Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU to ask you what I shall reply to this email?

119 replies

BornToShopForcedToWork · 30/03/2012 21:39

We are looking for somebody who come with us on holiday to Spain for a week, to help us for a maximum of 5h a day but it will be always be less unless something unexpected happens in return for flights, a room, food und a reasonable salary. The only duties are preparing breakfast for four people, and driving us down to the beach/whatever activity we do and pick us up in the evening and cook an easy and healthy meal. Some nights we will go out for a dinner and we won't go every day to the beach but stay in the little village where the house is. The main reason we need somebody is because nobody of us drives and we looked for somebody local but didn't have any luck. The person would have the whole day between roughly 11am until 5/6ish off and could either join us at the beach or do whatever she/he fancies.

I have now received a very nasty email from somebody who applied to the ad on Gumtree and I don't know what to reply. Shall I be nice or not?

That's the email:

5 hour a day x 7 days - 35 hours a week this is NOT a free holiday are you nuts?! Or are you tight?!
As they say there is no such thing as a free lunch; a holiday = a rest!
This is slave labour while you get chaffured around and the person works like a slave with split hours and at your beck and call!!!!! Funny how you don't know any one personally friend, family, neighbour or someone through someone that has taken you up on your "wonderful offer", I wonder why?
Oh I can just imagine.. could you just do this, could you just do that oh and by the way while you are sweeping the room with a broom up your backside could you just do that! I have worked for people like this before!
You can get a package deal for three hundred pounds all inclusive to Spain.
Honestly the new monied people = no class!
I am also sure that this is legal under EEC regs!
Good luck!

OP posts:
larks35 · 30/03/2012 22:07

£200-£250 is a reasonable salary, I take it back OP. It's a good offer and I would have gone for it myself back when I was a student. I still think you should ignore the email though, not worth engaging with.

slowestwildebeast · 30/03/2012 22:10

I'll do it. :) on a serious note though, surely it's more expensive to pay someone to go than to get taxis etc. Will you have to hire a car for them as well?

exoticfruits · 30/03/2012 22:10

It is tempting to go for MrsTerryPratchets reply but I think it is much the best to ignore-don't give her the satisfaction of knowing that you saw it and read it.

ParryMoppins · 30/03/2012 22:11

Sounds like a great job, the reply was definitely cheeky. It's not like you said they will be on holiday, just that they will have some time to themselves. I think it sounds fair.

Not sure I would reply.

(I wish I could do it! Fancy going a week earlier? Then I could make it Wink)

slowestwildebeast · 30/03/2012 22:11

I'll do it. :) on a serious note though, surely it's more expensive to pay someone to go than to get taxis etc. Will you have to hire a car for them as well?

lizziebennet · 30/03/2012 22:17

OP location bit makes sense now.

I just can't imagine much worse than having some stranger hanging about my holiday. Mopeds/bikes not an option?

Still find the breakfast thing pretty odd, sorry.

Maryz · 30/03/2012 22:19

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

gabsid · 30/03/2012 22:27

Wouldn't it be cheaper to get taxis? Package for a week is about £400 - I am sure you wouldn't pay that much for a taxi to the beach/restaurants each day.

or

Book a hotel by the beach, do organised trips, use local buses there really are cheaper ways to get around!

and

pop in your own toast in the morning!

cestlavielife · 30/03/2012 22:28

The photo is of a large town not a quiet village. Misleading !

It is only good for someone very independent who doesn't mind having five hours per day to sit o n beach alone....
If others have app
If others have replied then just ignore this email

ImperialBlether · 30/03/2012 22:33

Have they got to provide their own car?

Why do you want a random stranger hanging around? Are you sure you're not going to get them to do the cleaning? Can't you eat breakfast out?

blubberyboo · 30/03/2012 22:35

i can see the logic if taxis are going to cost 120 euro per day that's 840 euros for the week ...so £250 plus car rental is much cheaper plus the bonus of a little extra pampering ie meals prepared and washing up done.

its actually a good idea if you are comfortable with having a stranger about - tho u prob won't see that much of them if they do their own thing

plus u didn't advertise it as a free holiday did you?

blubberyboo · 30/03/2012 22:37

oh just checked out your ad..you did use the word free

i guess that is what has got their back up..

PimpMyTunnel · 30/03/2012 22:40

When someone asked why you werent capable of making your own breakfast you replied 'I need them to just lay the plates'. And then at the end of the advert you say ' Salary will depend on qualifications'. May I ask why you need qualifications to lay a few plates and drive you to the beach?

blueemerald · 30/03/2012 22:41

If I could drive I'd do it in a heartbeat! I would recommend advertising at your local schools for TAs (I am one in a special school) as you'll get someone CRB checked and with experience with children and they'll get a pretty decent holiday and a weeks "extra" pay (many TAs don't get paid in the holidays/get paid peanuts).

WhaleOilBeefHookedIWill · 30/03/2012 22:43

Is your name lady muck of turd hall? Wtf is the issue with putting your own plates out for breakfast??????

ImperialBlether · 30/03/2012 22:46

Would you prefer her to keep her money to herself, Whale, rather than giving someone a job for a week?

Teeb · 30/03/2012 22:49

It doesn't sound very appealing to me, having someone from an ad on gumtree on my holiday and in my apartment for a week.

Would it be possible to make an arrangement with the local taxi firm in Spain? As you'd be 'regular' custom for the week, if it could be somewhere around £300-500 for the trips you do want to take.

ilikecandyandrunning · 30/03/2012 22:54

Why are so many people being so snidey? If you don't like the ad or what the op is offering you don't have to apply! Bloody hell! Chill out people!

Good luck in your search op

MistyB · 30/03/2012 22:56

I think your advert does sound slightly "entitled"!! It's not a salary if it's only for a week and it's not a free holiday, it's 35 hours work, in a foreign country!! Also, use of the phrase "interview" is rather "bigging up the part".

I suspect your responder did have a bee in his / her bonnet at the time but I also think that you could have worded the advert so that you did not come across, as a poster up the thread has said, as "lady muck".

(apologies for use of "excessive quote marks", they seemed to be needed!!)

aquashiv · 30/03/2012 23:00

Dont give fuel to the angry person just dont tis not worth it......

RhinosDontEatPancakes · 30/03/2012 23:04

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ZacharyQuack · 30/03/2012 23:06

I'll do it. I'll need flights from NZ please.

poinsetta · 30/03/2012 23:08

I would have thought you could do a deal with a local taxi driver and a local housemaid. Far better than having a stranger sharing your holiday. It is a rude email but I would ignore it, could be someone having a bad day for all kinds of reasons.

bringbacksideburns · 30/03/2012 23:10

Are you sure that you don#t know someone who could help you out? Don't your family in the village know anyone ?!

It sounds dodgy picking up some random off Gumtree tbh

VelmaDaphne · 30/03/2012 23:18

I think your advert is rather unrealistic if you think it could be done in 5 hours. Presumably this person will need to do all the food shopping, as they will have the car?

It sounds to me like a chalet maid job, with additional duties of driving and preparing breakfast. Chalet maids only get a handful of hours each day to ski, and that's without having to ferry the clients around.

On the subject of the e-mail however, I simply wouldn't reply.