I am a self-employed beauty therapist. Things have been hard over the past couple of years and there have been times when I have not been able to pay the rent or buy food.
Six weeks ago, I was offered a position in a salon. The business was owned by a woman who bought the salon as is, but has no beauty industry experience. She seemed very keen for me to come onboard and I spent a couple of weeks working on how we could remodel the salon and make it profitable. I have a lot of experience in this area and was very excited at this new opportunity.
I took my salon equipment to her salon and started work a few Saturdays ago. I worked 3 hours and we had one client come in who was very happy with the service. However, it was then quiet and the salon owner made the decision to close the salon as she didn’t think anyone else would be coming. She told me to come back next Saturday as this client had rebooked with me.
During that week, I contacted her to firm up details of the salary, etc. She ignored my messages and it became very apparent that she had ghosted me.
I then found a 4 week temporary job that I could start straight away, but was only during the week, so I could still work at her salon, in theory.
I told her that I had had to take the temp job as I had rent to pay, but could still work at her salon at the weekends until things picked up. She went mental at me for taking the other job and sent me a very long and quite abusive text message.
Since then, I have been trying to get my salon equipment back as well as my pay for the 3 hours and have asked her when it is convenient to pick it up. It’s a very long way and I need to get someone to drive me there as the salon equipment is heavy.
Most of my messages she’ll ignore, but sometimes she’ll send quite abusive messages back.
I thought we made some headway today as she texted me and told me she would be at the salon for 45 mins. I told her I was on my way and would get there as soon as I can. I was 2 mins late and she’d gone 😞.
She then texted me this long rambling story which didn’t really make sense about having another client and being late and it all being my fault. She was ranting and raving about me and what a terrible person I am 😢.
I have sent her so many messages about picking up my stuff. Most of which she had ignored. She is now saying she is going to dump all my salon equipment in the rubbish 😭.
Without my equipment I have no business. Without my business I have no income. It would cost me about £500 to replace my equipment and I just don’t have it. As well as that, I’ve had some of that equipment for years and it’s of great sentimental value.
I want to go to the police for help but will they see this as too trivial to help with? AIBU? Thanks.