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Original poster

To think she could have said 'just keep the money'?

202 replies

JMSA · 29/06/2023 14:55

Properties to let, in the city where I live, are snapped up extremely quickly. You need to be really on the ball in order to land one.
A lady posted on a local Facebook group begging someone to do a viewing for her. She is overseas at the moment, but will be coming here to live soon. She was desperate; the letting agent was willing to allow someone else to view it in her place, but it had to be viewed before they'd accept her application. Seriously, the private let situation here is crazy ... not to mention extortionate.
I offered to do it for her. We had some chat over FB Messenger, and we discussed what I should look out for and the questions she wanted me to ask. This all took time, but that's absolutely fine. We had agreed that £20 was a fair amount for me to be paid for this viewing, and she made a bank transfer (at my request).
The viewing was meant to be tomorrow and I've just heard from her that it's cancelled, as someone else got in there first. I offered to hold onto the money - it had taken a while to come through - in case any other properties came up that she'd like me to view.
She replied no, that she's going to wait until she gets here to do more viewings, and has asked for her £20 back. It's annoying because I had budgeted for something with it. Am I right in thinking that she's a tight arse?

OP posts:
Original poster
JMSA · 29/06/2023 17:48

@caramelegg

I actually just feel sorry for you. Clearly you are miserable and paranoid.

Or probably just a troll.
Anyway, I won't be feeding you anymore.

OP posts:
purpliee · 29/06/2023 17:51

I don't know if this is a great idea anyway OP. Let's say you view the property, it seems fine, you tell her it seems fine, she decides to take it. Then she sees it herself and decides she doesn't like it after all? Would she then try to blame you for telling her it was fine (based on your own opinion) when it was absolutely not (based on hers)? Sounds like a potential headache.

Carpediemmakeitcount · 29/06/2023 17:54

She asked you to do it and if you end up paying an unreasonable fee to return her money then tell her no.

Carpediemmakeitcount · 29/06/2023 17:54

She asked you to do it and if you end up paying an unreasonable fee to return her money then tell her no.

Original poster
JMSA · 29/06/2023 17:54

purpliee · 29/06/2023 17:51

I don't know if this is a great idea anyway OP. Let's say you view the property, it seems fine, you tell her it seems fine, she decides to take it. Then she sees it herself and decides she doesn't like it after all? Would she then try to blame you for telling her it was fine (based on your own opinion) when it was absolutely not (based on hers)? Sounds like a potential headache.

A very valid point! However she had already fallen in love with it from the pics. Me viewing it was really just a formality.

OP posts:
caringcarer · 29/06/2023 18:00

I'd pay back the money but if she asks you again I'd say no to her.

Original poster
JMSA · 29/06/2023 18:03

caringcarer · 29/06/2023 18:00

I'd pay back the money but if she asks you again I'd say no to her.

Exactly my plan, thanks.
She's on a flight at the moment, but will message me with her bank details on arrival.

OP posts:
CurlyhairedAssassin · 29/06/2023 18:26

Come on, you're taking the piss, you didn't do the viewing. This was not a contract of employment, you just arranged this on some local facebook page, presumably you saw an opportunity and pounced on a way to make a bit of cash out of someone's difficult situation. Unless you offer this type of service for a living and charge travel costs etc, and the time you had put aside for it meant that you lost potential earnings from someone else, then I don't know what you're moaning for. You didn't provide her with a service so refund her the money.

DrSbaitso · 29/06/2023 18:29

I don't know. It's not your fault it got cancelled but assuming you hadn't given up any time that you'd otherwise potentially have been paid for, I think you should refund her. She paid you for a job that you didn't end up doing and you didn't turn down any other paid work for it.

I think you'd be fine to deduct any foreign transfer fees though. You shouldn't have to pay either!

WombatChocolate · 29/06/2023 18:31

When you book a service, you are paying for someone’s commitment to give you that time. This is the case with dentists, hairdressers, lessons you books ahead etc. if you cancel, it’s usual for there to be a fee or the price you’ve paid in advance not to be returned.

In this circumstance, I’d return the money to her, but would say that your time is valuable and therefore you won’t be prepared to put aside the time to do this for her again in future.

This isn’t a good way for you to boost your income. If you really need £20 for something you wanted/need consider better ways to earn money. And if something like this comes up in future, agree the price and say ‘no refunds’.

The thing is, neither if you clarified the terms of your agreement and that’s where feeling resentful like this and having different expectations lie. Live and learn.

2bazookas · 29/06/2023 18:40

Send her 10 quid and tell her the rest is to cover the time she wasted .

PurpleButterflyWings · 29/06/2023 18:48

@JMSA

LMFAO at you being irked because you had already budgeted for that £20 and needed it for something. 😂 WTF?!

What if she had not given it to you?! Shock

What a batshit thread.

