Help - What would you do?

[lovelooks]

I done a clients lashes back in September. She had been coming to me for 3-4 years! Just before her appointment she text to say she would have to cancel as her cheque hadn't cleared as she thought it would of. So as she is so regular I said I would do her a full set and she pay me on the Friday (this was on a Wednesday). Well apparently on the Friday she transferred the money, but sent it to a wrong person. She done this twice. I have no proof of this! She then said she would drop the cash round, leaving me thinking she probably never transferred it in the first place, as she would want proof it never credited my account (which I can prove). Well 2 months on and several messages I still haven't received the money and she is now ignoring me!!!!
I dont know what to do!!! I want to go knocking on her door, but I know this will not get me anywhere!!

 

[BannerPenguin]

can take it to small claims court, send a solicitors letter or just Chalk it up to experience.

Give someone an inch they take a mile.

 

[lovelooks]

can take it to small claims court, send a solicitors letter or just Chalk it up to experience.

Give someone an inch they take a mile.

Its only over £50 so I think it would cost me more to take it to a solicitor, I am just so annoyed with myself for doing it, but knowing her for 3-4 years and seeing her regular (once a month) I didnt think she would do a runner!!!

 

[Lady Murasaki]

To be honest I wouldn't of done the service in the first place, I would of rebooked her or took card or cash up front.

This woman is not going to pay you so you have to chalk it up to experience and move on.

If she want to rebook say she will have to pay the amount already owed and the amount for her treatment up front otherwise no booking.

 

[lovelooks]

To be honest I wouldn't of done the service in the first place, I would of rebooked her or took card or cash up front.

This woman is not going to pay you so you have to chalk it up to experience and move on.

If she want to rebook say she will have to pay the amount already owed and the amount for her treatment up front otherwise no booking.

Im so annoyed with myself for doing it!! I trusted her 100% even though Ive only been doing her lashes 3-4 years Ive known her 6-7 years!! Just goes to show dont it, people aint what you think they are!!

 

[blossom]

That is so annoying.

Talk about you live and learn.

If it was me, I would send her an email or letter (from yourself, not a solicitor) setting out the amount due for services and giving her two weeks or whatever to pay or you will put it in your solicitors hands and take it to the small claims court. You have nothing to lose even if you choose not to, she doesn't know you don't mean it.

 

[Lady Murasaki]

I think you can also be sure she won't come back to as you are chasing her for money and she will now move on to some else.

Unfortunately with the current economical climate many middle class people are booking treatments and not pay for them and turning to this sort of crime as they want to 'keep up appearances with their friends' and booking treatments they can't afford and not paying or trying to get a refund later through fraudulent claims of bad service or saying 'their nails fell off' etc

I recently had a client whom booked a couple of hundred of pounds worth of wedding treatments (she and mum always paid late) and then when her last instalment was due she said she couldn't afford to pay me and cancelled and had now booked another Mua god knows if she's going to get paid lol

I'm now stopping letting clients pay in 2 instalments ( deposit and remainder amount) and it will be one payment of the full amount

 

[essentia]

It is hard to take as you obviously build up trust with a long standing client. I would use it and write the letter in a non-accusing way saying she has been a trusted client for many years and know that she would not want to not pay you for all your hard work. I think the heavier you get, the harder it is for them to back down and admit their failure. I am not condoning her actions but give her a last chance to make good before and if you take action that is irreversible.

 

[Lilypie]

If it were me I'd put it down to experience and accept you won't be receiving the money. You offered to carry out the treatment knowing she didn't have the money at that point in time to pay. You trusted she would pay a few days later which she hasn't. She's broken that trust and sounds like she's gone out of her way to not pay you.
I know it's £50 but time wise it's going to cost more than that to recoup the money

 

[lovelooks]

She's had plenty of time to make things right, she's has told me on 3 occassions she is coming round with the money, I have waited in and she just hasn't showed up! I'm just going to out it to experience. I know she isnt skint due to all her Facebook updates and what she has been telling me has been shown as lies again due to her facebook updates!! I think this is why I was getting so annoyed about it!!
Oh well, she wont be getting any of my time again!!

 

[Diamondgirl]

I had a similar experience with a client....Id only been to her a couple of times prior and she was fine ...then on one particular day after finishing her treatments she said 'Oh I'm really sorry I forgot to get any cash out' so it was agreed that she could pay me on her following appointment as she said her husband had her cheque book and was at work...

BIG MISTAKE and lesson well learnt! she cancelled her next appointment and then the next and the next.....she kept in contact and kept saying 'I haven't forgotten about the money I owe you'...I tried saying that I could go and collect it but she always made excuses anyway three months later she txt me to rebook her appointment!!.....Being the softy that I am I went out to the appointment...more so because I wanted my money...

When I arrived I made a joke of it and said you have remembered to go to the bank haven't you?....she laughed and said 'yes don't worry Ive got your money' and apologised profusely....well again finished all the treatments and said that's £90 please....£45 from previously and £45 for today....Oh I didn't realise it would be that much she said???? Ill have to give you a cheque...

I said Id take any cash and the remainder in cheque but she wouldn't budge and become a bit abrupt....so I agreed on the cheque as didn't want confrontation (or as joey Essex says if you've been watching Im a celebrity...didn't want to confrentate her)lol......AM I STUPID...YES TOTALLY ...the cheque bounced.....I contacted her and she said 'oh Im so sorry I cancelled the cheque as couldn't remember who it was for' grrrrrrrrrrrr....mega angry now.....

