Getting paid or not

[lanan]

I recently did some work for a well known Porsche tuning company in Belgium on their Corvette GT1 race car. Customer beware, dear oh dear.!
As I started work almost instantly, we had no signed agreement. Following a weeks work and my return to the UK, they now are saying that they are not happy and refuse to pay my Invoice. Their amateur team badly prepared the car which showed in testing, I am blamed for the lack of performance.
What would be the most effective way of persuading them to cough up, for my expenses and fee. I have a chap who will pop over and "see" them, but don't feel that to be the way to do business, yet.!
Thanks
Graham

[lanan]

Can somebody give me a little advice please.
Should I get a UK solicitor on the case, should I send a strongly worded letter or get Belgian legal advice.
Would appreciate a little help.
Thanks
Graham

[jaker]

It's a very tough one mate.

I guess there are 4 options open at the moment:

1) send your mate in to persuade them
2) give it to a professional debt collector
3) go legal
4) write it off and learn from the experience.

None of the above are very nice tho...

However, you could get creative... A chap I know got ripped off by some Chinese suppliers of his. They didnt want to know, didnt answer calls etc.

He found out where they were next at a trade show, walked onto their stand and started shouting at them to pay him the money they owed him, saying that he wouldnt move till they'd paid. Highly embarrassing for them, and he got his money, but it took some blolocks to do it!

Good luck either way, hope the PH masses can come up with some other ideas...

[srebbe64]

I'd get a Belgian lawyer to send them a strong letter saying you've got deep pockets and if they don't shell out you'll go after them for legal costs as well as the money they owe you for services rendered!

Sad to say, but whoever shouts loudest in these circumstances generally wins.

[lanan]

I have been told that in days gone by, if there was ever any financial problems with a race Team, the creditor would wait untill the Team attended a race in Belgium, then he would slap in injunction on them. The Belgian authorities seemed to be very helpful. But this was pre EU.

I have sent them a deadline to pay, threatening to fax & email a warning to suppliers in the industry to ask for payment in advance before dealing with this team. I don't believe it to be slanderous. It is a statement of fact and I am doing a service, by warning others. What do you think.
Appreciate the input
Graham

[srebbe64]

To be honest, while pursuing it privately the subliminal message is you can't afford, or be motivated to at least, go legal on them. As such, I'd be inclined to get a lawyer on tbe case.

[GarrettMacD]

lanan said:

I have been told that in days gone by, if there was ever any financial problems with a race Team, the creditor would wait untill the Team attended a race in Belgium, then he would slap in injunction on them. The Belgian authorities seemed to be very helpful. But this was pre EU.

Don't think you need to worry about pre-EU. If anything you probably have a stronger case now that both Belgium and the UK are in the EU. Do you remember when BAR had their cars impounded at the French Grand Prix, I think it was about 3 years ago??? This is exactly the same as you have mentioned. However, to get an injunction will be very expensive, in the case of BAR I think the sum involved was about 5 million EURO, which is definitely a figure worth chasing. I assume the figure involved is lower, only you can decide if the financial / time hassle is worth it...