I live in Basel and owe 80 CHF to a local business (sports / exercise gym) for an item purchased from them ~5 months ago.
Unfortunately they refused to accept cash at the time and said that payment could only be via invoice. Although they claim to have sent the invoice, I have to date not yet received an invoice from them. Accordingly I requested that they send me a PDF (via email) or to physically mail a paper invoice to my postal address.
Compounding the problem are the following:
1) I don't know the IBAN for this company and am unable to obtain it.
2) Even if I knew the IBAN, there is no invoice number to reference in an electronic payment
3) The company owner has since moved to Portugal (apparently to a remote region without internet or cell service) and we have been unable to reach him.
4) I have visited the business 1/2 dozen times since then and despite the business is open, no administrators are on-site to accept payment.
Since I only know the business name and their physical postal address, I thought about sending 80 CHF cash to them in an envelope. But then I wouldn't have proof that they received it.
Questions:
Given the above, is there some way to send a bank draft, money order, or personal check to this company via the Swiss Post? Am I at risk at having a negative entry on my financial record as a result of the above situation? Are there any other options to pay someone in situations like this?
Any advice appreciated. Big thanks in advance.
Rgds...
-John
My advice: wait for the invoice. If a company doesn't invoice, the business is obviously not so important for them.
I would send them a registered letter detailing all your efforts and difficulties in finding a way to pay them and tell them that they should provide you with clear account details (by a certain date, if you're feeling like you just want shut of them) so you can make payment.
Given all your Herculean efforts so far, I don't think you can be challenged for dodging the bill.
Sounds like they don't even want it.
I updated my original post to reflect that the business claims to have sent an invoice but that I have not yet received it. I requested multiple times for them to email PDF invoice or to post paper invoice to my home address. But so far nothing received.
Rgds...
- John
The problem may be that the red and orange payment slips can no longer be used, they became obsolete on September 30 or roughly at the time of your purchase.
Personally, I wouldn't let that bother me. You've done your part, the ball is in their court. Just make sure you have evidence to back up your story, especially that they refuse cash.
All the advice you've gotten here is sound.
Don't send cash, get a real invoice, if they won't send one even after all your efforts, then it's not your problem.
The certified letter is icing on your cake of maximum effort.
And if the business owner lives somewhere without internet or phone service (i.e., there's nowhere like that) then they're just being stupid.