Showing posts with label delay payment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label delay payment. Show all posts

Tuesday, 25 August 2009

Name and Shame your business late payers NOW

It has long been said that UK companies have a reputation of being the worst of the European late payers. Legislation to reduce payment delays and add interest to overdue invoices has been in place for a long time with little sign that it is being adopted.
A major factor for UK companies taking longer to pay invoices was the increase in interest rates. In times of high interest rates it was natural to look on suppliers as a cheap form of loan. Extending payment for 1 month means that you do not have to borrow and pay interest to a bank to fund that loan for 1 month. With banks tightening their belts it is harder to get loans and coupled with a reduction in interest rates the delaying of payment still continues as a method of managing cash flow.
Industry late payment figures have shocked industry observers who fear that late payment is likely to get worse with the rise in interest rates and the economy taking a downturn, factors that make retaining cash for as long as possible even more attractive. This level of late payment comes despite legislation phased in since 1998 that was designed to encourage better payment practice by allowing firms to claim interest on Invoices that were not paid on time.
The UK culture of late payment damages business, employment and international trade.The two main factors agreed by many to be the greatest challenge to business growth is restricted financial lending and late payment. The two go hand in hand. Banks will not lend money so where else can a business be funded ? For many it is the unfortunate supplier and it is the less vigilant or commercially aware supplier which suffers.
This is the point at which companies have to be aware of the other tools available to them. For new accounts a company credit check is essential, whilst these are historical they provide useful information. The use of other methods such as http://www.due2pay.co.uk/ , business debt collection and solicitor’s letters may seem extreme but are essential in this day and age. DUE2PAY’s approach to late payment takes the company credit check to a much needed area. Companies have been wanting a central register of late payers for a long time. With DUE2PAY a company can list a late payer and other members have sight of this information, simple.
Where late payment is traditionally one sided in favour of the late payer, DUE2PAY redresses the balance by giving the late payer the opportunity to flag up a reason for late payment of a specific invoice or invoices. All members have sight of this information and all members can contact the late payer or other members. Court action or solicitor’s letters do not offer this service. Debt recovery has now been taken to a new level with DUE2PAY.

Friday, 14 November 2008

.... accepted practice for Companies to pay bills late ? ?

Late Payers say it is accepted practice ......
Late payers have over the years paid bills when it has suited them. Without being challenged, and many of us are guilty of this it has grown into accepted practice. In the current economic downturn, it is common for big companies to delay payments to smaller suppliers and use bullying tactics to legitimise this practice. Pressure is on the larger companies but it is their smaller suppliers which can help stop late payments happening. Many small suppliers are finding themselves pushed to the wall and closing down because of this impossible cash flow situation. A company credit check gives information from a historical perspective it is a valid form of credit check management in the same way that debt recovery is used when things start to go pear shaped.
We have set up http://www.due2pay.co.uk/ specifically to help businesses tackle the issue of late payment from their customers. Members are able to register late payments which are affecting their business. An email and fax is sent to the customer letting them know that if the bill is not paid within 14 days, other members will be able to see details of the non or late payer payer.
The beauty of the internet is that we can put members in touch with each other where ever they are in the UK. So if you spot a member is having payment problems with one of your customers or with one of your intended customers, you can get in contact with them.
DUE2PAY can be considered to be an added arm to the business debt collection industry, though we do not handle funds or take a commission. We work to get outstanding monies owed paid on time. The business banking world is tightening its belt with banks closing the doors on many small businesses which need money to pay their staff, overheads and day to day running costs. This is not the fault of the banks, in many cases, if customers paid their bills loans would not be needed from banks. Many companies are being forced into bankruptcy.
To use http://www.due2pay.co.uk/ there must be no dispute over an invoice, if the buyer thinks it is in dispute, he can register that on the site. Members are anonymous on the site but are expected to enter into discussions through the site message system if someone contacts them.
We are trying to level the playing field and avoid the secrecy which late payers have traditionally relied upon. If you are intending going to court or to use a solicitor, try http://www.due2pay.co.uk/ as an alternative and use your experience to help others.