Taking customers to court over debt.

[Damo]

Had to take my first customer to court this month.

Debt goes back to April of this year.

Lots of texts/emails/letters etc.

I got thomas Higgins involved and that £42:00 debt is now £174:00

She has confirmed today she will pay......£10 per month via the CCJ.

Ah well at least i get paid eh!

 

[Trev81]

Thats a great result, fancy getting a CCJ over not paying for your windows to be cleaned! She will regret that massively as it sits on her credit file for the next 6 years!

I have 2 small debtors I really want to get back more for principal, is there a min amount you need to take them to court?

 

[Damo]

Thats a great result, fancy getting a CCJ over not paying for your windows to be cleaned! She will regret that massively as it sits on her credit file for the next 6 years!I have 2 small debtors I really want to get back more for principal, is there a min amount you need to take them to court?

£25 is the min, but there is a loop hole.

By law you can charge compensation on late payments. Even if its a day!

She owed me £42 and i could claim £40 compensation. Even after court fees, i actually still make money.

so £10 window cleaning debt - send her letter for £2 plus vat. If she don't pay within 7 days. That £10 will then be £10+£40+£2.40. You can then take her to court. If its over £25 you can threaten court straight away. I went for compensation as i was out of pocket on time/stamps/fuel.

It was never about making money, i would have done it even if it was a loss for me.

I tried EVERYTHING, except camping outside her house. It's a shame, but i have a clear conscience.

 

[Tuffers]

Good on you Damo! I have a commercial that owes me from last clean which was 8 weeks ago. They are due again this Saturday, I'll clean them and leave an invoice for double. They are usually slow payers. I have also got a bad vibe of a care home company who I've cleaned 4 properties for. They are all 4 weekly, I've emailed an invoice a week ago and no contact has been made from them. I have proof of agreed prices, addresses and time scales. I might be wrong, but just have a bad feeling on this one.

 

[Damo]

I am not enjoying commercial work at the moment, i am owed the most amount i have ever been owed. I have just under a 1/4 of my customers on go cardless and even thats not making a dent in it. I guess its better to be owed loads then none at all.

Yeah it's not a great feeling at all is it. Just lost a commercial job two weeks back, they owe one clean of £xxx! But JUST had remittance email come through today. So hopefully still get paid!

 

[Diwrnach]

I'm owed £300 for a commercial job, been 3 weeks now, they promise to pay by the end of the week.

I try and avoid commercial work its always the same.

 

[CMRwindowcleaning]

just out of interest did you ever get a response or reason from her for not paying the bill in the first place?

 

[Trev81]

It is a principal thing for me with one I did a first clean for back in June (£12) small new build, since then I only take cash for a first clean, sent her many texts and also sent a letter last week to make payment before I file with a small claims. Heard nothing from her at all, only time I have spoke to her was when I knocked to collect payment and she fobbed me off "no cash on her" will pay later via Bacs, never paid me, I'd rather it cost me money now to prove a point to her and to get what is owed paid. I have made a account with who you have used @Damo and will start the process with them now, will speak to them on the phone tomorrow.

 

[Damo]

It is a principal thing for me with one I did a first clean for back in June (£12) small new build, since then I only take cash for a first clean, sent her many texts and also sent a letter last week to make payment before I file with a small claims. Heard nothing from her at all, only time I have spoke to her was when I knocked to collect payment and she fobbed me off "no cash on her" will pay later via Bacs, never paid me, I'd rather it cost me money now to prove a point to her and to get what is owed paid. I have made a account with who you have used @Damo and will start the process with them now, will speak to them on the phone tomorrow.

They really are a decent company to deal with!

 

[Damo]

just out of interest did you ever get a response or reason from her for not paying the bill in the first place?

She called me the day it went to the court stage. She has had a family death. I waited 6 months before it got to this stage. She agreed to pay in August. Family member passed away in Sept. Money owed from April. I don't feel guilty at all on that. Its a real shame as she is/was a nice person. But i am not a mind reader.

I may knock on her door in 2 years time when the debt is paid to see if she wants a cleaner again.

 

[Diwrnach]

Isn't there a government thing you can do now and they send an official debt letter out? I forget what its called, but it was linked on here before, I think by @Green Pro Clean Ltd

 

[CMRwindowcleaning]

Fair enough. She should have paid up in April as soon as the windows were cleaned I bet you no one has even passed away and thats an excuse. How long did you do them for? Haha Yeah don't even knock just start doing the windows mate and tell her it was in the small print of the documents she received from court that she has to keep you on forever now lol.

