When to get tough on final payment?

Agencies and other headaches, keys and cleaners, running costs and contracts...in short, all the things we spend so much of our time doing behind the scenes.<br>
gh
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Post by gh »

Mountain Goat wrote:(By the way - how do you address a Baroness at breakfast? Anyone got one of those social manuals? I think we've bitten off more than we can handle here).Goat
Going by this site http://laura.chinet.com/html/titles02.html Lady and very quietly, as the plonk she consumed, which she will never have taken before, will give her a massive head ache, it'll be the gallows for you my man. :lol:
A-two
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Post by A-two »

Mountain Goat wrote:(By the way - how do you address a Baroness at breakfast?).
"Margaret, I've seated you next to me, so I can hear all the gossip about your birthday bash last year, which I hear was THE party of the year in England."
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Mountain Goat
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Post by Mountain Goat »

Breakfast tales (2) :lol:

My other problem is despite availability of dishwasher, after breakfast each plate is squirted individually with a generous dose of Fairy Liquid* by the Lady, and washed on its own.

Why are other people so different?

Goat

* Note to North American forum members - Fairy Liquid is a British institution and the UK is divided into two: 1/2 the country wouldn't dream of not using it and the other half don't know what FL users are on about.
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Mountain Goat
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Post by Mountain Goat »

On more serious matters, I issued a stern ultimatum to Mr Slow Payer above and received the following (in block caps.):

I WILL BE GOING TO THE BANK PLEASE STOP BEING SO WORRIED I HAVE MADE SO MANY BOOKINGS IN SWITZERLAND AND EVEN PAID UPON ARRIVAL.....WE HAVE NO INTENTION OF RUNNING AWAY.......MANY THANKS FOR YOUR PATIENTS AND LOOK FORWARD TO COMING

Pay on arrival? Why didn't I think of that? I fear the worst. He's welcome to my patients. Why does this style remind me of something?

Dr Goat
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Normandy Cow
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Post by Normandy Cow »

Mountain Goat wrote:Pay on arrival? Why didn't I think of that? I fear the worst.
Actually, it's not as unusual as it sounds! Although in a different thread I said that taking payment 8 weeks in advance was the norm, I was really thinking about British-owned gites catering mostly for English people. I think that French-owned (and possibly Swiss ones too?) are sometimes more flexible. For the last 7 years we stay every August in a small gite complex on the Ile de Re which you have to book one year in advance it is so popular, yet they only take a deposit, with the balance to be paid on arrival. Strange, but true! :D
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Mountain Goat
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Post by Mountain Goat »

I've heard that with gite bookings, but the risk factor is just too much for us. What happens if there's a family disaster and they can't travel? I can imagine whistling (sp?) for their insurance cover.

Would Joanna wait on the doorstep for the sack of $$ on day 1 of the vacation?

But it could explain why on Holiday Rentals our enquiry ratio English / French is around 30:1, and the conversion to bookings is 20:0 when French/Swiss punters look at our payment schedule. Does anyone get 'French' bookings on HR? Or is it just us with a grand total of 0 since Feb'06?

Goat
Nessie
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Post by Nessie »

All French owned gites that i have booked has always been pay on arrival. We send a deposit and once arrived we pay upfront and normally write a cheque for the demage deposit , At the end of the stay Madam does a check and returns the cheque.
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Post by Hells Bells »

Goat i would put those dates back on your calendar. Reply and tell him he has broken your t and c's. Send him a copy of what he agreed to on booking. I have had no such problems with french bookings. All self catering accommodation we book where owner not there has required payment in advance.
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Post by Nessie »

If you have T&C on you site then impose them. The guy has a choice to follow your T&C or look elsewhere. Depends on how much you want the booking.
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Mountain Goat
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Post by Mountain Goat »

Nessie wrote:Depends on how much you want the booking.
Rather badly....

Goat
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vrooje
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Post by vrooje »

Mountain Goat wrote: Rather badly....
Does he know that? It sounds like he is taking advantage. Paying on arrival is one thing; waiting until the last minute to bring up the idea of paying on arrival is quite another, at least in my book.
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A-two
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Post by A-two »

Mountain Goat wrote:Would Joanna wait on the doorstep for the sack of $$ on day 1 of the vacation?
Nope. I get a bad feeling from this one. I got a bad feeling from one of mine this year who had me install wireless internet especially for him, (good thing to have anyway, so that's OK), but he then didn't return the signed contract and payment for 3 weeks. Meanwhile I'm putting other people on hold who are not going to hang around that long, in effect, losing bookings.

I became so frustrated with this person that I actually sent an email which said, "just want to double check before I tear the contract up that you have no intention of going ahead", fully expecting that to be the end of it, instead I received a similar "chill out" response, followed by payment in full. There followed a string of further requests and from the day they arrived they were trouble, attempting to use me like a office secretary, babysitter, well, let's call it for what it was...slave.

Not only did they have no intention of moving out on time, when we did finally get them into the car, it was a 16 hour clean, (4 of us working flat out for 4 hours each) - we still have one wall to repaint, chips in a brand new wood floor that are irrepairable, and various breakages and losses.

Personally, I would return whatever down monies he has already paid and tell him you want no further obligation to him. Sorry, I know this is not what you want to hear, but you already know that this person couldn't care less what's in the agreement, he's going to do exactly what he wants. You don't want a person like that in your house at any price.

If you do decide to go ahead, I promise not to say I told you so, but I think that however bad it is now, it's only going to get worse. This is more or less the same response I gave to Susan about her birthday boy, and believe I'm the only one who took that view. When I saw other responses, I really started to question my judgement call, and thought perhaps I ought to take a more accomodating approach in future. Now it seems that Susan is in the middle of a mini-nightmare, which she is going to be lucky to extricate herself from without permanent damage, if only to the good relationship she has currently with her neighbors.

Generally, I try not to take risks that I can't afford to lose and would rather bite the bullet and lose the short term gain in order to protect a long term investment. This is one of the those situations, at least it would be for me, so I would make the hard decision now and not take the risk.
Last edited by A-two on Thu Jul 06, 2006 9:16 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Guest3
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Post by Guest3 »

'Patience' 'Patients'..um??? Just have to agree with Joanna on this one. If people do not adhere to the terms and conditions of payment then they have no intention of complying to the rest of the t & c's. Seems to me they are trying your patience and may be more trouble than they're worth.
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roxytoo
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non payer

Post by roxytoo »

Well I've learnt my lesson, bank transfer never came through, guy said he was hopping mad that the bank had mislaid his money as he had def left his account, was going to sort it that day.............then the next day............and the next, said he wasn't going to let me down as he def wanted it and his wife would kill him if they didn't go away this year..........

Now I have found out he has another 'problem' in that his renewal passposrt hasn't come back yet.............

Now he isn't answering the phone or returning my messages

I am soooooooooo mad!!!!!!! Can't even tell him what I think of him!!

Anyway have put it everywhere at special offer, am on H- R etc, can everyone keep fingers crossed for me??? I really don't want to be left with these two weeks free at peak time :cry:
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Mountain Goat
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Post by Mountain Goat »

Our people sort of paid, 5 mins to the deadline, so £3.5k in the kitty; just a little matter of security deposit to drag out of them now.

Now faced with long list of special requirements, including clinching the daily cow-milking deal, mountain bikes, fruit picking, white water rafting, paragliding.

I'm not looking forward to August.

Why didn't I take all your advice above? Joanna, I know you were right, but I'm in it now....

Goat

meishka
Hooves crossed, hope it goes OK
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