Reply to: How to get money out of an agency that claims to have 'problems'

[TykeMerc]

Thanks to everyone who provided advice.
When I mentioned the late payment charges and that I would get in touch with a debt collection agency, the problem suddenly disappeared.
Funny that...

Indeed it's amazing how these issues can disappear when you react in just the right way.
Well played if it's your first time with this situation. Sad to say it's likely not to be the last.

[northernladuk]

Least you know what to do next time.

Unfortunately there will be a next time......

This!

[northernladuk]

Thanks to everyone who provided advice.
When I mentioned the late payment charges and that I would get in touch with a debt collection agency, the problem suddenly disappeared.
Funny that...

Not funny. Standard really. Part of doing business is manipulating situation to get what you want but if the other shows they aren't a pushover you cave and try the next sap.

[SueEllen]

I have never experienced something like this before, but I may have been lucky up until now.
The non-payment was something that happened after the contract ended...

It's all sorted now, thankfully...

Least you know what to do next time.

Unfortunately there will be a next time......

[meridian]

I'm through La Fosse at the moment, and have been for more than a year.

They have 'ahem' unusual system processes where their portal is for weekly time sheets but they only seem to approve on a monthly basis. If you fill in their time sheets weekly they get automatically rejected due to them not being approved in time...

For payments though they've generally been on time - as previously posted, 10 days after month end on a monthly payment basis, so if the month ends 31 May the payment is made by 10 June. You may have missed the payment cycle, or the admin side may not have been set up correctly for their self billing invoices.

[Panzerbjrn]

It isn't that unusual to find you have problems with a first payment in our experience, occasionally problems can occur that will legitimately delay payment by a few days but we wouldn't expect resolution to take two weeks...

You say this was the first and last payment from them so did you terminate the relationship with the agency due to their non-payment and if so, did you terminate in line with your contractual obligations?

Thanks for the plug Eek

I have never experienced something like this before, but I may have been lucky up until now.
The non-payment was something that happened after the contract ended...

It's all sorted now, thankfully...

[Panzerbjrn]

Thanks to everyone who provided advice.
When I mentioned the late payment charges and that I would get in touch with a debt collection agency, the problem suddenly disappeared.
Funny that...

[eek]

You have nothing to worry - until they change the rules retrospectively.
FTFY.

If you are going to repeat your currently utterly unfounded argument that HMRC will retrospectively attack the tax structure of Limited Companies you really need a better argument and another site...

Yes its possible that new company structures and new taxes may appear but they won't do to typical limited company contractors what the Labour Government did to those impacted by S58.

[DotasScandal]

ftfy as if you had been using a proper umbrella company you would have had nothing to worry about regarding HMRC....
This post was added to emphasis the fact that you have nothing to worry about if you use a proper umbrella....

You have nothing to worry - until they change the rules retrospectively.
FTFY.

[TheFaQQer]

TBH, I don't *want* to run a business, but I do want to be contracting, so unfortunately, I don't have a great deal of choice, I *was* happy with my umbrella company until HMRC started taxing people retroactively. There's far more hassle involved with having a ltd company than I like. But I am in danger of derailing my own thread...

If you don't want to run a limited company, then operate via an umbrella which isn't pushing the boundaries of tax law. Give Lisa at ContractorUmbrella a call.

Then it's the responsibility of your employer to make sure you get paid properly.

[Safe Collections]

First payment as it is the first time, and last, time I've worked for them.
It was due the first or second of June (The exact date escapes me).
It might not seem like that long, but during the contract they had already started feeling dodgy, meaning that on their portals I had problems that were apparently 'unusual', they didn't answer emails/phones (OK, one guy was good at that, but he also couldn't help).
After giving them some benefit of the doubt, I have had enough of their 'We're having a problem paying into your account', when I know previous agencies never did and my new one which pays weekly can as well.

It isn't that unusual to find you have problems with a first payment in our experience, occasionally problems can occur that will legitimately delay payment by a few days but we wouldn't expect resolution to take two weeks...

You say this was the first and last payment from them so did you terminate the relationship with the agency due to their non-payment and if so, did you terminate in line with your contractual obligations?

Thanks for the plug Eek

[tractor]

.....

Thanks, I'm looking at that just now.


TBH, I don't *want* to run a business, but I do want to be contracting, so unfortunately, I don't have a great deal of choice, I *was* happy with my umbrella company until HMRC started taxing people retroactively. There's far more hassle involved with having a ltd company than I like. But I am in danger of derailing my own thread...

The two go kind of hand in hand and that is one of the reasons contracting is in such demand by clients. It's a little like having a nice car but if you don't like driving, you have to pay a lot of money for a chauffeur.

Having made a decision to go Limited, you have no choice to take the responsibilities that go with it seriously. Otherwise you are putting your own financial wellbeing at risk.

[eek]

Thanks, I'm looking at that just now.


TBH, I don't *want* to run a business, but I do want to be contracting, so unfortunately, I don't have a great deal of choice, I *was* ignorantly happy with the tax avoiding scam I was using until HMRC started taxing people retroactively. There's far more hassle involved with having a ltd company than I like. But I am in danger of derailing my own thread...

ftfy as if you had been using a proper umbrella company you would have had nothing to worry about regarding HMRC....

This post was added to emphasis the fact that you have nothing to worry about if you use a proper umbrella.... Sadly there are still tax scam merchants who pretend to be umbrellas to steal money off the unwary...

[tractor]

...

First payment as it is the first time, and last, time I've worked for them.
It was due the first or second of June (The exact date escapes me).
It might not seem like that long, but during the contract they had already started feeling dodgy, meaning that on their portals I had problems that were apparently 'unusual', they didn't answer emails/phones (OK, one guy was good at that, but he also couldn't help).
After giving them some benefit of the doubt, I have had enough of their 'We're having a problem paying into your account', when I know previous agencies never did and my new one which pays weekly can as well.

How long was the contract and did it end well? Did you leave or were you pushed?

When I worked for them last, not so long ago, their portal was fine. Only issue was chasing up the client authoriser (as is usual) but once that was done, the authorisation and confirmation email chain did exactly what it said on the tin.

Payment basis was always paid monthly, 10 working days after EOM. You may have had different terms, but they are not known for being that accommodating.

[Panzerbjrn]

The Late Payment of Commercial Debts Regulations 2013 - Pay on Time should explain everything that you need to do.

Thanks, I'm looking at that just now.

The number of contractors that know little about running a business, let alone running a contracting business is staggering. A licence should be required.

The Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses Regulations 2003 as amended.

TBH, I don't *want* to run a business, but I do want to be contracting, so unfortunately, I don't have a great deal of choice, I *was* happy with my umbrella company until HMRC started taxing people retroactively. There's far more hassle involved with having a ltd company than I like. But I am in danger of derailing my own thread...