Recouvrement Export / Pratique : Sept modèles de lettres de relance en anglais

Un client export n’a pas respecté une échéance de paiement ? Il faut le relancer sans attendre si possible dans sa langue, à défaut en anglais. Et ne pas hésiter à le faire par téléphone, mais aussi par courrier et courriel.

Voici sept modèles de lettres de relance extraites de « La boîte à outils des pratiques de paiement à l’export » proposée par Jean-Claude Asfour, expert en techniques du commerce international, dans le Guide du Moci « Gérer les risques d’impayés à l’export » dont il est le principal auteur.

On notera que la fermeté s’accentue au fur et à mesure des envois, entre la lettre de relance n° 1 et la lettre de relance n° 7.

Lettre n° 1

September 30, 2016

John Doe and Co

1234 South Fifth

Anywhere, UK

Dear Sirs :

We enclose our statement of account showing an amount overdue for payment of : £ 50 000,00

Invoice n°      date of invoice                     amount

(Rédaction alternative : Our records show that the following invoices are past due :)

We would appreciate a prompt payment on receipt of this letter.

If you have already, please ignore this notice.

Sincerely

Lettre n° 2

October 15, 2016

John Doe and Co

1234 South Fifth

Anywhere, UK

Dear Sirs :

You did not respond to our first reminder of your overdue balance of £ 50 000.00.

If there is a reason for the delay, please let us know. Otherwise, a prompt payment will be much appreciated.

Sincerely,

Name

Title

Lettre n° 3

October 25, 2016

John Doe and Co

1234 South Fifth

Anywhere, UK

Dear Sirs :

Despite previous reminders, we are still carrying forward an overdue balance of :

£ or $ or… as shown below.

We are most concerned that we have not heard from you with your payment or reason why it has not been sent.

Would you kindly give this account your immediate attention.

Sincerely,

Name

Title

Lettre n° 4
(Final demand)

November 5, 2016

John Doe and Co

1234 South Fifth

Anywhere, UK

Dear Sirs :

We are sorry to note that despite our previous reminders this account remains unpaid and no reason has been advised to us for non – payment.

We must therefore inform you that unless we receive your payment in full settlement, by Swift transfer, within 10 days of the date of this letter, we shall be forced to take such action as may be necessary to collect the balance owing.

Yours faithfully

Lettre n° 5
(Peut être utilisée mixée avec la 4, dépend des circonstances et de l’organisation crédit de l’entreprise)

Dear Sirs :

Despite our reminders, this account remains unpaid long after it became due.

Please, note that unless your payment is received by Swift transfer, within 10 days from the date of this letter, we will have no other option that to take the following actions :

All other credit facilities will be withdrawn, and we will demand without any further notice immediate payment of all debts, whether outstanding or not.

Any further deliveries will be conditioned to full settlement of your debts.

We shall transfer your account as a bad debt to our credit insurers. (si assuré crédit, bien sûr !)

We shall immediately instruct our lawyers in your country to take Court actions to recover the debts and the costs of such actions will be added to the balance owing on this account.

Lettre n° 6
(Variante de la précédente)

Invoice (s) number

Amount(s)

Despite numerous reminders, we regret that  the above sum remains unpaid long after it became due.

We have stopped further deliveries to your firm until the amount overdue has been fully paid and until satisfactory arrangements are made por payments of future deliveries/

Our next step  will be to instruct our lawyers in your country to take Court actions to recover the debts and the costs of such actions will be added to the balance owing on this account.

No further referral will be made to you.

To insure reinstatements of deliveries, and to avoid futher legal action, make sure to initiate  a prompt payment on receipt of this final notice.

Lettre n° 7
(Demande de détails à un client qui prétend avoir payé)

Dear Sirs :

Thank you for your letter dated… in which you said your account has been paid. We have checked our records carefully but cannot trace this payment.

Would you be so kind as to return this letter with the following requested informations :

– Precise amount of payment

– Date of payment

– Type of payment

– Bank cable transfer

– If appropriate, Bank name to whom the payment has been made.

Jean-Claude Asfour
(extrait du Guide Moci Gérer les risques d’impayés à l’export, 2ème édition 2019)