Late Payment of Commercial Debts

Excuse 16: Did not get the invoice

Applicability

Can apply to any case where payment not made. Can be complicated as per excuse 15 if the missed invoice appears paid and a later invoice appears unpaid which the customer thinks they did pay.

Underlying reasons

Customer is delaying
This is a classic delaying tactic
Customer really did not get invoice
This could happen - need to find a way to ensure they do in future
Customer does not believe they have an obligation to adhere to the agreement they have made
Customer probably has a fundamental misunderstanding that they don't have to do what was agreed, but that it is fair to do whatever they can get away with and feels aggrieved that they failed to get away with paying late when they usually do (with other suppliers).

Resolution

If you can prove delivery of invoice, penalty stands. Useful to get delivery reports on emailed invoices, etc.
If mis addressed, ask customer to show when new address was advised
Send invoice now - no need to give a full 30 days to pay now though - say must pay within 7 days, for example

It is quite important to make sure the customer is aware of the debt, though getting a formal invoice is not required for penalties to apply. Some people have a strange idea that they don't have to tell you when an email address changes even if they understand they do have to tell you if a postal address changes.