Late Balance payment!

[gh]

This is one area of renting I just feel terrible doing, chasing up guests who are late paying.

They enquired last year in November and through various e-mails they booked for 2 weeks in July if we could wait till the end of the month to pay the deposit. Explaining the were struggling this near Christmas, anyhow we said yes and true to their word the deposit came.

Now my dilema is; the final balance was due last Saturday, have e-mailed and gotten no reply (receipt mails) called and left a message on the answerphone as they were not in/didn't pick up.

Today sent an e-mail saying if we don't hear form them by tomorrow evening, we will open up the calendar and their deposit will be lost unless their dates are re-booked.

Gosh we feel terrible doing this, what more can be done?

Helen

[guest 4]

I'd be on the phone every hour for 24 until they pick up. You are not a charity, don't be shy, they have presumably signed a booking form which is a contract, just like any other contract.

Failing that just cancel the booking and re-advertise the slot as available. Don't forget to put that in writing to them.

Ruth (Oooh I must be a hedgehog)

[gh]

Yes Ruth they signed on the dotted line, made spectic reference to it and the clause relating to their deposit in the e-mail. Think I will give them until tomorrow and see if they do/n't reply.

Thing is; I feel a little sorry for them avoiding contact, obviously they know the balance is due. Oh well, tomorrow is another day and they may get back to me. Optomistic/caring/stupid'r'us.

Helen

[Guest3]

Today sent an e-mail saying if we don't hear form them by tomorrow evening, we will open up the calendar and their deposit will be lost unless their dates are re-booked.

A week is a long time to wait for the balance Helen...with no response to your emails and phone calls?
I would not have even offered the option of their deposit being returned if the dates are re-booked!

[Sue Dyer]

I had a similar issue. Took ages to pay deposit then dragged their feet re full amount. Finally a "my husband has lost his job" email and we'll have to cancel. (5 weeks notice, my T&C's say within 6 weeks if not relet forfeit)

I'm usually too soft but I did withhold the £50 deposit on this occasion as I'd had refused bookings for this week. The couple never asked for their deposit back and said they will visit when their situation picks up. I didn't say to them but I will subtract their £50 if they do rebook. Dave and I had a lovely and unexpected long weekend in the cottage which was worth much more than 50 quid to us.

[alifrank1]

Now my dilema is; the final balance was due last Saturday, have e-mailed and gotten no reply (receipt mails) called and left a message on the answerphone as they were not in/didn't pick up.Helen

Hi Helen

I agree with the other posts, they have made the commitment, signed the contract to say they would pay by last week and you have a business to run. One thought though .... could they be on holiday and have just forgotten the date they should have paid?

I would do as you are doing and open the calendar again to give yourself a chance to rebook but if another booking comes in email them one more time to say that if you don't get their balance in 48 hours, their deposit will be forfeited.

[gh]

............. Dave and I had a lovely and unexpected long weekend in the cottage which was worth much more than 50 quid to us.

Can totally relate to that Sue, we have never been at our place in July, since the year we bought way back.

Thanks all for your relpies, telling me what I already know but my head/heart is rejecting.
Going to do for now, what we said in the mail, we will wait until tomorrow and see if anything drops into our in-box. If not; alifrank1 has it nailed.

Helen

[A-two]

Do you mean it was due a week last Saturday, or this last Saturday? And which Saturday did you remind them? Sorry, I'm a bit confused by the timing here.

I would never expect anyone to pay on time unless I remind them a week or so in advance of the due date. If I wait until it's overdue, then by the time they catch up with the email, it's another week gone by, and they may even mail it without telling you they have done it, so either way, I wouldn't cancel anything just yet, but that's just me.

I would try phoning them again at different times to try and catch them in - home on a week day evening, or during the day at work. Weekends are funny - people go away or switch off computers and today was Mothers Day in the US and Australia and probably other parts of the world as well, so most chores were ignored.

[Big Sis..]

Hi Helen...

All good advice[would have replied last night but as you posted at the ungodly hour of 10-19pm i was soundo [us early morning types need to get our beauty sleep early yanow ]

I would release the dates on your calender now!....
To give yourself more chance of rebooking by the time someone shows an interest one way or another you should know whats happening...

Ive had this..it is annoying ...


Have you had any contact with them since you had the deposit....
I do keep emailing mine asking for flt details and a little chit chatting sometimes you can sense that things arent happening...
Have they Booked theyre flts dyanow much less likely to cancel if theyve done that Ive found...

Keep us posted

[Fil]

I think the best for your nerves in these and other circumstances is to just apply the rental conditions without exceptions.

They have not payed the deposit in x days - cancel the resrvation; thay have not payed the balance - cancel the reservation and return whatever you have to according to the rental conditions.

I just send an email saying something lik e"I am sorry but your reservation has been canceled due to lack of payment, but if your are still interested contact me as soon as possible..."

[Fraise]

If their payment is now 10 days overdue I would e-mail them again, try ringing again THEN I would put the week back up as July isn't that far ahead now and you could end up not being able to re let! Unlikely but possible.

[gh]

Update, gave them a call this morning hoping to catch them before school run, got them. They were away at a relatives first communion over the week-end.
It was an oversite on their part missing the payment date and are arranging a bank transfer today. They did receive my mail last week and they replied; asking for bank details however the mail never came.
Late yesterday evening and today I received pms (thank you so much)from members here telling me our www link is not working, which made me put two and two together.

It seems we have a problem with our interent, the link to our www is playing up, no idea why and have received no e-mails since Friday, but sent ones are not bouncing back, or so it seems.

I am a total novice about how to go about it and hubby is away, going to have to get someone in. So how come I can log on here but the web site and e-mail are not working? Opps TCC.

Thanks, all, for your input, I would have tried to contacted them again and cancelled today following your advise and opened up the calender.

You have been extremely helpful, what a wonderful forum we have here.

Helen

[Hells Bells]

Your website is working from my computer. I haven't accessed it before, so it isn't stored in my cache or anything.

[Big Sis..]

Hi Helen Im getting your website Fine,..

Just emailed you hope thats ok just checking if your getting them Ok..

Can I just say that the opposite is Happenning to me at the moment I keep getting chqs early[before Ive reminded them and weeks before theyre due]

Just got home and theres a nice large chq on the mat ..[people arent comint until Aug...its happened a couple of times lately but never before...not that Im moaning nosiree

[guest 4]

Snap Ros,

That seems to be happening to me too this year. I had one Lady who wanted to give me the whole amount instead of just a deposit!! (nine months before) She explained that she was worried that she may spend it if it was left in her bank account. I didn't complain!!

Another sent their balance six weeks before it was due, threw me a bit as I like to have a routine, I'm a creature of habit.

Ruth