deposit refund for deployment

[idobelieve]

I booked an engagement session in December, session was supposed to be tomorrow. When she booked she asked if I would allow for rescheduling or refund if her fiance got deployed, he is in the Navy. I do allow this if it's for military reasons although in the past I've just rescheduled. At first she just requested allowing reschedule but then later she asked about refund and in the crazy of the holiday season I must have agreed. So she emailed me 3 days ago to say he was unexpectedly deployed and asking for a refund. I responded no problem, just send me documentation of his deployment and I will get you refunded. Her response: "I did not get documentation of his orders because I am not married to him yet and they are not allowed to bring papers home. He left within 12 hours of finding out he was being deployed."

 

The deposit is only $100 so it's not that big of a deal to refund it, but of course I'd rather reschedule. I'm wondering if she is just using the military as an excuse for changing her mind. I have never requested documentation before since in past instances we just rescheduled. Any military folks out there who can tell me if this sounds right? Should I just let it go?

TIA

[samstevens]

I'm not a military folk but my opinion is that you should refund it. $100.00 is not that much money, not worth the potential bad will or karma of not returning it, not worth wondering if she's lying to you or not, and certainly not worth withholding in the likelihood her fiancé just got deployed and what that means to her. On the documentation issue, if it were a much larger sum and you would suffer some kind of real loss of some magnitude, I could see requiring it. In this case, I'd advising trusting her. You put trust out in the world, you'll likely get it back in some way.

[Vincent Peri]

I'm not a military folk but my opinion is that you should refund it. $100.00 is not that much money, not worth the potential bad will or karma of not returning it, not worth wondering if she's lying to you or not, and certainly not worth withholding in the likelihood her fiancé just got deployed and what that means to her. On the documentation issue, if it were a much larger sum and you would suffer some kind of real loss of some magnitude, I could see requiring it. In this case, I'd advising trusting her. You put trust out in the world, you'll likely get it back in some way.

 

I second this course of action.

[Tony Parsons]

I think she's been totally upfront about it all with you - refund, no problem, and the goodwill you get may pay off later if she praises your helpfulness to others.

[andylynn]

Refund it, $100 isn’t worth the potential problems.

[Moving On]

I know the feeling well of being taken advantage of, after helping someone out.

When there is doubt, remember your conscience is your own and it is priceless to you.

[JDMvW]

Should I just let it go?

 

refund it, as andy says, it's not worth the potential problems and ill-will.