Charge client to collect work laptop

[Rearden Metal]

A few years back. I went to the clients local offices (100 miles away) to pick up one of their laptops for my use. I billed them for the time (expenses were included in my rate). They paid up, no issue whatsoever.

Didn't occur to me it was anything other than perfectly normal. I'm quite surprised at the responses here about permie mindset etc.

Exactly. I'd have thought charging them travel costs and for your time on a weekend would indicate a business mindset

[ladymuck]

I wouldn't go on a weekend. If the client insisted on a weekend collection, I'd charge for it.

[WTFH]

As a business that operates Monday-Friday, I'd offer to collect during normal working hours. If my contract states that I work from home 100% of the time, then I'd charge mileage.

[northernladuk]

Exactly. I'd have thought charging them travel costs and for your time on a weekend would indicate a business mindset

The problem is the client may not have a business mindset and by going down this route you are going to sour the relationship before it's even started. Yes there are loads of 'ifs' and 'buts' about this but that would be my worry here. It's the client I'd be more worried about rather than the contractors mindset.

I get the theory about charging etc but this is a no brainer in my book. World has gone to rat tulip and you want to bill a client 100 quid plus 13 quid travel just to pick up a laptop to start a gig that could potentially pull in over £100k of income in the middle of global pandemic..

Dumbest thing I think I've ever heard. If some pillock pulled this one on me I'd have their name at the top of the 'first out the door' list.

[NotAllThere]

The problem is the client may not have a business mindset... If some pillock pulled this one on me I'd have their name at the top of the 'first out the door' list.

So effectively, you're saying that if you were the client, you wouldn't have a business mindset. Jolly good.

[northernladuk]

So effectively, you're saying that if you were the client, you wouldn't have a business mindset. Jolly good.

Now don't be dragging your prof responses down the level of your modding..

The person signing all this off is unlikely to have a business mindset. They'll just see a contractor being a pain in the ass.

[silent bob]

Have to agree that I wouldn't be bothered to charge for some petrol. Compared to the money that will come in from the contract, is it really worth potentially getting off on the wrong foot?

[Rearden Metal]

Dumbest thing I think I've ever heard. If some pillock pulled this one on me I'd have their name at the top of the 'first out the door' list.

It cuts both ways. Being asked out of the blue to do a 60 mile round trip on a Sunday with no mention of recompense isn't taking the Michael just a bit?

[NotAllThere]

Now don't be dragging your prof responses down the level of your modding..

The person signing all this off is unlikely to have a business mindset. They'll just see a contractor being a pain in the ass.

I've never worked under such conditions in 20 years+ of contracting. Just goes to show...

[vwdan]

I'd just do it during the working day and would bill them the time as normal. For 30 miles I wouldn't be looking for expenses, personally but would claim the mileage from my company.

I do find these threads interesting - most businesses make money by charging their clients and not giving away time and resources for free. Part of business is balancing that, while not being seen to be overly petty. People will always have different interpretations of that, but I find the constant cries of "permietractor" from some quarters to be A) Unhelpful and B) More indicative of THEIR brand of contracting, than the OPs