2 bits of bad news in one day.

[CJ CERAMICS]

hi all,
i posted this thread in the arms as i didnt want the general public to hear my rant or to get any ideas.

yesterday was not the best day of my tiling career.

sorry but this may be a long post but i have to get it out.

I have just completed a 40m2 kitchen, utility and downstairs wc in 600 x 300 porcs in brick bond. this job has taken 2 weeks from start to finish due to the fact that the customer would only let me work between the hours of 10am to 2pm and would not allow me to leave tools on site and insisted that the area was spotless before leaving each day.

when i qouted this job no mention of restricted hours were mentioned.
i firstly had to remove the old tiles which had been dot and dabbed and had started to crack, then levell the floor and then tile.

upon completion at 1pm yesterday i called the customer to inspect the finished floor, unbelievable the customer said that is a top job (his words not mine). good i said i will just load up the van and get you your bill and receipt........errrr said the customer but sorry i have no money to pay you.:yikes::yikes::yikes:....well you can judge for yourself my reaction, what do you mean you have no money to pay. sorry but i have no money to pay so i wont be paying. I then went on to explain to him that due to the situation with work not being great and having payed out for all the materials from my personal account i needed the money to pay into my account or i wont have enough in there to pay my mortgage........His reaction was......"Not my problem mate"....had to walk away at this point as i had my stanley knife in my hand at the time and a red mist was decending.....10 mins later having calmed abit i went back to find all the tools in the backgarden and the doors locked....much banging and shouting later the Police arrived he had called them saying i was trying to attack him:mad2::mad2: After a breif and quite frank discussion i was advised by the 12yr old copper that i should just pack up my tools and leave or be arrested for public order offences.

then to cap the day off upon arriving home i had a message from a plumber friend asking me to ring him asap, rang him up to be told that the job we were working on next week has already been started and we are no longer required, This job was a 80m2 restaurant floor and grill area, quote accepted and ready to go. while i was there measuring the customer asked if i knew a good plasterer as he wanted all his walls reboarding and skimming. Now this plasterer i have known for 17yrs and we go out socially atleast once every other week, infact him and his wife were at my house only last saturday for a chinese and a few beers. this was after i had put him in contact with the customer and we discussed the order of work, now it seems that he has gone in to price the work needed and has said that he can tile and do the plumbing himself while he is there, saving the customer money, this i know as i phoned the customer later to ask him.

so in one day a customer and someone i have thought of as a friend for 17yrs have both stiffed me.

sorry but i am going out to football with my son so i will comment back later.

chris

 

[DHTiling]

Bloody hell Chris mate..

You need to pursue this flaming customer.. i am gobsmacked..

As for you mate.. i would be having words with him and ASAP as well..

 

[Del W]

Thats bad. Hope you have a good day with your son.

 

[nybor62]

what is the customer playing at , you just cant refuse to pay , i would be sending the boys to make some noise, teach im a lesson he will never forget ,

and as for your so called friend , he would be getting brought down a peg or two.


be carefull once you have had a drink , you might do something you will regret, but i would not blame you

 

[Ian]

Get a solicitors letter straight out to that customer. Bear in mind that the customer might be playing you and your mate off each other to get cheaper work. Hope it gets sorted mate.

 

[Gazzer]

Totally stunned !

 

[aph257]

Sorry to hear about that Chris. what a ba.....d. i'd have not left the first customers house until he did pay.

 

[user123]

WHAAATT???? That's outrageous .... couldn't believe what I'm reading ....... straight onto Citizen's advise bureau to start getting the very best advice how to deal with the non-paying cretin .. and as to your mate .... pfffff....who needs enemies - very poor show that is.... let him know exactly how you feel about that asap, don't let it fester, get it out for him to handle...

 

[Scott]

Sometimes i really wish we could swear!

I think i would have been tempted to put a hammer through every tile mate and tell him he got what he deserved, and then chin him for good measure.

All that said you need to take the legal route, but he has some balls to stand there and say it to you.

 

[The D]

******* unbelievable you need to find a debt collection firm (one that will brake his legs if he dose not pay) I would let them have it for one pound and sit out side his house with a big grin on my face then i would pay a bag head to rob his stuff and that would just be the start of his problems.

 

[devonmark]

I don't condone violence....but they would not be able to wipe their own backsides......for starters that is. Hope you get sorted with the payments, as for your mate, I'd be telling every single person that you both know what he has done, someone like is so low that they could walk under a snake with a top hat on.

 

[DHTiling]

they could walk under a snake with a top hat on.

Love that saying mark..:lol:

 

[andy-p]

Thats unbelievable , hope you get it sorted and as for your so called mate ....

 

[White Room]

That is just unbelievable.

I'm sure I felt my blood pressure rising just reading it...I would have gone spare.

 

[Colour Republic]

Deleted --

can't really say what i'd do in an open forum.

 

[Dan]

You definitely need to get onto that customer who hasn't paid. Take them to small claims immediately! Or at least get on the phone to solicitors.

