Tag: Prompt Payer

GDPR is almost here

Posted on by Alun

GDPR is (almost) here!

Last month we highlighted that GDPR is fast approaching! It’s now only weeks until the new regulation kicks in. Luckily Prompt Payer can help businesses needing support with GDPR.

Prompt Payer, the ethical debt recovery specialists has teamed up with Benefits Direct to offer GDPR services for HETAS registrants.

From short online articles to 100 page ‘e-books’, information (and misinformation!) about GDPR is everywhere but are you any wiser as to your own business’s exact needs and how you will need to change your practices in order to comply? Likely not. Listen, you don’t need to read another blog, guide or white paper to get a handle on what you need to do.

You might not even think that the GDPR affects you but the fact is, GDPR affect every single business that holds data on their customers, from sole traders through to huge corporations.

There are also many ‘solutions’ out there offering a one-size-fits all approach to data compliance like template websites that offer no access to data protection experts. Using these services without advice might leave your business vulnerable to a hefty fine from the ICO come 25 May 2018.

However, our solution is different and will help you address your GDPR needs hand in hand with an expert.

What’s on offer?

FREE consultation about your legal needs with an expert. We’ll run through your requirements then put you in touch with a qualified expert lawyer to discuss your needs as an organisation. Call our team today on 0207 1481599 (“Quote HETAS” to obtain special rates) to discuss your needs.

  • FREE GDPR Checklist and Audit so you can explore your requirements.
  • FREE GDPR guidance notes written by data protection experts.

Call 0207 1481599 (Quote” HETAS” to obtain special rates) or submit an enquiry here to speak to someone about your business and what you need.

Member-rate reduced price packages to help you on your way to compliance, whatever the size of your business:

GDPR Package One

ü  GDPR compliant legal document templates which are:

  • Terms and Conditions of Website Use
  • Data Protection Policy
  • Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy
  • IT Security Policy
  • Data Processing Agreement
  • Consent to Data Processing
  • Data Processing Clauses
  • Clauses for Staff Agreements
  • Data Retention Policy
  • Staff Consent Form
  • Privacy Notice to Staff
  • Memorandum to Board of Directors
  • Free Audit Questionnaire

ü  1 hour of legal advice with an expert GDPR lawyer

ü  GDPR Audit document

£295+VAT (30% off usual price for members, usually £385+VAT)

GDPR Package Two

  • GDPR compliant legal document templates
  • 3 hours of legal advice with an expert GDPR lawyer
  • GDPR Audit document
  • 1 hour bespoke GDPR Webinar training with expert lawyer

£745+VAT

GDPR Package Three

  • GDPR audit is used by a GDPR lawyer to identify specific compliance work required, a plan of action is agreed and legal work completed.
  • Priced on application (POA).

Bespoke GDPR Webinar Training

  • We can also offer bespoke GDPR webinar training for you and your team to brief your organisation on your data protection needs.
  • Includes a Q&A session
  • Slides and notes forwarded to attendees after session

£220+VAT

Don’t leave GDPR compliance until the last minute. Sort your needs out today and avoid unnecessary problems down the line, remember 25 May 2018 is the deadline. To start with a FREE consultation about your needs simply click here

 

Chasing Debts?

Posted on by Alun

Chasing Debts?

Recent research has shown that small businesses are owed over £700m in unpaid invoices and the wait for payment is now 84 days! It also shows that small businesses spend an extra 14 days chasing debts. How can HETAS help?

Nearly 50% of all invoice are paid late, yet 79% of business don’t charge interest that they are allowed under Law.

HETAS has for a number of years had a business relationship with Prompt Payer whereby Installers will automatically receive FREE premium membership of Prompt Payer as part of their HETAS registration. Membership with Prompt Payer normally costs £250.

Services Available

What Prompt Payer will do for you:

  • They follow a debt collection procedure, as set out by the Financial Services Authority
  • Where applicable, we calculate and add interest and charges as permitted by the Late Payment of Commercial Debts Act 1998
  • Provide you with a paper trail in case of court action
  • They are on your side and have heard EVERY excuse
  • Prompt Payer will help you through the court process if required
  • Take the stress away
  • Membership is already paid for by HETAS, we take NO collection fee

For further advice please use the contact form on www.promptpayer.co.uk or email  info@promptpayer.com.

