Daring to speak out about late payment on Twitter could cost one woman £120,000 in fines and legal costs - all because of an unpaid £146 invoice.
The BBC reports that 55-year-old Lesley Kemp of Milton Keynes carried out £146 of transcription work for a company based in Qatar.
But when Resolution Productions paid her late - and expected her to cover the cost of their own £25 bank charges - Ms Kemp vented her frustrations on Twitter.
Read more: Name-and-shame 'Horror' Could Cost Creditor £120k
As a fully licensed debt collection company that has been incorporated since 1984, we have a long history in providing advice on how to choose an ethical and trustworthy debt collection partner. But unfortunately sometimes this message doesn't get through to those that really need it and many businesses up and down the country can find themselves unwittingly in bed with unlicensed, unregulated and unethical 'debt recovery' companies.
Read more: Another ‘Cowboy’ Debt Collection Company Liquidated
Sometimes, businesses fail. If a failed company is a customer of yours it can be an expensive and potentially disastrous situation.
In most cases their will be little you can do, except wait and see if any money is left for creditors when the affairs of the company are formally finalised.
Read more: When Your Customer Goes Bust - ICM & BIS Managing Cashflow Series Part Ten
A married couple and their son have been banned as company directors after failing to pay more than £186,000 in tax. Heather & Lance Shepherd and their son James Shepherd, who ran a company called Shepherd Security Ltd in Preston have been disqualified from acting as directors for a total of 15 years following an investigation by the insolvency service.
