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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think this us a bit dodgy (related to my cleaner)

37 replies

GColdtimer · 04/11/2014 22:03

My cleaner has been coming to me for about 3-4 years. Sometimes she brings a friend and they do an hour each rather than one person doing 2 hours. Makes no odds to me. Invariably the friend does not speak much English (they are Polish) and so I just pay my original cleaner £20 and presume they sort it out amongst themselves. She has probably brought 4 different friends over the last 3 years and always texts me first to ask if it is ok. She used to live near me but I found out they were recently evicted from their house for being over populated. I don't know where she lives now and for the last 3 weeks she has just sent her friend to clean and has text me to ask what I need doing. Each week I try to pay her friend but she refuses to take the money. My original cleaner keeps saying she will pick up the money but hasn't.

I now have £120 for her as my FIL has dropped his money off here for my cleaner to collect as well (he is in the same situation).

I am questioning why the friend won't take the money and wondering how the friend is being paid if I have all the cash here?

AIBU to think this is a very odd and to be a bit worried about the friend.

OP posts:
Momagain1 · 04/11/2014 22:09

Yes, to being worried, but not sure what you can do. Hold onto the money, of course, as when she does turn up she likely wont gave time to wait if you have inadvertently spent it on petrol because it was in your purse (i would do that, maybe you wouldn't).

If she is having housing problems, you would think she really needs the funds.

skylark2 · 04/11/2014 22:12

I would also be a bit worried about her.

Does the friend speak enough English for you to ask if she is ill?

I can't imagine a scam which involves not taking offered money...

Unexpected · 04/11/2014 22:21

I don't know what's going on but something funny is obviously happening. I would text her and say that you are no longer happy about her friend cleaning, as a one-off with her present it's fine, but not as an ongoing situation. Tell her how much money you have waiting for her and ask her to arrange a time to come and collect it. Hopefully you can have a conversation with her then.

Original poster
GColdtimer · 04/11/2014 22:32

I tried calling and sent a text earlier saying that I had the money here (in an envelope, I won't put it in my purse!!) and that I was worried about how she was paying her friend. I haven't heard anything back so will see if anyone turns up tomorrow. Apparently they left no forwarding address. DH thinks her friend could be being unfairly treated but she seems cheerful enough. English is limited to hello, how are you.

But as you say, not heard of a scam where people work for nothing for you!

OP posts:
Original poster
GColdtimer · 04/11/2014 22:37

I do wonder if my original cleaner is embarrassed. Apparently there were 10-12 adults living in a house designed for 5 and they left it in a bit of a state. I think her boyfriend invited lots of his friends to stay and they were loud and pretty obnoxious but this is only what their neighbours have told me. She probably doesn't want me to ask why they have moved out.

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Unexpected · 04/11/2014 22:41

How do you know so much about your cleaner, her eviction, overcrowding, mess of house? I don't even know where mine lives! Are you friends with her neighbours? Does she even know that you would be aware of why/how she has moved? It just seems unlikely that that is the reason she has not contacted you. I guess if she texts you tomorrow asking what cleaning you would like her friend to do that will have to be your opportunity to tell her not to send her anymore.

VanitasVanitatum · 04/11/2014 22:47

I would not be letting the friend work for free, you do not know if or when she will get paid. As she is the only one turning up she is the only one entitled to any of the money - you have no evidence of an agency arrangement or similar. Insist on paying her or terminate the arrangement immediately.

Original poster
GColdtimer · 04/11/2014 22:57

Yes unexpected, I know their neighbours quite well.

I did try and give the friend the money but she refused to take it. But I agree, it's not right. I am going to tell my cleaner I am not comfortable with this arrangement and why.

OP posts:
deste · 04/11/2014 23:03

Could she be running a cleaning business and will have money coming in. It's quite possible she is paying her from the other jobs, assuming she is running a business.

cozietoesie · 04/11/2014 23:09

I'd be guessing that this money was being 'saved up' to keep it safe from someone - and that would put you in a heck of a position for all sorts of reasons. I think you're right to discontinue the arrangement.

maddening · 04/11/2014 23:13

Get Google translate up on your tablet and type your message to her and translate in to polish - have another window open with translate set to translate polish to English so she can reply (and makes it easier than faring with the from and to bit) explain you have the money to give to her employer and ask how her employer wants the money paying.

GallbladderFairy · 04/11/2014 23:15

It does sound quite strange. Hopefully she will respond soon and all is ok. Good luck.

