Mother told her friend she doesnt have to pay me?

[Imacelebritygotit]

I do translating/admin e.g appointments, filling out forms. Work stuff on the side

My mums friend heard i do this and hired me. We agreed on sum etc

I did 3.5 hours work

She then tells me she will give the money when she sees my mum the next day, i agree

My mother then goes "omg guess how much she paid you!!!" "I said no, no, no, no! You are a friend!!!! Absolutely no need to pay that much!!! Wtf!!! 10 pound is fine!!! But she insisted she pays you the agreed amount!!!!! Said treat it as a gift then. But then i insisted and said 10 pound is fine!!!! Trust me!

Explaining to her is useless she just keeps going She is a friend!!! You cant charge her like other people!!!/anyone else!! How can you be so money hungry and greedy!!!

Am i right to be angry about this! I mean this woman is not my friend, i barely know her. And it was like 4 hours work!!!

Edit: oh and now im getting texts from this woman saying she was very happy with such a good price, what a nice person i am and how others she hired "take advantage and over charge". And she wants to hire me again for same price!

I agree with thequeenoftarts send her a letter before action (look up a template on the Internet or ask on the Legal board for a recommended template). I would focus on your joint agreement of the fee, that the work was done and delivered as expected and to a high standard, and the fact your mother was her choice of messenger service for payment and had no authority to renegotiate the fee.

Tell your mother she can judge you as greedy if she likes, but its hypocritical of her and you are really disappointed in her nasty attempt to improve her friend's wealth at your expense.

(Assuming she doesn't get back to you today)

What a ridiculous point!

sorry I don’t agree with the mass hysteria here. Ok it’s annoying but it’s only a couple of hours work you missed out on. It’s not like you’re giving legal advice just filling out forms. Just let it go and don’t do any work for your mums friends again. I think your getting it out of proportion tbh

Ok, so you messsage your mom back and ask her, ever so sweetly, if she wishes you to effectively work for free, would she mind very much paying your bills and buying your gorceries? Because unfortunately supermarkets and utility providers dont do the same mates rates..

You'd be happy to work for nothing then?

How much did you agree?

What I meant was she said she did 3.5 hours of work so it can’t be that much money. So just move on. Don’t do any more work for your mother’s contacts and forget about it. It’s hardly worth a massive fight and family feud over it. I would just forget it personally but don’t do any more work for your mother’s friends.

Put an invoice through the door and specify any failure to pay will be addressed legally. Your mum
is a CF and out of order.

this is completely over the top for 3 hours work tbh calling someone’s mum a CF and legal action come on.

Well - that's bloody rude! Your mum has been pretty out of order throughout tbh

I’ve come across a few people who volunteer their families for free work. I think it makes the person who makes the offer feel that they are wanted and liked, but under false pretences, because they aren’t doing anything themselves. A make relative volunteered me for a few things, including telling a random woman in a hotel that he would get me to rewrite her cv for her. I did wonder if she rewarded him for the “favour “.

Tell your mother to tell her friend she was wrong and you are owed the money. And if your mother doesn't want to do that SHE can pay you.

I don't disagree. The mother's view is appalling as is the mother's friend. It's quite one thing translating a sentence or two for free but when it's literally the OPs job and she could have turned down fee paying work from people who will actually pay, the mother's view is just plain awful

Have to agree with this

ifs annoying and yes you have lost money but how much are we talking ?

I guessed about £60

I agree.

Alternatively, the friend asked your Mum what was going on and your Mum has said... "I told you, that you would'nt have to pay and I will sort it out"...

Her behaviour is an absolute disgrace. I'm so sorry OP, it must hurt.

I would send an invoice directly to the "Friend" and say that your Mum is not your intermediary.. there was quite a good template further up the thread.

There's the equation I use... which outcome is worse

1. standing up to your Mum means a certain amount of grief as she will kick off and send texts like the one you quoted (which was so mean by the way and untrue) But when you KNOW she's wrong...
2. The alternative is in this case accepting her renting your services out for free to her friends and her taking all the thanks and credit.

I think either alternative is a bit crap, but on balance its better to accept that she may kick off if you stand up to her and say no.. but she's less likely to keep doing it and chancing her arm if she knows there will be push back... and that is worth it in my opinion. Sorry you are having to through all this stress over such stupid behavior.

Well now your mum owes you the difference because you are not a charity for HER friends.

Translation work is extremely laborious.

And people train for years to achieve the required standards for translating official documents.

'Hysteria'? Seriously?

Was so annoyed by this yesterday. Was hoping for an update to see she had paid but no. Please don't let this go, it is outrageous of your mother.

Her mum is a CF. She volunteers not only OP but others to do free work but has fully charged said friend when she was working as a cleaner. She is extremely cheeky to say the least. Personally I would put it down to experience and learn my lesson but OP has lost money and future work, the friend needs to pay. I wouldn’t actually take legal action but the threat of it is enough to get most people to act.

She said 3.5 hours so not that laborious

Is it only women’s time and effort and admin
workers that you minimise and downgrade?

That 3.5 hours of work should have earned OP at least £60.

Maybe you’d like us to call your employer and suggest they pay you just 16% of your salary this month? It’s not like you’re giving out legal advice, right?

Yes but it’s a one off.
sometimes you just have to write it off.
like a parking ticket or some unpaid overtime. rather than go nuclear threatening legal repercussions for 3 hours work it’s not really realistic.

OP has sent the lady a text and has had no response.

The principle is that you get paid for the work you provide.

OP hasn’t threatened any legal repercussions but I can see why she is angry, she did work in good faith and has had it thrown in her face.

And the woman had the gall to think OP would continue working for such a pittance.