黑洞社区

The cheque is in the post has a whole new ring to it given the industrial relations at Royal Mail. Where has all the money gone? It is certainly not circulating in the construction industry and I don't think it is just in a sorting office in London. Given that cash is 鈥淜ing鈥� it is not surprising that at every level of the supply chain it is being held on to for so long.

We all know that practices such as 鈥淧ay when Paid鈥� and 鈥淧ay if Paid鈥� are no longer legal. We also know that they are rife. What this latest recession has created is a whole new set of excuses. They cannot say that they haven't been paid so they come up with another excuse. So in a light hearted way I open up my comment today for others to provide the best excuses they have heard recently. To start the ball rolling let me offer a few from my recent experience in no particular order.

1. 鈥淵ou did not get paid this month because the payment date fell on a Saturday鈥�

2. 鈥淵our cheque was the biggest - so it didn't get signed. You will have to wait another week!鈥�

3. 鈥淚 know I owe you some money but you haven't been chasing me hard enough for it.鈥�

4. 鈥� I lost the copy of your insurance so I couldn't put a valuation in last month鈥�

5. 鈥淵ou didn't backdate your invoice so the accounts took another 30 days credit鈥�

6. 鈥淵ou won't be paid until you have completed the defect liability period works鈥� (This is one month away from the end of the period and a year after the work was completed. We still have not got any money on this small project.)

7. 鈥淭he QS is off sick with stress!鈥� (I'll give him STRESS!鈥�)

So readers - what are your best or worst excuses? I could offer a prize for the best excuse - but I would then just tell the winner that 鈥渢he cheque is in the post鈥�.