I arrived at an inspection the other day and the husband came out to tell me the inspection was cancelled the day before. What?
I explained that the day before I had spoken to his wife to confirm and she asked me if the fact that they were hanging a new light fixture in the master bath would “go against them.” I told her it would not as long as wires were capped off properly for safety. I may make note of the work being done but as far as my report went I would not make a big deal. I understood the improvement going on. I thanked her for her question and told her “see you tomorrow.”
Evidently, the husband did not want me to see the improvements being made. So, my question is, do you have a clause in your agreement for appointments cancelled within “X” time of the scheduled appointment? Do you charge a trip fee if you travel to the inspection site and were not notified in writing of the cancellation before hand? Do you let it go and apologize for the “misunderstanding?” :roll:
In this case I traveled one hour to the inspection on toll roads. For the record, I apologized for the miscommunication, shook his hand, gave him a business card and told him to call me when he was ready.
That really sucks but what can you really do. You can stand there and argue that you drove over an hour on toll roads and should be compensated for it but you will likely not see a dime. You likely did the right thing.
A couple of years back I did an inspection on a vacant home. I had called the buyer the day before and had also emailed the real estate agent to confirm and that they were meeting me at the property. All confirmed so I went and performed the inspection. They were meeting me at 11:00 but did not show. when 11:30 rolled around I called the buyer and got no answer. Called the agent who informed me the deal had collapsed the night before. No sorry or anything. Never got paid for my time. Them the breaks I guess.
Unless you take a deposit and include a clause “deposit non refundable on cancellations made less than 24 hours in advance” or to that effect. You could include other clause to try to get percentage or whatever if they cancel like that, but good luck with that.
Within 10 minutes of booking, they have the contract emailed to them. The first lines of the email state the confirmed time and address, followed immediately by “Cancellations with less than 48 hours notice prior to the inspection have a cancellation fee of 1/2 the quoted inspection fee.”
I have collected once when they confirmed, received the contract and then hired another inspector. When I arrived, the other inspector was just finishing up. I talked to the “client” who had forgotten to cancel when they booked the cheap guy. He didn’t want to pay but I collected my 1/2 fee ($249.49) and left. Stopped by the river on the way out and did some fishing. I waved when they drove by. :mrgreen: Had fresh fish for dinner. :mrgreen:
50% of the basic inspection fee. I have a waiting list of people who want bookings. Cancelling late prevents me from servicing someone else, who was hoping to get a slot. If the reason is beyond their control (e.g., the house is not ready even though the builder told them it was the day before) I will advise them to seek reimbursement from the builder, but will waive the fee if they cannot get it. If I lose an inspection slot without being paid because of a late cancellation, that client cannot get back on the schedule.
Please note that 48 hours written notice is required for all cancellations. The cancellation fee is 50% of the above inspection price quoted. The cancellation fee will be refunded if a similar inspection is performed within 3 months.
It would cost you more to prosecute it than the inspection is worth.
Do you agree?..Think time and money.
The only other way …I Think… Is if you had a deposit beforehand.
Some use a simple fee, like a $100. I know of a few that collect it often. The fee usually makes people mad, including your referral source. If you charge the fee be prepared to waive it and be the hero. If you raise your prices by $10 and you will make-up for the lost inspection or two. We confirm everything several times including text message through ISN two hours before and rarely have an issue.
