Help with an invoice

Terry2517

Hi all.
Hoping someone can help.

My mother in law recently had a cleaning company round to her house for a domestic clean with the idea of it becoming a monthly thing.

On their website they charge £15 per hour + a £12 petrol charge for clients living over a certain distance away.

The managing director came to the house and quoted £15 per hour + the petrol charge. She said there would be an initial deep clean that would take longer than usual as the oven would be cleaned e.c.t... and that there would possibly be 2 cleaners attending. This was all fine and she booked them (I was present for this so there is no confusion over terms)

The cleaners came. First was 2 cleaners, accompanied by the managing director (who we assumed was showing them to their new client) by the end of the clean there were 6 cleaners there and 3 cars. I feel it’s worth noting that she was not asked if she required extra staff.

They finished and said they would send an invoice later that night. She was expecting £15 x 7 hours and a £12 petrol charge.

They have invoiced her for £490! I asked for an itemised invoice and it came back at around £15 x 31 hours + 3 cars @£10 each.

I am querying this but wanted to see if anyone in this group knows how she stands legally as this is a blatant attempt to take advantage of somebody.

At no point has she signed any paperwork or verbally agreed to pay however many staff they decide to bring along.

Thanks in advance guys!

Money_maker

On the website does it state per person per hour or just per hour? If just per hour, ensure you take a screen shot and use this to query the extortionate invoice.

unholyangel

Did your mother enter the contract via the website? Or make initial contact via website then sign up in person in her home? What information was she provided before she entered?

marliepanda

Are you saying they cleaned for 7 hours?

A house would have to be in an absolute state for it to take 31 man hours to clean. Was it? Have they done a decent job in those 31 man hours?

Clearly £15 is £15 per person per hour, you shouldnt have expected 2 people to work for one lot of £15, thats under minimum wage (unless they were under 24...)

Did anyone question the fact they brought 6 people? Did anyone question the fact that 6 people were cleaning for 31 hours between them?

I dunno it just doesnt make sense, if 2-6 people were in my house for 7 hours, I definitely wouldnt be expecting to pay them £15 for 6 people an hour... If you feel the work they did was excessive or took too long them someone should have stepped in.

lincroft1710

Duplicate thread

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5917023/help-with-an-invoice