Cleaner ignoring me after paying cancelling - AIBU

[Terracottafarmers]

A cleaner I found through mutuals on Facebook got in touch after I posted about needing a deep clean following a renovation. She came over, quoted me, and I booked her in. As per her T&Cs, I paid a £160 deposit, and she invoiced me.

About a week before the scheduled clean, I told her I might need to change the date because my new kitchen was delayed. The day before she was due to come, I had to cancel, the kitchen still wasn’t finished, and I was hoping we could have moved everything from the bedroom into the kitchen by then. I apologised, explained the situation, and asked when she could fit me in next. She seemed fine with it and said she’d look at dates.

This was on Saturday. By Monday, I messaged her again to see if she’d checked her diary, but I’ve still had no response even though I can see she’s been online.

I know that I had to cancel, which is shitty of me but I’d already warned her about the possible delay, and it’s not like I’m not going to rebook her. I just think it’s really rude and now I'm wondering if I should message her again saying 'I really need to get this booked in, please can you let me know?

You paid your cleaner a £160 deposit
for what??

im guessing you’re quite experienced with cleaners! Never heard of that

You sounded like a client who was going to chop and change and be a hassle

How about you wait until your kitchen is actually finished and then message to rearrange

For a deep clean of the house. Her t&cs said for deep cleans she takes half deposit prior to the clean and rest after the clean. I've never had a cleaner before

It's definitely going to be finished this week, it just so happened it was delayed by a couple of days due to a delivery failing to arrive

It's just a one off deep clean and OP has paid a deposit.

OP I'd send her a text but she could be on holiday. I'd then chase up in September if she doesn't get back to me.

Did you agree any t and C's for if the date needed to change?

She might be intending to keep your deposit for the late cancellation. Warning her you might cancel doesn't allow her to book someone else in.

A £160 deposit for a one off clean?!

Presumably you “definitely” thought is was going to be finished by her previous booking date

Yes. The kitchen would have been finished if a delivery had arrived and we could've emptied our spare room to make way for the cleaner

Youre paying £320 for a deep clean? man, that sounds a lot. How long is it going to take her. My cleaner is £15 an hour, £20 for a deep clean. Did you look around or just go for the first recommendation? Regardless of that, you warrned her it may be delayed and she is being very unprofessional not answering you. If I were you, I would get that deposit back and look elsewhere.

There’s no “definitely” about it from the pov of the cleaner

You're the one that sounds rude. You messaged her Saturdaty and then on Monday. After mucking her about she was meant to spend Sunday running round after you.

It's only fair that she books you in now WHEN you are ready not on a hopefully date. Why should anyone lose a day's work because it suits you

I don't think I'm rude at all. I paid her a deposit, I booked it a month in advance and then a week prior let her know it might be delayed. Not exactly mucking her about, maybe if I had booked her in, not paid a deposit and then let her know last minute.

In my opinion the cleaner should have asked you not to book her in until after the work was definitely done. There's many a slip between cup and lip.
That's a hefty amount to ask for a deep clean.
I'm surprised actually and I have my own cleaning business (20years)
I'd say do not fret, she will get back to you soon and rearrange a time but our services are in demand and a good cleaner is hard to find.

Surely your deposit is now gone as you cancelled so late and she wouldn't have been able to fill that slot at such short notice. So the deposit is her compensation for the void that you caused her.

So, when you are ready, you need to restart the process of booking her in, paying a new deposit to secure the new slot etc.

You do understand the purpose of deposits, no? It's to compensate the service provider for voids when clients cancel at short notice.

...and then a week prior let her know it might be delayed.

What was the point of that? She still had to hold the day free for you until you cancelled the day before. You messed her about and there's every chance you'd do it again.

You seem to think it's fine for a cleaner to be out of pocket for your kitchen delay but not you.

The ball is in her court because you can called so late

text and say “sorry about having to cancel with such short notice last week. Can I get in touch when the kitchen is finished and organise a suitable date for the clean? Whenever you can fit me in would be great”

Telling her a week prior that you might have to cancel is not much use. You cancelled the day before, that is mucking her about. What do her t and c say about cancellation and refunding/transferring deposits? Why did you message her again on Monday? Do you think she should be working all weekend? Message again Thursday morning if she hasn't been in touch, assuming your kitchen is actually finished.

Have you read through the terms and conditions? I would think you would of lost your deposit due to the late notice cancellation, she would of been unable to fill the slot

You cancelled her the day before. She has very probably now lost money because of you, as it’s highly unlikely she could get another job booked in at such short notice. When you let her know there might be an issue is when you should have proactively rebooked to be on the safe side. I’d be seriously pissed off with you op. What does her contract say about cancellations? I’d put you in the cheeky fucker category if I were her.

I would assume it’s a non refundable deposit and that you have now forfeited that £160. Telling someone a week before you may not be able to do the day booked is of no help to them and cancelling a day before, when they can’t book anyone else, is exactly why they have a deposit system. Do you expect them to have just lost a day’s pay because you organised a clean on a date you couldn’t guarantee?

You've behaved badly. By cancelling at such short notice she couldn't rebook that slot.

If she comes another day (and I wouldn't blame her if she refused) you need to pay her the full amount for the new day, not assume that you've already paid half.

Some are charging ridiculous prices. I was looking for a clean of new house, just three rooms which had been left dirty. I was quoted £200. Another asked if it was dirty, well yes, that’s the whole point.

Presumably because lots of these one-off cleans decide to cancel with no notice so she's lost a whole days income from elsewhere. You know, like the OP did?