Rawr! Don't Cheat Me!

[ShadowBall]

It amazes me how much people try and cheap out when they want someone to take care of their kids, pets, etc. Don't they care enough about whomever or whatever needs to be watched to pay for the care? Maybe babysitters and petsitters should include a clause stating that quality of care will depend on payment...so if someone doesn't pay you enough to watch Junior, you feed him a whole bunch of chocolate-covered coffee beans and Mountain Dew right before bed.

I tell people that on one freelance site that's full of cheapskates...you want a whole article for $2.00? The quality will reflect the price, assface. Enjoy your not-spell-checked, half-assed, possibly partially-bullshit article.

[Dreamstalker]

For this week, I've cut down to one slightly longer visit per day with the cat. I kinda feel bad doing it because the fuzzy is starved for attention each time I go over and I know he loves me, but if she's only paying me for basically one visit...

Most of my clients pay me in advance/leave payment for me. She doesn't; I have to make an extra trip over there if I want my check.

[Teskeria]

Don't lower your prices for her. She pulls the 'gonna board with the vet,,etc' line, just say 'That's a great idea if you don't wish to pay my prices. Oh, And I require full payment up front and you must have enough supplies to last the cat until you come home.' Then make her sign a form with all that spelled out.

[Dreamstalker]

It amazes me how much people try and cheap out when they want someone to take care of their kids, pets, etc. Don't they care enough about whomever or whatever needs to be watched to pay for the care?.

I don't get it either. I look at the in-home pet care I provide this way: the pet stays in familiar surroundings and isn't stressed, gets to eat their food and use their toys, and gets the type of attention that a boarding facility can't provide fully. If they're used to sleeping on the bed with someone they get it.

I can and have raised my rates, citing "market competitiveness", and I've also lowered them a twitch (recently I had a client who was only willing/able to pay $40 a day for in-home, I considered that fair for being allowed full use of the house and my transportation costs were minimal). Right now I have a few awesome clients who are actually paying me more than my going rate.

[protege]

Don't they care enough about whomever or whatever needs to be watched to pay for the care?

Of course not. They only care about their wallet. People like that piss me off. I can understand if you truly *can't* afford to pay very well. But, if that's the case, you find ways to make up the difference--make the caretaker some cookies, offer to cut their grass, wash the car, etc. Otherwise, you deserve the "cheap bastard" label, and should wear it with pride

..so if someone doesn't pay you enough to watch Junior, you feed him a whole bunch of chocolate-covered coffee beans and Mountain Dew right before bed.

Now that's pure However, are we talking a single can of Dew...or an entire case? Why not substitute some Red Bull, Monster, or even some Jolt Cola? I once had several of those energy drinks at a car show--but only because they were free, and cold (it was nearly 100F that afternoon ). When I got home, I didn't sleep at *all* that night, and was still wired the next morning. With that said, I could imagine the kid climbing the walls and walking on the ceiling

I tell people that on one freelance site that's full of cheapskates...you want a whole article for $2.00? The quality will reflect the price, assface. Enjoy your not-spell-checked, half-assed, possibly partially-bullshit article.

Yep, if you want quality, you're going to pay for it. I'll be damned if I'm going to turn out my best work, and get shafted. The exception...is if item in question (I once built models for people, but quit when people bitched about paying) will end up in my own collection. That's why I nearly ended up with a pink Bugatti EB110. That car is ugly enough, but pink? Anyway, the 'client' asked if I'd build that car, and then refused to pay for it. I seized it, stripped it down, and repainted it to match the 1930s Bugatti Type 35.

Now, if I build something for someone (which is pretty rare), I charge a 50% deposit up front, and the rest on delivery. If they don't like that...they can bugger off.

[EricKei]

The scary thing is -- Jolt is still banned in some states AFAIK, despite the fact that it has only double the caffeine of normal soda, by volume. To the best of my knowledge, Dew is 4x as much, and normal, non-"espresso"-type coffee is closer to 8~10x as much...And I don't see them getting banned. Jolt, however, has the distinction of being the first notable "extra caffeine" soda, and its caffeine content was blamed for the death of at least one person. It's still hard to find in many areas.

[YumeIshimaru]

-Update-
~Warning Language ahead~

She hadn't gone to the bank yet today so I won't be getting my money until tomorrow. She went on to say that I didn't do his verbal or physical exercises, both of which I was not informed about when I asked her on the phone what all I would need to do. She also whined that I didn't force her other two kids who I ended up watching as well were not forced to go to the park that I let them be in the house where I could actually keep an eye on them.

I then had the delight in informing her that most people would at least charge double what I was getting for taking care of a handicap child alone as well as the fact that I was taking care of her other kids as well even though the handicap child was my priority. I also told her that she did not inform me about the exercises or I would have done them with him. I am not Psychic and also had informed her that I did not have major experience with taking care of handicap children outside of a volunteer thing where I would do art with them (Which was fun). I never claimed to have years of experience with handicap children, I just have alot of experience with children without disabilities.

