AIBU to be annoyed that Sitters have taken me off their register for not understanding the mother whose children I was suppose to be looking after??

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Hi, I have worked for sitters for years and have never cancelled a booking, until today!! I called the mother to confirm I was still needed to sit tonight.
She is Chinese and I could barely understand what she was saying to me and she couldn't even give me directions to her home, I found myself saying pardon to everything she said, which in the end makes me feel rude! I just about got after 4 attempts that she lives near a book shop!!!
I rang sitters to explain that I wasn't happy to be sitting for someone who I couldn't communicate with! was asked what I expected sitters to do!!
I said what happens if the children's english is poor too!! again not much response. I asked if she would feel happy to go and she said she didn't know. I mentioned that I hadn't been feeling 100% all day and am also 6 months pregnant but hadn't cancelled as it isn't in my nature to let people down, but wasn't comforatable with the booking. So cancelled.
Sitters called back to say they had spoken to the lady and nothing wrong with her English(feel like I am being accused of lying!), really didn't know what I was talking about so therefore not a good enough reason to cancel, as also not 100% and pregnant then not able to do job, so therefore have taken me off the register! Would like to say that I have been able to work my normal hours this week as a nanny even though not feeling fab(just cold symptoms) so thought that just sitting I would be more than ok.
Really think this over the top! but would appreciate any thoughts on this.
Sorry its such a long ramble!!

As a parent, I would be furious if you cancelled at the last minute. I probably only get one night a month out with my husband and the last thing i need is a very short notice cancellation. We use sitters and we have had two short notice cancellations before, the first on my birthday (we managed to get a replacement) and the other on our wedding anniversary when we also lost the non-refundable deposit we'd paid the restaurant.
As sitters said they've spoken to the parent and she speaks good english.
I personally don't think that 3 hours is enough, but don't most parents round it up, you also don't have to take a job if its not paying enough.

Karoleann, Sitters have cancelled your bookings several times yet you still use them? As you only get one night a month out, you are paying quite a lot in agency fee each time you go out... I make it £8.61 per time (assuming you pay membership fee quarterly (£13.85 per quarter) and pay booking fee on each occasion (£4 per booking) and that you go out 12 times a year. If you were on average going out for 4 hours on each occasion... then instead of using the agency, you could increase the hourly rate of pay for a local babysitter by £2 an hour and it would be less overall per year cost to you.

If you are finding that the agency is cancelling jobs, then maybe you need to look at local childcarers directly who may well want a higher per hour figure but wouldn't mean you had the membership and booking fees. No guarantee that a local childcarer would be any more reliable but they might be, plus your children get to know someone, rather than having potentially someone different each time.

However I do agree with you that if looking from the parents perspective, having a sitter cancel on the day is not good. However without there being any contracts in place to impose some costing to that situation, then it will happen on both sides... parents can book then cancel at late notice as well.

nannynick - we've used sitters for about 5 years and the second time they cancelled at late notice they gave me a year's free membership. (since the restaurant no show was £50, I was fairly happy with that)
The first time the sitter cancelled, the woman who was dealing with the late cancellation came and babysat for me. I think their customer service is excellent.

I tend now to use my nanny for babysitting, but I find sitters really useful for ad hoc daytime sitting - the sort of thing its not worth using gumtree for and I also use them if my nanny can't babysit

They're also really useful for holidays......so I probably get my money's worth out of them.

Lucky you I have even turned up at a house and they have cancelled me and sitters never give you anything. I have often been cancelled makes me so mad that they are generous like that with the clients. They get the four pound whatever so they are not bothered if a client cancels or not.

Karoleann, I can understand that you would be furious if your sitter cancelled. However sometimes things do happen which are beyond anyones control. If you read my post you would see this was my first cancelation and was not a decision that I took lightly. Just felt that I would be unable to communicate with the parent, I am sure you would like to be able to communicate with the sitter coming to look after your children.
I agree with Redglow, you were very lucky to have been compensated, we never are when parents cancel on us, be it the last minute or earlier in the day! Think that it should balance out to both parties involved.
Glad that you have found their customer service good. Guess it is always the 2 sides to every story!