Mother told her friend she doesnt have to pay me?

How much did you quote her?

I think any attempt to recoup your losses at this point would only cause ill-feeling. Moving forward, I think you just have to suck it up on this one occasion, but tell your mum that you can't work for that rate again - it was a once only deal. If mum's friend wants to engage your services again, make sure she knows the £10 rate was a one-off and be very clear what you are charging. Make sure she gets your rates in writing. Invoice her when /if you work for her again. And if mum wants you to work for anyone else, tell her she has to give them your phone number so you can do the deal yourself.

Message the woman and explain you need the full amount, and arrange to go to get it. Don’t involve your DM at any point in the future. Don’t accept any commissions via her either.

1st poster nails it. You are an adult and had made your own arrangement. So I would ask for remainder of the money, and tell the friend that you had offered a reasonable rate as she was your mother's friend. All future work will be charged at 150%.

Is this your business, can you not just send her an invoice with a note saying your mother misunderstood?

This. OP, as a freelancer my blood is boiling for you. Why is freelance work (and particularly women's freelance work, in my experience) still not taken seriously/treated as pin money work?!

You supplied a professional service. Your mum was bang out of order decided you only needed to be paid peanuts for it.

"I'm sorry, but the price we agreed is what you owe me, not £10. That would work out at just over £2 per hour. I'm sure you can see that that is a ridiculously low price. Please don't involve my mum in this again and post the money due through my door."

Let’s hope it’s just this, and not that the intermediary mother has siphoned some off in between … !

Your mother opened an envelope addressed to you, rather than passing it on unopened? That’s a problem, right there.

You need to speak to your mum. Make her understand that the friend - client - is using your services and should pay your rate. You are an expert in the field and she isn't, and that's what she's paying you for. If she could do it herself, she wouldn't need to engage you.

I used to be like this - have done work for two friends who didn't end up paying and I didn't ask, because I was too embarrassed. I feel taken advantage of. Then my hairdresser told me a friend of hers had popped in after school with her little boy and asked her to give him a trim. No probs. Then the friend said, "You won't charge me, will you?" Hairdresser said of course she would charge! It's her livelihood. Clients want the skills she studied for, or she can cut his hair herself. No need to be embarrassed. So that was a lesson for me.

She did put it in a sealed envelope. The ops mum opened the envelope.

I would tell your mum she needs to make up the shortfall

I would have a long, heart to heart chat with Mother, and I would begin that chat with, " Now see here, you little weasel..."

Your Mum should pay you, if she wants to give a gift to HER friend. Sorry OP..how annoying 💐

The second hand embarrassment I have reading this thread 😬 I’d be furious with my mum but I’d rather pass away than text the woman to ask her for the full amount.

I would however badge it as a one off and tell her full rates apply going forward.

This is the way to proceed.

I think you should at least explain to her it was a one off and you can’t work for that amount moving forwards. What an awkward position your mum has put you in.

I would be explains to your mother that it’s work, therefore you need to be paid the amount agreed so is she going to to pay the difference or ask her friend

i would then tell her friend that it’s a business and your mother has no right to reduce the fee and therefore any further work will be at £xx per hour. I would also add they she needs to speak to your mother to agree who will be paying for the work already done

I would also insist in further she pays direct into your bank account, or if cash it is given to you and not your mother

Your mother was well out of order. Friend should have put it a sealed envelope to give to you or else deliver to you personally.

Lesson to be learned from this: do not do any work for mum's friends from now on.

Your mum should pay the outstanding amount for sticking her beak in.

You need a very serious conversation with your mother pointing out everything you have said in this thread. Also tell her NOT to refer any of her friends to you, as you have to earn a living.

It's one time. It's not "bad business". I've had, for example, DP's brother do work for us, and we left envelopes of cash at their mum's for him to pick up. It's normal. The difference is, DP's mum wouldn't have even thought of opening an envelope that wasn't hers! The fault is NOT with OP here.

Translation work is laborious - your mum has no idea.

I trained as an interpreter/translator at university, though I finished up teaching instead. I'd rather do interpreting than translating - much less stressful.

I've done both as favours for work and for friends, but I pick and choose. Nothing high level - I interpreted for parents at my work in a secondary school: the parents used to request that I be there. I've helped friends with style checking translations and I once spent hours translating research on 'Female Urinary Incontinence' for a colleague's sister - the sister was a researcher at a Scottish university.

I once had a charity trying to take advantage of me. I'd approached them, hoping to find bereavement counselling. Then I was asked to help interpreting...

Okay, I agreed to that. I was a bit vulnerable at the time and felt guilted into it. Next thing, I got a phone call from their head office in another town wanting me to translate "a short leaflet" from English into another language. I explained that they really needed a native language style checker, in that case. Oh, no need...They'd use A.I. I explained why that was a bad idea.

Anyway, they emailed me the leaflet. Short it was not.

I made a start on it. Then I was contacted by yet another person who wanted to check 'for legal and ethical reasons' whether I was a registered independent translator or registered with a translating firm.

I very happily told her that I was not and - regretfully - would have to withdraw my help.

In your case, I don't know whether I'd have the backbone to demand the money, @OP , but I'd sure as heck refuse to do any more work for your mum's friends.

Take her to the small claims court if she's not hard up. In fact warn that as a business you'll need to recover your losses.

You've had some good response suggestions here. It's definitely a "there appears to be a misunderstanding, the amount we agreed upon is still the amount owed, minus the £10 I've received." or whatever, there's better suggestions in the thread.

Does your mother speak this language as well? Maybe she should offer her services.

Everyone thinks translating and admin is easy until they have to do either of those things. If it's so easy, do it yourself. Get AI to figure out your paperwork. And we know online translations are always perfect.

You're running a business. You've invoiced the client for the amount originally agreed upon; treat this as a debt and pursue it as you would any client in arrears. She knows what she owes you and was prepared to pay it, no reason she can't now. Your mother's interference, while all kinds of wrong, doesn't negate the contract. In future, be clear up front how you accept payment and that there are no exceptions.

If you want to let the difference go this time for whatever reason, that's up to you but be prepared for word to get around and possibly more issues in the future. Don't bother arguing with your mother as if she has no respect for your work she isn't going to develop it at this late stage - just keep her 100% out of it from now on.