Unpaid bill

[chrisrob]

Back in March, a school ordered some draw tickets from me to be printed for their May Fayre. They are regular customers and receive a 10% discount as well as not having to pay until the tickets are delivered. I am not a business but I use a printer contact and do this for schools and charities at a very low price so their funds can benefit.
Usually, they send me a cheque right away. However, after countless unanswered emails and letters to the parent who ordered them, letter and telephone conversation with the treasurer of the parents' association and letters and emails to the admin officer at the school, I have been assured the cheque was issued to the peson who ordered them and she apparently posted it and had it returned as undeliverable and has reposted it - even though I provided many alternative payment methods: account details to pay by online banking or over the counter at any HSBC or by PayPal.
I still have not received my money.
It may be only �81 but it is significant to me. I'm sure that they will want to order from me again next year (or even for a Christmas Fayre) and I don't want to penalise the school because one of the parents has been lax in sending me the payment cheque.
Any suggestions as to what I should do now?

[lawsanass]

If I were you I would have a little word with the headmaster/mistress and if it happens again explain that payment will have to be received before any printing can be done, use some excuse about being let down by other customers.

[chrisrob]

Thank you, lawsanass (much more helpful than Tetjam's comment!)
That's the course of action I was proposing. I don't know how much she gets involved with the Parents' Association (not all heads do - having been a deputy most of my career) or whether I'll ever receive this payment. But I have said they will lose their 10% discount at least.

[factor-fiction]

Offer to collect the cheque from whoever is supposed to send it.
Going forward, you could still offer 10% discount but only if paid in advance

[chrisrob]

An excellent suggestion, factor30, but it'd be an hour's drive each way. I'll go with the "10% discount if paid i advance" idea, though.

[loonytunes]

Just bear in mind that a cheque only represents cash and, if you haven't been paid, the cash is still in the bank account. They are allowed to spend up to 20 percent of the total proceeds on administration and therefore printing should be their only expense. So paying you should not be a problem. They are required to register with the local authority and send a return to them within 3 months showing how much they spent on expenses. If they told the LA that they paid you from the proceeds but did not, they hae committed an offence. More ammunition for the to tell the Head Teacher about.

[chrisrob]

Good point, loonytunes. I know they are registered with the local authority under the lotteries and amusements act of 1976 and, as you say, will need to have made their return. I guess the treasurer, having issued the cheque, has made that return in all good faith.
(I hope, however, the epenses in relation to the cost of the dra tickets was only about 6.5% of the yield.)

[johnny37]

I agree with factor30. Go and collect it.

ps Do youi declare this for tax?

[chrisrob]

When I make a profit, I declare it.
I used to run a small printing business using computers and colour laser printers (which is how I picked up my trade contact). Then I recorded all my losses.
If I drive over to collect it, can I charge for the two hours plus of my time and the fuel costs?

[JonnyBoy12]

If they have a Westie or Cocker Spaniel I would take that dog as payment instead. They are my favourite breeds of dog, as they would be worth way more than 81 pounds to me. Other than that I do not know how you could get the money back.