Think I've been scammed!

[confusedlots]

I'm usually very aware of potential scams and so I'm so annoyed I didn't spot anything

Cleaning service has been popping up on my Facebook lots lately, works in my area, posting quite frequently on our local Facebook page and so I started following the company as I was thinking of getting a cleaner. Recently nominated for a local
Business award (or so they said) and recently expanded the business, great reviews (although on hindsight the reviews were cut and pasted into FB posts.

Over 1k followers, including some people I know (who are all pretty sensible and astute). Advertised some slots left for Christmas deep cleans a few weeks ago and I contacted them, she was pretty responsive, asked the right questions and said there was a £50 deposit which I transferred.

Clean was meant to be due today. At the weekend I realised I had only given her my postcode, not my full address, and started to think it was a bit odd she hadn't been in contact for my address. Sent message on Saturday to check all ok for today (not giving my address as I was starting to feel something might not be right). No reply. Sent another message late on Sunday evening.

In the meantime I decided to google the owner. Struck off a professional register last year (for a healthcare related job) as had received a criminal conviction. Newspaper articles about the conviction and suspended jail sentence. Funnily, she says in her posts that she DBS checks anyone who works for her!

Eventually got a reply to my message. Another girl was due to do my clean but her son is sick. The owner could instead do it later in the day or the other girl would be back the next day. Recent FB posts suggest they are fully booked right up to Christmas so this doesn't seem right either.

I haven't replied and don't plan to. I obviously don't want this lady in my house. I've lost my deposit and I'll have to put that down to experience.

If it is a scam, I don't understand why others haven't left bad comments on her FB posts (there are very few comments but I've now noticed quite a few angry face emojis). Her page looks very professional. I can't find any evidence that she's been nominated for the award she says she has been. And I found that someone else has set up a fake profile similar to her's and commented on a few older posts to saw she's a scammer, and the owner has commented back to say that this is completely untrue.

Annoyed at the situation, but also feeling so down because the house had really got on top of me, we're hosting Christmas and I was so looking forward to getting it cleaned and not having to think about it myself. Clearly I won't get anyone else to do it now at this late stage.

From what you’ve said is it possible she is semi genuine but just a bit crap?
sounds like the kind of job someone might have if they’ve lost their previous career

I sent it by bank transfer. The thing is she hasn't actually refused to come as she's offered to come later or send the other girl tomorrow. I have doubts that either of them would turn up and I obviously don't want this woman in my house or to give her my address, so think I may just have to forget about the deposit unfortunately.

How did you pay? I'd request a refund. They haven't provided the service through no fault of your own. They took the money and didn't do the job. You are now not happy with their reliability amongst other things. If they refuse to give you the money back contact the bank and ask them to reverse the charge.

Sounds more like this to me. Ex convicts need to work too.

It doesn’t necessarily sound like a scam. More like they are just rubbish/disorganised/hit and miss to deal with.

On the basis the rearranged time doesn't work for you could you ask for your deposit back?

Sorry to hear this OP

Yes to be fair there’s a chance it could be

bit some things mentioned make it sound unprofessional/fishy so I’d give it a swerve

Yes they sound unprofessional but not a scam. If you want to refuse service and leave them with your deposit, go for it.

This. You paid a deposit based on a clean happening on 16th, if this isn’t happening then you should mention you cannot accommodate another time and want your deposit back.

So they've just earned £50 from you for doing absolutely fuck all?

I don't understand why you would send £50 to a total stranger by bank transfer to begin with - I run my own business (not cleaning, but similar in that I go to peoples homes) and I have never once asked for payment upfront like that.

Yeah I can't quite work it out either.

There are clearly some lies on her FB page like being nominated for a local business award, and clearly some people are unhappy with the service if they are leaving angry emojis.

But there are no negative comments and if she is scamming others or even just offering a rubbish service by taking deposits and not replying to some messages, then I would expect to see some negative feedback somewhere.

She can't genuinely be looking to build up her business if she's not bothered about offering a decent service.

But the criminal conviction and striking off from a professional register has been the deciding factor for me. How could I feel comfortable leaving her in my house?

She can just delete negative comments though, it's very easy. I delete scam comments off my business page all the time.

You've not been scammed.

I wouldn't leave anyone in my house that I didn't know. I would make sure I was there whilst they were cleaning

We had a cleaner for an end of tenancy clean and she sent an invoice after the work was done.

I think it's just a bit rubbish service.

But I do think you are a bit unreasonable to expect someone to contact you immediately over the weekend before Christmas's.

Ask for a refund or rearrange

Not a scammer as such but a rubbish businesswoman with staff problems.

She's employing cheap labour and that always comes with unreliability.

Is there any chance you could be home when she comes OP? That would surely be preferable to losing your £50.

Yes lesson learnt, I willingly sent her the £50 so I have to accept that. I guess it seemed genuine enough if she was taking on new clients she didn't know coming up to Christmas with the potential for them to cancel last minute and her lose the work. And she has a professional looking FB page with over 1k followers, some of whom I know, which gave me a false sense of reassurance.

I wasn't planning to leave her in the house on her own today. I was planning to be here this morning and see how it went, with the potential to have her start a regular clean in the new year. I can't imagine it being possible to always stay in the house for a couple of hours every fortnight when the cleaner is there? What if you need to pop out to do the school run? Or do people make sure they are in the house at all times when their cleaner is there if they have one?

And I wasn't expecting an immediate reply over the weekend. But as I was expecting her to be here first thing Monday morning, there would have had to have been some sort of contact for her to get my address?

Why do you have to accept losing £50?

Blatant scammer. And judging by the number of people who are giving her the benefit of the doubt it’s easy to see how.

Criminal conviction (what was it for?).

Lied about an award she didn’t receive.
No negative comments will be because she deletes them and then blocks the commenters, hence why there is a second group to out her.

Firstly I would ask for your £50 back. but I would also report her to FB/the local police, and if you don’t get back your £50 then speak to your bank’s fraud team.

How do you explain the criminal conviction plus the lies about the award she’s never received? Added to which there are no negative comments on her page? That will be because she removes them.

Come on. It’s because people are this gullible that scammers end up being so successful.

And a scam like this is easy to fall for. There are hundreds of cleaners advertising on my local facebook page. If they look professional it’s easy to see how someone in need of a cleaner might fall for one of them.

Tbf, you've not given her a chance, have you? The job is booked for today.

You've not been scammed. You're just prejudiced.

She still planning to come? Currently you haven't been scammed. Either say it doesn’t work and ask for deposit back or let her come and be there while she cleans.

It's a shame if she is scamming you, she can delete comments but she can't delete emojis people have clicked. Some even turn off comments.

If it were me I'd contact her and pretend all is ok and you're not suspicious of her and say that the later time doesn't suit you and as she can't fulfil the original agreement you would like your deposit back, if she disappears then you'll know she's a scammer.

Personally I wouldn’t want her or her ‘employees’ in my home.