How do you ask for your money?

[csitenet]

OK, this is going to sound crazy, i worked on a contract basis for a company in my city for 5 weeks, now i'm owed about £3,500 in wages which was promised to me to be paid in installments 3 weeks ago, i just checked my account and it seems they havn't paid me a penny! how does one go about asking nicely but firmly from a business for his money :undecided: i sent the owner a few emails and had some phone conversations already and it was established i would be paid but he could only pay me in installments (and i'm ok with that). i dont have the face to call or email him anymore to ask for my money!

And the things I don’t wish to do

- ask a debt collector
- take him to court

I just feel slightly robbed wasting my time working for this company without being paid a penny to date!

 

[Rockefeller]

It's your money and you've earned it...if you let someone walk over you..they will.

 

[csitenet]

I don’t know, I just don’t feel very comfortable calling or emailing him demanding my money or face severe consequences! Till this day I found a friendly and cooperative nature does work with most people. Maybe because he is Indian i need to resort to a different method of communication.

 

[JuniperPark]

Lessons:

1) Most people who don't have credit cards have been denied them for NOT PAYING as promised.

2) People who ask to pay on installments can't get credit cards.

3) Exception: If work is done over time, such as a web site. In that case, all work STOPS if installment #1 for partially complete work goes unpaid. No pay, no product, period. And NEVER deliver a completed project with nothing at all paid. They have no reason to pay you.

 

[PRED]

I don’t know, I just don’t feel very comfortable calling or emailing him demanding my money or face severe consequences! Till this day I found a friendly and cooperative nature does work with most people. Maybe because he is Indian i need to resort to a different method of communication.

I know what you mean. sometimes it pays to be really patient.
if the guys not a mate & you don't really intend really seeing him again or doing business, send one last phone message or email.
Then pay £30 for a solicitors letter.
If he's stupid enough to ignore that, small claims court the tight bitch.
Cghances are he's trying to pull a fast one or thinks he's being a top businessman by leaving his money in his account til the last minute, just cos he read Branson does it. LOL
There's laws to be obeyed. Hate tightwads. Good Luck

 

[csitenet]

Lessons:

1) Most people who don't have credit cards have been denied them for NOT PAYING as promised.

2) People who ask to pay on installments can't get credit cards.

3) Exception: If work is done over time, such as a web site. In that case, all work STOPS if installment #1 for partially complete work goes unpaid. No pay, no product, period. And NEVER deliver a completed project with nothing at all paid. They have no reason to pay you.

They signed a short term contract with me, i have the copy that states i am to be paid at the end of the 5 week period. I accepted to be paid in installments to show that i was being understanding with him if his business may have faced some recent financial difficulty and he was unable to pay the full £3,500 at once. There is no issue of evidence in this stage, its just asking him and pushing him to pay me, which i have done for a few days now which has led nowhere (sent him 5 emails last week alone!)

 

[Biggie]

They signed a short term contract with me, i have the copy that states i am to be paid at the end of the 5 week period. I accepted to be paid in installments to show that i was being understanding with him if his business may have faced some recent financial difficulty and he was unable to pay the full £3,500 at once. There is no issue of evidence in this stage, its just asking him and pushing him to pay me, which i have done for a few days now which has led nowhere (sent him 5 emails last week alone!)

if you have a signed contract and they have not performed/delivered or paid according to that document,then take it to court.

or.... go get some big bad looking dudes to go by there and scare the crap into his pants.

 

[mulligan]

This is how you ask, nicely ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msf8EwUPns8

 

[Creature]

I would first make sure that you have made every effort to avoid court. ie one last email Then I would just go to the small claims court in your city and pick up the forms. It's £30 and once the respondent receives the forms via the court, they will probably just cough up.

 

[GAMEFINEST]

If you have done all that and still havent been paid, i dont think he will pay you but hope that i am wrong ..

 

[Rockefeller]

They signed a short term contract with me, i have the copy that states i am to be paid at the end of the 5 week period. I accepted to be paid in installments to show that i was being understanding with him if his business may have faced some recent financial difficulty and he was unable to pay the full £3,500 at once. There is no issue of evidence in this stage, its just asking him and pushing him to pay me, which i have done for a few days now which has led nowhere (sent him 5 emails last week alone!)

The entire point of a contract is to have evidence of the agreement if you were to get in a situation such as this. Send them a certified letter so that you have evidence that you have attempted to contact them regarding the payment.

 

[Duckinla]

Have you sent him an official invoice? If not, create a simple invoice in word and E-mail it to him. If you are OK with installments put something like this on it:

Payable To (you)
Payable From (them)
Reason: (Services provided)

$1,500 due Immediately.
$1,000 due August 1st.
$1,000 due September 1st.

Send it to him "for his records". It's a way of contacting again without being overly pushy if you are uncomfortable about that. I bet you will get the first 1,500 and then have to continue contacting them to get the rest.

Companies that are tight on cash will put contractors in the "slow pay" pile that they only look at after the more "necessary" bills are paid. You have to be a bit aggressive to get out of the slow pay pile.

 

[Raider]

i dont have the face to call or email him anymore to ask for my money!

You need to get over this and become more assertive, not only will people respect you more, they'll much less likely to walk all over you.

You shouldn't have to ask for your money, the company your working for created this situation, not you. If this is happening to you, its happening to others, you have NOTHING to be shy about asking for what is rightfully yours.

Call the guy that hired you and kindly inform him that no payment has been received to date, ask if there is a problem, you want to get answers that you can use against him at a later date, make sure you cover all your bases, not giving him any outs when the next unpaid payday comes. Write down the date & time and make sure you confirm with him that all information on your account is correct.

Also, do what Duck says, send him a invoice. This is what sub contractors normally do, at least here in the states.

RG

 

[jasdon11]

Confuscious say: you will get more with a kind word, and a gun - than with just a kind word.....

If it's in the UK, I will offer to collect the debt for £1500.

(I was only kidding about the gun)

 

[PRED]

or.... go get some big bad looking dudes to go by there and scare the crap into his pants.

i like this option :yes:#
i've heard you & devil dog are for hire?
the flights might eat into expenses though :smilewinkgrin:

 

[olebean]

The whole deal sounds iffy from the start..

If he is a limited company check out his accounts. If he isn't talk to him on the phone and ask him to put something in writing to you regarding a payment structure anything less is NOT ACCEPTABLE

If he fails to write with seven days, send notice that you will take it further make it a nicely crafted letter making it clear that due to his action and with solomn regret he will leave you no alternative but to solicit the return of all monies owed..

In the mean time, if you are self employed contact I think Thompsons in Liverpool/ Birkenhead (I could be wrong on the nae i would have to dig it out for you). They will action the rest for you, they charge about £5 for a letter (it was the last time I used them). They are ver professional company, most of my money the managed to get for me without going to court...

If all else fails send the git a statutary demand, that gives him 28 days to either pay up or you can apply to court for bankrupcy. Usually the threat makes people coff up!

If you need further info PM me

 

[csitenet]

Cheers guys, i decided to send a more decisive email, yet keeping a polite tone and it seems to have worked. I have been told a payment of £1,500 was initiated and should be in my bank account tomorrow as part of the first weekly installment. I guess only time will tell.

I thought keeping confrontation to the minimum in this case would be best, there was many advantages for me to keep a ongoing relationship with him and is business and specially his associates.

 

[Raider]

Inquiring about your money is not confrontional.....anyways, let us know if you get it.