[crystal.clear]

i had been doing this woman's windows for two months. i priced £15 and she said fine. after two months she hadn't sent the money on so i stopped doing them and knocked everytime i was passing but no answer. been going on about 6 months now and still no money.  Today i was working in the road and i saw another window cleaner knocking at her door so i went over and had a word.  He told me she owed him three lots and wont answer his calls or door.  i just feel like going round and smashing her windows.

[aztec]

know the feeling mate
i bet if she went a month without her boss paying her she would kick up a fuss though!
how about writing a nice letter to her demanding the money or court action will be taken that usually does the trick mate

[ronaldo]

Had this happen to me before, just went back and launched some eggs up them, maybe not the right thing to do and neither did it get my money back but the satisfaction i got was worth more than what the fool owed me.

[macc]

Get an old applicater sleeve, nice & wet & applicate her windows & frames with dirty water. 

You wont get paid but you will feel a lot better. 

[windows_chepstow]

i had been doing this woman's windows for two months. i priced £15 and she said fine. after two months she hadn't sent the money on so i stopped doing them and knocked everytime i was passing but no answer. been going on about 6 months now and still no money.  Today i was working in the road and i saw another window cleaner knocking at her door so i went over and had a word.  He told me she owed him three lots and wont answer his calls or door.  i just feel like going round and smashing her windows.

If you work each month in the close vicinity, just keep knocking and leaving notes.  I've done this and my 'customer' got sick of it before I did, and a cheque was eventually received.

Just keep doing it, even if it takes two years; persistance pays off; and each time you do it, it's got to wind them up a little bit more; so enjoy the challenge and the 'wind up' factor involved.

If it's not on your round; don't go out your way; take Ronaldo's or Macc's advice and put the dirt back.

[Richy L]

i had a customer like this. I cleaned his windows three times without payment.(i usually only clean twice without payment) but he ensured me would pay for it all next time.

I called back there time and time again! i mean litterally about 12 times, but with no luck. in the end i just gave up. I could even see him hide and duck by the window once!!!

I just decided to bite the bullet and accept that i had lost the money. The total for the three cleans was only £15.

In the end i was putting so much time into calling back, and it got me so annoyed when i went there and he wouldnt answer even though he was blatently in, i just stopped calling.

i tried a few different things, knocking continuosly, leaving notes, even threatening court action. Once i was with one of my mates, a big guy, and we went up to the house together, but still nothing.

sometimes, its just not worth the hastle!!

[windows_chepstow]

I just decided to bite the bullet and accept that i had lost the money. The total for the three cleans was only £15.

But don't you think it's more than just the money involved here?

Normally, when people say, 'It's not the money, it's the principle', it's usually the money; every time.

But in our job where the odd arrogant idiot might try to look down on us, you sort of feel, 'This guy is taking the p)ss out of me here', which spurs you on to be strict with your terms and conditions; common-sense applying though.

I know the account Leekson's is talking about, and this happened at least a year ago; probably more.  It probably still rankles him for him to mention it.

I'm still cross about bad customers I've had from four years ago when I first started up.

Do you think to get 'closure' we've got to get revenge?

[EasyClean]

I agree with Tosh- 'Persistency pays off'. I tell the bad payer to their face that if they refuse to pay that I will have the great pleasure of waking them very early every Sunday morning until I'm finally paid. I'm a very early riser on Sunday mornings so it's no skin off my nose and I love the look on their face when I see them peering through the windows on a Sunday morning. Failure cannot live with persistency!

[window pain]

i think that all legitimate window cleaners should pay into a fund to deal with bad payers with the money raised we should puchase a helicopter gun ship complete with heat seeking missiles the next time someone dosn't want to pay you simply ring a freephone number, and then go around to their gaff, and ask for your money with the helicopter hovering overhead they're bound to pay up. p.s. i'm being serious.

[Richy L]

Yeah i agree with what you are saying tosh about its the principle, but there surely comes a time when it might be better to forget about it.
The customer, well, ex-customer, i am talking about would not open the door to me, and i couldnt knock on the windows when i collected as he lives in a flat. I think he was a bit of a wierdo actually, you know when someone gives you that impression.

But you're right tosh it does get to me now, and i still would love to egg his windows!

[Richy L]

sounds good window pain!

