Accused of being a thief

[lemondropcake]

I recently got back into horse riding after a few years break. Enjoying my lessons so far.
On my first lesson I got in my car and drove off without paying by mistake. They called me to say I hadn't paid. I then drove the half an hour back to pay them as I was embarrassed and didn't want them thinking that I just didn't pay.
This week I had another lesson. I went to my car after the lesson to get my money. I gave it to one of the instructors on the yard but it wasn't the lady who taught me as she seemed to have disappeared. The lady who took my money also booked me in for this weeks lesson.
I have just had a text saying my instructor didn't receive any payment and they have asked the othet instructors and are now refusing to book me another lesson.
I feel hurt and embarrassed. They think I'm some sort of thief. I paid thirty quid for a half hour lesson and someone is denying they took the money.
I was enjoying my lessons and now I don't know what to do!

Surely they can identify her because she taught the lesson before yours. That and your description of her will identify her.

See if she booked you another lesson or not, note the time it happened, who else was around near the scene of the crime at that time.

Could it be they think the money is for the next lesson, and you haven't paid for the last lesson?

Yes your right going in guns blazing is only going to make it worse.
To be honest I'm not sure I can face it. Going there and trying to justify myself when I have done nothing wrong.
I'm worried the relationship will be ruined now anyway. They clearly don't trust me after the first lesson, even though I went out my way to put it right straight away. An honest mistake. But to be pulled up about not paying when I actually did, I'm just fed up now.
Not sure I want to be giving them my money if they are going to lose it like that anyway.

I'd still go up. I wouldn't have someone call me a liar.

I'm hoping it's a misunderstanding. I'd go back, in person, at the time the other woman is supposed to be there. I would say "I'm sure when you were asked you simply couldn't put a face to my name, but I'm the woman who handed you $X (2 x $20 or whatever it was) on X date, remember? I asked you to book me in for the following week?"

Hopefully she says yes. If she says no, you need to have your response ready. "I'm sure it was you because I recall you were doing X, and you were wearing Y and Z was nowhere around. You didn't write the booking in the diary which I thought was odd. Now I understand mistakes happen but I'm really quite shocked that you would take my money and now claim you don't recall doing so. Surely you keep good books here and your books didn't balance? Or surely you got home, got changed and realised you have $X in your pocket that you shouldn't have?

Again hopefully she suddenly remembers. If she doesn't: "I'm sorry about this. I know I paid and I know I paid you. I'm not paying again and I can't risk taking another lesson and having the same kind of mismanagement happen again. I really feel awful about this. You've done my actual instructor out of money for last time, and now for the future. At the very least you taught me to always get a receipt from my next venue!"

Blimey. I was involved in a riding school on an admin level and we receipted everything as there was insurance involved and our books were subject to auditing, like any other business. Handing cash over to an instructor was unheard of. I'd be finding myself a more professional school tbh. Are they properly registered? They sound so casual I would be worried about their insurance arrangements in case of an accident.

Putting the whole payment issue aside, although I'm not for one minute minimising how you feel. You've had plenty of good advice from other posters. Try looking at this from another angle - why would you want to return to that particular riding school for lessons? Their service and attention to customer safety is awful, and that would make me question the quality of their tuition, establishment and horse welfare. A comment you made earlier raised my hackles - on your 2nd lesson a young girl handed you your horse and you walked it yourself to have a lesson. That is shocking. Did they just assume that you were capable of handling a horse on your own? What about tack/rider/safety checks - did they even take place or were you expected to do those yourself? I understand that you stated you were returning to lessons after a few years break, but that doesn't mean that they know your competence level. Seriously, think of this as an opportunity to find a better riding school rather than a failure to restart your hobby.

Apologies - was ranting too much to lay out in paragraphs.

They sound like a shower of shite!! If you can't find another riding school then have a look on the local horse forums and see if anyone has something you could part loan and have private lessons on.

They don't know you. All they know is that you drove off without paying. (Although they should remember you came back.)

Now no one can recall taking your money and you don't have a receipt so it looks bad. But don't jump to assuming they are dishonest. There's been some kind of mistake. Be calm about it.

You could pay again, it's not fair that you should have to but you were pretty silly to hand over cash to someone you don't recognise who you think was another instructor and not get a receipt after what happened before. (I think the most likely thing is that this was someone who looked like the instructor.)

If the RS valued your custom they would be trying to put this right.

Is there some way in which they may be thinking that your face doesn't fit in their yard, in the sense that they are wanting more livery or shares?

Is it possible that the instructor you gave the money to wasn't actually part of the riding school staff? At the place where I ride they have a mix of core staff who can accept money and jobbing instructors who should not.

It does sound like the yard has lax processes - normally most places don't let you onto a horse without paying up.

Sorry you are going through this.

If you are a competent rider have a look in your area for someone who wants to part loan their horse out. This wasn't a thing a few years ago but is very common now. Then you get to ride without the hassle of a riding school.

You have to go back, look them straight in the face and clear your name.

You don't know when you might meet them again.

Go back and clear your name today.