[Amazin]

Long story cut short, they owe me £45 for some cleaning work and its been over 2 month and I still haven't got it. I know its not much but I have contacted them so many times and they don't seem to give a monkey. Is it for possible for me to start charging an interest? Please advice, thank you. This is so annoying

I'm thinking of going in there with a recording advice and use it as an evidence. someone told me I need to tell them first before I do that, is it true?

[Richard iSparkle]

use these guys..

http://www.thomashiggins.com

just set an account with them and send them a letter from them...  it gets results fast.  the info on the website explains what you can charge in interest, and they are really helpful on the phone if you want to speak to them

costs you about £2 per letter, but you can charge the debtor that

good luck

[Terry A McDonald]

If you have in your Terms & Conditions yes you can charge things like Late Payment or any other terms you want to put in. I have a contract form that has to be signed before we do any work, no matter how urgent there job maybe. This gives you a come back and a lever to use, if you dont lay out payment terms and get them agreed its open to them doing exactly what they are doing now.

[Amazin]

Unfortunately I didn't sign any contract or agreement with them. Maybe thats why they're messing me about. I do have emails and text messages exchanged which should be efficient. Will it cost me money to use small claim court?

[Rob@Blast off]

I find that going in face to face is the best way I bet if you go into see them you will walk out with the payment.

[Paul Noble]

Under the late payment legislation, if no terms are agreed at the outset then payment is due net 30 & a late payment charge of £40 + interest at 8% above is payable. Check out the payontime website.

[Terry A McDonald]

This is an exert from a business advice group.....

When does a payment become late?
You can agree any credit period you want with customers but you should agree the payment period before the transaction takes place. Don't assume your usual terms apply as the payment period should be part of your negotiation on pricing and is the period agreed between parties. This agreement can be verbal but it should preferably be in writing.

Industry standards for payment tend to be net monthly - that is, payment at the end of the first full month following receipt of the invoice. These terms are standard as they allow a business to actively plan payments. However, you should negotiate your own terms and price your services accordingly.

Where there is neither an agreement in place nor custom and practice in operation, the law sets a default period of 30 days.

This period starts from whichever of the following is later:

the date on which the goods are delivered or the service is performed
the date on which the customer receives notice of the amount of the debt
Purchasers cannot contract out of late payment legislation - ie they cannot deny the supplier their right to, for example, charge statutory interest once a payment is overdue."

[Terry A McDonald]

Its always best to have a copy of your T & C`s in writing as though a verbal agreement is an agreement in law, they will always use this in an attempt to wrangle out of paying......personally I would make a face to face visit, especially if they have prospective clients in there at the same time!!!!

[Amazin]

Thanks so much guys, so helpful. yeah I will produce one after this and I'm not sure if I want to do business with estate agents again. They're so annoying to work with and many of them have no respect for our work.

I can dig up the emails and text messages exchanged. I just had a look on that payontime site and I'm bit confused.

http://payontime.co.uk/late-payment-legislation-letters-forms-templates

there are so many templates and I'm not sure which one to use. is it this one? :

http://payontime.co.uk/letters-and-forms/letter-informing-a-debtor-that-statutory-interest-and-compensation-for-debt-recovery-costs-will-be-charged-on-an-existing-debt

Please let me know!

[Paul Noble]

That is the one. Whenever I,ve charged the late payment I just added the - £40-  Late Payment Charge- to the invoice & they either phoned explaining why they hadn,t paid &/or just paid.

For moving forward on Your future invoices insert the statement that You adhere to the current Late Payment Legislation.

Good Luck.

[Kev Martin]

Go in there when they have clients and simply state quite loudly you have come to collect what is owing to you for over 2 months and you will take a cheque now or wait whilst they do a BACS Transfer in front of you there and then or suggest if they refuse you feel inclined to drop their dirt back right outside their front door next time your passing.  I would pay it to get rid of you for the sake of £45

[Michelle H]

In regards to recording them. It is illegal without first telling them that you are doing it. Why companies tell you that recordings are being done for training, Really just covering their ass.

[The Great One]

Had the same but for 8 months of phone calls, emails etc.

In the end went in and said that if it wasn't paid within the week then sadly I wouldn't have any choice but to use the late payment law and start charging interest and fines.

It was paid 3 days later, they never used me again but hadn't used me for those 8 months anyway, so no loss.

[Andy_MK]

It's not illegal to record people on the phone without their knowledge. You can record who you want, when you want and you don't have to tell anyone. However you would not be able to use that recording in a court of law but you would be able to use a transcript of the recording. But ultimately if the judge said he/she wanted to hear the recording then it gets played anyway.