Prompt Payer nears landmark

Posted on by Alun

Prompt Payer nears landmarkPrompt Payer nears landmark

Prompt Payer nears landmark and has now recovered nearly £100,000 on behalf of HETAS registrants. HETAS has a business relationship with Prompt Payer whereby Registered Installers will automatically receive FREE premium membership of Prompt Payer as part of their HETAS registration. Membership with Prompt Payer normally costs £250 and is one of the many benefits of HETAS registration.

Recent research has shown that small businesses are owed over £700m in unpaid invoices and the wait for payment is now 84 days!

It also shows that small businesses spend an extra 14 days chasing debts.  Nearly 50% of all invoice are paid late, yet 79% of business don’t charge interest that they are allowed under Law.

Prompt Payer is on your side and have helped many installer businesses receive payment for unpaid invoices and membership with Prompt Payer is free for HETAS Registered Installers. Here’s what Prompt Payer will do for you:

  • follow a debt collection procedure, as set out by the Financial Services Authority
  • where applicable, we calculate and add interest and charges as permitted by the Late Payment of Commercial Debts Act 1998
  • provide you with a paper trail in case of court action
  • they are on your side and have heard EVERY excuse
  • will help you through the court process if required
  • take the stress away
  • membership is already paid for by HETAS, Prompt Payer take NO collection fee

To contact Prompt Payer, click here to complete an enquiry form on the Prompt Payer website.

Click here to find out about the full range of benefits available to you through your registration with HETAS.

When debt collection fails

Posted on by Alun

When debt collection fails

Prompt Payer Logo Ethical Debt CollectionMark Flower from ethical debt collection recovery service Prompt Payer talks to us about the options for businesses to recover debts owed. Prompt Payer is a free benefit of HETAS registration.

Prompt Payer assesses debts carefully and where appropriate tries very hard to collect the money you are owed, but when they fail Court action might be the only route. The process for making a claim is very straight forward and can be done online. Here, Mark outlines the process:

Their options include:

  • Admitting the claim if they agree they owe the money you are claiming. They will also need to fill in a form giving the Court details of their financial circumstances and they will be asked to make an offer of payment
  • Filing a defence, if they disagree with the amount they owe.
  • Submitting an acknowledgement of service if they intend to defend the claim but need longer than 14 days to prepare a defence

If you receive judgement

The court can issue:

a judgment by instalments, where the debt is paid off over time, or

a judgment forthwith, where the whole amount  owed is due immediately

If they have admitted the claim and made a monthly offer of payment, it is likely that they will receive a judgment by instalments.

The monthly repayment rate will be set by the court using the information provided in the admission form.

If they don’t respond to the claim the Court can’t take their circumstances into account, they will enter a judgment against them. This is called a judgment in default.

They can ask the Court to look at this again if the repayments are more than they can reasonably afford. This is called a redetermination.

If they don’t keep to the terms of a CCJ

If you receive a CCJ in your favour and they don’t keep to the terms it sets out, you can ask the court to enforce the debt. There are several ways that they can do this:

  • Bailiff action
  • Attachment of earnings
  • Charging order

Through your registration with HETAS, you have access to Prompt Payer. To contact Prompt Payer, click here to complete an enquiry form on the Prompt Payer website. . Additionally, via Prompt Payer, you have access to a legal helpline. Click here to find out more.

Prompt Payer and LawBite Legal Helpline

Posted on by Alun

Prompt Payer Legal HelplinePrompt Payer Logo

HETAS Registered Installers now have access to a legal helpline. This comes as part of Prompt Payer membership, which all installer businesses get as a free benefit through registration with HETAS. Read more.

For legal advice, you can call LawBite on 0203 070 1122 and chose option 2. By quoting “Prompt Payer” you will get free initial consultations with LawBite’s experts.

