Director / Company Name on Invoice Question.

Hi Guys,

I, like most of us in here have been the subject on non payment by a company.

The company in question has a sole director, and to give you a bit of background this sole director has had a round 30 companies and dissolved them in (it appears when they ran into difficulties financially, although I can't confirm this at present).

The 6 unpaid invoices spread from May-July 2011 and amount to about £320.

I have decided to add the £40 charge to each of the invoices, mainly due to the attitude of the debtor in question, but I'll mention that shortly.

Now the debt amount sits at around £650 inc the charges and the interest.

I have used a few different debt collection agencies over the past 18 months, and sometimes even partially giving up. The problem is I have a very strong set of principles that I work to, and unfortunately by this gentleman treating me this way - it conflicts with my beliefs of how I should treat people and how I can expect to be treated.

The director has been abusive on the phone to me directly, and also threatening, basically saying if I visited his shop I would need to be carried out by an ambulance. hhhmmm.

The latest debt collection agency have managed to speak to him, and he has said that he is willing to pay the amount owing in 2 installments as long as his name is removed from the invoices first.

This is the point at which I gentle stroke my chin, in a pensive manner. I can't for the life of me work out why 'if he genuinely is going to pay the invoices' he would need his name removing from the invoice.

The invoice simply has his name at the top, the next line is the company name and then the following lines are the address, like this;

Mr Ambulance Threatener
Dodgy Company Ltd
1 Scumball Street
Debtsville
Owelotsshire

Now we invoice to all our other business customers with a contact name at the top, it can be the receptionist, the buyer, director anybody really but none and I genuinely mean none - despite the £1000's of pounds involved have ask us to remove somebody's name.

The debt collection agency, think I'm crazy to be questioning it and I should just do it and get it paid - but the wisdom part of my brain is saying, what does he stand to gain by having his name removed from the invoice? The only conclusion I can come up with is that he doesn't intend to pay at all and is trying to distance himself personally from the debt and leave it with the company (probably like he has previously)

It makes no logical sense to me, if you are intending to pay an 18 month overdue invoice to ask to have your name removed unless you have no intention of paying it all.

What do you guys think, and be nice if you think I'm just plain crazy for not changing it.


Regards



WB.