I owe a client a pound... What should I do?
I owe a client a pound... What should I do?
Author
Discussion

Mobsta

Original Poster:

5,614 posts

284 months

Friday 13th November 2009
quotequote all
I have a client in the financial services industry who is a bit of an oddball. A creepy guy, and a former high roller with a miserable secretary, who lost it all in the recession. The sort of chap one imagines would make Hannibal Lecter noises whilst Bludgeoning his Beefsteak alone in bed.

An irate and unpredictable man, who has hurled abuse down the phone at me on many occasions. Including abuse over his own confusion of my correctly drawn up invoices in previous months/years.
I dislike him very much.

He made an overpayment of £1 on an invoice I generated.
I lost 3 months of accounts, but am reconstructing them invoice by invoice.
Im trying to do the job properly, to make life for my accountant easier as he charges me a fixed fee.

I emailed Hannibal asking him to confirm the date on which he paid his invoice for £34.50, and received the following reply!

"Thank you for pointing this out to us. We paid you £35.50 instead of £34.50 on the 15th July so can you please reimburse the overpayment of £1.

Our bank is Abbey of Prescot St. Account name...."

Do I:
1) Drive down to the bank, pay to park, then pay the money in
2) Publish his name and email in its entirety in the FT
3) Post him a half a phone book, suggest he make cold calls to get the money in.
Include the £1. But forget to weigh/stamp it.
(half a phone book will fit in the post box)

On account of abuse endured over the years, it would be wrong to do nothing.

Suggestions?

Edited by Mobsta on Friday 13th November 20:41

_rubinho_

1,237 posts

212 months

Friday 13th November 2009
quotequote all
Send him an invoice for £5 for an administration fee, discount it by £1, ask him to pay you the £4 difference!

chr15b

3,467 posts

219 months

Friday 13th November 2009
quotequote all
deliver £1 all in 1p peices..

send him postage stamps

make a donation to charity in his name and send him a nicely worded letter making out you are being nice, cc'ing the charity of course.

charge him some form of admin fee for the overpayment.....


pacman1

7,324 posts

222 months

Friday 13th November 2009
quotequote all
Wind him up.Send him a cheque for £1.50!

chr15b

3,467 posts

219 months

Friday 13th November 2009
quotequote all
_rubinho_ said:
Send him an invoice for £5 for an administration fee, discount it by £1, ask him to pay you the £4 difference!
hah, great minds biggrin

chr15b

3,467 posts

219 months

Friday 13th November 2009
quotequote all
pacman1 said:
Wind him up.Send him a cheque for £1.50!
then ask for the 50p back

eldar

25,274 posts

225 months

Friday 13th November 2009
quotequote all
pacman1 said:
Wind him up.Send him a cheque for £1.50!
Nah, £1.02 is bettersmile

TheEnd

15,370 posts

217 months

Friday 13th November 2009
quotequote all
Send it him in boiled sweets, like a bureau de change.

V12Les

3,985 posts

225 months

Friday 13th November 2009
quotequote all
fk-all!
Tell him he's in credit on his next invoice to the tune of £1.

steveo3002

11,205 posts

203 months

Friday 13th November 2009
quotequote all
100 pennys in a jiffy bag with no stamp

satchbot

4,330 posts

238 months

Friday 13th November 2009
quotequote all
Pay him in stamps.

LukeBird

17,170 posts

238 months

Friday 13th November 2009
quotequote all
V12Les said:
fk-all!
Tell him he's in credit on his next invoice to the tune of £1.
That.

Wheelrepairit

3,046 posts

233 months

Friday 13th November 2009
quotequote all
Swallow a pound coin, then post it too him wrapped in its own brown padded pouch.

Ie st

elster

17,517 posts

239 months

Friday 13th November 2009
quotequote all
Courier the £1 over to him with postage to be paid on delivery.

biggrin

OnTheOverrun

3,965 posts

206 months

Friday 13th November 2009
quotequote all
Transfer exactly £1.00 to his account via your online banking and get on with your life, which I'm sure you're aware having dealt with this kind of person, is too short. smile

Big Rod

6,265 posts

245 months

Friday 13th November 2009
quotequote all
How about you send him £1 worth of gold?

It is the standard after all!!

schmalex

13,616 posts

235 months

Friday 13th November 2009
quotequote all
V12Les said:
fk-all!
Tell him he's in credit on his next invoice to the tune of £1.
This. Don't give him a reason to take his business elsewhere

Mobsta

Original Poster:

5,614 posts

284 months

Friday 13th November 2009
quotequote all
OnTheOverrun said:
Transfer exactly £1.00 to his account via your online banking and get on with your life, which I'm sure you're aware having dealt with this kind of person, is too short. smile
And incur bank charges myself!? hehe

AndrewW-G

11,968 posts

246 months

Friday 13th November 2009
quotequote all
If it's your mistake, you should fix it without grumbling, then move on smile

The Count

3,414 posts

292 months

Friday 13th November 2009
quotequote all
OnTheOverrun said:
Transfer exactly £1.00 to his account via your online banking and get on with your life, which I'm sure you're aware having dealt with this kind of person, is too short. smile
When transferring it online, make the paying reference 'H Lecter' smile