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

[JMSA]

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?

Why are people talking about international transfer fees?! It's £20, just send it to her via PayPal, zero fees.

She’s completely taking the biscuit. I wouldn’t be meeting her.

you sound grabby as well as unreasonable I'd not have charged her to do it in the first place but wouldn't expect to keep the fee when I hadn't done the service

YABU

my initial thought was that you were being a bit tight putting up a post over £20. But after thinking about it i think as a gesture of good will she could have suggested you return £10. I guess there is a lesson in it for everyone, make sure you have all the Ts & Cs covered

If your brothers a pilot - he’s very well paid, so ask him to help his sister out who is desperate enough to budget for £20 she hasn’t earned.

Exactly!

@THEDEACON

But the woman offered payment when she was looking for someone to do it. How is it 'grabby' to accept that?

How many times have you offered your spare time to people looking for cheap help on Facebook?

And to be honest, I only brought up the money because she didn't. That was the line I'd drawn in the sand in my own mind; if she'd offered to pay, I wouldn't have bothered accepting. But if she didn't, then I would!
Re the pilot comment below, what an odd perspective to take on things. Very like CaramelEgg the other day. Hmm ...

She shouldn’t ask for it back, you’ve booked the job, cleared your diary, done the prep work for it etc. plus the effort of an international transfer etc.

She doesn’t need your service, you didn’t do it - it’s not your money

You’re a CF!

She was paying you £20 to do a job. The job was no longer required, she is entitled to the money back. You dont know her circumstances and you were hasty in budgeting to spend the unearned money.

In her position I’d have said keep the £20 as you were doing her a favour, even if it didn’t happen. But if she wants it back, it’s her money so I suppose you need to pay it back. I wouldn’t offer any more favours.

Don't pay OP. You have already invested enough time to be worth £20.
She is messing you about and you are under no obligation to refund.

These responses are ridiculous, OP never did the job. I'm assuming £20 must mean alot to her too, why would she just let you keep it. And obviously you've spent some of your time on this (in the scheme of things, let's say £2 worth).

This!!!

I think people who commented on the fees were under the mores sign the money had to go back abroad via a bank.

I wouldn't have asked for the money back - she's being tight!

I think she should have paid you given the late notice. You could have booked to do something else with your time so she needs to pay for it

I think you were daft to say you'd do it. If she didn't like it when she got there, who would she be pointing the finger at?

Apart from anything else, £20 was a crap deal given the time and hassle once you've added up every communication and the visit itself.

But she's still cheeky to ask for it back, after you have spent time on it.

I'd return it I guess but say not to ask you again.

Give her her money back! You did not earn it.

She’s wasted her time with making arrangements that the other party cancelled.

Who is the tight one? You I think.

You allocated time for it, you spent time on messaging with the woman, I think it’s unfair for her to ask for the money back.