Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Won't get paid

dukebound85

dukebound85

macrumors Core
Original poster
Jul 17, 2005
19,218
4,342
5045 feet above sea level
So I have tutored a girl for a while. We had a verbal agreement where she would pay me every two weeks and did the first time but it has been over a month since I last been compensated.

She acknowledges she owed me in texts and all our meeting can be seen in our text messages yet she hasn't really made an effort to pay again, even with my texts saying "I hate to bring it up...etc"

What should I do? move on? Kinda irritating. We are talking about 60-100 bucks she owes me.

What do you do when people aren't true to their word?
 
Don't 'text' her that she owes you... definitely do that in person and let her know you won't be giving any more services until she pays you back.

My experience with people not keeping their word over money usually boils down to them skipping town, usually over very small amounts of money too, strangely enough, which luckily doesn't bother me other than the principle of it. Also I wouldn't say that you hate to bring it up. If you actually hated to bring it up then it imples you don't really care that much, even though I know what you're saying and are just trying to be nice/sensitive. Maybe that's why she hasn't paid you back.
 
I would stop tutoring her until she pays you what she owes you. The next time you meet with her tell her you will be unable to continue until she pays what she owes you. If she can't pay then, cancel the sessions until she does.
 
Break down the front door of her house with a pair of large pliers and tell her you'll cut off her toes one by one until she pays. That ought to do the trick. ;)
 
roadbloc said:
Break down the front door of her house with a pair of large pliers and tell her you'll cut off her toes one by one until she pays. That ought to do the trick. ;)
Click to expand...

I like this solution ^^^

And, of course, no more tutoring!

(Ah, roadbloc, you have a rich, if somewhat disturbing, fantasy life!:eek:)
 
ucfgrad93 said:
I would stop tutoring her until she pays you what she owes you. The next time you meet with her tell her you will be unable to continue until she pays what she owes you. If she can't pay then, cancel the sessions until she does.
Click to expand...

This.

Stop the classes immediately, state that you are a paid tutor/teacher not a registered charity, inform her that free classes tend to be given to friends or family and that she falls into neither category, and tell her that with regret you are unable to continue the classes until she is prepared to pay for them.

Yes. I've been there, myself. You have my sympathy.

Part of this mindset comes from the (subconscious) notion that if someone does something they really enjoy doing, and are good at, something that is classed as a 'vocation', as teaching sometimes is, and, as nursing almost always is, then, they should not expect remuneration as 'love' of the job should provide their sole motivation and source of job satisfaction.

Of course, this is utter tosh, and a great way of ensuring that teachers and nurses remain less well paid than such work merits.

Having said all that, she could be broke, or parsimonious, or clueless. Either way, she needs to be made aware of a few facts, one of which is that you can expect to pay a fair rate for services received that you have sought.
 
At first glance I read "So I have tortured a girl for a while" and I was like :eek:

Nevermind, yes, stop tutoring her, until she pays you, as the others said.
 
dukebound85 said:
So I have tutored a girl for a while. We had a verbal agreement where she would pay me every two weeks and did the first time but it has been over a month since I last been compensated.

She acknowledges she owed me in texts and all our meeting can be seen in our text messages yet she hasn't really made an effort to pay again, even with my texts saying "I hate to bring it up...etc"

What should I do? move on? Kinda irritating. We are talking about 60-100 bucks she owes me.

What do you do when people aren't true to their word?
Click to expand...

Typically you would take a person to small claims court. You would obviously win with the large amount of evidence you have in your phone. But the question is, is it really worth 60-100 dollars. Probably not. But I mean you can threaten the girl by saying you will take small claims action or you can just go to her parents. Either or will work I bet.
 
Is there a reason she stopped attending and paying?

Perhaps she was unhappy with the quality/ content

Legally if she says she didnt pay as she felt the service was sub par then i doubt you can do anything.

Do you have other students... Are they happy? Do they pay on time?
 
tutor her, lots more actually. don't ask for payment. just make sure everything you teach her is wrong. really wrong. :)

or if your time is worth more than revenge, let it go. money is easy to get, time is easy to run out of. best of luck.
 
How old is she? If under 18 then whatever contract you have with her doesn't apply because she's a minor.
 
dukebound85 said:
So I have tutored a girl for a while. We had a verbal agreement where she would pay me every two weeks and did the first time but it has been over a month since I last been compensated.

She acknowledges she owed me in texts and all our meeting can be seen in our text messages yet she hasn't really made an effort to pay again, even with my texts saying "I hate to bring it up...etc"

What should I do? move on? Kinda irritating. We are talking about 60-100 bucks she owes me.

What do you do when people aren't true to their word?
Click to expand...


She's definitely doing something that warrants an inquiry by the police and/or justice system. By law, verbal agreements are the same as written contracts.

Take her to Judge Judy!
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back