Their administrators will assess your enquiry, to identify which legal expertise you need. Once LawBite know they can help, they will set you up on their system and you will be contacted by one of the legal team, usually the same day or the following weekday. The team are all experienced, insured and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). They will be able to answer general legal questions you have on your business, and give you a steer with regards to your enquiry and the likely cost to resolve issues. This initial 15-minute consultation is free. If there is additional legal advice that is suggested (e.g. reading through contracts and detailed correspondence in order to advise on a dispute), you will receive a no-obligation fixed quote, including a discount for your Prompt Payer membership.

The Prompt Payer ethical debt recovery service continues as a free benefit with HETAS Approved Installer registration, and growing numbers of installers have made use of this to secure overdue payment from domestic or commercial customers. To date Prompt Payer has helped HETAS registered business collect nearly £70,000 in owed money. Some case studies have been added to the HETAS website, click here to read the case studies or visit www.promptpayer.co.uk to find out more.

Prompt Payer Update

Posted on by Alun

prompt payer corporateLate payments are an issue for more than half (53%) of Britain’s small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs), according to new research. The total owed to British SMEs by their customers currently amounts to over £225bn, with one in five (20%) owed more than £25,000, one in ten (8%) £100,000 or more, while 1% are waiting for upwards of £1m.

A threat to business

Late payments are causing serious problems for many SMEs, with 41% experiencing significant cash flow problems as a result. Even more worryingly, two thirds of SMEs (67%) agree that issues with late payments are leading to some SMEs being forced to close.

How to tackle outstanding payments

Despite many businesses feeling that more needs to be done, existing legislation can already provide SMEs with some much needed assistance. When faced with late payments by customers, businesses have several statutory tools at their disposal, including the ability to charge interest and recoup debt recovery costs

Late payments guidance for SMEs

If no term has been specified, a payment is considered late after 30 days from the day a customer receives their invoice, or 30 days from when goods/services are delivered, whichever is later.

If no interest terms have been agreed via contract, statutory interest can be charged at 8% plus the Bank of England’s base rate.

In addition to interest, businesses can charge a fixed rate (between £40 and £100 depending on the size of the debt) for the cost of recovering the debt. Suppliers can also claim for reasonable additional costs.

Remember membership of Prompt Payer is free service for HETAS Registered Installers. To contact Prompt Payer, click here to complete an enquiry form on the Prompt Payer website. Please quote your HETAS registration number to find out more or to discuss any of the above issues.

HETAS agrees deal with Prompt Payer

Posted on by Alun

prompt payer corporateHETAS has agreed a deal with Prompt Payer whereby registered installers can sign up for premium membership of the scheme at the reduced price of £35 + vat.

Full membership of Prompt Payer normally costs £250, but the announcement means that HETAS registrants can have access to a range of free services including debt collection and loan brokering.

Membership of Prompt Payer provides support for businesses trading in tough economic conditions, including specialist advice and assistance from lawyers and insolvency practitioners, which can help with bad debt recovery. In many cases the debt can be recovered quickly and efficiently without damaging the long term relationship with the customer.

Over the last year Prompt Payer has collected debts for OFTEC businesses in excess of £1 million. They will collect any amount – the lowest amount has been £40 and the largest success over £100,000. Prompt Payer will handle everything required, right up to court action. The service is completely free for its members and any interest/fees collected under the Late Payment Act are retained by the businesses as well.

OFTEC-registered business Haven Heating, which has already used the debt collection service, said: “It’s a relief to have someone on our side. The service from Prompt Payer was second to none, they really do care. Without them I would have been up the creek, they take members’ issues seriously.”

The second most popular service offered by Prompt Payer is the loan broker scheme This is free to use and searches for lenders based on the business’s needs and creditworthiness. Almost a million pounds of lending has already been placed for OFTEC businesses. With the banks being harder on small businesses, the broker service is able to look at all avenues in the market.

Additionally, Prompt Payer are proud supporters of the Cystic Fibrosis Trust charity.

Contact shop@hetas.co.uk or call 01684 278170 to find out more about this exclusive arrangement.