Following on from some earlier posts on this where I raised the issue
at the time of getting the quotes, the quote that we'd most like to go
with looks like this (together with the stated payment terms)

(hope the wrapping on this doesn't make it too hard to read in some
newsreaders)


Cost of conservatory supplied - £8,837 (a)

Cost of installation - £720 (b)
(paid directly to installer)

Planning approval - £400 (c)
(paid direct to architect)

Cost of building works, including - £1,980 (d)
base, brickwork, electrics etc
(paid direct to tradesmen)

TOTAL -£11,937



The payment terms are as follows:

Deposit with order - 2,837 (1)

Planning fee - £400 (2)

Building works completion - 1,805 (3)

Delivery of conservatory - 6,000 (4)

Completion of electrics - 175 (5)

Installation completion - 720 (6)

TOTAL - 11,937


Although it doesn't specifiy who the actual payments are to be made
to, obviously (1) + (4) + (a), (2) = (c), (6) = (b), and (3) + (5) =
(d)

My problem with this is that by the time the conservatory has been
delivered to site, but not erected, I've paid over £11,000 of the
total bill, with only (5) and (6) outstanding.

Furthermore, neither of the outstanding amounts is payable to the
conservatory supplier. (ie the people I'm doing business with), but to
their subcontractors, who I'm supposed to pay direct. In effect, the
conservatory supplier is paid their part in full by the time they
deliver the unit to site, before its even been touched.

[Note: given the time taken to process planning applications, which is
not within the control of the supplier, the supplier has stated that
they would reduce the deposit payable (1) to a nominal amount until
planning has been granted. This would then increase the balance
payable (4) by a corresponding amount]

Now, I'm not trying to nail the supplier to the floor on this - I
understand that everyone has to make a living along the way - but my
preference would be for two things:

i) all payments made by me, with the possible exception of the
planning costs, I would like to be paid to one supplier - the
conservatory company - and leave them to sort out payment to their
subcontractors

ii) I'd like to still be holding somewhat more than 10% of the total
cost, say £1,500 - £2,000, until the project is completed to my
satisfaction.

Before I propose something like this to the supplier, my questions are

- Am I being unreasonable?

- If they don't even want to go with option i), and insist that all
the suppliers should be paid separately, should I even go ahead with
them?

- If they would go for i) but not ii), or alternatively ii) but not
i), what would be a good compromise solution?

I'm satisfied that the quality of the proposed product looks OK (its
a Shield Conservatory) and the quote is somewhat less than others,
(which have been up to £19,700 for essentially the same thing), so if
possible I'd like to find a way to take something back to them that
would work

Thanks for any guidance

Brian