Also checkout Invoice Chasing | Chase Invoices | Failed Billing | Invoices Chasers | Credit Control | Credit Management. 😉

 

[kilty55]

hope you get this non payer sorted out chris what a pure scumbag,as for your friend maybe aproach him calmly 1st as its only the customers word for it at present mate i hope you can sort it out good luck

 

[hillhead]

Gobsmacked Chris, absolutely terrible this crap.
I know guys who debt collect and believe me if i ever need it i'll employ their services !!!!!!!!!
Enough said but you know my drift. You done all by the book, he restricted your hours, that cost you money IMO, then turns round and refuses to pay or can't !!
Not good enough.
Seek professional legal advice and get this creep for all you're owed and extra for lost hours and hassle !

 

[Rob Z]

Holy Crap CJ---PLEASE consult an attorney and find out what can be done with a mechanic's lien against this property where the work was performed. I don't recall what the guys here said is the equivalent to a mechanic's lien in British Law, but there has to be something like that. So much of our body of law follows from the British tradition that there must be something that you can do to protect your rights. Find a lawyer ASAP. Good luck buddy.

 

[SandyFloor]

You really seem to get all the stinky luck Chris. You were cancelled by a customer for a big job two weeks before Christmas too, weren't you? As above with everything else ....you can't let this go. This guy sounds like a habitual and deliberate non payer. TBH I'm not sure how I would deal with this because (if I'm right about him) these people are quick to call the police and are really clued up on their 'rights' so tread carefully regarding contact with the guy.

 

[Stewart]

Think you showed great restraint in not knocking his teeth out, as I may have been inclined to do so. Get straight onto a lawyer and start small claims, as you have to follow the law on this to get your money and you have to give him a chance to pay. You should also start taking deposits to cover materials and expenses in future as genuine customers don't mind.

 

[Andy Allen]

this is the second post in a few days about non payers..... whats the hells happening to this country.

 

[Mike]

i wouldn't have left till he paid or i would have started lifting the tiles to get my adhesive back. good on you for not hitting him tho! good luck on getting your money mate

 

[frostfree]

Tread very carefully with this non payer, this guy knows his rights. I suspect he has already done this to other non suspecting tradepeople. The fact he wanted you to take your tools away every night suggests he never had any intention of paying you from day one(gives him the opportunity to lock you out of his house without being accused of stealing your tools).
He was probably expecting you to invoice him by post and not face to face.
Calling the police is another tactic that if this goes down the legal route, you are already recorded with the police as allegedlly trying to attack him! He is clever and knows how to play the system.

You MUST seek professional legal advice immediately.
Do not try and take recourse yourself, it will come back to bite you if it goes to court.

Be warned even if you get a successful CCJ against him, you may find he does not have any assets, the house may not be in his name or he may already be bankrupt. Which would make it difficult for a debt collector to get your money.

Hopefully it wont come to that and the guy will see reason and pay you quickly.
Good luck.

 

[rodders26]

OMG! what a joke,I would have told him it took me 2 weeks to put them up, but will take me 2 mins to take them down whilst weilding my lump hammer in his face!

Don't let this one go, make sure this scumbag pays.

and as for your friend this is a typical dog eat dog world mentality we live in, unfortunately lots of people are like this and disregard friendship for greed.

 

[widler]

must be hard for you mate,
the gym i go to there is a debt collector who goes, i don't know how he goes about doing it,but if this lad came to my door,id pay up and give him a tip.,really good lad,but looks mean as hell.
as someone has said,this bloke seems to know his rights,if you take him to court he sounds like he has played the system before,me,id forget the law and go and knock on his door again.

 

[Pebbs]

......"Not my problem mate"....

I had to read this three times, I think the first couple of times I was in shock, then when it sunk in what had happened, I had to go and think about what to do. Whilst many of you would go down the legal route, which would be costly and still not give any joy at the end, I cant agree.

CJ this customer is a scum bag, I have not the slightest doubt that you are the first person he has done this to, and if it was me, then I would be engaging the 'services' of someone to go and collect this debt come hell or high water. However I would do this first, send a copy of your final account to the customer, registered post, I think thats the one where they dont sign it but you know it gets delivered. You know why I advise you to do this first dont you? yes of course you know why, I dont need to explain. I would not go to collect the debt but someone on my behalf, and someone who wont take no for an answer. Nip this in the bud now, and sort it out, from a distance ok?

Secondly the so called 'mate' I hope he rots in hell, and falls face down in the adhesive with his hands tied behind his back. Your life is better of without this two faced, schemeing, back-stabbing, jack of all trades master of none, and what goes around comes around, but it can take time. You have to much aggro on your plate at the moment deal with the scum bag customer first and then tackle the other one when your ready.

 

[user123]

Pebbs.. remind me not to fall out with you... EVER!!!! Gulp...

 

[doug boardley]

I'm sat here with smoke coming outta my ears!!!, what the hell goes through these peoples minds?????

 

[nybor62]

i cant get this out of my head has got me so angry,

 

[MTiler]

Unbelieveable, but the scary thought is that it can happen to any of us at anytime.

missyT