ZebraDilemma · 29/06/2023 18:48

JMSA · 29/06/2023 15:26

Good point. I'll pop into my bank tomorrow to find out.

Show quote history

This is taking up your time. Deduct your fee which may of course be £20. Beware of scams.

Nordicrain · 29/06/2023 18:53

Well, no, she shouldn't pay you for something you didn't do. And she was probably less relaxed about the money due to you insisting on getting upfront. It's not her fault you've already spent it.

Pay her back.

Hehasasecretfriend · 29/06/2023 18:59

She's a total tightwad. You are not a professional business which offers this service. She asked for a favour on a local page and offered to pay. You agreed to do the favour and you had to bring up the token payment. It's only 20 quid!

You didn't even try to keep the 20 but offered to keep it as a credit for future viewings.

Do you have to go into your branch physically? The cheek of her.

I give ad-hoc tuition around exam times and if someone cancels on the day I charge the full amount.

boomboom109283 · 29/06/2023 19:44

I would argue you have earnt it in discussing it with her, planning to go and saving the space in your diary.

CrazyArmadilloLady · 29/06/2023 19:45

Everything you’re complaining about her could equally said about you, @JMSA

Your thread title -

To think she could have said 'just keep the money'?

You could’ve just not asked for money.

I'd have let it go if I were her, rather than put someone through the hassle of an international bank transfer.

You could’ve not asked, rather than put her through the hassle of an international bank transfer! Especially for such a nominal amount.

Her bank probably made more out of the deal than you did. And likewise, your bank will probably take more in fees than she will get back. Even if there are no fees, it’s still a ‘hassle’, in your words.

Plus, it was me who awkwardly had to bring up the topic of money, as she didn't. She offered to pay on her FB post, but then hadn't mentioned it again nearer the time of the viewing. I'm not sure she even would have!

I mean…. I wouldn’t have brought it up. It is awkward! It’s a 10-minute walk away. Either you do it out of the goodness of your heart, or you don’t do it. IMO.

IhearyouClemFandango · 29/06/2023 19:46

CurlyhairedAssassin · 29/06/2023 18:26

Come on, you're taking the piss, you didn't do the viewing. This was not a contract of employment, you just arranged this on some local facebook page, presumably you saw an opportunity and pounced on a way to make a bit of cash out of someone's difficult situation. Unless you offer this type of service for a living and charge travel costs etc, and the time you had put aside for it meant that you lost potential earnings from someone else, then I don't know what you're moaning for. You didn't provide her with a service so refund her the money.

This

LightlySearedontheRealityGrill · 29/06/2023 19:52

I think asking for the money back is pathetic, in fact paying £20 in the first place was pathetic, £50 at least I would expect. Anyway, in future if you ever bother again, no refunds make it clear up front. And frankly I wouldn't refund this CF either, wasting all your time organising and texting all that crap. Id just block her.

CrazyArmadilloLady · 29/06/2023 19:53

Honestly, thinking about this more, the exchange of money for this is just cringe.

Surely you don’t really expect payment for this sort of thing??

Even if she’d offered, surely you’d wave her away with a ‘don’t be silly, it’s only around the corner!’ - instead of asking for payment, which involves her going into a bank to make an international transfer?! For 20 bloody quid…!

And then demanding payment upfront before the task has even been undertaken? So that the other person is now out of pocket for something that didn’t even happen. Of course she wants her money back.

There’s one CF in this scenario, and it’s not the woman wanting the viewing done and her own cash returned to her.

hairtodaygonetm · 29/06/2023 20:02

You are not being unreasonable. You could have turned down a social or work offer to do this for her. She should have let you have it as a gesture of goodwill.

Lacucuracha · 29/06/2023 20:07

JMSA · 29/06/2023 17:44

@caramelegg

Sigh. I have reported you now. You need help.

She does this on every thread, OP. Ignore.

Original poster
JMSA · 29/06/2023 20:10

@Lacucuracha

Aah, thank you so much for letting me know. I'm oblivious to this sort of thing, and thought it was just me!

OP posts:
FuckTheLemonsandBail · 29/06/2023 20:12

I don't think it's about being 'tight' or anything: she paid you for that chunk of time tomorrow, and even though it's been cancelled it's such short notice you could have already cancelled/declined doing something at that time that you can't reinstate.

So I wouldn't be giving the £20 back, no. It's too short notice.

Original poster
JMSA · 29/06/2023 20:15

FuckTheLemonsandBail · 29/06/2023 20:12

I don't think it's about being 'tight' or anything: she paid you for that chunk of time tomorrow, and even though it's been cancelled it's such short notice you could have already cancelled/declined doing something at that time that you can't reinstate.

So I wouldn't be giving the £20 back, no. It's too short notice.

I had planned my day around it, but it's cool. I'll pay her back the money and forget about it.

OP posts: