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Up Topic Chit-Chat & Non-Welding Discussion / Off-Topic Bar and Grill / Retail......
- - By Cumminsguy71 (*****) Date 03-16-2013 21:03
Think I'm gonna start working on my retail business. GD contractors are starting to chap my backside again. 60 days for a payment? Really??

Things I'm tired of hearing, "I'll look into that check" translated means, "this buys me another week or two to put him off".

Things I'm tired of hearing, "When can you be there?" reply, well, if you'd pay me for the first job then perhaps I would be more apt to jump thru my own arse to get to the second job.

Things I just might start telling mega contractors, I'm not a bank, 30 days is thirty days, I can stay at home and watch Hulu and go broke why should I come out here and work hard at it and go into debt to boot? 60 days? I take credit cards. 60 days, I'm thinking I'm not your guy. I'm giving away free calenders with my invoices, oh, why is it only one page? Why does it start on todays date and ends exactly 30 days from now? Just in case you forgot what thirty days was I thought I would remind you by having it attached to the invoice.

Things I'm tired of hearing, "You know, hmmm, I'm just not comfortable with that, I think I want to try it another way". Really? For the 10th time? This ain't celebrity chef you know. I do have other clients that expect me back on there job in this lifetime.

Ahhhh, the life of a sub congetfookedter. Rant over I suppose, perhaps it's time to go shoot some paper and relieve my tensions then have a guinness or three as a pre St. Paties day warm up.
Parent - - By texwelder (***) Date 03-17-2013 01:52
Dude every company i work for is 60 days pay period its the norm in the oilfield
Parent - - By Cumminsguy71 (*****) Date 03-17-2013 02:14
Well perhaps that's the norm in the oilfield which is even more strange since the oil company's have more money than most countries.

My rant is geared more towards looking like I'm about to get screwed out of money.....again. This time I have all of the legalease in place to turn over my paperwork to the sharks. A signed contract that states, "payment due within 30 days". Signed by both parties and when I raise the subject I either (A) don't hear back from them or (B) get the standard, "I'll look into it".

I can do the standard 30 to 40 days and expect it. Did some work for a client and they had a 90 day pay period, they changed it and had a check to me in 35. I turned in an invoice to my bridge client on a Thursday and he paid me....on Thursday afternoon. I'll bleed for these guys.

If I know going into a job that it will be 30, 40, 60 or 90(ridiculous) days then I can work around it but when you sign a contract that says, 30 days then it is what it is. Not answering phone calls, reply to part of the email and it's not the part about the check and I start to get a little suspicious.
Parent - - By Tommyjoking (****) Date 03-17-2013 03:51
60-90-120-180  its all fine as long as it is agreed to up front and expected.

When they agree to 30 and just seem to forget about you...makes my trigger finger start to get weird spasms.  I have cut loose the contractors I have had in the last year that use me for material financing...that is business I don't need no matter how hungry I get.  I have become much smarter about writing agreements when my fur stands up....makes it a lot smoother to ring up the shyster and let paper fly.  Course that is a two way street and they do it to me too.  I have been really lucky so far though, I have not got hung yet to my surprise..... worried to death but not hung to dry yet. 

Sorry Shawn,  you will get them though, ya just should not have to....that is what sux...especially after all you did for them.  If ya end up owning part of all that could you do something about my monthly bill?  It is way too much!   LOL:grin:
Parent - By Cumminsguy71 (*****) Date 03-17-2013 14:39
Your right, a guy bends over backwards as most of us on here will do and they should pay us in a reasonable amount of time, bend over backwards. People expect us to jump thru hoops, pull off miracles, work non stop to meet a deadline. Typical deadline is, they call, "need you here tomorrow". You kill yourself to get out, work your tail to get a job done and meet the deadline that is now your problem cause the contractors a boob and screwed up and when you hit the home run they say, "we'll have a check around 30 days or so" or worse jerk you around for 60.

I pull off a miracle then you can break the check writing machine out of the secure vault with the monthly timer on it and do better than that. I hate to be a prick about it but all I keep hearing is lipstick promises. It's weird how I've talked to some and they will tell you we only right checks on such and such day of the month......huh??? Let me try that with Red-D-Arc next time I get a bill, I'll tell them I only right checks on the 30th of each month and even thought their bill is due on the 12th they will have to wait. I'm sure that welder in my shop won't be my welder for long. Same with my steel guys, ornamental suppliers and especially my insurance. I tell them that and they'd drop me before the day was out.

Guess this is my biggest hang up in this business. Sure you have to "trust" contractors but seems most are out to get whatever they can however they can. Guess if the zombie apocolypse came around I could settle some vendetta's I have in a lawless world, hahaha!!! OK!! JUST KIDDING!!! IT WAS A HYPOTHETICAL JOKE!! SIT BACK DOWN, TAKE A SIP OF YOUR ORGANIC COFFEE AND RELAX!!!!
Parent - By texwelder (***) Date 03-17-2013 14:18
Yeah the contract says 30 day period i would be on there a$$ for sure
Parent - - By tazmannusa (**) Date 03-17-2013 19:51
I guess I am very fortunate, all my customers just call and tell me to go do it, no contracts or bids just get it done. I usually bill around the 10th of the month and hand deliver to go over the bill and get a check while I am there. I don't make as much as if I was supplying materials and contracting but that's ok with me, less headaches. I just charge my per hour welding rate with my rig and if I work an hour I charge an hour. I kinda weed out the slow/ no pay so when they call and need something done I'm to busy to get to them.
Parent - - By Cumminsguy71 (*****) Date 03-17-2013 20:27
That's how this job was, hourly. But never worked with them before so being burned once before on $7000 because of the lack of a contract I have been covering my bases more lately.

I tend to weed out the slow pays just like you. You take forever and a day to pay me, then I'm in no hurry to get to your job nor will I delay other jobs that are paying in a timely fashion.
Parent - - By tazmannusa (**) Date 03-17-2013 21:55
One thing that does seem to help when doing a job for someone unknown to you is ask some of the other local business guys , plumbers, AC , electricians, ext.  
usually you can find out pretty quick if there good people to work for or not . Keep in mind even with a signed contract it's no guarantee
Parent - - By Cumminsguy71 (*****) Date 03-18-2013 11:33
They are out of state so could not ask anybody. Signed contract is no guarantee?? Sounds useless to even have one then. We should just return to old west justice. We have lost the word honor and a handshake, a simple agreement between two men verbally. Now a contract is no guarantee? All I can say is it is a sad, sad world we live in, :sad:
Parent - - By tazmannusa (**) Date 03-18-2013 13:51
Don't get me wrong there are still a lot of good people out there . My statement on contracts being no guarantee is I know quite a few that still didn't get paid, if they don't have it you cant get it, sure you can get liens/judgments ect. and maybe eventually get paid or they file bankrupt.
Parent - - By Cumminsguy71 (*****) Date 03-18-2013 21:43
Oh yeah, seems I have heard of a guy who had a ton of $$$ out in steel and the company he was doing work for went belly up.
Parent - - By Smooth Operator (***) Date 03-18-2013 22:24
Thats why I always use the statements...... MOST contractors you can't trust as far as you could throw them....:eek::eek::eek::eek: MOST contractors don't even pay attention, let alone pay their bills......:yell::yell::yell::yell::yell: In over 30 years of business I can count on one hand the contractors I work for:sad::sad::sad::sad: Whats bad about that????? Every fabricator knows the contractors that are good pay (30 net) and want their business to MAKE UP for the losers they also deal with........so they give the good pay contractors "discounted" prices to ensure they get the work:roll::roll::roll::roll::roll::roll::roll: I'm happy w/ 90 day if I know up front thats the way it is....... :smile::smile::smile::smile: The energy co.'s/oil & gas around here pay 45 net like clockwork...:grin::grin ::grin::grin: and that makes it easy to plann a cash flow system:cool::cool::cool::cool: What you have to REMEMBER about contracts.... only get "enforced" by going to court...... A part of business I avoid at all costs because it never turns out GOOD for anybody involved.......:sad::sad::sad::sad:
Parent - - By Tommyjoking (****) Date 03-18-2013 23:54
Smooth just PM some of those reliable company names, put in a word for us and I will send you a wide selection of very good ales.  Surely you don't want to drive out to all of them?  Me and Shawn both are totally independent and take all comers...not just this or that industry.   We might be setting iron one day and welding high pressure pipe the next then making handrail the next day for a homeowner.   I just need a deeper clientele list then I will gravitate toward the reliable checks with the most digits!!!  However by the looks of things this year....HEAVY construction and industry will be my moneymaker....ironwork/steel buildings is in the tank and the pipe stuff is hit or miss........oh jeez oh jeez  the ship yards  no no NO No nO NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Parent - By Smooth Operator (***) Date 03-19-2013 01:09
Tommy,  Unfortunately  the construction industry in W. Pa. is down 60%  since "09".....:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek: That is why I'm looking hard at the gas/oil industry now....:smile::smile::smile: Was working welding feeder/ collection lines and  got on a 16" pipeiline for awhile with a rig myself (then drug up to go on vacation and broke my leg):eek::eek::eek::eek: Left the shop w/ two hands that been with me forever doing handrail,stairs and ladders plus repair/fab. work for the energy co.s' and are gettin' by:roll::roll::roll: This is the 1st year since "09" that we have a backlog on the books and startin' back w/piping for the gas co. on 4/15 but only gonna' last 2 weeks( but its a start!!!!!!!):smile::smile::smile: This business is NEVER even/ smooth sailing....... So you got to be flexible/deversified:cool::cool::cool::cool: Only thing you can ask is: HOW LONG CAN YOU TREAD WATER??????:twisted::twisted::twisted::twisted: HANG IN THERE GUYS!!!!!!!
Up Topic Chit-Chat & Non-Welding Discussion / Off-Topic Bar and Grill / Retail......

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