Parents of PSLE student drag out payment to tutor, 'ghost' her despite owing her $140

Update:

The parents have paid the tutor the remaining $140.

Original article:

The parents of a Primary 6 student have allegedly been dragging out paying a tutor they engaged to teach their daughter and to date, still owe her $140.

The tutor, who wanted to remain anonymous, told Stomp that the parents have owed her money since September and are currently 'ghosting' her.

She was engaged in around February to tutor their daughter for her Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE). 

They ended the lessons on Sept 28 after the examinations.

"Her father has been paying me for the lessons from February to September," the tutor said.

"Around June and July, they had some financial issues and started cancelling on me frequently on the day of the lessons and started delaying payments, sometimes for up to two to three months.

"I told them that if the tuition is giving their family financial stress they can stop temporarily or permanently but the father asked if I could let him pay me on the 26th of each month instead of the usual 7th.

"I understood his situation so I let him do so."

In text messages shared by the tutor, the father said that he had been out of a job due to Covid-19 and had started a new one in June.

"Initially, he paid on time on the 26th but after that, he began to delay and never informed me that he needed more time.

"Only when I asked him if I can expect payment in by that day would he reply another date which I think is really inconsiderate considering that I also told him I needed the money for my bills."

On Sept 26, the father delayed payment again.

As the last lesson was on Sept 28, the tutor asked him to pay by that date.

"The total amount was $840," she said.

"On Sept 28, I prompted him and he said he needed to prepare the money and asked for an extension to Oct 15.

"On Oct 15, I asked again and he postponed to Oct 26 instead.

"At this time, I already told him nicely that this shall be the nice postponement and on Oct 26 he did make a payment but only transferred me $700.

"When I asked him about the remaining $140, he said end of the month.

"I told him to make payment by that day and 'warned' him that if it was not done, I would lodge a police report but he asked me to go ahead.

"I did not lodge a report as I didn't think the police would bother to help when the amount was just $140."

On Nov 1, the tutor texted the father again regarding the remaining $140 and this time, he directed her to his wife.

"Even though I felt he could have contacted her himself, I didn't want to wait for him to do things so I contacted her and she's worse.

"She has been ignoring my messages, rejecting my calls and has not got back to me since I first contacted her.

"I saw that she was online and called her 11 times in total but none of them were answered and she didn't revert a call once.

"The father told me he will get her to contact me and she hasn't.

"They have not paid me at this point and are ghosting me.

"If their daughter wasn't in P6, I would've dropped her because of her parents however, I felt responsible for her since this year was PSLE and it was not nice of me to drop her in July when her exams are in Sept, that's why I stayed.

"I understood their situation, but they don't seem to care about the tutors they engaged and don't pay.

"I don't think that's right, it's only $140.

"They have so many mango comic books which are like $17+ each, their daughter has branded school bags and they cannot afford to pay me back $140?

"Even if it is the case, the mother could've told me and let me know and not ghost me because it's suspicious."

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