Member Since: 13 Aug 2014
Location: Buckinghamshire
Posts: 434
RRSTDV8 wrote:
Sadly you paid him before he'd finished. You'll not see him again.
Two rules with builders:
1. never pay up front
2. always owe a bit until the job is finished.
As a builder there are also bad clients.
We never take up front payment. Always either do the job and then invoice, or on bigger projects two weeks work then invoice. Expecting payment within seven days of invoicing.
Then mostly get payment on day of invoice or six weeks later when they have not paid you ask if they received the invoice and you get questioned about fifty pence in the cost summary or valuation sheet with the invoice! As they are usually regular clients can normally predict when payment will occur.
In sixteen years of business, generally have been paid in full.
With two exceptions that spring to mind.
On an insurance funded job, just before I went into hospital for L5 S1 vertebrae fusion. They started changing the task and wanting to divert funds to alternative work. We carried out the reduced specification water damage repair and invoiced for 40% of what they had been paid by the insurer. They refused to pay and eventually it went to court and we got stiffed by the judge and had too wait three further months as “they did not have the money “.
Other current issue is a small invoice for finding a pin holed copper tube leaking in a four bedroom penthouse apartment beside the Thames in Marlow. Invoice ignored for two months. When chased up, get abusive email questioning why I am charging them?
So I had the key to be inside your home, spent many hours finding the issue and stopping it flowing into the elderly ladies flat below! I am charging because you asked me to fix it!
So not all builders are fly by nights. The problem is there is no regulatory requirements to be able to set up as a business. Anyone can and do so. This is why issues do happen.
In the past I have ignored gut feelings and got on with what is asked for, then struggled to get paid. Now if in doubt or gut tells me no. Then I decline the offer and move on to one of my long-standing clients tasks. 80% of the work we do is for regular and in most cases original clients from 2003 when we started.
The issue which is of my own making is not having enough time to work and do the admin, so invoice issue is slow! The system works slowly and probably will not change any time soon.
Will get back in my box and behave now! 👍🏽Discovery commercial tdv6 auto 2013
Volkswagen t6 lwb Kombi dsg 4motion 2018
Volkswagen t5.1 lwb single cab tipper 2013
Discovery commercial sdv6 auto 2014 gone and not really missed.
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23rd Nov 2019 9:36 pm
mse
Member Since: 27 Jun 2005
Location: Shropshire
Posts: 2702
This builder invoiced for the work done, was paid for the work done, as we have done before.
Problem is he hasn’t returned to finish the jobs he has started, plus the way he’s done the job is not what I expected or we discussed and part of that work is questionable, certainly issues with it.
I’ve now done 3 of his jobs but finishing his other jobs are going to be difficult, repairing his work even more of a problemMike
23rd Nov 2019 10:54 pm
mark the spark
Member Since: 22 Jun 2011
Location: southampton
Posts: 2477
Eating in the cinema
Just back from the new cinema to watch le man 66 great film but what the hell is it with people eating in the cinema. If you want to eat do it outside gone well beyond popcorn now people seem to turn up with a full bloody picnic.... Victor meldrew moment rant overMY05 SE D3 Manual my first LR what a car
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2011 D4 XS - OBD port protection, RLD spare wheel protector, All LED interiors lights, Timed Climate enabled, iiD tool paired.
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24th Nov 2019 9:44 am
robsmith
Member Since: 02 Sep 2007
Location: Staffordshire
Posts: 2392
Cyclists:
Dull wet morning
No lights
Black clothes
Riding in middle of lane
Not using very good cycle path
Not checking behind when serving left then rightRob Smith
Silver rools OK
24th Nov 2019 2:12 pm
Batfink
Member Since: 31 May 2017
Location: Isle of Sheppey
Posts: 1510
Some of the idiots who live in my road. One way street with parking both sides and there are a few repeat offenders who will just abandon wherever they stop rather than have consideration for other residents who may want to park.
This picture of the Ka is a good example. She is a recurrent repeat offender. Must be the lesser spotted lwb Ka. Pure ignorance.
2006 TdV6 HSE.
25th Nov 2019 4:04 pm
Batfink
Member Since: 31 May 2017
Location: Isle of Sheppey
Posts: 1510
Click image to enlarge
Hopefully this one will be the right way up. And by pure luck managed to also capture a numpty ignoring the 2 great big No entry signs.2006 TdV6 HSE.
25th Nov 2019 4:07 pm
Someone-Gone
Member Since: 21 Dec 2015
Location: Gone
Posts: 5117
Visitors and patients who can’t negotiate the Hospital car park and bump SWMBOs car!
It happened yesterday again, scuffs etc. to the front bumper on a car that’s only three months old parked properly within a space. They’d have been aware it happened, but no note or anything.