 

[Diwrnach]

This was it, not used this service myself but looks good https://www.moneyclaim.gov.uk/web/mcol/welcome

 

[Jon Grainger]

Was just about to ask the the same question! I am in the process of taking a customer who owes £80 (2x £40 cleans) through the website linked above.

What am I entitled too with regards interest? I have texted, not posted letters as they have moved house (but have their new address through a bit of Googling).

 

[TolishAPurd]

Well done for getting your money back mate. I'm waiting to see a window cleaner on judge rinder now. /emoticons/biggrin.png

I have one that has had 3 reminder texts now with no replies.





Problem is I don't know his name or his address at the moment. The house he had me clean has tennants in so I got payment on the first clean. Visited after and then didnt get paid. Been a few months now. I don't think you can summon someone to court without a name or evidence, so I think I'll be taking things into my own hands. I'll get his address off his tennants next time im in the area.

 

[Damo]

It only goes to court if it needs hearing.

They can chose to accept/decline/counter or ignore.

If they ignore or decline it would go for hearing.

You don't evidence unless it goes to small claims.

Yes you need full name and address. Any mistakes on spellings can result in the claim being rejected.

 

[Green Pro Clean Ltd]

I guess its better to be owed loads then none at all.

I'm afraid I have to beg to differ there Damo, at our most (most amount owed us) we had nearly £3'500 outstanding, and I have to admit this was mostly due to me saying 'ahh no worries we'll collect it later' and just trying to be a nice guy. BIGGEST ERROR EVER.

You all heard the phrase 'Give em an inch' Well they will ALL without fail attempt to take the proverbial pi$$.

When I finally decided to have a serious clamp down ti took 3 evenings a week as well as a full Saturday or Sunday each week for almost a month to get it down to about £300 outstanding.

I would have to check records but of that debt list some 60% were consistent pi$$ takers that do not respect us or what we do, just thought they could get a freebie. They have all been axed off of our rounds.

We offer every payment option under the sun, cash, debit / credit card at the door, standing order / BACS, Go Cardless and Paypal so there really is no possible way you can not pay us if you want to.

People at the door used to say 'Oh I got no cash can you call back later?' And we just said OK till the point we were owed nearly £3'500. Now the reply is 'No, we have lives outside of this, just grab your card you can pay on that'

When you visit the following month they come to the door with card in hand all happy and ready.

For ones not home (and are not set up on GoCardleess or Standing Order) we make sure we have email addresses and always invoice them through Paypal, if not paid in 3 days they get a reminder simple, and usually once they get the reminder they pay.

Now we never have any more than £500 outstanding at any one time, but do remember we have a large round so that is really no more than 2 days take for us. This of course excludes all agreements we have with larger commercial clients that have 30 day terms. However all clients on 30 days have it written on the invoice that any payments no made within 30 days will be subject to a 10% administration fee for every 7 days the payment is late, I have only ever had 2 of the pay late, and pay the penalty, the never pay late again.

This was it, not used this service myself but looks good https://www.moneyclaim.gov.uk/web/mcol/welcome

Yes Diwrnach, I used it more to annoy a pain in the a$$ but it was very effective and only £25 (which the debtor is responsible for)

Damo, racking up a bill like that is quite insane, good on you, thought of feeding the story to the local paper? Will have a few readers starting to respect Window Cleaners a lot more.

 

[Damo]

Hi Green

just thankful to be paid really. Wouldn't want her to read it lol.

amount doesn't bother me. It's the time. I am constantly owed a large amount. But all customers pay fairly quickly (before next clean)

Even with Gocardless the debt can rack up so quick then come down in massive chunks.

 

[Green Pro Clean Ltd]

Oh I do agree, we have several hundred a month go through in 'chunks'. Now days they get a max of 2 cleans till account is settled, then if necessary we have 'a little chat' about prompt payment and that usually sorts it out.

 

[Trev81]

My longest standing debt was settled today by way of sending out a late payment demand via the firm you used @Damo I'm quite chuffed with that! Only £12 but was the principal of taking the **** out of me that made me carry it through. Was kinda hoping to put a CCJ on her but never mind its now paid lol.

 

[Damo]

Excellent.

TBH you don't want it to go CCJ.

You can loose or have to fight it.

Day off losing wages only to loose.

Not good.