Business won't pay their invoice. How to proceed?

[jamie2016]

As many of you know, I run a highly reputable digital agency.  Unfortunately, some clients feel they don't need to pay for our award winning services.  As an upstanding businessman with many years of service to the community, I feel cheated.  I mean, a deal is a deal.  Do contracts mean anything these days?  

 

How to proceed?  I was thinking about hiring a debt collection agency or a law firm.  Good idea or not?

[Don Mega]

A member for 2 days and posts to your name..555

[kailung001]

sell it to  debt collection agency.

 

Maybe next time you should ask for the full payment all at once.

[impulse]

On 10/17/2016 at 8:48 AM, Don Mega said:

A member for 2 days and posts to your name..555

 

I'm kind of waiting for the next post that tells us how we, too can take advantage of his highly reputable digital services.

 

But then, I've become rather jaded. 

 

He may have at least mentioned that he's in or somehow associated with Thailand.  Even a cheap spambot could do that...

[Don Mega]

1 minute ago, impulse said:

 

I'm kind of waiting for the next post that tells us how we, too can take advantage of his highly reputable digital services.

 

But then, I've become rather jaded. 

 

He may have at least mentioned that he's in or somehow associated with Thailand.  Even a cheap spambot could do that...

 

Apparently many of us already know he runs  highly reputable digital agency.

Am curious as to who those people may be given he has only been here since Saturday.

[transam]

Perhaps your business should have thought of stuff before selling....

[Issangeorge]

I guess everybody is learning from Trump, if he can stiff his contractors, why can't everybody?

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[blackcab]

On your second post to this forum you told us:

 

"If a client doesn't pay their invoice, I send in the debt collectors(me)."

 

So what has changed?

[Josasp]

I'm also interested in this topic.

I've seen a disturbing trend the last year where some people and businesses are just refusing to pay their invoice.

Some ignoring and others responding that they won't accept the job, excusing it by pointing to normal after service details and refusing us access to inspect and repair.

Personally I suspect it has to do with many people having worse economy, and some planning to leave Thailand and getting away with invoices.

These are cases where the job has been done perfectly, without any issues, but still they are avoiding contact.

 

Normally when it invoves larger sums, upwards a million, we take these to court.

That's expensive, slow and time consuming, and not something you do for smaller bills.

What means do we have to get payment for these bills?

Can we report them to the police? What will that do?

Is it possible to sell these bills to a collection agency or factoring?

This has lead us to take deposits and prepayments on all smaller jobs, which just feels silly for a small job, but neccesary unfortunatly.

I don't want to make threats, or send some "bad guy" on them, it's not they way I work, I'd rather take the loss, but those are piling up.

We've done an honest job and like to get paid, so what honest options do we have?

[deathmule]

OP,

 

Sorry if this sounds offensive but how come an upstanding businessman and an award winning company doesn't have a legal advisor?

 

If that's the case why don't you try to find a corporate lawyer?

[blackcab]

On 24/11/2016 at 2:07 AM, Josasp said:

I'm also interested in this topic.

I've seen a disturbing trend the last year where some people and businesses are just refusing to pay their invoice.

Some ignoring and others responding that they won't accept the job, excusing it by pointing to normal after service details and refusing us access to inspect and repair.

Personally I suspect it has to do with many people having worse economy, and some planning to leave Thailand and getting away with invoices.

These are cases where the job has been done perfectly, without any issues, but still they are avoiding contact.

 

Normally when it invoves larger sums, upwards a million, we take these to court.

That's expensive, slow and time consuming, and not something you do for smaller bills.

What means do we have to get payment for these bills?

Can we report them to the police? What will that do?

Is it possible to sell these bills to a collection agency or factoring?

This has lead us to take deposits and prepayments on all smaller jobs, which just feels silly for a small job, but neccesary unfortunatly.

I don't want to make threats, or send some "bad guy" on them, it's not they way I work, I'd rather take the loss, but those are piling up.

We've done an honest job and like to get paid, so what honest options do we have?

 

There is very little you can do. Factoring is Thailand is available, but only for some companies as the factors have been bitten hard in the past.

 

You identified the slow and expensive legal process; would you factor someone else's invoices with the experience you have?

 

All you can do is change your business processes, as you have done. For one off work where there is no business relationship we are routinely asked for 50 per cent up front, or staged payments for longer jobs.

[raro]

I had this situation a couple of years ago. A lawyer drafted a letter for me that was apparently impressive enough to make them pay up within a few days.

If your claim is legit, there is no reason not to go the legal route.

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[Josasp]

On 1/15/2017 at 0:17 PM, raro said:

I had this situation a couple of years ago. A lawyer drafted a letter for me that was apparently impressive enough to make them pay up within a few days.

If your claim is legit, there is no reason not to go the legal route.

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The reasons not to go the legal route is cost.

A lawyers letter may cost up to 5,000฿ to start with.

Then taking the whole thing to court will cost over 20,000฿.

Adding to that the cost of time spend dealing with legal system, mediation and other things.

Effectively meaning that people can get away with smaller amounts, it really doesn't make any sense taking someone to court over matter less than a few hundred thousand.

[raro]

My lawyer charged around 3,000 iirc. The letter was good enough to make my debtor pay,so I didn't had to go to the court

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