.png "Interview With Expat Saanika Gandhi, Author of Children's Book 'The Yellow Kite'")
Cleaning company - my fault or theirs?
Almost ONE year ago - yes, this happened last September - we had our final cleaning done before handing over the keys to our apartment as we moved out... All of our furniture was moved, it was literally an empty 1 bedroom apartment that needed dusting, hoovering and cleaning. Anyway, we booked 4 hours with a Dubai company, and the maid came to clean and we left for a couple of hours to do some errands as we normally do, and we returned perhaps after 2.5/3 hours during the clean... SHE'D GONE. She'd left before the time was up, bearing in mind nobody rang me to tell me she had 'finished' - which she hadn't, the kitchen was still dirty, bathrooms needed dusting and so on and so fort. I also pay in cash, so she'd left without taking the payment. I ring said company, complain that she hasn't completed the 4 hours we'd booked and were going to pay for, hadn't finished the job to satisfactory cleanliness and they told me - ACTUALLY TOLD ME - 'the cleaner could not find your bedroom'. IT WAS A ONE BEDROOM APARTMENT. TWO ROOMS!!!! Anyway, I complained, spoke to a Manager and they said I needn't pay. Fast forward 6 months, they hassle me for payment saying I owe an outstanding invoice; I told them no I don't, check your phone records and you'll hear your member of staff telling me I needn't pay following the terrible service. It's now 10 months since it happened, and they're ringing me again asking for the invoice!! In fact, I was busy yesterday afternoon and they rang me 7 times back-to-back... Annoying. Anyway, who's at fault. Do I give in and pay, despite my complaint last year and their phone records being able to prove that, or do I keep strong?
