To postpone a tutoring session due to late payment (still not received)

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I have a parent who agreed to paying four tutoring sessions in advance as a block in order to get a discounted price - more of a discount than I originally wanted to give but anyway.
I sent her terms and conditions saying your regular slot is yours only after payment is received and to please send payment at least 24 hours before the session.
She was late with her first payment - around midnight after multiple reminders but it was a holiday season so I figured she was genuinely busy.
She used up the last of four sessions last Wednesday and Thursday I sent her a reminder regarding payment and a reminder that her son should sent completed work I set - I mark, grade and plan the next session accordingly.
She saw message, sent the work but no payment. I reminded her this afternoon and she's just told me she was out, will send it later and what time is tmrws session.
I've responded I will need to postpone due to late payment. Am I being unreasonable?

She's not worth the hassle she's only booked twice and you've had to chase her for payment both times. When she sent the work over to you she could have sent the payment at the same time, she chose not to. You'll end up chasing her every single time.

Cut her loose. Instead of being apologetic she is blaming you. You have had to chase for money 2 out of 2 times. I'd be understanding about people forgetting and having to be reminded, but her response is crazy. I'd go for a short, neutral reply and block her.

OP sounds like she’s perhaps paying at midnight when her benefits (DLA possibly?) go in (often payments arrive at midnight).
If you’re keen to continue supporting the chikd, perhaps have a gentle convo explaining your terms and check the sessions are actually affordable for her?
I worked for a tuition company ages ago & it was very frequent that parents would pay late or in the way you describe.
But you are a business, not a bank. Hope you resolve this.

The upside of being self employed is you get to choose who you work for. Time to move on from this client.

Her rudeness alone would make me stop tutoring her. You’re a professional running a business. She’s expecting you to reserve a slot in your diary (which nobody else can then book) without having paid first. Why would you organise a diary around her and plan the lesson when you aren’t 100% sure it will go ahead? I think I’d tell her that 1) lesson slots are only secured when payment is made; 2) there’s a limit to how long you can continue to reserve slots without a firm commitment; 3) as outlined, you follow a set policy for this when you don’t receive payment / confirmation after sending a reminder.

You're correct, in that I have stated clearly that payment for the block of 4 sessions 'needs to be in advance' of the 1/4 sessions - what I wasn't clear of was that it should be at least 24 hours, however I did say payment needs to be received before the first session commences and I naively assumed that anyone wanting to send payment in advance would do so at least the day before.
So she sent me endless messages late last night saying she is sitting at her laptop ready to make payment if I can agree that I will continue as a tutor as 'this time she doesn't want to change tutor' and I felt bad that maybe she really did misunderstand and agreed to hold this week's session later on in the week.

She has yet to pay. I guess she feels now that the session has been pushed back then she can pay later too....

They are very rude, and I would cancel even if I needed the money.

DC have a tutor and I try and pay asap- I once forgot and was mortified and paid as soon as I read the reminder and apologised.

I'd email now and end this arrangement. No more sessions for these people.

If she was at the laptop ready to make payment last night, why hasn't she made payment? Especially given this whole situation arose because she hadn't made payment!

I'm frustrated just reading this 😒

Walk away.

Yes, maybe your terms could have been a little clearer, but this is not worth the hassle.

i’d sign up for four weeks and take her money. on the receipt i’d write that payment for the next four sessions must be made by xx time on xx date ie 24 hours in advance if she wishes to reserve the slots.

Yes. That's what I do. Usually give a set date by which payment must be made.

Copilot is quite good at clarifying and messaging. This is completely unacceptable, she’s bullied you into bending your boundaries do her and is still pushing you even more.

Given that she and you are already cross with each other I think I would say one of two things (depending if you need her custom):

1. Reclarify your terms of business, explicitly saying that payment must be made at least 24 hours in advance of the lesson. Also set out your policies around cancellation. And then next time (there will be a next time) give her no leeway at all.

2. Give her notice that the arrangement will not continue beyond this block [if she pays for them] because she has continually failed to meet your terms.

I also run a small business and I set my phone up so that it stops notifying me of messages after a certain time in the evening (except for a couple of peopl like husband). It is an invaluable function!

I think you are being very hard here if you have not explicitly said that payment should be 24 hours in advance.
It would be reasonable for her to pay 10 mins before the first session if you have not stated how far in advance .
She will not have realised that you are preparing work specially for her child and will only do this after being paid.

However she has shown herself to be fairly bonkers - but you have provoked this by being vague about your expectations

This relationship may have broken down now. If you end up cutting her loose this is a valuable lesson .

Bin her off OP. I’m a music tutor and I’m absolutely sick of parents not paying, or not bothering to read the T&Cs, or agreeing to them and then quibbling everything. I’m actually looking to move out of teaching which is sad because I’ve got 40 students and there are no other teachers locally but I just can’t deal with the parents anymore.

She is being unreasonable. As a family I have to pay in advance for all sorts of- tutoring, counselling, monthly follow ups for AuDHD in order for prescribing. In every single one I have to pay within 48 hours of being invoiced to secure the slot because it is cancelled otherwise. This is standard business practice now.

Seem last message. Cancel her. There was no reason for all the agro. A simple ‘apologies I am out but will pay as soon as I am home’ would have sufficed not the barrage of angry texts. It is those and her behaviour last night that would mean I would terminate the relationship. She did not need to escalate it and be so nasty.

She is behaving appallingly.
OP I am also self employed, and I think you have to be really clear with people, in writing, what your terms are. You can’t assume everyone will understand payment in advance means 24 hours in advance, as not everyone thinks that way. I’d also be pretty annoyed that the time was changed in the holiday tbh, unless I was told in advance that holiday times are different, and given notice.
it’s a tough thing to be self employed, so we just have to make it as easy for ourselves as possible. For me, that is absolute clarity before anything starts.
this woman sounds difficult.

YANBU. I'd consider changing policy to the payment for the full block needs to be made before the first session is confirmed and booked into the diary.

she is sitting at her laptop ready to make payment if I can agree that I will continue as a tutor as 'this time she doesn't want to change tutor'

This is a red flag to me. Surely most parents will want to pay for one block to see whether their child and the tutor are a good fit. I'd assume she's planning to continue to mess you around, then pull out the 'but you promised you'd keep tutoring my kid' card.