customer refuses to pay

[laticia]

Hi all,

I need some help with customer that refuses to pay me.

Here is the situation: I have small cleaning company. This customer hires us to do End of Tenancy cleaning for them which took place on 09th November 2015. They've had 2 cleaners for 5 hours. The job was done, I went there my self to check if the job was done properly (we do this only when there is no one from the customers side). Everything looked good, next day I've send them the invoice and from then it all began. They haven't answer any of my calls or emails for the next three days when I receive email claiming that the washing machine glass door was broken and that's why they wouldn't pay. This is not the case because we were 3 people there and the glass door was not broken at all. It could be that somebody else been there after us and tried to fix the washing machine when the door got broken or the photos that they've send us are from completely different washing machine and they are using it as a reason not to pay us.

The cleaners claim that when they went in the property the washing machine was moved a little bit forward than its place with two wires sticking out from it, looking like repairing wasn't finished there. These are cleaners that I work and trust for many years with only positive feedback from clients and I have all reasons to believe they wouldn't lye to me.

Of course I explained everything to the clients. I offered them to meet with us- me and the cleaners to discuss and resolve the problem where they answered that they don't want to waist their time. But since one week I haven't heard from them, obviously they are trying to find and make an excuse, blaming us on something that didn't happened to avoid paying us.

Please help me of what to do next, what email to write them as I don't want to leave it as it is just because is not fair to these people who work hard for their living.

Thank you in advance

L

[nemesis45]

Re: customer refuses to pay

Hi all,

I need some help with customer that refuses to pay me.

Here is the situation: I have small cleaning company. This customer hires us to do End of Tenancy cleaning for them which took place on 09th November 2015. They've had 2 cleaners for 5 hours. The job was done, I went there my self to check if the job was done properly (we do this only when there is no one from the customers side). Everything looked good, next day I've send them the invoice and from then it all began. They haven't answer any of my calls or emails for the next three days when I receive email claiming that the washing machine glass door was broken and that's why they wouldn't pay. This is not the case because we were 3 people there and the glass door was not broken at all. It could be that somebody else been there after us and tried to fix the washing machine when the door got broken or the photos that they've send us are from completely different washing machine and they are using it as a reason not to pay us.

The cleaners claim that when they went in the property the washing machine was moved a little bit forward than its place with two wires sticking out from it, looking like repairing wasn't finished there. These are cleaners that I work and trust for many years with only positive feedback from clients and I have all reasons to believe they wouldn't lye to me.

Of course I explained everything to the clients. I offered them to meet with us- me and the cleaners to discuss and resolve the problem where they answered that they don't want to waist their time. But since one week I haven't heard from them, obviously they are trying to find and make an excuse, blaming us on something that didn't happened to avoid paying us.

Please help me of what to do next, what email to write them as I don't want to leave it as it is just because is not fair to these people who work hard for their living.

Thank you in advance

L

Good morning welcome to LB,
Have you formally demand payment in writing?
If not do this asap giving them 7 days to pay.

If this is not answered a " Letter Before Action " informing
them if the invoice is not paid by a " fixed date" you will
issue a county claim without further notice.
I would also inform them that you are aware that the
photograph submitted is not one of the washing machine
that was in the property at the time the premises were cleaned.

nem

[ostell]

Re: customer refuses to pay

Looks like you may have to go to small claims court. Write to them saying this a letter before claim, state what you require to happen and give them 14 days to respond. If, at the end of the 14 days, you've had no response then submit the claim on line. They can't prove that the washing machine was broken by you and you have 3 witnesses saying that it was not broken. you have two witnesses saying that it looked as though it was under repair.

I've had this sort of thing before, clients claiming I'd broken their equipment, and the claim form from the court had the desired effect. Eventually got the money including court costs. Took 2 bounced cheques and further threatening before I got cash in hand.

[laticia]

Re: customer refuses to pay

Hi all,

Thank you for your quick response.

I did send them a Demand for payment and gave them 7 days.
Will keep you informed of their response.

L

[laticia]

Re: customer refuses to pay

Hi All an Happy New Year!

About my case- I did send them the '' Letter Before Action'' and did try to call them but not a sign from them.

What should I do next please?

L

[ostell]

Re: customer refuses to pay

Get yourself a sign on for Money Claim On Line. Then complete the claim form and it will be sent to the customer within a couple of days. If they have not responded within 14 days of service then you apply for judgement and then you can send the bailiffs in.

Normally just the arrival of the claim form from MCOL is sufficient to concentrate the minds to actually pay. You will only accept your bill plus the court fees.

Edit: MCOL is here It's very simple to use once you've registered. If the customer wants to defend then come back here for help. Make sure that the details of claim section is sufficient to fully state why you are claiming but you need to keep it brief because of limited space. I find that typing it into a word processor and then copying and pasting into the form helps. Make sure the defendants name is correctly completed. Was this a company that hired you or a private person? For the company you have to get the name correct, including limited etc.

[laticia]

Re: customer refuses to pay

Thanks for your quick response,

I am going to do what you've told me and let you know what happen next. It was a company who hired us.

L

[Openlaw15]

Re: customer refuses to pay

Hi all,

I need some help with customer that refuses to pay me.

Here is the situation: I have small cleaning company. This customer hires us to do End of Tenancy cleaning for them which took place on 09th November 2015. They've had 2 cleaners for 5 hours. The job was done, I went there my self to check if the job was done properly (we do this only when there is no one from the customers side). Everything looked good, next day I've send them the invoice and from then it all began. They haven't answer any of my calls or emails for the next three days when I receive email claiming that the washing machine glass door was broken and that's why they wouldn't pay. This is not the case because we were 3 people there and the glass door was not broken at all. It could be that somebody else been there after us and tried to fix the washing machine when the door got broken or the photos that they've send us are from completely different washing machine and they are using it as a reason not to pay us.

The cleaners claim that when they went in the property the washing machine was moved a little bit forward than its place with two wires sticking out from it, looking like repairing wasn't finished there. These are cleaners that I work and trust for many years with only positive feedback from clients and I have all reasons to believe they wouldn't lye to me.

Of course I explained everything to the clients. I offered them to meet with us- me and the cleaners to discuss and resolve the problem where they answered that they don't want to waist their time. But since one week I haven't heard from them, obviously they are trying to find and make an excuse, blaming us on something that didn't happened to avoid paying us.

Please help me of what to do next, what email to write them as I don't want to leave it as it is just because is not fair to these people who work hard for their living.

Thank you in advance

L

Well how about some details? is the customer operating a business, or not?

[ostell]

Re: customer refuses to pay

Hi, I have read everything here and I guess, your very last resort here is to ask the help of a legal authority. That will be the best possible way to resolve the issues.

Could you expand on that please? Talking to solicitors will cost more than the bill is worth. And you won't get it back, apart from about £50

I assume that the bill is within the £120 to £150 price range. The cost to raise a claim in MCOL would be £35 (paid on line), which is added to the total claim. The company would probably pay, including the court fee, the moment paper work from MCOL drops through the letterbox. Raise the claim this morning and the claim could be in their letterbox by Thursday.