Is my DS’s tutor being unreasonable

[PWPmum]

My DS 11 who is in year 6 has a weekly tutor to help him prepare for his SATs and support his spelling. He is dyslexic. She insists on being paid at the beginning of the month with the sessions she will teach agreed in advance.
My DS is not well today. So I contacted the tutor to let her know he can’t do the lesson today and asked if we could roll the lesson over
she has replied saying as the cancellation is on the day and her time is booked out, there is no rolling over or refund.
But there will be no lesson today so part of me feels why should I pay?
She’s offered to teach him at the weekend but we’re busy then.
I’m not sure if I’m being unreasonable or not to push for the credit to go towards next month or not.

You are being very unreasonable, if the tutor cancelled it would be different but the tutor has bills to pay!

Not sure what your DS being dyslexic has to do with anything.

Imagine if you were at work and your boss called in sick which meant you then don’t get paid! Sure you’d be fine with that……not! Another entitled parent

Imagine you are the tutor. All your students are sick today. You have to tell your own kids that they can't eat dinner tonight as you didn't earn any money due to last minute cancellations.

Does that answer your question?

I used to teach privately and let people pay for individual lessons at first. It was terrible. People would cancel or not turn up or have two weeks' holiday, and my income suffered and was completely unreliable. I changed to charging monthly in advance and attendance was much improved, plus I knew what my income would be. You were fortunate to be offered an alternative slot, even if it didn't suit you.

Imagine if every single child she supported did this, she'd have held her entire week free and (if she refunded them all) she'd earn literally nothing. It's common sense that if you held someone time available for an hour, you pay them for the hour, even if you don't use it. Sorry, it sucks, but also you must have experienced this before (e.g. you can't cancel a hotel on the same day, or a swimming lessons or other clubs).
Also, personally, I'd not bother prepping for SATs. I get it if it's for entrance exams but I can't see much benefit to being ragged through your SATs, potentially better/higher sets at secondary but they will adjust the sets if your child can't keep up anyway. It seems a waste of money when the primary school stats are the only ones benefitting.

I'm not so sure. Kids get ill, kids do acitivities. We've had tutors/guitar teachers cancel on the day if they can't make it or have a better offer, eg playing in a gig, and we've said don't worry see you next week. And on the handful of rare occasions when it's been the other way around, we weren't asked or expected to pay.
That said, I'd make time at the weekend.

You’ve cancelled on the day, she’s offered an alternative that you’ve declined, YABU, it’s her job, if everyone kept cancelling she’d have no income.

So you paid her late! And you expect her to credit your lesson when you cancelled on the day?! Jesus wept I’ve read it all now. People are so entitled! The fact she offered up her weekend time to accommodate your lesson is very kind of her. She has no obligation to do that. I can’t believe you could even thought for a nanosecond that she was the U one!!!!

What is wrong with people???

Completely fair not rolling it. Her time is limited and assigned. Imagine she had 5 students one week calling in sick. She just shouldn’t get paid? How is she magically finding loads more time.

If you ran a business and someone cancelled your service last minute, irrespective of reason, why is it fair you’d lose out?

You’re then prioritising a sporting activity over tuition which is your choice.

I have to be honest. I would have cancelled you as a client if you were repeatedly late paying.

You are VERY lucky she's found you another slot. I hope you appreciate her. Depending on the rate you pay her (dyslexia tutors often charge upwards of £60 an hour) you need to treat her well because she'll be able to replace you as a client instantly.

Yes, she offered a make up session when she was unwell as your son shouldn’t miss out on learning for something that is her “fault”. Similarly why should she lose out on money for a slot she cannot fill at such late notice? I can see it is a bit of a beggar but it would be unfair to expect her to suck up the loss.

It actually flexes in the opposite way the OP wants it to. Dyslexia tutors are like hens teeth and she needs to treat this tutor like a diamond. Not mess her around.

Don't be silly, you're paying for the slot. It's not her fault if you aren't using it, she's available to tutor!

Do you think it's her hobby? And this is why she "insists" on getting paid at the beginning of the month.

This is standard.

tutors prepare their tailored lessons in advance, this time is built into your charge, they’re self employed and would usually have around a 48hr notice period built in.

Wow!! IABVVVU!

This. You are very lucky she is still teaching your child.

Sounds fair enough jto me!
Anyway couldn't you support him with his spelling and help himwoithbhus maths?

Yes. You are being unreasonable. You book for a time. If you can't make it then that's it, for whatever reason. It's why she makes clients prepay at the beginning of the month as this is clearly the terms and conditions of your service. If you push further not only are you TA but you also risk her dropping your child as a client. Suck it up.

Wow you’re lucky you were offered anything. Be absolutely grateful!

If I’ve I pay for a block of swimming, gymnastics, Beavers etc then my child is off, I dont get a refund - only if they cancel.

Cant believe you’re still defending yourself. Pay the tutor and cancel the extra session they have ever so kindly agreed to.

Yabu

I have a ds the same age who has a tutor and we have to pay half a term in advance. I definitely don’t expect a refund if he doesn’t go

That’s because she cancelled. If you cancel, then you forfeit the cost. My dentist charges if I cancel an appt within 48 hours. Having a cancellation policy where parents pay if they cancel massively cuts down on the number of parents willing to cancel for trivial reasons at the tutor’s expense, as well as guaranteeing income.

If your kid was ill and missed the sports club on the weekend, do you get a credit or roll over?

if you book a haircut these days, many salons take a 50% deposit against no shows.

why do you not value teachers and tutors?

You've booked he time, you pay for her time. She can't just book another session at short notice so if you don't pay, she has lost income. You absolutely should be paying. How outrageous of you honestly!!!