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 DID let her know last minute! That's the entire point. "I might or might not need something cleaning on this day, oops no don't bother tomorrow" is no way to run a business.

Try this OP, you might get lucky.

I think she is probably waiting until you message again to say everything’s ready and she can definitely come. If you have cancelled last minute before then there is a chance you will cancel again and she doesn’t want more gaps in her diary. Perhaps it’s happened in the past with lots of people and that’s why she takes such a high deposit. Get in contact again when you have a definite date and go from there

This post nails it. Telling her it might be delayed doesn't help her in any way. She can't take any other bookings for your day in case you cancel, as she would then have to cancel herself.
When you actually know when you want her, send her the date and ask if she's free then.

You paid a deposit
you cancelled
you forfeit your deposit

Not sure why you are trying to contact them? Just make a new booking and pay a new deposit

When I have my carpets cleaned we pay upfront. I guess a lot of people don't pay on time.

You let her know a week before that it “might be delayed”

what the hell did you expect her to do with that information op that it MIGHT be delayed?

She sounds an experienced cleaner who has got the vibe you’re going to be flakey

You can't just cancel the day before. That's why she took the deposit. She lost a days work.

I have never heard of a cleaner asking for a big deposit, or any deposit? That seems bizarre. I understand if they had a cancellation policy whereby if you cancel less than 24 hrs before the job you'd have to pay a fee. But that would need to be explained up front.

It all sounds fishy and I'll be surprised if you hear from her again.

You need a fresh booking. Your deposit relates to the first booking that you cancelled at late notice. Cleaner keeps that deposit to compensate for lost income. You restart and pay another deposit

You’ve obviously lost your deposit, that goes without saying.

You could view it one way and say she made £160 off you for doing nothing… but in reality you cancelled on her the day before, leaving her with no way of filling that day with work, and she essentially lost the reminder of the money you were due to pay her.

You have cost her money.

On that basis it’s likely she doesn’t want to rebook you, if at all, at least until you’re absolutely sure she can carry out the work on the day you have booked.

As a previous poster said- when you realised there might be a delay you should have changed the date of the booking. I would expect that as you cancelled last minute your deposit is gone and you need to start the booking process again with a new deposit.

If she's ignoring her how will she get the deposit back?

I would think the deposit wS non refundable if cancelled at short notice which the day before so less than 24 hours notice was.

You cancelled with short notice, that’s what the deposit is there for. The cleaner could of filled that slot

What were the cancellation terms you agreed to?

Did you adhere to those?

If i were her I'd not look at the diary until I knew the kitchen was finished.

I’d put in for a chargeback with your bank now - you won’t get your clean or your money back otherwise - no reputable cleaner charges half up front! Also £320
for a deep clean?!?! My amazing cleaner cleaned our huge 6 bedroom house before we moved out of it and to st included ovens fridges etc and only charged me £190!! Hourly rate is more normal for a decent cleaner. Cleaners who charge £3-400 for a deep clean you know will be there for 4 hours and then declare they are finished and the house will look exactly the same!

Do you understand what a deposit is for?

It's to mitigate her loss of earnings for the slot.

That's why deposits aren't refundable (outside of specific circumstances according to contract/agreement).

You cancelled late so lost the deposit.

I wouldn't be surprised if she thinks you're going to keep chopping and changing on her so doesn't want to go ahead. I'd find a different cleaner if I were you.

It’s unclear what you expect.

so you paid a £160 deposit for a £320 days work deep clean? Is that right?

are you expecting her to just lose the day she set aside for you unpaid? Ie that you can book it in when you feel like again, and onlu pay her £160?

or is your expectation that you’ve lost your deposit and will have to start again?

it should be the latter. It is enormously unreasonable to tell someone the day before hand (the other stuff you sent is irrelevant because she couldn’t book anything else in) and expect her to just rebook for no extra cost.

that aside, what a fab job for £320 a day!!

This. She may have had a cancellation policy, but it's not enforceable if she has not communicated ts and cs in advance, and has not pointed out this term specifically, rather than it being buried in small print, as it's onerous for the customer.

It's never acceptable to just keep a deposit and not to actually communicate why you are doing this (if this is indeed, what she is doing).

Having said that, I'd give her the benefit of the doubt for now, as she may be away.

But you did let her know at the last minute meaning she couldn’t book anyone else in and is now out of pocket. What do her terms and conditions say regarding cancellations at such short notice, it may well be that you’ve now lost your deposit or she may allow you to transfer it to a new date. A key reason small businesses take deposits is to provide compensation for short notice cancellations. I also wouldn’t expect a reply outside of business hours so it’s perfectly reasonable for her not to have replied over the weekend. Remember she has other clients to work for too and likely wants to know that you’re definitely ready before booking in another date. Remember you’ve messed her around and she’s only a small business. It’s also worth checking if she works the full week or not, I’m self employed and only reply to messages on my working days. None of the behaviour you’ve described would mean that I’d be bending over backwards to get you in as soon as possible, I’d be wanting to know that everything was ready for me before arranging a new date to avoid any further loss in income.

Of course you mucked her about. You let her know it might be delayed. How is that helpful. Then cancelled the day before. Hopeless.

The deposit is hers to keep as you cancelled.When you book a holiday for example then change your mind the holiday company keeps the deposit.

Most people don't check work emails during the weekend.