Its ironic that it probably the same people she’s helping. Not worth the bother of claiming off the insurance, shed soon loose all her no claims, so she’ll have to pay to get it fixed, a days or mores pay down the tubes, happy Crimbo.
4th Dec 2019 10:20 am
RRSTDV8
Member Since: 07 Apr 2014
Location: Here
Posts: 13072
That sucks, doesn't it? As you say, they'll be people she's helping and, I have no doubt, would probably be the first ones shouting if the care provided wasn't spot on.
There is a lot to be said for driving a shed when one is using public parking all day long. It's one reason why I leave my vehicle dirty - people don't risk brushing against it when they get in/out of their cars so give a bit more room. (The other reason I don't wash it is that I'm lazy! )Visiting from rrsport.co.uk
2012 RRS SDV6
2008 RRS TDV8
"When you fire that first shot, no matter how right you feel, you have no idea who's going to die! You don't know who's children are going to scream and burn. How many hearts will be broken. How many lives shattered. How much blood will spill, until everybody does what they were always going to have to do from the very beginning: SIT DOWN AND TALK!"
BBC website proof-readers. today's examples - Midlands moved to North West and cut'n'paste links
Click image to enlarge
4th Dec 2019 12:20 pm
Someone-Gone
Member Since: 21 Dec 2015
Location: Gone
Posts: 5117
RRSTDV8 wrote:
That sucks, doesn't it? As you say, they'll be people she's helping and, I have no doubt, would probably be the first ones shouting if the care provided wasn't spot on.
There is a lot to be said for driving a shed when one is using public parking all day long. It's one reason why I leave my vehicle dirty - people don't risk brushing against it when they get in/out of their cars so give a bit more room. (The other reason I don't wash it is that I'm lazy! )
The car was dirty unfortunately, but yes, that is a problem in a public car park. It’s happened before, so it was only a matter of time.
Also noticed the wee one wrote his name on her bonnet, so I am hoping I can take that off before she sees it.
She’s not off until Sunday, so I won’t get to look at it in the daylight. Sometimes marks look worse under artificial light.
As a rule all the medics and nurses tend to park together as it tends to be early on they park up, but it’s not fool proof.
4th Dec 2019 2:41 pm
astonbuilder
Member Since: 29 Sep 2006
Location: MIDLANDS
Posts: 8051
My 'winter' bug-bear is now in full flow and a new one has appeared on the list over the last couple of years and is now up there at "happens all the time" level....
1) rear fog lights now on and will stay on until around March - doesn't matter what the weather is. Flashing the usually gets a sort of bewildered "what" look. Given the fact that since about 1996 fog lamps have been wired so they go off with the ignition and don't come back on then these imbecilic morons that have them on in clear mid-day daylight means they've made a conscious decision to turn them on.
2) no rear lights on at. Advent of DRL's means you have loads of complete imbecilic morons driving around thinking they have their lights on but they are not on at the rear. Flashing is of no help at all for this issue as they believe they have lights on. If pulling up at traffic lights etc. and advising them of such, invariably gets the blank stare at their dashboard, back to you, back at the dashboard and the "my lights are on" response. Idiots
I'd love to have s matrix sign in the back of my car, with easily-found pre-programmed buttons for 'your fog lights are on', 'you have a defective brake lamp', 'your passenger fell out at the last roundabout', etc
2015 Volvo V40
2014 D4 HSE
2006 RRS - C'est mort. Fin... ...It's alive! Oh no, it's not - scrapped.
2019 Suzuki Kingquad 400
2017 RamRod Taskmaster 1150
1977 John Deere 2130
6th Dec 2019 12:46 pm
RRSTDV8
Member Since: 07 Apr 2014
Location: Here
Posts: 13072
I'm not sure what annoys me more - the idiots with fog lights on all the time or the idiots that drive in poor visibility without any lights on at all "it's day time and I can see where I'm going" seems to be the thought process there. A flash of the lights to suggest they turn theirs on gets a blank look or a V sign. No doubt they'll cause an accident and blame everyone else for it...
I've seen a few cases of a new version of the fog light one recently - front and rear fogs on? Tick. Still concerned I might not be seen so main beams on too for good measure! Yay - now everyone can be dazzled by my brilliance!
Gits.Visiting from rrsport.co.uk
2012 RRS SDV6
2008 RRS TDV8
"When you fire that first shot, no matter how right you feel, you have no idea who's going to die! You don't know who's children are going to scream and burn. How many hearts will be broken. How many lives shattered. How much blood will spill, until everybody does what they were always going to have to do from the very beginning: SIT DOWN AND TALK!"
6th Dec 2019 12:47 pm
astonbuilder
Member Since: 29 Sep 2006
Location: MIDLANDS
Posts: 8051
c'mon, everyone knows front fogs are only used on their own with sidelights "cos it looks cool, innit?"....
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... All LED interiors lights, DRLs, Spare Wheel protector.
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