Returning an overpayment

[Kess]

A couple of weeks ago my agent overpaid me by £98. Not a great amount, but trying to get them to recover it is proving rather interesting.

Following my latest call yesterday to their accounts dept about sorting it they responded immediately ... by dumping a further £4,500 in my account! Needless to say I just called their accounts dept again and was met with a surprising level of disinterest.

Any suggestions what to do next - at this rate I'll be a millionaire by next year! What's the normal mechanism (if any) for returning an overpayment - deducting it from a future invoice, sending them a cheque, or what?

Kess

[chasingtheaurora]

Tempted to tell you to put in a high interest, instant access account until they ask for it back. If they're that incompetent it'll take them a while to notice!

[tay]

Give yourelf an uppercut and ask yourself if your really cut out to be CEO of a company.

Tuck it away and wait for them to ask for it. In the mean time, take the interest. You should have emailed them instead of ringing, and just state something vague about their being a discrepency with your payment and could they contact you to resolve it. Dont lie about anything, but dont go out of your way to sort out thier mess!

[DaveB]

Send them a letter telling them what has happened and that you await a reply from them telling you how they wish to recover the funds. In the mean time stick the money in a high interest account.

[NotAllThere]

Write a letter to one of the directors, detailing precisely what has happened, asking where to send the cheque for overpayment. Don't forget to deduct a £100 or so admin fee.

[dmini]

I had an overpayment - about the level of your first one - spoke to agency and their response was "just keep it". Made a dummy invoice to cover it on advice of accountant - it makes the books easier to understand.
The 4500 is a bigger issue though!! I would recommend getting hold of someone senior on the finance side - not the plebs that answer the phone normally

[Sausage Surprise]

My agency paid me for 5 instead of 4 days in May. They just paid me for 4 instead of 5 the following week.

[DaveB]

Don't bother with the phone, there is no audit trail. Put it in writing. This covers everyones arse if awkward question start being asked and puts the ball back in their court to deal with it.

[ChimpMaster]

Dissolve your company and run off to the Caymen islands with the £4,500. You'll be laughing!

[TheFaQQer]

Don't bother with the phone, there is no audit trail. Put it in writing. This covers everyones arse if awkward question start being asked and puts the ball back in their court to deal with it.

Send them an email, or a letter and keep a copy, explaining that there is a discrepancy on your account that you would like to settle.

Stick the money away somewhere safe, and wait for a while until they sort it out.