The reason I had the delight of informing her about how most people would charge extra for the handicap child along was because she tried to tell me she didn't think I had done anything for the last 40.

That fucking pissed me the hell off! I took care of your three fucking for three fucking days! For Forty Fucking Dollars a Day!! The Younger two were easy to deal with yes but I still mother fucking watched them! None of them starved, and I didn't ignore them for hours on end! I cook for them, I made sure they were entertained, I made sure neither of them killed each other! For The Handicap child I fucking Feed him(Cooking and feeding)! I fucking changed his diapers and cleaned him when he pooped! I made sure he wasn't where he could fall down the fucking stairs and I MADE SURE HE DID NOT FUCKING EAT ANY OF THE PLASTIC BAGS THAT WERE IN HER HOME THAT COULD HAVE KILLED HIM!!

She better give me my money because this is just bullshit

[Dreamstalker]

I see people on Craigslist and another website I'm a member of (nannies/sitters/pet care) that think it should cost no more than $10/hour for a sitter for a handicapped child.

[YumeIshimaru]

Then I was still getting less as I watched them from 8:00 am to 2:30 pm.

And I don't mind helping a family out, I just don't appreciate getting cheated when they determined how much to give me.

[Buglady]

Child care in my area is $60 a day PER CHILD.

People who cheat their children's or pets' caretakers had better make damn sure they never end up in a situation where they themselves require care. Karma has a way of catching up.

[Mystic]

If all else fails, tell her that if she refuses to pay, that you will be speaking to a lawyer and more charges will incur if this is where she chooses to go.

I would also refuse any further business from her in the future for obvious reasons.

[YumeIshimaru]

Child care in my area is $60 a day PER CHILD.

People who cheat their children's or pets' caretakers had better make damn sure they never end up in a situation where they themselves require care. Karma has a way of catching up.

If Karma does catch up to her I'll just shake my head and hope she learns a lesson.

If all else fails, tell her that if she refuses to pay, that you will be speaking to a lawyer and more charges will incur if this is where she chooses to go.

I would also refuse any further business from her in the future for obvious reasons.

I Will be refusing buisness from her. If She wants me to watch her kids again, she'll be paying me to watch all of them if they are all there. Also I'll be getting it in writing so she can't BS me again I don't appreciate being f**ked around but some bitch who wants to deem that she doesn't have to pa for services given.

I just hope a lawyer won't be needed as it would just be more hassle then it's worth >.>

[PepperElf]

Don't lower your prices for her. She pulls the 'gonna board with the vet,,etc' line, just say 'That's a great idea if you don't wish to pay my prices. Oh, And I require full payment up front and you must have enough supplies to last the cat until you come home.' Then make her sign a form with all that spelled out.

Then, let her find out how much PS, vets, and boarding places charge

This. And this.

My vet back in VA beach did boarding. It's been a long time since I was there but it was $12 or 15 a day I think. And that was back in 2005. I'm sure prices have gone up since then.


Now some establishments WILL do day-care rates for people who just don't want to leave kitty or doggy alone during the day. That may be cheaper (the dog place here charges 9 for daycare lasting over 4 hours ) ... BUT it means you have to bring your pet to them every day - they don't do home care - and your pet may get sick from the others.


She may be trying to scare you into cutting your rates to keep her... but your rates are already competitive so she's going to lose if you call her bluff.

[Hanzoku]

If Karma does catch up to her I'll just shake my head and hope she learns a lesson.



I Will be refusing buisness from her. If She wants me to watch her kids again, she'll be paying me to watch all of them if they are all there. Also I'll be getting it in writing so she can't BS me again I don't appreciate being f**ked around but some bitch who wants to deem that she doesn't have to pa for services given.

I just hope a lawyer won't be needed as it would just be more hassle then it's worth >.>

Nooo, you're getting the money in advance. Seriously, she sounds like a major pain in the ass to begin with, don't give her a chance to cheat you again. Money up front or find someone else.

[YumeIshimaru]

Nooo, you're getting the money in advance. Seriously, she sounds like a major pain in the ass to begin with, don't give her a chance to cheat you again. Money up front or find someone else.

Don't worry hun. I'm never babysitting for her again unless she sits down and writes out a nice long contract where we go over everything and we discuss a fee for watching her kid. Plus she'll find my rates will have gone up due to my new secret clause of 'Bitch tried to rip me off, now she'll have to pay me more for dealing with her' as the kids were perfectly fine, she was the monster bitch ^-^

I am... Delightfully Evil as my friends like to say xD I come by it honestly as my mom is evil Plus I'm sick and tired of being mistreated because I give an idiot a inch and they take a mile.

Unless you can promise that me watching your kids for free will cure any known sickness/disease and prevent the common cold, and produce results on the first day, I think I deserved better then to be fucked three ways from Tuesday.