Advice needed: interviewer not paying travel expenses (yet)

[DodgyAgent]

About three weeks ago I had an interview 200 miles away for an IT job (not an agency). The potential employer promised full and immediate travel expenses reimbursement on their email.

I went to the interview, I gave my tickets that they photocopied and so did they take all my bank details and they promised to pay the money into my account in 3 working days and they would let me know the outcome of my position in a week. At the moment I have received neither.

I have two dilemmas:

1) because I really want this job, should I contact then and ask about my application first and then about the travel expenses? But what if they say that they can offer me the job? That would be my second dilemma:

2) Can I trust an employer who will not even bother paying travel expenses on time? What if they don't pay my salary on time?

What would you do?

You need an agent

[petergriffin]

It was a test. They were looking for a candidate that follows up on outstanding actions within a reasonable time frame.


The guy who asked why his expenses weren't paid on day 3 got the job.

You're probably right. In fact I didn't get the job and they say it will take another week to get the travel expenses. I shall learn the lesson...

[DodgyAgent]

You're probably right. In fact I didn't get the job and they say it will take another week to get the travel expenses. I shall learn the lesson...

I had a meeting in Newcastle last week with a large Engineering company, I would no more ask for expenses than stick pins in my eyes.

[Churchill]

In the early 90s I had a contract in the South of France.

For the interview the agent provided airline tickets from the UK, a hire car at the airport and overnight accomodation. An additional £100 was available for expenses.

How times have changed...

[MarillionFan]

I had a meeting in Newcastle last week with a large Engineering company, I would no more ask for expenses than stick pins in my eyes.

We can arrange that.

[eek]

In the early 90s I had a contract in the South of France.

For the interview the agent provided airline tickets from the UK, a hire car at the airport and overnight accomodation. An additional £100 was available for expenses.

How times have changed...

I would never ask but I did once attend an interview for a contract I wasn't 100% interested in because they offered to cover my expenses. I got the contract but turned it down as the interview confirmed it definitely wasn't what I was after.

They were a very good company tho.

[CiderEagle]

You're probably right. In fact I didn't get the job and they say it will take another week to get the travel expenses. I shall learn the lesson...

As a rule, expenses can be notoriously difficult to get out of the accounts department, whether its contractors or perms. No good reason for this that I can see but I wouldn't really be too bothered if they took a while to turn up. But you were definitely right to ask the question - if they said they'd pay them, they should.

[lukemg]

Took a while but did just get my expenses for an overnight stay and interview at a large computer co in Reading.
Perm job though and they managed to pay me twice, did ask for the extra back though !
I wouldn't ask for contract unless location was extreme.