Where do i sign?

[Roy Harding]

A friend of mine used to do dept collecting.

Once he went up the garden path with a can of petrol, he kocked the door and when thay open it he put his foot into the door way and poured petrol over there door step while he puffed on a big cigar. He then took the cigar out of his mouth and said you owe x amount to my  friend, pay up now or you no what will happen.

This guy has been in for armed robbery Abh Gbh and is not to be messed about, He got the monney.

By the way he was collecting for someone else not me.

Roy

[Majestic]

I would post a SAE through her door and a note telling her she owes for her window cleaning. If I got it ok, if not it was only 2 cleans could of been more. I think every window cleaner has had this happen to them .

[S_RICHARDSON]

Isn't there a law against not paying us money owed by our work. If there is then i'd be straight round with the people of the law and giving them a warnig not o mess with us again!!

Only joking, but don't  it just get right up your grill when you get customers like this!!

[Helen]

crystal, why not get together with this other cleaner and go round together. united we stand and all that seriously it is not worth losing sleep over, but yes there is a principle to it all. Just had court papers sent thru to one who owed £23.50, that worked landed on her doorstep with the extra £30 application to court cost and now she has paid £53.50....expensive wc for her!!! will we clean hers again?....yes but only if she is in and pays at time of clean. This came down to principle as she was in when we called on a few occassions and didn't answer, had e-mails sent and texts by mobile and letter sent. her name has already been passed to other wc's in that area!!!

[dai]

If you don't pay for a taxi, yu have taken a percunary advantage and can get done for it. Why is it not the same for us? DAI

[bluesteve]

im sure many of us would like to know, how do you go about applying for a court order or whatever it is for non paying customers?

[RAHomeServices]

small claims court pay your £30 and let law take over

[supernova77]

im sure many of us would like to know, how do you go about applying for a court order or whatever it is for non paying customers?

You can do it all online >> http://www.moneyclaim.gov.uk

Andy

[bluesteve]

cheers andy ,
 that looks the dogs b******s  what if the amount is less than what they owe you , do you charge them £30?

[thewindowcleaner1]

http://www.is4profit.com/businessadvice/smallclaimscourt/3_howsmallclaimscourt.htm

Click on above and down load form N1.
Then fill in details leaving her details empty, then post it through door with note requesting her to complete her details and when you will be back to collect, also leave phone number if call back time is note OK... this ploy has worked for me several times..
   But if it fails and you are prepared to loose the money find some local thug and give them the debt you don't get the money but they usualy pay (feels good)

[window pain]

hi, getting knocked for £15 is one thing, but i used to work in the building trade and it's not uncommon to get knocked for far more than that. i lost £1,500 on one occassion to a builder, he refused to pay on the grounds that the roof was defective. i then had to pay a surveyor to do a report, in the end i had to take him to court,it turned out he was bankrupt all the time so i never got a penny, but i still had to pay for the labour and materials ect. thats one of the reasons i left the trade. 

[Londoner]

Bang on there Window Pain if its only a few quid you don't really hurt but like Tosh says you still remember it even years later.
A friend of mine is a heating engineer, Corgi registered and all that. He can tell some horror stories about getting ripped off for thousands of pounds. Some of it deliberate fraud.
When I take on a new customer I always get their phone number. I would guess most of us do. If you know a taxi driver,or a postman or other shift worker who is likely to be out and about at 4 in the morning get them to give your customer an early morning call about their unpaid window cleaning bills. Make sure they use a phone box and not their mobile.

After being woken up a few times they usually find the money.

I really don't understand how these people think. If you havent got the money then getting your windows cleaned is not a high priority. So why do they?

[[GQC] Tim]

Persistance IS the keyword. Annoy the hell out of them like Tosh said. KEEP on calling, every bit of money is money someone owes. They WILL pay. Just keep on going. Keep sending them letters, leave notes, keep calling. And yessir, they will pay.

[window pain]

Bang on there Window Pain if its only a few quid you don't really hurt but like Tosh says you still remember it even years later.
A friend of mine is a heating engineer, Corgi registered and all that. He can tell some horror stories about getting ripped off for thousands of pounds. Some of it deliberate fraud.
When I take on a new customer I always get their phone number. I would guess most of us do. If you know a taxi driver,or a postman or other shift worker who is likely to be out and about at 4 in the morning get them to give your customer an early morning call about their unpaid window cleaning bills. Make sure they use a phone box and not their mobile.

