Client not signing my final timesheet and making a false accusitions

[Motorola]

Hi,

I'm a Ltd company contractor/director and been working for a Client through the Agency for bit more than 6 months. When all the corona virus thing kicked off the job closed down. I've been always paid for last 6 months, but the last payment did not came, so I've chased it up and it appeared that Client didn't sign my timesheet (online) and agency need to have a timesheet signed in order to pay me. The reason Client didn't sign the timesheet is because Client saying that I've broke some equipment that I was working with (the equipment is in a full working order, but Client is saying because there's some cosmetic damage to it, they will be charged by the rental company and it will cost £1000, because they had similar issue before and it cost them £1000). But Client doesn't have any evidence that I've broke it I've never sign any papers that I'm responsible for the equipment and they don't even send the equipment back to off rent it. So it's not inspected, but they want to charge £1000 from my timesheet. Agency is doing nothing and they are saying that they can't do anything.

So this situation is still up in the air for 3 weeks now and I've received an e-mail from the Client and Agency responsible people attached to the email. Client is saying that I've deleted some folders from their shared server, because I had access to the server. Because of this they now saying that they not going to pay about £6000 to the agency that they still owing.
I haven't done such a thing and I know that Client is telling lies just to avoid paying money and that is just ridiculous, because it seems that they just can make any stuff out and I can't do anything about it...
The payment I'm missing from Agency is £1500, but they need to get timesheet signed by Client first and Client is making up stuff and not going to do that. And as well Client is accusing me with serious offences and I know that they are telling lies. So what can I do? Now it's not only about money it's personal and I don't want to let them get out of this easy.

[Lance]

Do they owe you £6k, or £1.5k. It’s not clear.
Don’t let it get personal. This is business. Act like it.

Any claims they have against you for losses are immaterial to your work completed.
Do you have evidence that you did the work for the unsigned timesheets? If so then pass to the agency, in email, with a formal, unemotional covering letter. You say you want paying and if you aren’t paid in 30 days you’ll take it further to have the debt collected.
Google ‘dunning’ for some direction in how to approach this.

If you really are feeling personally aggrieved about it get a lawyer. They will remove the emotional element and also have a better chance of achieving the result you desire albeit at a cost of a maybe a couple of grand.

[GhostofTarbera]

Do they owe you £6k, or £1.5k. It’s not clear.
Don’t let it get personal. This is business. Act like it.

Any claims they have against you for losses are immaterial to your work completed.
Do you have evidence that you did the work for the unsigned timesheets? If so then pass to the agency, in email, with a formal, unemotional covering letter. You say you want paying and if you aren’t paid in 30 days you’ll take it further to have the debt collected.
Google ‘dunning’ for some direction in how to approach this.

If you really are feeling personally aggrieved about it get a lawyer. They will remove the emotional element and also have a better chance of achieving the result you desire albeit at a cost of a maybe a couple of grand.

The agency owe him £1500

The end client is withholding £6K from the agency (as probably pay 30/60 days later) for missing folders


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[BlasterBates]

Ignore and simply send them the bill, and chase up. They have to pay regardless of whether you "damaged" their equipment or deleted files.

If you didn't damage the equipment or delete the files they will have no proof.

[northernladuk]

Really surprises me how many people accept client kit and don't sign for it. I've always made someone sign for it with a description of the state it's in. I've even taken to photographing it after a thread on exactly this topic a couple of years ago.

[ladymuck]

Really surprises me how many people accept client kit and don't sign for it. I've always made someone sign for it with a description of the state it's in. I've even taken to photographing it after a thread on exactly this topic a couple of years ago.

I suppose it's one of those things whereby you have multiple good experiences so think it will always be that way. I have never signed for kit nor had someone sign for it on return. One day, I guess, my luck will run out.

[NotAllThere]

Go through the dunning process. The payment of invoices is entirely separate to any damage you might have done for equipment. It is not legal to withhold payment in these circumstances.

In the meantime, you might advise the agency to tell the client to pursue their claim for damages against your company's liability insurance (or professional indemnity).

[Lance]

Go through the dunning process. The payment of invoices is entirely separate to any damage you might have done for equipment. It is not legal to withhold payment in these circumstances.

In the meantime, you might advise the agency to tell the client to pursue their claim for damages against your company's liability insurance (or professional indemnity).

First paragraph. Correct.

Second paragraph. Not.
1) Don’t advise the agency what to tell the client. It’s not your business.
2) don’t suggest anything about pursuing for damages. If the client want to they can pursue the AGENCY for damages and the agency then pursue you.
3) PI is cover against mistakes made in a professional capacity, not damage to clients equipment. There might be some insurance cover for equipment damage but it’s unlikely to cover clients equipment.

[NotAllThere]

Second paragraph. Not.
1) Don’t advise the agency what to tell the client. It’s not your business.

Rubbish. If client employee trips over my laptop bag and breaks their leg, the client sues my company, not the agency. because it was an employee of my company that caused the accident.

The agency is not involved in this.

[Lance]

Rubbish. If client employee trips over my laptop bag and breaks their leg, the client sues my company, not the agency. because it was an employee of my company that caused the accident.

The agency is not involved in this.

You’re rubbishing my second point not the first. Been a long day drinking in the sun?

You might be right. but I’m not sure how the client sues a supplier they have no commercial relationship with... they might not even know the company name, so who do they sue?