Sorry to hear it. Courtesy never costs anyone anything. It is really shitty that they didn't even give you a heads-up so you could try to fill in the time. People just suck, mostly. I've been fucked like this a couple of times, and it cost me thousands of dollars with no real recourse. It is the price you pay for being too trusting in business. What I learned was that with certain circumstances, certain amounts of my time at stake, and the amount money involved required a tangible commitment from folks, no matter how much I trusted them. In some cases I'm sure I offended customers by demanding a non-refundable monetary commitment. Sometimes people have to wait several months to get work done by me, and a whole lot can happen in that amount of time. It has been my position that if somebody is reluctant to give me some piece of mind, then fuck them. They can find some other sap to take advantage of. You have to cover your ass when you're in business for yourself or you will get fucked once in a while without a kiss first or proper lubrication.