Non-Payment by Client

[Frostysgal]

I'm not sure if this is the right place to put this but I was hoping I could get some advice.
At the end of November I had a client pull a fast one and leave my service without paying me. It wasn't the first time she had been late with payment etc and so it didn't come as a shock. Anyway, because she had been late with payment etc before when she didnt pay me on her last warning I provided her with her termination to which after doing so she never returned. I have tried contacting her with no success and have sent letters through the post along with invoices for the outstanding amount. After not getting anywhere with that I sent out a final bill before a week or so before I went on christmas holidays and as you would expect I havent heard anything. So I am hoping someone maybe able to give me advice to what would be the best thing to do?
I only started childminding last year and so with being fairly new too it all it has come as quite a dissappointment to have someone do this and i'm not entirely sure on what to do.

If you could give me some advice then that would be great.

Thanks

Frosty

[mama2three]

if you are insure with mm then give them a ring , other forum members have been lucky and got payments through them , they then go on to chase the customers. Dont think ncma are so good with this , but it might still be worth speaking to someone for some advice.

[suzyblue]

What I had to do was to phone the parent from a different phone number to get hold of her. Luckily she dropped off at the school i went to so I waited for her and caught her there a few times. Anyway after lots of promises to pay and excuses (her dad must have died 5 times!) I sent her a letter asking to pay the outstanding balance with no late payment charges by a certain date offering to accept the payment in two halves (which is how she paid me in the end) and if she didnt pay me within the time limit (make the time limit realistic for her to find the money) I would take her to the small claims court claiming the whole amount which added up to £650 more than the amount was. You can take someone to court for £60 (which you would get back) and you can do it all on-line. Send a matter-of-fact sounding letter giving her the two options but stick to your guns. Good luck!

[sarah707]

This is why you are insured!

Ring your insurance company, give them all the details of when you've written to the lady etc.

They will tell you what to do next.

Good luck!