non-paying parents walked right by today ??

**newandlearning** · 03-10-2011, 03:05 PM

well.. I don't understand people..

you take on their child, you invoice first month of payments, you alter invoice
for additional times and then they've not paid me on time.. was due 1st oct..
and then they walk right by me in the play ground this morn and don't even say 'thanks for invoice.. will pay later' or anything.

I don't normally look after after school kids.. so I'm wondering do parents of after school kids give you more invoicing issues.. like late payment?

I did stop the mum and say did you get my email last week as I've not received monies in my account and she just said .. 'oh yeah will pay you later'

???

... would you give notice.. ? we are still in settling in period.. so would you refuse to collect mindee if still no payment when you are meant to have mindee?

**Tink** · 03-10-2011, 03:36 PM

I would be inclined to phone this parent to find out what's going off. It's your business at the end of the day and you do not work for free.
It seems she has even forgotten, will pay later like she said or is just rude.
I hope your adding late charges to her bill and make sure you tell her this.
Good luck, hope you receive your money.

**sarah707** · 03-10-2011, 04:50 PM

In future always charge in advance.

If you are with Morton Michel write into your fees policy that you won't accept the child until your invoice is paid.

Sadly you can't do this with NCMA however you can still implement advance charges and of course if you take a months' deposit you won't be out of pocket.

Good luck with it all x

**newandlearning** · 03-10-2011, 05:03 PM

hi ladies.. I did charge in advance.. for the first couple of weeks she paid immediately.. last week she decided to not send mindee and this week neither
parent has decided to reply to my three texts .. and was very short when I spoke to her today in playground.

I just don't understand why a new parent would start paying late when this was our official first month's full contracted hours.

Surely a parent would only act like that if they didn't really want to have good relations with their cm?? or is it simply they just see us as a service?

**Caterpillar** · 03-10-2011, 09:04 PM

Originally Posted by sarah707

Sadly you can't do this with NCMA

What do you mean????

**candy cat** · 03-10-2011, 09:18 PM

ncma do not let you refuse care mm do

**newandlearning** · 04-10-2011, 06:29 AM

yes.. NCMA expect us to still work a notice period even though we've not been paid by parent as otherwise we are under breach of contract.. what happens after that who knows...

I think I've always been lucky on the communication / paying side of things before...

I've still no money in account.. and I'm meant to have mindee today..

I'm going to phone NCMA .. will post later exactly what their advice was xx (if you like)

**HELEN10** · 04-10-2011, 07:10 AM

Originally Posted by sarah707

In future always charge in advance.

If you are with Morton Michel write into your fees policy that you won't accept the child until your invoice is paid.

Sadly you can't do this with NCMA however you can still implement advance charges and of course if you take a months' deposit you won't be out of pocket.

Good luck with it all x

Hi can I ask if they then pay the invoice and the child returns to you, say after a week, what do you do about that week as we would have refused care, would it still be chargeable?

Thanks, Helen

**ChocolateChip** · 04-10-2011, 12:38 PM

Originally Posted by newandlearning

hi ladies.. I did charge in advance.. for the first couple of weeks she paid immediately.. last week she decided to not send mindee and this week neither
parent has decided to reply to my three texts .. and was very short when I spoke to her today in playground.

I just don't understand why a new parent would start paying late when this was our official first month's full contracted hours.

Surely a parent would only act like that if they didn't really want to have good relations with their cm?? or is it simply they just see us as a service?

I would phone her and ask if there's a problem, and say if you haven't got the money by Xday you will have to start charging late fees as per your policy (assuming you have got this in your policy?).Make sure she realises that payment is still due even if they don't send them, it sounds like this is what's happened here, maybe?
Either way it needs to be sorted out now, otherwise I would be tempted to give notice.