Sparking Up Trade
The debtor is a main contractor in the welding sector and recently brought their first portable product to market. Both client and debtor had enjoyed a prosperous trading relationship with the former being a subcontractor for the latter. Providing third party staff and expertise was mutually beneficial given the debtor would apply a markup on services provided to the end customer. Unfortunately not all trading relationships last.
Stick n Shield
Leading up to Advocate Commercial Debt Recovery’s instruction, the debtor had already paid half before claiming they were not liable for the balance and outright refusing to entertain further dialogue. A token settlement offer heavily undervalued our client’s involvement. Warning of third-party intervention, such as a debt collector or solicitor, had no impact on changing the debtor’s mind. On reviewing the case notes, the debtor’s liability was clear. Having designed the welding process, a return to the site was requested. Our client found the welding process had not been rigidly followed. In layman’s terms, the fabricated structure was not strong enough. In any type of engineering or construction project, safety must be placed above all else. The human and financial costs when things go wrong can be catastrophic.
Giving it the Arc Around
Upon Advocate’s instruction, the debtor decided now would be a good time to resume communication, obviously keen to preserve their pristine credit rating from a County Court Judgment. At first, the debtor claimed not to be liable as the client had been instructed by the end customer and insurance company. The policy has a caveat stating the holder is liable for remedial work in the event of failing safety checks. After all, if the debtor was not going to be liable for mistakes, there would be no motivation to get the job done right the first time around! Swiftly dismissed the debtor and then claimed their end customer doubted the validity of our client’s findings. No direct communication from the end customer was received, so their alleged view would be based on what the debtor had communicated to save face. Our client is accredited on a national and international level and is obligated to maintain exceptionally high standards, given the vast sums an insurer may have to pay out when things go wrong. Validating our client’s professional standing and integrity is a simple task.
Flux Out the Core
Looking down the barrel at court proceedings with the nine-month overdue debt coming to a head, the debtor made a U-turn. Sighting a disagreement between directors on either side as now the reason for non-payment and a desire to cut short their feud, full payment was made. This disagreement came as a surprise to our client’s directors, who were unaware that such a rift had been conceived. The statutory late payment charges incurred in settling the account late were also paid. Every successful debt collection naturally brings its own reward. In this debt recovery, our client was delighted at finally being able to place the debtor and their erroneous dispute behind them.