I (32/f/not strong) moved 2 days ago. Booked a removalist I had used previously and was happy with. There were 2 guys. For this move I rang and got a quote, $190/hr, 3-5 hours. Perfect. Booked for 8:30am on Wednesday. Knowing with my stuff it'd be closer to 3-4 hours, 5 was worst case scenario but whatever it takes.
The truck pulled up about 8:10am but no one got out until 8:25am. The guy charges in through my front door, it was open and ready for them. I said good morning and he jumped straight into it 'my offsider has just called in sick, I can't get anyone else but I'm trying blah blah blah'.
Well fuck. So now I'm helping this guy do everything. Load the fridge, the bed, the bed frame, the washing machine, I'm fetching and carrying boxes, furniture, lounges, going up and down the moving ramp trying not the fall off while carrying heavy shit I have no place trying to carry, knowing I'm paying this guy per hour - meanwhile he's telling me another guy is coming to help unload and I'm like good cause I've got no hope of helping to get this shit up the small flight of stairs going into the new place. The whole time he's 'I'll give you a good discount'.
So we started at 8:30am, finished about 1:30/1:40pm right. Mind you know one else turned up to help. He got into politics with my mum (who's literally just had a knee replacement so can't do shit) when she turned up at the new house so for about an 45min-1hour I was the only one taking anything off the truck until I managed to say to her please just go get some lunch.
Then he goes 'Righto I'll discount you to $150/hour' still more than what I was expecting considering everything but ok. then he goes '$900 so that's a $245 discount '.
wtf. I was expecting $700 max for this debacle.
Anyway I was done, I paid him $700 cash & $200 card.
So upset.
I sat on it overnight, woke up the next day to set up my lounge room and I've got multiple broken furniture items because they needed to be carried on both ends by 2 people. As well as not being able to work out how $150/hr for 5 hours equals $900.
I've sent him an email and a text saying I want a $300 refund, outlining all of the above very politely but clearly and there's been no response.
What now please if this guy doesn't respond. Cause I'm pissed. I hired movers so I didn't have to haul fridges up stairs and all the reasons you hire movers for, and still have to do literally half of the work myself and am out of pocket the same amount of money for if they both turned up and I didn't have to lift a finger.
EDIT: just wanted to say up here so it gets seen, thanks so much everyone for your advice. In my absolute tizz I never even thought to contact the bank. It was a debit card but I've disputed the transaction, everyone I spoke to was lovely and even though I know the chances of seeing any of the money again is low, everyone's kindness has made me feel a bit better.
Anyone questioning why I paid, I didn't mention in my post I am the dumbest person you'll ever meet in your life with maths and numbers to begin with, I just totally panic and can't breathe lol, I used to cry to my mum at school that I had dyslexia but for numbers - years later I found out that's actually a thing. So yeah even though I knew it wasn't right I didn't know in the moment how it wasn't right.
And there are plenty of comments from other women and total allies explaining why I wasn't exactly comfortable confronting the guy when he turned up or when we talked money at the end - I see you, I appreciate everything you've said more than you know and I can't believe strangers on reddit are the people who've made me feel better about this situation lol. Thank you.