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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To refuse to pay for 12 hours of cleaning

112 replies

Lightningboltblue · 27/07/2022 20:29

I am disputing an invoice from a house cleaner. For reference I have used the same company twice, at my mums address and had a rough idea what I should be charged. I’m based in Notts and they charge £22 PH for a deep clean.

They are claiming that it took two cleaners 6 hours each to deep clean my home (it DEFINITELY wasn't 12 hours worth of cleaning dirty haha).

Firstly, they weren’t there for 6 hours. There is no way they could have been there any longer than 4 hours due to the time I left for work and DH came home. Secondly, I didn’t request two cleaners so didn’t agree to 2 x the hourly rate.

Where do I stand with payment of the invoice? I am of course happy to pay for the work that I asked for but I’m not happy to pay double when I didn’t request two cleaners

OP posts:
1000yellowdaisies · 27/07/2022 20:33

You've said you are disputing it - that's what you do. You tell them what you've told us. I especially don't understand why they sent 2 cleaners when you booked a deep clean, surely if they felt the job required two they would confirm this with you as it effectively doubles the cost

TokyoTen · 27/07/2022 21:00

How does it double the cost? They get done in half the time...

Luckyonetwo · 27/07/2022 21:05

Yes 2 cleaners is normal (well here anyway) for a big job.
You would have 2 for 4hours or 1 cleaner for 8hours. However I would discuss if you feel they didn’t stay as long as they claimed.

hesttreat · 27/07/2022 21:07

TokyoTen · 27/07/2022 21:00

How does it double the cost? They get done in half the time...

Exactly!

BeckyMNb · 27/07/2022 21:10

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

saraclara · 27/07/2022 21:12

hesttreat · 27/07/2022 21:07

Exactly!

Show quote history

It boggles my mind that the OP and at least one other poster don't understand this.

Sswhinesthebest · 27/07/2022 21:14

I guess it depends on what you agreed. Was it a set amount of hours or an airy fairy “deep clean”. If it was the latter then they can charge however many hours they want, be it 1x12 hours or 2x6 hours. Although you can definitely dispute the hours if they can’t possibly have been there that long.

calmlakes · 27/07/2022 21:15

The cost of the cleaners is the same as others have said because two cleaners will get the work done in half the time one cleaner will.
It is very usual for cleaners to work in multiples.
It does not increase your costs.

The valid point is that they are charging you for hours that neither cleaner worked. That you should definitely raise.

Tiani4 · 27/07/2022 21:21

You usually agree the hours from an estimate before the creep clean starts.

It's not unusual to have cleaners work in 2 for a deep clean as I arrange this all the time for clients but we agree from the estimate of time first.

However you believe they have over charged, AND you hs evidence the cleaners have falsely claimed time to their office as they cannot have been there for over 4 hours.

So at the very least you dispute it on hours claimed as they have misrepresented time they were there and if you believe it cannot have taken 8 hours to clean as they did you can ask for a breakdown of what the cleaners claim they did

I would pay the 8 hours 2X 4 but next time get an estimate and breakdown of tasks / rooms agreed

Tiani4 · 27/07/2022 21:21

Deep clean not creep clean! 😱

HollowTalk · 27/07/2022 21:43

Don't say to them you couldn't have done those hours because I was here at this time and my husband was here at that time. Ask what time they started and what time they finished.

Tiani4 · 27/07/2022 21:47

HollowTalk · 27/07/2022 21:43

Don't say to them you couldn't have done those hours because I was here at this time and my husband was here at that time. Ask what time they started and what time they finished.

Yes do this but then you can evidence your returned at x token and cleaners were not there

Tiani4 · 27/07/2022 21:47

"x" time not x token

GreenClock · 27/07/2022 21:53

“Hi - could you quickly confirm the times between which the two cleaners were here please?”

Then take it from there.

tenyrsago · 27/07/2022 22:07

why do you think 2 cleaners costs more?!

EarringsandLipstick · 27/07/2022 22:25

tenyrsago · 27/07/2022 22:07

why do you think 2 cleaners costs more?!

Because OP said: They are claiming that it took two cleaners 6 hours each to deep clean my home

It wasn't 2 cleaners doing it in half the time (so cheaper), it was 2 cleaners working the sane amount of hours ie 6 hours x 2 = 12. So it is costing her more! (As well as the hours discrepancy)

calmlakes · 27/07/2022 22:29

It wasn't 2 cleaners doing it in half the time (so cheaper), it was 2 cleaners working the sane amount of hours

OP hasn't given us any indication that she was told the deep clean would take six hours.
She has just said that she agreed to a deep clean.

figmaofmyimagination · 27/07/2022 22:43

Ask them to confirm what time they arrived and left. Don’t offer up what times you were there yet.

EarringsandLipstick · 27/07/2022 23:19

calmlakes · 27/07/2022 22:29

It wasn't 2 cleaners doing it in half the time (so cheaper), it was 2 cleaners working the sane amount of hours

OP hasn't given us any indication that she was told the deep clean would take six hours.
She has just said that she agreed to a deep clean.

But she hardly expected the deep clean to take 12 hours? Which is what 1 cleaner working alone would have taken

Clearly there are 2 issues - lack of clarity about what a 'deep clean' meant in hours & cost (surely not 12 hours!) and the actual hours worked by the cleaners which seem inaccurate.

calmlakes · 27/07/2022 23:24

The actual hours worked definitely needs querying.
But a deep clean could take a good while depending on the condition at the start and what was being done.

Foxylass · 27/07/2022 23:36

What agreement, contract did you have in place?

Original poster
Lightningboltblue · 28/07/2022 04:55

There was no contract in place. A deep clean was agreed and the property isn’t in a state. The reason why I opted for a deep clean is because the skirtings and insides of windows are included. For reference, my mum is in a 2 bed house (same as me) and her deep clean takes 4 hours, for one cleaner. No time was agreed as I (naively) assumed it would take the same time as my mums, due to living in the same size property.

To clarify my discrepancies are that they sent 2 cleaners which are both charged by the hour, when I didn’t request this and have previously only had 1 cleaner at a time from the same company. Also the length of time they were there

OP posts:
Ponderingwindow · 28/07/2022 05:56

You really need to let the two cleaner issue go. They should clean twice as fast. Sometimes we get a team of 4 even as we have a large house. They are able to get the job done very quickly that way which is great for us. It doesn’t increase the cost because the time taken is proportionally shorter.

the length of time definitely should be disputed.

Yerroblemom1923 · 28/07/2022 06:07

It would be the same price if it was one person, it just would've taken 12 hours instead of 6. Did you know and agree the price beforehand?

knittingaddict · 28/07/2022 06:08

Does a deep clean include the inside of kitchen cupboards? I would expect it to, but I've never had a cleaner. What does it include?

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