Ghosted by cleaner

[cleanergate]

I'm prepared to be shot down here.
I have recently hired a new cleaner.
Very busy home. We work long hours. I've recently been unwell, which is likely to go for several months. Home does need help!
Lady came to visit. She was lovely. Said she would like to do an initial deep clean. No problem.
£25 per hour. Initial deep clean 4-5 hours. Great! I booked her in.
She came whilst I was at work. No problem.
A few days later I received an invoice for £375. 5 hours x 3 people = 15 hours.
This is not what we discussed.
I get it's my fault for not getting this in writing beforehand.
I have messaged her to say how pleased we are with the work however shocked at being charged £75 per hour.
No reply. I have since messaged four times to ask to discuss and settle bill. Complete silence.
What do I do?

Send £125 in ‘full and final payment of the amount agreed’ . Look for a new cleaner obviously .

Well, I'd be thankful that I hadn't paid her yet.

You've dodged a bullet there.

If she doesn't get back to you, she loses out.

You can always get another cleaner.

Do you have any way of checking on a ring doorbell for example?
Personally I would love to know if there genuinely were that many cleaners.

Did you discuss quote prior to booking - did you get it in writing?

More like scammed by a cleaner! The additional cleaners should have been discussed and approved by you beforehand. Don't chase her any further. If and when you get a response, make it clear you are paying the £25ph for one cleaner as agreed and no more. Unless there was a contract stating otherwise, I don't see that she has a leg to stand on.

Just leave it and see if she gets back to you. Surely being ghosted by someone you owe money is a bit of a win? I assume you’re not considering continuing to employ someone who has charged you £250 more than you agreed to

I hope you got references before giving her access to your home; I’d offer to pay for 5 hours and be thankful they’ve not robbed you. Look for a new cleaner - personal recommendation may be best.

Did three people come and do the work?
Was it a three person job?
She was very wrong not to clarify that with you

Has she got a key to your house?

If she does not reply, you don´t pay. Easy as.

Pay what you owe. Nothing more don't try and get away with paying nothing. The work was done.

15 hours cleaning? What do you live in? A hotel?! Sounds dodgy

I had this with an end of tenancy clean years ago. (Empty house - not complicated. I just had no time.)

I was told they’d ’gone over their hours’ and would be charged double. When queried it was because there were two cleaners, rather than the agreed one.

When I asked why she sent two cleaners when I only booked one she couldn’t answer.

I paid the agreed amount.

It appears to be a common scam.

I had almost this exact situation happen to me. In the end I just paid what I’d originally agreed and said in the future it would be better for her and the other people involved if costs were agreed beforehand. Never heard from her again!

To be honest I’m not surprised a deep clean is far more that 5 hours but the onus was on her to tell you that it would be 5 hours per cleaner and that there would be 3 of them. I wouldn’t pay what she had invoiced and to be honest I wouldn’t have had unknown people in my house all day with being present for some of it.

Silly of a professional not to provide a full written quote and have you confirm in writing that you accept it.

Seems simple enough to me. 4-5 hours at £25.00/hr was agreed to clean the house. Whether it was one cleaner or a hundred cleaners it is still £25.00/hr. If she doesn't like it, invite her to sue and find a new cleaner.