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Is this normal?

295

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 25 October 2011 - 22:25

I had a piano teacher come for her first lesson to teach my daughter at home. After she finished, I took out my wallet to pay her for the lesson, she said she'd rather get her full month payment in advance and in a cheque!
When I told my husband, he flipped :-)
Is that request normal for a piano teacher?

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793

Posts

EW GURU

Latest post on 26 October 2011 - 12:52

Hmmm. Depends, would you still pay her if you cancelled at the last minute? If so then fair enough, if not...... I would still pay her actually if I cancelled last minute...what annoyed me the most was the cheque part!! I have never met a tutor asking for her or his fees payed with a cheque :-) Yeah, not sure about that one. The only thing i can think of is that if she has the cash she might spend it perhaps!

295

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 26 October 2011 - 11:56

Hmmm. Depends, would you still pay her if you cancelled at the last minute? If so then fair enough, if not...... I would still pay her actually if I cancelled last minute...what annoyed me the most was the cheque part!! I have never met a tutor asking for her or his fees payed with a cheque :-)

outheredxb26999

298

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 26 October 2011 - 10:10

Yes it's normal. Freelance or not. You pay for dance classes in advance, you pay your school fees in advance and so on so if you are going to book a teachers time then you must reserve that time in advance so she has a schedule :)...this way you have a committment to her, and she has one to you :) Totally agree with SueB. We've just started piano lessons for my daughters and we had to pay a month in advance to show commitment.

645

Posts

EW GURU

Latest post on 26 October 2011 - 09:54

Just tell her that you called the consumer rights number at DED to check on what is normal etc an they were wondering what your license number is? She might suddenly accept daily and give you a discount too. The cheek of the woman. People are paying high rents and license fees and then she thinks she can take advances as well as working illegally. Ugh.

11

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 26 October 2011 - 09:20

I am a tutor, and I do not ask for the money up front. Although sometimes I think I should as parents randomly call me WHILE I'm in my taxi to their house for tutoring to say they have to cancel. From your piano teachers point of view, she's probably been messed around so much that she asks for money up front now.

STILLadviceseek...

425

Posts

EW EXPLORER

Latest post on 26 October 2011 - 09:06

I wouldn't pay a freelance piano teacher up front, first of all it is illegal for them to be earning money without a license, so if they mess you around you have no recourse, second I find it strange this piano teacher hadn't made her terms of payment clear before you hire her. Again if it is through a school/organization it is normal practice to pay up front, but it should not be expected by a free lance its not like she has costs to account for, she comes to you. I could understand a freelance saying, the first payment has to be for 2 so that one is kept in reserve always if you cancel at too short notice, but making you pay up front is silly. Does she offer a discount for asking for the money up front?

1097

Posts

EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 26 October 2011 - 08:54

Molly has a point, but on the rare occasion where I have had to cancel private lessons on the day, I have always offered to pay but it has always been declined. However, it can works both ways. Last year we had a tutor who was very unreliable and often cancelled at the last minute, I was already mad enough about it, but I would have been livid if I had paid her in advance.

793

Posts

EW GURU

Latest post on 26 October 2011 - 08:27

Hmmm. Depends, would you still pay her if you cancelled at the last minute? If so then fair enough, if not......

1097

Posts

EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 26 October 2011 - 08:22

In fact, for my Personal training instructor, I either pay per session at the end of the PT session, or I can buy 10 in advance and avail of a discount for the advance block booking.

1097

Posts

EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 26 October 2011 - 08:19

Freelance I pay lesson by lesson in cash and that's 4 different freelance activities with 4 different people. Personally I think that is the norm amongst the people I know who hire freelance instructors. Activities organised by a company (swimming lessons, ballet, golf ) I pay for 5 or 10 in advance.

45

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 26 October 2011 - 07:29

Competely normal to pay per month, in advance. Some would even require payment per term, in advance. The bottomline is that it is normal to pay either per lesson, or per month/term depending on the tutor/coach.

1238

Posts

EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 26 October 2011 - 07:07

We paid for a Maths tutor and that was in advance a month at a time. Think it is practically a necessity here as people are SO lax about appointments etc here and cancel at a moment's notice yet expect NOT to pay. Isn't that part of the risk of working part-time? And why the cost of a part-time tutor are so high in this area compared to others?

spongemonkey980

4329

Posts

EW MASTER

Latest post on 26 October 2011 - 06:50

We paid for a Maths tutor and that was in advance a month at a time. Think it is practically a necessity here as people are SO lax about appointments etc here and cancel at a moment's notice yet expect NOT to pay.

1238

Posts

EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 26 October 2011 - 06:43

No! Om el banat, I have no idea what these other posters are on about. Completely *not* normal! I pay for my French lessons by the lesson, I pay for my son's piano lesson, in cash, by the lesson. You tell this woman where to go and find a piano teacher willing to let you pay by the lesson.

295

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 26 October 2011 - 06:41

Even the cheque payment??

1236

Posts

EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 26 October 2011 - 02:53

It is perfectly normal in many children's activities. We take sessional subscriptions from our Guides. Whether or not girls turn up, we still have hall fees, programme and other resources to pay for plus insurance etc. My DD's dance school took sessional fees way back almost 20 years ago so it's nothing new. :)

2262

Posts

EW EXPERT

Latest post on 26 October 2011 - 00:59

Yes it's normal. Freelance or not. You pay for dance classes in advance, you pay your school fees in advance and so on so if you are going to book a teachers time then you must reserve that time in advance so she has a schedule :)...this way you have a committment to her, and she has one to you :)

295

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 26 October 2011 - 00:28

It's no company...she's just a freelance piano techer! :-)

STILLadviceseek...

425

Posts

EW EXPLORER

Latest post on 25 October 2011 - 22:37

Really? I don't think its normal, I would say pay by lesson is normal, thats the same as tutors no? ETA: if it is through a legit company/school then that would be normal <em>edited by STILLadviceseeker on 25/10/2011</em>

41

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 25 October 2011 - 22:35

I would say, yep. I have no first hand experience in Dubai but that how it used to work back home...

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