Re: Invoicing early (to get paid early)
- From: "Martin" <ng@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 15 Apr 2008 18:19:07 GMT
<boroboy09@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:1f8e4cc9-f6b5-456f-bdc5-81595838c2dd@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Hi All
I've just started at a new firm. We have a supplier who provides
monthly IT support. Per the contract it stated "billing: monthly in
advance" and no mention of credit terms - on invoices it says 30
days.
I believe the quality of their work is not to the agreed standard.
This will take further investigation which I don't have time for at
the moment.
I've had their snotty credit controller on wanting money (We've
already given them a number of annual contracts where we have paid up
front for the year - we have been using them 6 months). I feel a bit
annoyed that they are wanting money before doing the job - and then
not doing the job well.
So for the month of April support - they invoiced on 1 March and were
chasing for payment 31 March.
I stated that they had back-dated their invoice date and that the
contract stated that "billing: monthly in advance" means a month in
advance of the service being provided - as the service is provide
during April its one month before 30 April - being 31 March paid by
30
April. She said no, its monthly in advance of commencement - but it
doesn't say that in the contract.
This may sound nit-picky - as we have the money - but I don't really
want to pay them till the end of the month when the work has been
done. She also hinted that they may stop the service if we don't pay.
Do people think that "Billing: Monthly in advance" with no mention of
credit terms means that we must pay by 31 March - or can I say no,
the
invoice should be dated 31 March not 1 March I'll pay you at the end
of April.
Many thanks :-)
IANAL, but I suspect in law there is no clear definition.
Common sense suggests to me that they should invoice in advance of the
period covered, and hence 31/3 for April's service meets that.
Common practice (eg BT line rental, ISPs etc) suggests a few days max before
the period starts.
The real issue, though, is when payment should be made. Shame this wasn't
agreed and incorporated in the contract, but I can understand them wanting
money in the bank before they do any work (even if that seems unreasonable).
As you've now "accepted" 6 months' invoices with "30 days" specified, your
position is a bit weaker.
I suggest you establish if your firm needs them more then they need you,
then phone their CC (incidentally, isn't being "snotty" mandatory for such a
job :-) ) and propose payment at end of month of service - with a view to
compromising at 15th-ish of month.
But better would be to get whoever [in your firm] placed the contract to
talk to their sales people. The latter will lean on their CC if they want
to keep the contract.
Hope you'll keep us advised of outcome.
--
Martin
.
- Follow-Ups:
- Re: Invoicing early (to get paid early)
- From: boroboy09@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Re: Invoicing early (to get paid early)
- References:
- Invoicing early (to get paid early)
- From: boroboy09@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Invoicing early (to get paid early)
- Prev by Date: Invoicing early (to get paid early)
- Next by Date: Re: Invoicing early (to get paid early)
- Previous by thread: Invoicing early (to get paid early)
- Next by thread: Re: Invoicing early (to get paid early)
- Index(es):
Relevant Pages
|
|
