Wardrobe fitter wants 50% deposit before starting work should I give it to him?

Re: Fitter wants 50% deposit before starting work should I give it to him?

meatmonger said:

i think 10k for 5 fitted wardrobes is madness. and i do have some experience in a related area.

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I dont see how you could make that statement without seeing the spec that the OP has asked for.Along time ago i worked for a man who used to compare his kitchens to cars ie a mini and a rolls royce still cars but totally different prices, you get what you pay for

Re: Fitter wants 50% deposit before starting work should I give it to him?

true,

but it still sounds madness.

Re: Fitter wants 50% deposit before starting work should I give it to him?

meatmonger said:

true,

but it still sounds madness.

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Yes but the dearest part of those w/robes are the doors and if you dont make them youself your at someone else's mercy. Although i have seen colliers and woodworkers advertising kits

Re: Fitter wants 50% deposit before starting work should I give it to him?

WIFESLIST said:

Along time ago i worked for a man who used to compare his kitchens to cars ie a mini and a rolls royce still cars but totally different prices, you get what you pay for

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I have the same problem with some jobs.

When people say sash windows they think the quality is the same, its not always the same.

Bit like comparing chipboard to teak.

With a customised job like the OPs you have to ask for 50% otherwise you'll never be able to survive.

Anybody who's saying to give the furniture maker 10% really doesn't know what they are talking about.

The fitting part is the easiest part of the job (well most of the time).

If you the customer pay the 5000k up front what recourse do you have if the carpenter/wardrobe fitter doesn't show? Is this going down the road of court cases/solicitors expenses...nightmare for the customer? Yes we've been bitten. What protection does the customer have?

volcano said:

If you the customer pay the 5000k up front what recourse do you have if the carpenter/wardrobe fitter doesn't show? Is this going down the road of court cases/solicitors expenses...nightmare for the customer? Yes we've been bitten. What protection does the customer have?

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Simple...pay when your custom materials have arrived on site.

DavyJones said:

Simple...pay when your custom materials have arrived on site.

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But since this job is a custom job you need money for materials and to pay your staff while the job is in progress then after a while you'll get to site.

You can't just start a job with no money.

S.L.F said:

But since this job is a custom job you need money for materials and to pay your staff while the job is in progress then after a while you'll get to site.

You can't just start a job with no money.

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Are people on those kind of tight margins though, surely they have some kind of working capitial?

parkmagic said:

Are people on those kind of tight margins though, surely they have some kind of working capitial?

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Many small firms do not have much working capital, and what they have is very often tied up in the debtors' ledger. When you think about it, the request for a deposit is a very good way to preserve working capital: it virtually eliminates the risk of a customer walking away after substantial costs have been incurred; it also lessens the exposure to delays in payment.

Padraigb said:

Many small firms do not have much working capital, and what they have is very often tied up in the debtors' ledger. When you think about it, the request for a deposit is a very good way to preserve working capital: it virtually eliminates the risk of a customer walking away after substantial costs have been incurred; it also lessens the exposure to delays in payment.

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Padraigb your a man after me own heart, i could'nt have put better myself

parkmagic said:

Are people on those kind of tight margins though, surely they have some kind of working capitial?

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Why the hell would we want to risk our hard earned money?

There seems to be some sort of illusion that trades and craftsmen are loaded, we are not, most of us just scrimp by.

I know loads of trades men and a couple of women, none of them have 4WD and big houses.

Padraigb said:

Many small firms do not have much working capital, and what they have is very often tied up in the debtors' ledger. When you think about it, the request for a deposit is a very good way to preserve working capital: it virtually eliminates the risk of a customer walking away after substantial costs have been incurred; it also lessens the exposure to delays in payment.

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Well said Padraigb.

S.L.F said:

Why the hell would we want to risk our hard earned money?

There seems to be some sort of illusion that trades and craftsmen are loaded, we are not, most of us just scrimp by.

I know loads of trades men and a couple of women, none of them have 4WD and big houses.



Well said Padraigb.

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Its very informative and interesting to hear things from the point of view of trades people. Thanks for the information lads.

Assuming he is building them on-site drop the materials at your place and pay him for materials only. Pay him for his labour afterwards.

wigster said:

Assuming he is building them on-site drop the materials at your place and pay him for materials only. Pay him for his labour afterwards.

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With a customised job the price of materials is very small, so how do you suggest if pay his staff for the 3 weeks it takes to make the furniture or pay his phone bills or rent or diesel or anything else.

It has to be at least 50% for a customised job.

How many PAYE employees get paid before they work? I am a self employed and do not get paid before I take on any job.

wigster said:

How many PAYE employees get paid before they work? I am a self employed and do not get paid before I take on any job.

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How many angels dance on the head of a pin?

PAYE employees are not self employed so you are not comparing like with like.

You have not said what you do for a living so we can't compare that either.

wigster said:

How many PAYE employees get paid before they work? I am a self employed and do not get paid before I take on any job.

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How many employees have to pay out their savings or borrowed money to get started in a job. Do you start each week thinking "My outgoings this week will be €X,XXX and hopefully my wage cheque will be in excess of that amount" Totally different ball game.

I understand the OP's situation though. I'm doing a lot of work around the house but I'm using the credit card to pay as I'm pretty sure that I heard there is some sort of cover for default. Anyone know for sure??

I was stung for IEP £250 a few years back when I paid a deposit for some custom woodwork, and the chancer never came back. I got a Small Claims Court judgement against him, but the sherrif was unable to enforce the judgement - 'no goods' apparently.

Complainer said:

I was stung for IEP £250 a few years back when I paid a deposit for some custom woodwork, and the chancer never came back. I got a Small Claims Court judgement against him, but the sherrif was unable to enforce the judgement - 'no goods' apparently.

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I did a job for a woman last year got my 50% deposit as always.
I was last in the house and she told me she was running out of money so when it came time for me to be paid she just refused to pay me. The job up to scratch as you would expect.
If I did not have my 50% then I'd have been rightly screwed.

wigster said:

How many PAYE employees get paid before they work? I am a self employed and do not get paid before I take on any job.

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Go into the Panelling centre or any other supplier and ask them for credit until you get paid at the end of the job.You'd BE LAUGHED out the door.Only someone very trusting like yourself must be offering to do work without a deposit in todays market, and if you are then fair play to you but as S.L.F. has just posted and myself i was caught out for €900 christmas week and im in this game a long time.BUT by the time you go to solictors small claims or any of that theres usually nothing left .