[andy east sussex]

its not much really only about £70 but i cleaned for a lady back in april who contacted me on social network everything seemed genuine cleaned etc came up amazing and basically she paid cheque well that bounced so went back to her and explaned it bounced so she wrote another and guess what that bounced so went back no answer called her and all i got was abuse down phone saying if i keep pestering she will get me sorted or something i dont want that kind of hassle what else could i of done and guess there nothing i can do now

[AshWhite]

I believe claiming for a bounced cheque through small claims is really straightforward, as there is no defence for it? Never done it myself, though.

[andy east sussex]

i was thinking that but not sure they will bother for such a small claim

[John Kelly]

It is illegal to write a cheque knowing there are insufficient funds to honour it. You can issue a small claims court claim online for 25 quid and she has to pay that as well. First of all write to her and advise if she doesn't pay you will take her to the smalls claims court and give her 7 days to pay.

You may not want to go through the hassle but why let these scumbags get away with it.

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

[andy east sussex]

this is what i wrote and she wrote back this was back in july sorry



17:38




Tracey Harmer






take me to court then





u did crap job





dont talk to me like crap

...







17:40




Andy's Cleaning Servic






I've given you chance after chance to pay us we have records of us doing it plus with you saying fantastic job I'm sorry but it don't concern us taking customers to small claims court but will end up customer paying a lot more sorry.

...







17:41




Tracey Harmer






i tell court was unhappy with ur work no few others that feel same so dont contact me again ok

...
Today







10:45




Andy's Cleaning Servic






will you be making payment to us for the clean you had

...

[AshWhite]

I would certainly make a point of claiming for that one.

[Paul Clapham]

.....If she was unhappy with the work and though you had done a cr@p job , why did she pay you ?
She does not have a leg to stand on.......

[SteveAllan]

I used to say if payment not received within 7 days then we will be selling the debit on to a debt collector, bit of bluff I know but has never failed yet.
Going forward cash only mate, too many of these scrotes about now trying in it on.

[from edge2edge]

Get the money then treat yourself to a nice chinese and a skinfull of beer to celebrate mate   best of luck  Alan

[Neil Jones]

I'd knock her out then p on her carpet

[Kinver_Clean]

How to retain customers

[derek west]

ray austin reccomended someone called thomas higgins, cost £2 for them to send a letter and apparantly it scares the shooby-do-wap-da-wap out of em

[james roffey]

Disgusting way to behave you should also try and claim against her for recovery of the debt, she's mistaken if she thinks she can claim to be unhappy with your work she paid you twice for it, and bounced both cheques. She hasn't a hope in hell of winning, you just have to persevere.

I find when customers make you wait or mess you about it's a matter of principal. i chased a guy for £15 simply because i knew he thought i would not chase him so he did not bother sending me a cheque like he promised, i went around to his house and told him as much, he had the audacity to say he didn't have the cash and would i take him to the cash point i told him he can go himself and drop it off at my house, when i got back that night my wife said someone dropped some money off saying "your husband is a bit upset with me"

Let us know how you get on, dont let these people walk all over us

[Carpet Dawg]

always always always go for cash straight after the job is complete and the customer is happy. Not always possible I know but you need to be wary of new customers when it comes to payment (its avery painful subject to alot of people). Sad fact but thats the way I see it.

There are far too many of these arseholes about.

I put out the idea ages ago about creating a website where we and other trades people can list faul, non paying customers. The idea fell on deaf ears, no one seemed to like the concept.
If a site like that become popular in the main stream, people would think twice about shafting us or they might become black listed to all local workmen for life    

[*Hector*]

http://www.thomashiggins.com/pages/costs_and_fees.aspx

this should help 

[Raymondo]

We did some work for a builder last June which we did not get paid for at the time.

It was only £93.00 in the end we put a late payment fee and charged him some interest on the invoice so it ended up being 122.00.

We then heard that the builder had gone bust in May and thought we would have to write it off.

We then contacted Thomas Higgins who sent him a letter chasing payment about 2 weeks ago we have now received a chq from him which all being well wont bounce.

It was well worth using Thomas Higgins it cost us £2.40 and we got the money hopefully.

I would certainly recommend them if you are owed money and they wont pay.

[andy east sussex]

cheers fellas i dont want to descriminate new decent customers by saying cash only but i can understand it is a risk with cheques and people screwing us over

[SteveAllan]

You won't be mate, lots of places don't accept cheques now don't see why we should be any different.

[Paul Simpson]

Andy

Read this post http://www.cleanitup.co.uk/smf/index.php?topic=124620.0

I was based in East Sussex until last year.
I too had a problem with a customer who was happy with the job and paid by cheque which then bounced, then she continuously fobbed me off before telling me I was hassling her, it was a crap job and take me to court.

Guess what it's the same person, 'Harmer'

Her attitude annoyed me more then anything, not the money so I was going to pursue in small claims.
But I was told as long as the returned cheque hasn't been stamped 'payment stopped' which means it was cancelled you can try to cash again and to try and catch her off guard, just after pay day ideally (end of the month, or earlier this month) and it worked, the cheque cashed and I didn't hear anything about it.
Credit to Jason Williscroft for that info.

I don't think I was the first either, I think she might have an attention seeking problem, as a short while after she contacted me again and tried to book me for the same sofa, realising it was her I booked it in and didn't turn up and never heard from her again.

Hope this helps
Paul

 

[David MK Cleaning]

Based in Hastings but I do a lot around the rest of East Sussex so will definatly keep an eye out for her I thinks