Received payment slip but the services were never conducted

Daily Life, Swiss News and General Topics
1
Hello all!

I would like your opinion on the matter. I have received a payment slip from a cleaning company for cleaning the outside of the appartment (we live in a block of appartments and they usually do that). However we never asked to clean the appartment and neither they have cleaned it.

I try many days to reach them (telephone, email, even went to the company) so that I can explain, but no answer. Do you know what happens if I don't pay the payment slip?

Thank you!

2
You need to check your contract- this is probably your part for the communal cleaning outside your appartment. If you can't get hold of them, talk to your landlord or agency ot clear up. You could be issued with a 'Betreibung' which has severe consequences in Switzerland, or have trouble with your tenancy.

3
Normally you have 30 days to pay the bill. This is plenty of time to clear the matter with your landlord/cleaning company as JakieH has suggested.

Not paying a bill will bite you in the back quite easily. Although in most cases they send a reminder free of charge

4
Which you can contest so that it doesn't go any further unless the other side pushes it further - which could entail costs for them up front.

5
You can only contest it if paying for part of communal cleaning by this Company is not part of your contract. You would not normally receiver the bill directly from them, but as part of your charges.

6
Is this a situation where having legal insurance would be helpful?

7
Possibly. But to contest it, you only need to declare such and the process stops - all very simple at that preliminary stage. The onus is then on the other side to get it going again - and they have to pay up front in some circumstances to do so. I've never had nor needed legal insurance in Switzerland.

8
It is certainly a situation where being a member of Mietverband or Asloca can really help. But surely, OP should be asking her landlord or Agency, and check contract.

9
Easy: send a registered letter stating clearly that the invoice is devoid of legal basis as you have not contracted them with any work.

I wouldn't do anything else (contact agency or whatsoever) - it is not your job. At most a courtesy call/email that you have received such an invoice.

10
Who pays for the registered letter ? if they did not request the service and neither is part of the contract, why would you need to spend time and money ? some of the things that I still don't understand in here, would you be able to charge them for any inconvenience (time and money spent to correct this ?)

11
Theoretically you could sue them for damages. Is it worth it? NO

Is it worth spending 6CHF to avoid the headaches of a Betreibung - even if unjustified? Yes

12
A recorded delivery letter franked online would only cost CHF 2.40, - there's no need to spend the full CHF 6.30 - which is the price of a registered one from the counter.

13
Thank you all for the information!! Really helpful!

The owner tried to convince us that we should do it once a year but didn't seem to understand that probably they never did this work... They still don't answer 😅

14
If you didn't order the work don't pay. The landlord or owner is the one who ordered (probably) and the bill goes to him.