I used to babysit a lot when I was a teenager. It was a fun summer job and it meant I got a little bit of spending money for the weekends. I never got paid much, because I usually babysat for family friends, but I would always note who paid the best in case I ended up getting double booked.
I remember one time my mom told me I should ask one of the families I babysat for if I could have a raise, but I was so terrified. I was only 15 years old! There's no way I felt comfortable enough doing that.
That being said, if a family flat-out refused to pay me, you can bet your bottom dollar that I'd be saying something. For this teenage babysitter, she had to push a lot harder than she figured she would after the family she was babysitting for told her she wasn't getting paid.
The babysitter's sister chose to speak to Bored Panda about the ordeal.
"My sister's name is Kristen which is, unfortunately, all I can give you," VortextThing said. "She had never met [the woman] before, but my sister has her own babysitting website in our town so that's how the woman contacted her. Beforehand, my sister described her as "˜respectful and courteous,' which made it all the weirder that the woman attempted to turn around and scheme her."
She also included the messages sent back and forth between the mom and Kristen. Kristen simply asked if she could come and pick up her money the next day, and that's when things got messy.
"I wasn't aware payment was involved. You got free ice cream and a day of fun. I'm sorry for the misinterpretation," the mom said.
Then she tried to make excuses about not having the messages anymore.
Kristen even tried to negotiate with the mom, offering a lower price.
The mom then resorted to name calling and threats.
After the mom was clearly no help, the sisters decided to go to the husband. He said he would "talk to her about it," by Kristen still wasn't getting far in terms of payment. Finally, after many attempts, she sent this message to him.
Mr. [Name], we are aware you are reading our messages. We have consistently tried to reason and work with you, and it is honestly quite laughable that you are refusing to pay.After consultation with friends, we have decided we will be using a Small Claims Court if you do not return us the $128 in cash that you rightfully owe. You will have to go through legal fees and court proceedings and it will certainly cost you more than what you owe us.
So, as soon as you and your wife stop acting like children and face the people you owe money to in person, we may be able to have a reasonable discussion.
In the end, Kristen did get her money, as the couple was seemingly freaked out when she threatened legal action.
Many people have a feeling the woman knew exactly what she was doing, and when she got caught, she went into a defensive mode.
[H/T: Bored Panda]
