Advice Needed, disorganised parents... Options

[Claire21]

I have a pupil whose house I travel to in order to give her her lessons. It's a good 15 minutes drive from my house, but I charge them a bit extra for petrol and don't usually mind too much doing it. However, there have been several occasions when I've turned up and there's been no-one in; I charge them for it anyway, and they've been okay with that. It is a bit of an annoying waste of time, though. And in the past, they have contacted me to arrange another lesson, or occasionally I have rung them. (They have variable schedules, so it's not the same lesson time every week.)

Last time I went, though (about 3 weeks ago now), they weren't there again, and so I left a message on the mum's voicemail saying they should contact me to arrange a lesson. I haven't heard anything since, but don't really feel it's my place to be chasing them - I have enough to do, and don't desparately need the money! I feel like giving it another week, and then writing them a nice but firm letter saying 1) that it's up to them to contact me, and 2) please could they pay my last bill. (There's 60-odd quid outstanding).

I don't have a problem with the pupil, and her parents are nice but just chronically disorganised. I'm not sure if I should say I'm not prepared to teach her any more, as it is beginning to tick me off. (Last time I was going there direct from somewhere else so had been driving half an hour to get to them on time!) I'm slightly worried that if I say I won't teach her, they will get snotty and refuse to pay my bill. But I don't really want to go crawling either to fix up more lessons, if they are going to mess me about.

Any views?!

[Semele]

Interesting post.

Yes they do have to pay for the Court fees plus interest and travel charges....plus baliff charges and so on, if they think they are really clever.

I call my contract " Terms of Tuition" and usually offer a FOC consultation where I hand them my Terms and explain the trial period etc.

New one on me charging a fiver for late fees.I think that's taking it a little far though.

As for the Notice period I state: "4 weeks notice must be given if tuition is to be discontinued.Pupils may pay for 4 lessons and reserve the right to accept tuition up to that point of notice. If tuition is to be terminated immediately payment in full for 4 lessons is required.I reserve the right to terminate lessons at any given time."

If they cancel in the middle of the month I usually let them off depending on their attitude or I make sure they pay the difference if they are rude and think they don't need to pay,like not contacting me to let me know,as an example,or denying ever receiving the Terms.