Sudden cancellation I'm not very pleased

[PissedOffPetSitter]

I was booked for a job from 23/12 to 14/01. The guy has gone to his home country to visit family. When I went today there was someone in the house. I assumed he'd got back early and decided to contact him but I got a text from an unknown number which turned out to be his girlfriend.

She said he's not able to talk to me but has asked her to tell me to drop the keys off tomorrow because as she's there I'm not needed. I've lost £160 with this. I'm so cross.

I can't really expect him to pay. I've gone over and above with them before and I'm so annoyed.

Did you bring up payment when he was apologising?

I would bill him anyway.
He might not pay. And probably won’t. But worth a go right?

I've explained this. It was a sideline for a while but now I'm a student it's my main source of income. I have many regular customers (of which this guy was one) and didn't need to do that. Now it's growing, I do. Lesson learned.

If you’re running this as a proper business, have you taken out insurance and registered your company with HMRC?

Yes.

But you are allowed to earn up to £1K pa before you need register as SE and do a self assessment tax return.

OP- your hourly rate is very low unless your clients are within a 10 minute walk.

It's below the minimum wage.

Are you factoring in your expenses for travelling, your overheads like insurance, any advertising costs etc?

I started at university in October. I was working until then and doing this as a side hustle. I will also do a price review in the new year. With my course starting I just got on with it as before but I need to tighten up now.

This was my first thought as well.

I'd be contacting the guy who booked you directly.

"Hi John, I heard from Girlfriend that you no longer need my services as of today. I will need to charge you a short notice cancellation fee of (I'd personally go for the cost of 2 visits) £X. Plus a charge to return your keys of £X (I'd set that at your rate of one visit, plus return petrol, nicely rounded up to the nearest £10). That's a combined fee of £X. You have my payment information. Happy new year, OP."

I'd call his bluff on the cancellation fee. Yes he didn't sign anything, but most people will chose "keeping the peace", especially when they're in the wrong.

If he pays what you ask promptly, without a fuss/with apologies, I'd consider working for him again. If he doesn't, and has the brass neck to ask for your services again, I'd be "unavailable" to him moving forward.

As someone who also works delivering a service in people's homes, I completely get your annoyance.

Doesn't sound like you can do much now but worth noting that my pet sitter charges in advance and I have to pay the full amount before the sit starts. She also charges for short-notice cancellations. Everyone has to agree to the T&Cs before booking.

Good pet sitters are worth every penny so if you've already got well established regulars then they should be happy to stick to your new T&Cs.

I wouldn’t let his over-detailed narrative blind you from the fact that by rights he owes you money for the work, t&c contract or not.
Not cancelling in time robbed you of any opportunity to re-use his time slot for another bereft cat! It’s scarcely being pushy or greedy to press for your due.
I’d feel that by playing straight with you, he’d feel able to engage your services again, and it sounds like he’s a regular traveller needing a reliable, familiar cat sitter.
(Best wishes to Flossie😽 if you pop by!)

All the same, yeah, one would love to know what Miss Chancer Girlfriend’s story is!

There's always one... 🙄

I've told Brian I'm keeping the key until he gets home himself. I also don't trust Mavis.

Maybe they split and she broke into his house expecting to make up with him? I wouldn't relent untill I had a conversation with the person who hired you before I would drop of that key.

If your sister could have got done for drug smuggling or terrorism I'm sure she'd have wished someone had intervened!
How dumb can you get.

Wrong thread by any chance?

I hope this isn't what Mavis has been doing!!!

Fannycamper?

You charge the same as most pet sitters round here, so I think it’s a fair price (esp now you have cancellation charges in place). I sometimes book my pet sitter for an extra day in case I get delayed coming home, but always let her know I’m cancelling but expect to pay anyway.

Brian should be paying you regardless of what Mavis did or didn't do, or whether it was what they agreed. The fact he hasn't voluntarily told you he will do so and paid you is very off, and you'd be right not to work for him again.

I would write a stern message to explain your position.Bill them but for a reduced rate as its a cancellation and say you wont be working for them again but wishing them a Happy Xmas and New Year and move on!!Ask them for an excellent reference and leave it at that!! Happy New Year btw!!

Do u have anything about how much notice u/they have to give? That might be a way round to charge something..?

Surely its on them to pick up the keys, otherwise charge a key handling and delivery fee.

😆😆

This is your lesson learned for next year. Add a clause about late cancellations and mention it to all customers when they hire you.

I wouldn't consider the job cancelled unless I heard it from the horses mouth tbh.