After being woken up a few times they usually find the money.

I really don't understand how these people think. If you havent got the money then getting your windows cleaned is not a high priority. So why do they?

hi vince i will tell you how these" people" think, because your only a window cleaner you don't" think" so therefor it dosn't matter, in other words your not important, it's only when you corner them and let them know in no uncertain terms, that actually you are "important"that they pay up. 

[dai]

I had a customer last week tell me she was in a hurry, and had no time to write a cheque. I asked her when she was coming home. and she said about 6 if you can call then.
Now it's dark at 5, does she think I am going to sit around and wait for her?
Why do people always asume that their time is more valuble than ours?
This really peed me off and I was thinking about it all day. If she thinks that my time has so little value, it's time I charged her a lot more for it, and she won't get her frames done next time. Dai

[[GQC] Tim]

http://www.is4profit.com/businessadvice/smallclaimscourt/3_howsmallclaimscourt.htm

Click on above and down load form N1.
Then fill in details leaving her details empty, then post it through door with note requesting her to complete her details and when you will be back to collect, also leave phone number if call back time is note OK... this ploy has worked for me several times..
   But if it fails and you are prepared to loose the money find some local thug and give them the debt you don't get the money but they usualy pay (feels good)

Unfortunately, that link doesn't work, can anyone host the original N1 form?

Many thanks.

[JM123]

I'd just forget it - whats the point getting wound up for£15??

If it bothers you that much make up 20 flyers saying the woman at number x is a cheat who doesn't pay her bills etc etc - post them through all the neighbours letter boxes and hers with a note that all her neighbours got the same flyer - do it all on PC though

[stevef]

I am going to a small estate this morning I clean about 12 houses there, one woman owes me £18 this is for one and a half cleans (two visits) I decided not to clean anymore as the cheque never appeared this has gone on for several months now, But I get great satisfaction seeing her walking the kids to school as I clean windows all around her and say GOOD MORNING!  to her and watch her go red and hang her head in shame. I now dont want the money, as I have a great satisfaction knowing I that I am so much better than her and people like her and I dont owe a penny to anyone, and have a stress free life. So as my kids say to me! get over it & move on

[Paul Coleman]

If you don't pay for a taxi, yu have taken a percunary advantage and can get done for it. Why is it not the same for us? DAI

That's an interesting question Dai.
Unpaid bills are normally regarded as a civil matter rather than a police matter yet I believe that people who haven't paid taxi fares have been prosecuted under criminal law.
I will post this into a newsgroup called uk.legal to see what they've got to say about it and if I get a response I will post it here.

I have just posted the following to the uk.legal newsgroup

QUOTE

Hi.
I may be wrong but I believe that I've seen several accounts in local newspapers over the years of people being prosecuted for not paying their taxi fares.  Now I always believed that non-payment of bills was a civil matter rather than criminal.  For instance, I am a window cleaner and sometimes incur bad debts (thankfully very few and generally for quite small amounts).  I find it easier to just try collecting it several times and just move on if I fail to do so.  Indeed, if it's a bad paying job, I find it easier to move on anyway with little attempt to collect payment.
So what is the difference between a taxi fare and, for instance, my window cleaning bill legally?  I wouldn't dream of involving the police in such a situation.  Indeed, I know they wouldn't be interested anyway.
Is there some technical legal difference why a taxi fare is treated differently from non payment of other services?  Presumably there is so could someone in the know explain it?
Thank you.

UNQUOTE

[Londoner]

I am a London taxidriver and it is a criminal offence not to pay a London taxi at the end of the journey. This is because the licensing of taxis came under the control of the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police when the force was set up and is specifically mentioned in the Metropolitan Police Act 1830.

I don't think that stands for the rest of the country but to receive any goods or service with the intention (stress the word intention) of not paying is an offence.
The problem is how do you prove intent?

[Helen]

you charge them what they owe you, plus any cost you have incurred in gaining payment this way.

[S.A.J]

N1 Form

http://www.hmcourts-service.gov.uk/courtfinder/forms/n1_0102.pdf