This is why people ask for cash

[antelopevalley]

I did some babysitting on Saturday night. When the couple got back they said sorry they didn't have any cash and they would transfer me the money. It is Tuesday and in spite of giving them my bank details, and a reminder text, still no payment.
If I ever babysit for them again (not sure I will now), I will say I will only do so if they pay cash that evening. Sadly this kind of way of operating seems common amongst middle-class people. It may not be a big deal for you to wait days for a relatively small sum of money, but it is for many others.

That's awful behaviour from them.
They should have paid you as soon as you entered their home.

Send a reminder text and work on being more assertive..... the more you do, the easier it gets.

YANBU

i hardly ever use cash but when I say I’ll transfer money to someone I do it immediately. Which is what they should’ve done. Online banking is so easily and instantly accessible there’s really no excuse!

Ring them right now and say nothings come through did they send it to the right account?

Absolutely vote with your feet. I'm a nanny and I've had some awful babysits over the years. The most recent was for 2 children and the baby was absolutely distraught and they wouldn't come home (they were at a party) I am very very experienced but ultimately I am a stranger to the baby. It was a long babysit and when the baby finally went back to sleep (after lots of distracting and cuddles) I just spent the entire time worrying they would wake again. Anyway. They had no cash. And I had to chase up payment twice over the coming days.

Hadn't heard from them in a while and then they asked if I was free and I said no. Do I need the money? Probably. Is it worth the risk of having to chase up payment? No, it's not.

Which makes them effluent customers.

Surely asking for cash is the cause of your problem?
It takes 2 seconds to transfer money.

CF’s will always have excuse, the method of payment isn’t the issue here.

That is so rude!! I haven't baby sat since I was a teenager (15ish yr ago) so it was always cash. But I would have been super annoyed if they came home from their night out without the money to pay me then, actually one couple I regularly babysat for had the money behind a photo frame in the sitting room so they couldn't spend it! Because you know it's bad form not to pay the baby siter there and then.

Text again and ask if they could send you a bank confirmation that they have sent they money as it has not arrived and you need it.

Also if you wouldn’t walk away without cash in your hand. Why would you walk away without transfer having been done?

I do understand people prob would pay by bank transfer these days. If I get a baby sitter after DS is born I possibly would. But you pay on the night or at the latest the next morning

It’s annoying but tbh I don’t understand why it’s such a big deal for a grown adult to deal with that you’re considering sending your partner round and hiding behind him. Just send a text:

’Hi just a reminder that you haven’t paid me yet for babysitting last Saturday. Please could you do the transfer now with the bank details I sent you that evening. I understand it’s easy to forget these things but it’s time consuming for me and inconvenient needing to chase up payment so in future I do need to ask for cash or bank transfer on the night and a 5% late payment fee will be added for each further day. I’m sure you understand.’

Then depending on how quickly they pay you now and how apologetic they are it’s up to you if you babysit again.

And in future I would always have bank details ready to give to someone as it’s not that unusual that people expect to pay electronically now. If you had that or a PayPal email ready to give them on the night they would have probably paid on the spot, especially if you stood there and made it clear you expected it. Of course they should have paid by now but as a service provider there are definitely things you could do to avoid this situation arising, like knowing your own bank details!

I'd go myself anyway, but...

id not be giving two Fuchs whether she liked it or not, she should have paid by now!

'unprofessional'??? She babysat, she isn't a lawyer/an accountant/a doctor/dentist FFS

Next time make sure you have your bank details and ask for either cash or payment then and there on an app so you can see it's been done.

It's shit of them but for all you know, they've had a family crisis or something. I'd message - you still haven't paid, shall I call round for cash or can you pay me as agreed?

I don't really see how it's a class thing.

Text every day then escalate to a phone call on Friday then Sunday go round and kick their door down

Ring them up. You don't need to go round there.

And for goodness sake, do it yourself!

OP you say it's a bit of a journey - how much will it cost to go?

text them and say you'll be charging that as well unless they transfer the money today.

Tell them your taking them to small claims court that should get you your money 🤣

How come you didn't have your bank details on you though? Did you not have your bag/purse with you, with your bank cards?

Apparently she didn't know her bank details.

Do not send your partner. It's potentially threatening and it's not his problem.

Text them and ask if they have paid you yet. Keep texting them. If they don't answer, then phone them. Keep phoning them.

Unbelievable! I've used babysitters very often when my kids were younger and always paid in cash after they had finished. We made sure to take cash out beforehand or when out.

A former friend (note the 'former') was always doing this - 'forgetting' to come out without cash, unfortunately once I was very short myself after booking something for myself, her and several others and I told her I needed her to go to the cashpoint straight away (it was true - I didn't have enough left to get me through the evening after stumping up an amount I'd assumed people would have the decency to pay me back immediately) which she did with a very ill grace. She'd said she'd do a bank transfer when she got home, but had 'form' for saying that and then not doing it, and I'm firmly convinced she was deliberately playing on the fact that people would feel awkward insisting on small sums being paid back.

I never paid anything upfront for others again after that due to the attitude I encountered from others as well as the 'guilty party', but the whole thing stuck in my throat. It was embarrassing for me too to have to reveal that I was so short I was relying on being paid back immediately. Just why would people not settle up immediately when someone else has paid for something on their behalf? It's a matter of pride and fairness for me, and if I'm settling up by transfer I do it immediately so no one's left out of pocket. Can't understand why anyone would do otherwise unless they're taking the piss.

That’s OP’s fault, but I’m questioning more of the mindset of why a transfer is different to cash.
After Covid anybody being shocked that people want to pay by card, unless expressly stated must have been living under a rock. Even buskers, kids with roadside lemonade stands and chuggers have card machines nowadays.

I’m a cleaner for a married couple who are both very high earners. Every week payment is 4 or 5 days late and sometimes I have to ask for it again the next time I go a week later. I’m going to say this week that payment needs to be done on the day. It’s so frustrating and rude!

forgetting to come out with cash, I meant to say