Netherlands, but goes for a lot of other European countries too

It’s possible to treat someone decently, even if they’re only someone you have a business relationship with rather than a friendship.

They are ONES that promised her the employment. OP is NTA at all!! OP shared her fees with the husband, which are very reasonable and yes, they are dreadful, awful people for having not fulfilled their obligation to pay her. They DID guarantee her work AND wages! OP had never been stiffed before that is why she didn’t have a contract but she had a verbal contract. Hopefully OP now draws up written contracts. As well as sharing with everyone that she knows how awful and dreadful these people are too!

I don't think the family morally sucks. There was definitely a lack of communication between the father and mother. If she would have told him earlier what the prices were, he probably would have told Mother and sitter upfront - no - we're not going to do that - we'll take them with us. And he does have a point in cancelling the services since there was no policy or contract. Can't blame him for doing this - he actually took responsibility for his own finances...

@Lydia, wait, what??? Why was it OP's responsibility to tell the husband? She told the wife, that should have been sufficient. It was the wife's responsibility to discuss this with her husband. I do think it was foolish for OP not to have a written contract, though. But the customers were definitely a******s because they knew she was taking time off from work for this. There was no excuse for canceling at the last minute.

No, it was the wife's responsibility.... And I can't blame the husband for cancelling. He did not know about it. Neighter the costs, neither the time taken off. And he saw a different possibility. Here is is common by the way to take your kids to a wedding. If my partner make such a big financial decision without telling me and I could cancel - I would do that too. Basically, he is the only one thinking straight - like it or not. But I do feel sorry for OP - let that be clear.

Thank you, Lydia. I am sorry, I guess I jumped to conclusions and thought you were talking about OP. I do understand why the husband canceled, but since there was a verbal contract with the wife I still believe that they owed her compensation for her time.

Exactly!! @ Lydia must think that the man makes all of the money whilst the wife is a SAHM. It was not and is never the responsibility of the payee to know the what the financial situation is within a family unit.

That goes both ways though. It is also not the responsibility of the family that OP took time off and made poor rules about cancelling. That was her decision alone. Further, I don't think it is about who makes the money and who is the stay-at-home parent. That is beside the point...would be the same if genders were other way around.

I said the blame lies with OP, they should have had contracts in place but lack of communication between the parents shouldn't be anyone's problem but their own. The fact is, leaving someone minus $840 with next to no notice is morally sucky, think about it. Just because something isn't illegal, it doesn't make it ethical. The couple just got lucky that OP was naive and therefore ill prepared.

Furthermore, this was a referral as well. OP was unfortunately more trusting as it was a friend of a friend. The ones who tell her to get over it are the ones that have money and don’t live paycheck to paycheck.

Gits not just the$$$ units history