Supplied $80,000 of materials and now the customer has gone silent?

Start with the paperwork, not the chasing

When a customer goes quiet after delivery, the first mistake is to keep ringing the same number and hoping for a better answer. Start with your terms of trade and check whether they include a retention of title clause, because that tells you whether you kept an interest in the goods if payment is missed. Under the PPSA, the form of the deal matters less than whether the arrangement secures payment. ([legislation.gov.au](https://www.legislation.gov.au/C2009A00130/2024-10-14/2024-10-14/text/original/epub/OEBPS/document_1/document_1.html?utm_source=openai))

Then check whether your file actually matches the deal. If the terms were sent after the order, or the customer traded on different paperwork, your leverage may be weaker than you think. ASIC’s guidance for suppliers on credit says retention of title clauses and PPSR registration are the key protections to look for, especially where goods may later be processed or assembled into something else. ([asic.gov.au](https://asic.gov.au/about-asic/contact-us/reporting-misconduct-to-asic/protecting-yourself-when-you-supply-goods-and-services-on-credit/?utm_source=openai))

Confirm the PPSR position today

A retention of title clause is useful, but it is not the whole story. ASIC says the best way to protect a security interest is to register it on the PPSR, and the legislation confirms that a security interest can arise even if title wording says otherwise. If you have not checked the registration, do that before you assume you can rely on the clause alone. ([asic.gov.au](https://asic.gov.au/about-asic/contact-us/reporting-misconduct-to-asic/protecting-yourself-when-you-supply-goods-and-services-on-credit/?utm_source=openai))

This matters because an unperfected security interest can lose priority, and a buyer may take goods free of it in some cases. For a supplier, that means a missing or late registration can turn a practical recovery option into an ordinary unpaid debt. That is not a reason to panic, but it is a reason to check the register now, not next week. ([legislation.gov.au](https://www.legislation.gov.au/C2009A00130/2024-10-14/2024-10-14/text/original/epub/OEBPS/document_1/document_1.html?utm_source=openai))

Source: Official guidance

Find the goods before you decide the next step

The next question is physical, not legal: where are the goods now? If they are still on site, sitting in a yard or waiting in storage, you may still have a realistic path to trace and identify them. If they have already been installed or mixed into other materials, the recovery picture changes quickly and your leverage usually shifts toward payment pressure rather than pickup. ([asic.gov.au](https://asic.gov.au/about-asic/contact-us/reporting-misconduct-to-asic/protecting-yourself-when-you-supply-goods-and-services-on-credit/?utm_source=openai))

Get the delivery dockets, job photos, stock notes and site messages into one file. If the goods are identifiable, keep that evidence separate from anything else on the job. If they are not, write that down too. You do not want to guess about the location of stock when the value of the claim may depend on whether the goods can still be distinguished from the finished work. ([asic.gov.au](https://asic.gov.au/about-asic/contact-us/reporting-misconduct-to-asic/protecting-yourself-when-you-supply-goods-and-services-on-credit/?utm_source=openai))

Put the demand in writing and stop more credit

Once the facts are straight, send a written demand. Business.gov.au says that if an invoice is not being paid, a letter of demand is a sensible next step after reminders have failed. Keep it short, firm and specific: what was supplied, when payment was due, what remains unpaid and what you want by when. ([business.gov.au](https://business.gov.au/people/disputes/write-a-letter-of-demand?utm_source=openai))

At the same time, stop further supply on credit until the account is brought up to date or a fresh written arrangement is in place. Continuing to deliver while the first invoice is ignored can make the debt bigger and weaken your position. If the customer needs more product to finish the job, that is useful leverage, but only if you do not hand over more stock without control. ([asic.gov.au](https://asic.gov.au/about-asic/contact-us/reporting-misconduct-to-asic/protecting-yourself-when-you-supply-goods-and-services-on-credit/?utm_source=openai))

Lock the file this week and get the next move right

By the end of the week, aim to have one clean file: your terms, the PPSR result, the delivery evidence, the current location of the goods, and the written demand. That file is what turns silence into a recoverable position. If the customer still will not respond, you are no longer dealing with vague frustration. You are dealing with a documented recovery problem. ([asic.gov.au](https://asic.gov.au/about-asic/contact-us/reporting-misconduct-to-asic/protecting-yourself-when-you-supply-goods-and-services-on-credit/?utm_source=openai))

If you want help working through the terms, the PPSR position and the best recovery path, contact CRP today about debt recovery. CRP coordinates independent qualified professionals, so you can get practical support on the next step without wasting more time on silence. This article is general information only and not legal advice for your situation. ([asic.gov.au](https://asic.gov.au/about-asic/contact-us/reporting-misconduct-to-asic/protecting-yourself-when-you-supply-goods-and-services-on-credit/?utm_source=openai))