone, people don't like that.

Simon

[CleanerCarpets]

this is what i was looking at -

http://www.chip-and-pin.info/worldpay-zinc/

might be out of date though

[christ6008]

I always stress before hand, payment either in cash on the day of the clean, or BACS whilst on site (before I go) never any problems with domestic customers.  I do not except cheques either! Now  commercial, thats another kettle of fish, but always pay. I have also put on £30 admin charge for late commercial payments. Works in most cases, others, well they have to pay the £30 as set out in my terms (don't get many of these though).

Darren, do you add the £30 late payment info onto the estimate, what I mean is how do you make them aware of the charge before you do the work?

[Kev Loomes]

If your going to do low volume then don't go for a monthly pay system. There are transaction fee only deals - yes they may be slightly higher but at least you don't get charged if you don't use it.

Plenty about.

[Steve Chapman]

izettle do a free card reader & no monthly contract just transaction fees, ideal for low volume, althought the rates do lower for the more transactions you do per month....

[Scott Blaney]

i would never return the water,  but i do remember somebody who did something similar when he finished a job in  a very expensively decorated/furnished/carpeted house,  did a good job but they refused to pay him point blank so he poured a bucket all over the hall carpets after hed packed his gear up, then did one quickish in his van......   turned out it was a  very notorious  traveller family and he more or less had to go into hiding for a while!   forget where i read it,  may be a load of cobblers, but a great story!!

He had his van broken into and all the gear stolen that night from what I remember.. if its the same person that is.

[Darran Pryce]

I always stress before hand, payment either in cash on the day of the clean, or BACS whilst on site (before I go) never any problems with domestic customers.  I do not except cheques either! Now  commercial, thats another kettle of fish, but always pay. I have also put on £30 admin charge for late commercial payments. Works in most cases, others, well they have to pay the £30 as set out in my terms (don't get many of these though).

Yes, when we do a quote it states it on the quotation, with also the link to my website with the info on.  http://www.squeakandbubbles.co.uk/payment.html

Darren, do you add the £30 late payment info onto the estimate, what I mean is how do you make them aware of the charge before you do the work?

[clayton taylor]

Hi ive recently got 2 non payers for carpet cleaning 1 for the amount of £100 & 1 for the amount of £150 both said would pay by bacs transfer the day after now been nearly 2 weeks for both just ignoring my messages  and voice
mails ect. How would u go about this ??

I'm guessing it's a commercial customer as I don't now any cc that invoice domestic customers. In the past I've had domestic customers so they havnt got the cash and wanted to pay by BACS so we got a card machine which also saves the hassle of customers giving you cheques.

[Susan Dean (1stclean)]

big guys send big guys it always worked for us in the past