She then went on to say she would give it to me at her next appointment before I had time to say er I don't think so love she put the phone down on me....I tried numerous times to contact her by phone txt etc but to no avail in the end I wrote a letter giving her an option to either pay me through paypal or my bank....I wasn't rude but to the point and said I would need to seek advice from my solicitor should the money not be paid within 48hours...I was chancing it but lo and behold she paid!!

I was lucky....but blooming stupid....you don't walk in asda get to the tills and say ooh haven't got the money will pay you on Friday! (even though I wish we could)....so definitely a lesson learnt from me....

Im sorry Ive just waffled for England and not really given you any advice at all.....Just reiterate what others have said and say learn from it and don't do it again....we are trying to run a business not a charity and the sooner people realise that the better!...

But totally understand that £50 is a lot of money to lose sorry I couldn't give sounder advice...

 

[lovelooks]

Oh no, looks like she was just out for some freebies!! At least she paid in the end though.

 

[Kaznal]

Not sure if this would work as I have not done it for a while but where I work if a bill is not paid, we would fill in the form for the small claims courts, take a copy and send the copy to the non paying customer, with a letter stating "this is a copy of the form that will be lodged with the small claims court for the cost of your outstanding debt within the next 7 days. If payment is received within this time the claim will not be pursued. Please note that your credit history will be affected should the claim proceed.

Never gone to court yet

 

[Boid]

I'd just take it as a lesson. I was doing gel nails once and then 3/4 of the way through the client told me she'd had her purse stolen on the weekend. Same thing, she was regular too, never been back with the money. If she does come back she'll have to pay up first before receiving any more treatments.

 

[blossom]

There should be some sort of centralised "blacklist" that we could register non-payers on to warn other therapists and give them the option of not booking the client in. At least, fore-warned is fore-armed.

Don't spose it's legal though.

But then stealing treatments isn't either . . . .

 

[beckylashes]

Haven't read all the comment but I did exact same thing my clients been coning 2 years ish she took ages to pay me said she transferred I just left it alone only sent one text saying us everything ok? I haven't recieved the money from your treatments just let me know no worries though but I could do with it so just let me know she replied 2 weeks later and paid think its because I didn't make it awkward by getting mad or keep texting When she prob skint I know its annoying and I don't know why some people are like that but she will need you for infills and if she doesn't pay eventually put it down to a lesson learnt and don't do it again i won't be doing it again lol x

 

[lofty]

I like the sound of a copy of the small claims court form My story and Im not very proud to be honest of my actions, had a reg client book in for a hollywood card got declined said she rush off to cashpoint and be straight back anyhow she didnt come back ! she went on to a nail bar and did the same. She rung me later after I'd left msgs saying she'll pop it in but the bank messed up her card. Got nearer to end of my day she rings again saying im on my way now (could hear her fast walking on phone) then nothing. Anyway she ended up catchin a flight to Portugal, obviously runnin for the plane and not me lol. Ended up she went round many business for free treatments soooo I ousted her on Twitter tagged all her friends in the same friends she was on her hols with, named and shamed and she transferred monies while she was over there. Not very professional and not proud I wouldnt resort to that again I would just take it on the chin next time. So I learnt a lesson there.

 

[blossom]

I have to say I would have done exactly the sam, OP, especially when its a long term client.... I have done nails several times without payment (call me a sucker) when my regulars have not had time to go to the cashpoint or whatever, and in 10 years NOBODY has failed to pay so I do think it's bad luck and she is probably feeling bad herself (I like to think) and after all, she has lost a really good therapist:sad: not that that makes it any better, there's absolutely no excuse x

 

[lovelooks]

Little update, I've told her today she has until Friday to pay me or at least answer my messages (she's ignored me for 2 weeks) or I am going to speak to a solicitor for advice. That I didnt want it to come to this but she has left me with no option.
Well she has instantly answered me. She reckons she can send them the receipts of the payments she has made to my account, where she has entered the wrong account number. I have now spoken to her bank and asked for general advice. They have told me she would have lost the money if she had entered the wrong details and the person who's account it has gone to has not accepted it to be taken back out of their account, as it is her error. If she has entered the correct details and its a bank error then she would of been refunded within a week. So again more lies.
She now has said can I give her today and she will contact her bank again.

Surprising what a little formal message can do!!

 

[hazeleyes]

Little update, I've told her today she has until Friday to pay me or at least answer my messages (she's ignored me for 2 weeks) or I am going to speak to a solicitor for advice. That I didnt want it to come to this but she has left me with no option.
Well she has instantly answered me. She reckons she can send them the receipts of the payments she has made to my account, where she has entered the wrong account number. I have now spoken to her bank and asked for general advice. They have told me she would have lost the money if she had entered the wrong details and the person who's account it has gone to has not accepted it to be taken back out of their account, as it is her error. If she has entered the correct details and its a bank error then she would of been refunded within a week. So again more lies.
She now has said can I give her today and she will contact her bank again.

Surprising what a little formal message can do!!

It all sounds lie a pack of lies to me.She doesn't eat to pay!

It's it your problem if she entered. The details wrong any way- oh wells hats her business. She still needs to pay you regardless that's her problem!
The bank once paid my rent from someone else's account to my landlord- for two months! They reimbursed the person the money and I still had to pay it back to them but they let me pay it off slowly!
When they are recognised errors are rectified quickly!!!
Defo enforce what your saying! Don't stand for it!