Can anyone help please. First posting but have read the Forum many times, subscribed to the mag in the past and have owned a house in Var since 2001.
We have had some work done at our house by a 'friend' and neighbour, who have lived in the village for about 4 years. He and his wife have formed a French business. The man is an 'all rounder' and has always done an acceptable job for us at a reasonable price. However, we have just received an invoice for an amount in excess of 1500 Euros which is at least double what I expected (based on previous jobs etc). The invoice only shows the total amount they want, whereas I thought that the invoice had to show the details of the parts supplied, with their price and the labour rate and number of hours. Am I wrong?
I will have to challenge them about it, but would like to be clear as to my 'rights' before I do so. Lots of lessons here about mixing friends and business.
Thanks for reading
Denbag
Chas 17
Sorry if it sounds naive but we didn't have a relationship (I thought!) where a devis seemed to be necessary. I appreciate that I will have a problem, but I was really ineterested in finding out exactly what he was required to show on his facture. All jobs I have had done by French firms, such as repairing a leak in the pool house have clearly itemised the parts supplied, the rate of labour and the number of hours.
Thanks for responding, anyway.
Certainly a devis has to break down all the parts and the labour charge(s).
Some exceptions I have had were for enduit de projection where it said Xm2 nettoyage haute pression @ XEuros/M2
Sous couche YM2 @ Y Euros/M2 etc etc.
All the others were broken down as parts (albeit inflated) and labour.
I am pretty sure that it is required on the facture also unless perhaps it can say "for works as described in devis1234.
I never used to like being asked for a breakdown of parts and labour on quotations that I had given in the UK and feel a little sorry for the French artisans, however human nature being what it is they will mark up the parts as much as they can to make the labour seem more acceptable, and of course try to buy said parts with the maximum discount.
Which begs the question why should the customer pay money up front for them to use to buy discounted parts to then resell to the customer at a marked up price?
I have just reread your post again, I bet in the past you only dealt with him and he was always fair with you, and I bet that it is now his wife who is responsible for the financial side?
If you challenge him he will probably just say "I have no idea, I have nothing to do with the finances now"! His wife of course should be able to justify "their" price to you.
I bet that the business is more profitable now, although to be fair it has to be as he is still probably the only fee earner and now has overheads like cotisations and his wife to pay.
From a legal point of view an Artisan should have a signed estimate for any work he is doing.
I'm sure he'll be able to provide a more detailed bill. He was probably just saving himself a bit of time as you are a friend.
He also needs to show his Siret no. and TVA intracomm. reg. or the appropriate exclusion clause if he is a micro entreprise.
Regards
Charles
Nobody is compelled to give estimates, invoices, receipts etc but it is in their own interests to do so. Firstly, in case of disputes it needs to be made absolutely clear what was requested, carried out and paid for. Try claiming on a tradesman's insurance without full paperwork - you won't get very far (which may be why certain tradesmen don't willingly give full invoices). And it is also necessary to have full, receipted, invoices if you want to offset costs against any tax liability.
Will wrote: Nobody is compelled to give estimates, invoices, receipts etc
Nobody is compelled to give estimates, invoices, receipts etc
AFAIK. If the work is more than 150 Euros?? we are legally obliged to have a signed estimate/contract
I am sure you are right Charles, but as with so many 'legal obligations' how could it ever be enforced? I totally agree with your original point that without detailed paperwork how can anything be decided - by either party - in a dispute?
Maybe I should have said that if you accept a job done without an estimate and then accept a short invoice then you can't really enforce things at a later date. Although it's in everybody's interests to do things properly, for various reasons people often take short cuts.
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