Paying up-front for materials? Thoughts please.

[FamilyWiggs]

Lindyboo, I think you've probably made he right decision.

But in all fairness to the trade person, I also think it is fair to feedback your reasons why. He may well be a good chap, and not realising why he is losing business - both on the practice of payment but also on the communications. The latter will need tact, but if he is good he'll be grateful for the feedback and if he isn't then this will confirm your suspicions?

 

[Zebra]

I'm afraid I can't see the problem with this. I'm a one-woman-band, and if I'm on a big job (£3k is big for me) I ask for 25% up front, so I can buy materials, and continue to feed myself whilst I do the job. I don't have a great cash flow, but that doesn't mean I'm not reliable or don't do a good job. I haven't had anyone refuse, but if they did I'd say OK and I'd just find a way to manage til the end of the job.

 

[LadyArowana]

I'm afraid I can't see the problem with this. I'm a one-woman-band, and if I'm on a big job (£3k is big for me) I ask for 25% up front, so I can buy materials, and continue to feed myself whilst I do the job. I don't have a great cash flow, but that doesn't mean I'm not reliable or don't do a good job. I haven't had anyone refuse, but if they did I'd say OK and I'd just find a way to manage til the end of the job.

Based on your highly literate postings here I think people would probably have less issues dealing with you than Lindyboo was experiencing with her proposed contractor. The standard of his communication seemed to leave something to be desired. Hope all is well in project Zebraville with you and Henry.

 

[Lindyboo]

Thanks all, for the further input.

I've no problem with paying for materials up-front and have done it before if I'm having the goods delivered and invoiced direct to me. My problem with the bod in question is that he wants the money paying up-front direct to him and is unclear - perhaps evasive - about whether or not he has accounts with suppliers.

It may be that he's not a cowboy and has his reasons for doing things that way, but from the potential customer's angle, giving me a receipt for money paid up-front to him doesn't give me security. If he drops dead, has a family crisis or finds himself in any situation where he can't do the job, he's got my money and the onus will then be on me to try and reclaim it. If he'd just do the obvious and order the goods for delivery to my address and invoiced by the supplier to me, that'd be okay.

Anyway, I've had a positive response from two other landcaping co's, both based at garden centres. One's local and the other's miles away, but both (so far) seem keen and well organized. I'm waiting for a quote from one, which is promised for this week and a visit from the other on Weds, so I hope to make a decision soon. Of the dozen or so queries I sent out, I got replies from less than half and of that small number only these two are available to do the sort of work we need, so I'll have to pick one of 'em!

 

[Zebra]

Hope all is well in project Zebraville with you and Henry.

Thank you yes. I've been o' nolliday. Henry had to stay behind to look after the house, and I went to the Wall of Corn.

I suppose the thing with contractors is that you're often judging them largely by instinct. You either get the feel that someone is right for your house, or for some reason you're not so sure, be it that they're a bit off-hand, don't seem to really be listening to what you want, don't communicate, don't seem to have the right experience, or perhaps have large teeth and sharp claws. If you trust them and they seem right for the job, you'll give them the keys to the house and the PIN number for your savings account but if not then you don't want them anywhere near the place, and you're the only person who can judge that.