Is my DS’s tutor being unreasonable

I wouldn't agree to that as a tutor. She already planned a lesson and isn't required to now do any further planning or adapting.

Of course you should still pay. You're not just paying for the lesson you're also paying for her time. She may have turned down other work to fit your Sons lesson in & therefore she needs paying for her time as she could've been earning elsewhere. Also if she's booked in advance she'll have an idea of her monthly income & will budget accordingly. Her outgoings won't change just because your circumstances do. She has offered an alternative time that suits her but you can't do that time. Again that's not her fault. How would you feel if you turned up to work & your boss said 'oh you're not needed today go home & we wont pay you?'

why does he need a tutor? He is in year 6 and is probably under enormous pressure at school. Give him a break!

You aren't her bloody saviour and recommending her to a few of your buddies doesn't entitle you to a chunk of her wages or excuse your late payments.

If you cancel, then she loses the money by rolling it over as she can’t get someone else in that slot. It’s his one of those things!

Well, of course she did. It works both ways. She cancels at short notice, she rolls the session over. You cancel at short notice, you pay. It's standard with any system like this, and I'm struggling to understand why you think she is being unreasonable.

Wow! Let’s hope your double rearrangements haven’t led her to cancelling plans and you still pay her. You’ll be lucky if she/he doesn’t drop you.

This is completely normal. She can’t book in someone else at that time at such short notice. I see a PT once a week and pay in blocks for 10 sessions in advance. If I have to cancel on the day, that is charged. If I cancel with 24 hours’ notice, it can roll over. Perfectly reasonable.

My mother is a retired primary school teacher and dyslexia specialist. She is too soft to insist people pay in advance and is therefore constantly chasing parents for payment for sessions they’ve had, and gets cancelled on last minute as there is no consequence for doing so. It’s disrespectful of people’s time. I would never do this to someone whose time I was paying for.

I can see we’re OP is coming from, but yes they are being unreasonable. If you are wondered why the tutor demanded being paid up front, I think you’ve answered your own question, lol.

I don’t know why you’re boasting about not ripping off an expert tutor.

Good! I hope you can now see how outrageous this all is.
If your tutor cancels then she would have to credit. Not if you cancel.

So now you've messed up her weekend too instead of just excepting you had to pay for the session 🙄

I can’t believe I’m even reading this.

It usual to charge for a cancellation with less than 48 hours notice, she has offered an alternative, what more can she do? Are you this difficult with your son

Please tell me you paid for the session

This.

Has @PWPmum come back yet to say she realises she was wrong? And has she apologised to the tutor for being difficult and entitled?

Since the pandemic there has been a huge surge of totally entitled children and parents.

And parents should not only be conscious of the fact that time is key, but also that whilst their child is not attending lessons that yes, they should pay for, but that there are probably children waiting for a place.

Contracts. Stick to them.

You have got to be kidding OP? If not, entitlement on a whole new level. I fear for the future of humanity when I read about such insular thinking.

You do realise this is her livelihood and not just doing you a favour

Just pay.

Don't be thick.

'But there will be no lesson today so part of me feels why should I pay?'

You have cancelled on the day and feel you should not have to pay, even though the tutor offered an alternative time at the weekend.

The tutor had to ask you to pay a month in advance because she was tired of chasing you for payment after each lesson.

The tutor would be well advised to seek more reasonable customers.

'But there will be no lesson today so part of me feels why should I pay?'

Because their time has been pre-booked and it's too late to find another source of income from the one they were expecting. This is standard practice.

'She’s offered to teach him at the weekend but we’re busy then.' This is MORE than fair, but it doesn't work for you. So your time is valuable, but the tutor's isn't?

Private tutor here. One of the biggest headaches in this business are parents who think the entire universe revolves around and could conform to their personal arrangements.

From the way I was often treated, as in the OP's original message, I concluded that I was considered a kind of lackey or menial, and had to dance to the parent's tune because they were paying me. It's a modern version of a throwback to Victorian attitudes to hired helps and servants. 'Oh darling it's such an awful bore that tiffin is double booked with Clara's tutor. Please tell her that her services are not required today.'