Original poster
GColdtimer · 04/11/2014 23:15

Good idea maddening.

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waithorse · 05/11/2014 06:15

This sounds so strange. Let us know if you get to the bottom of it.

londonrach · 05/11/2014 06:22

Good idea maddening. Not sure id allow the friend back in. Very strange behaviour. Wheres the orginal cleaner?

youbethemummylion · 05/11/2014 06:22

You do need to be able to communicate with the lady who is coming, its the only way you will get to the bottom of this

Original poster
GColdtimer · 05/11/2014 06:33

I am not sure London. I have offered to take the money round but she ignored that offer and I have no idea where she now lives. The first week couple of weeks I didn't think much of it (i think the friend lives with original cleaner) but last week I felt uncomfortable and thought I would talk to original cleaner when she came to pick up the money, but she never came.

I have sent a text explaining I am not happy with her friend coming in the future unless I can pay her and that she needs to come and pick up the money ASAP. My FIL has called her and said he no longer requires her services as he is not comfortable either. He just left a message so none the wiser there.

Will keep you posted!

OP posts:
MillionToOneChances · 05/11/2014 06:34

I'd suspect that, as she's been bringing a different friend every time, she's been training them up and testing them out to set up an agency. Like any other cleaning agency, she'll pay her friend a lower hourly rate than you pay to her. She takes the rest for sourcing clients for her non-english speaking cleaners and communicating with clients. I don't think the friend would come for 2 hours twice a week for 3 weeks if she wasn't being paid.

I doubt the house thing has anything to do with it.

unicycle · 05/11/2014 06:49

Such vivid imaginations! The most likely explanation is that she has more work than she can cope with and/or she would like to help some of her fellow countrymen so she has moved into running a business, though it's probably quite informal and they may not think of it like that. She has agreed to pay them a certain amount per job or per week and she has money coming from other jobs to make the payments. She's not going to pay over the whole amount received from the clients because she needs a wage as well. What the OP is holding onto may well be part of her wage.

YeGodsAndLittleFishes · 05/11/2014 06:58

Agree with Million. The person doing rhe cleaning is not picking up the money because that would involve getting it to her employer, and it sounds as it she is not all that local any more, so it would be inconvenient. If she is living in a shared house she might not have somewhere safe to keep that much money.
Your original cleaner might be ill, might have moved away, might be setting up a cleaning agency and be no longer available to clean all the places she does buisiness with. (Or she could have some personal reason such as becoming pregnant, having a sick relative to look after or needing better transport.)

Whatever the reason, she should let you know, as to keep you in the dark is erroding your trust in her. Not a good way to treat someone when you work in their home!

leeloo1 · 05/11/2014 07:09

I need a cleaner - one who doesn't require paying would be even better, so please send them my way. Grin
[ignoring odd conspiracy theory point of thread]

Although I once had a Polish painter. He painted the front of the house & we paid him. He was halfway through painting the back & never came back (leaving all his stuff in the kids' playhouse) . Calls to his mobile went unanswered. We eventually heard (through neighbours further down the street that he'd worked for) that he'd been deported. Sad

Original poster
GColdtimer · 06/11/2014 13:04

YeGods - they live together in the same house so could easily take it with her.

Anyway, no text and no cleaner and £140 still here. Two of my friends have had exactly the same experience with the same cleaner and are also perplexed. I will just have to wait until she comes for her money and ask her what is going on then.

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Carrie5608 · 06/11/2014 15:08

It would really concern me that there is a possible gang master / people smuggling element to this and that these girls could be at serious risk.

How sure are you that they are Polish?

Phone the police non emergency number for advice. This is exactly the kind of thing they ask you to report.

YeGodsAndLittleFishes · 06/11/2014 17:32

Same house? Hm that is a bit fishy. They have a right to work here as members of the EU if they are Polish. I'd be concerned about whether they were being paid at least the minimum wage, and what they were being charged for rent, etc. And whether they were free to spend their earnings how they liked, or had to get everything for your original cleaner. A lot of younger Polish people working here do so temporarily to send money back home to relatives. I'd want to check whether they could do that themselves or whwther they have a boss doing that too (or just saying they are). The police could check it out.

Original poster
GColdtimer · 06/11/2014 21:08

Her "friends" have always seemed happy enough but they do come and go. She has just text me to say friend will be here at 9 and she will come for the money at 11 when she leaves. I asked her if she was ok.

Definitely Polish. I will ask her friend if she is ok tomorrow by power of google translate!

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