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Unpaid invoice: how to follow up?

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  • 28-04-2020 10:39pm
    #1
    pasquale83
    Registered Users Posts: 477 ✭✭


    Hello there,

    just writing here to ask for some help on how to follow up on the following issue a relative of mine is facing.

    He issued an invoice for a service he provided to a person non-resident in the country. The person didn't pay the invoice on time and also after a couple of reminders no payment has been received. This person did business in the past with my relative and everything went well so there was no reason to think this time the person won't pay.

    What to do next? Invoice is below EUR 1000,00.

    Thank you for your help on behalf of my relative.


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    #2
    MarkR
    Moderators, Regional Midwest Moderators Posts: 11,107 Mod ✭✭✭✭MarkR


    pasquale83 wrote: »
    Hello there,

    just writing here to ask for some help on how to follow up on the following issue a relative of mine is facing.

    He issued an invoice for a service he provided to a person non-resident in the country. The person didn't pay the invoice on time and also after a couple of reminders no payment has been received. This person did business in the past with my relative and everything went well so there was no reason to think this time the person won't pay.

    What to do next? Invoice is below EUR 1000,00.

    Thank you for your help on behalf of my relative.

    Has your relative called the person?


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    #3
    pasquale83
    Registered Users Posts: 477 ✭✭pasquale83


    MarkR wrote: »
    Has your relative called the person?

    Yes, he followed up and person said he would pay but nothing has been received yet :(


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    #4
    pasquale83
    Registered Users Posts: 477 ✭✭pasquale83


    up


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    #5
    BnB
    Registered Users Posts: 1,085 ✭✭✭BnB


    The only way is persistence, persistence, persistence...

    Ring them up and tell them it is not good enough that the invoice was not paid and ask for a date of payment. It is very important that ask for a specific date.

    If not paid on the date agreed, ring immediately the following day. Again, explain that is not good enough and ask again for the date of payment.

    If not paid, on the new agreed date, ring immediately........ you get the idea...

    The key is agreeing specific dates / actions and then consistently and persistently following up if the action (ultimately paying up) is not closed out


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    #6
    pasquale83
    Registered Users Posts: 477 ✭✭pasquale83


    BnB wrote: »
    The only way is persistence, persistence, persistence...

    Ring them up and tell them it is not good enough that the invoice was not paid and ask for a date of payment. It is very important that ask for a specific date.

    If not paid on the date agreed, ring immediately the following day. Again, explain that is not good enough and ask again for the date of payment.

    If not paid, on the new agreed date, ring immediately........ you get the idea...

    The key is agreeing specific dates / actions and then consistently and persistently following up if the action (ultimately paying up) is not closed out

    OK thanks, got the idea...

    Is it possible to give someone the mandate to collect the debt on my relative's behalf?


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    #7
    Gloomtastic!
    Registered Users Posts: 8,479 ✭✭✭Gloomtastic!


    pasquale83 wrote: »
    OK thanks, got the idea...

    Is it possible to give someone the mandate to collect the debt on my relative's behalf?

    If your relative doesn't want to do business with the debtor again, they can do whatever they need to to get their money, as long as it's legal.

    They can sell the debt to a third party and then it's up to the third party what they do - legal or otherwise!

    What country does your relative live in and where is the debtor?


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    #8
    pasquale83
    Registered Users Posts: 477 ✭✭pasquale83


    Gloomtastic! wrote: »
    If your relative doesn't want to do business with the debtor again, they can do whatever they need to to get their money, as long as it's legal.

    They can sell the debt to a third party and then it's up to the third party what they do - legal or otherwise!

    What country does your relative live in and where is the debtor?

    Relative in IRL and debtor in a EU country.

    Of course I was thinking to legal ways to recover the debt and if less the 1k to recover is worth the price.


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    #9
    MarkR
    Moderators, Regional Midwest Moderators Posts: 11,107 Mod ✭✭✭✭MarkR


    Ring the debtor, ask why they aren't paying. Maybe there's a good reason (no idea!). If there's none, tell them the next step is it will be sold to a debt collection company in their country, and to expect contact from them. No sense in badgering them daily. Debt company will work on a percentage I presume, so they won't get it all back.


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    #10
    scwazrh
    Registered Users Posts: 2,693 ✭✭✭scwazrh


    Very difficult to get anyone to pay up at the moment.I wouldn’t be too quick to go in hard chasing money from anywhere until there is some form of normality in business again.


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    #11
    pasquale83
    Registered Users Posts: 477 ✭✭pasquale83


    Thank you all for your replies. Will bring the message to my relative and finger crossed!


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    #12
    ironclaw
    Registered Users Posts: 8,004 ✭✭✭ironclaw


    Being honest, unless it's much needed, €1000 is a very small debt to be engaging with debt collection agencies. Your friend will likely lose their margin via the fees so it's more so to send a message than to actually get paid.

    I'd be persistent but consider chalking up the invoice as a bad debt, there are accountancy advantages that may outweigh the cost of pursuing the debt itself.


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