AIBU to cancel appt after she moved premises at short notice and ask for my deposit back?

fluffandfaff · 2026-02-02T09:41:12+00:00

I use a dog groomer who was lovely and very local in my small village. – less than 5 minutes away, loads of parking right outside, no faff. I could drop dog off, come home for an hour, then pop back to collect. Perfect. When I collected last time I booked my next appointment (for tomorrow, 3rd Feb) and paid a £25 deposit. I have no issue with her cancellation policy generally – 72 hours for refund minus £5 admin, after that full groom payable. We have a personal email account we check a couple of times a week (mostly full of newsletter rubbish). Early Sunday morning (1st) I checked emails and found one from the groomer sent late Thursday evening saying she had moved premises. New premises are about 6 miles further away, in a slightly dodgy part of a town, no parking directly outside. I’d have find somewhere to park somewhere else a way a way, in a very busy residential and industrial area and walk my nervous dog there. No chance of popping home either... I’d have to sit in the car for an hour waiting. Worth saying: my preferred contact method is phone, which I’d selected, not email. I messaged her on Sunday morning as soon as I saw the email, very politely, saying I’d like to cancel as travelling to the new premises is not viable, thanked her for her service and wished her luck. I also asked for my deposit back, accepting I was technically outside the 72 hours, but she had changed the terms by moving at short notice. She replied very quickly saying she’d miss us but I was still liable to pay for the appointment, and that I’d had “plenty of time” to respond to the email (there was about 24 hours between her sending it and the start of the 72-hour window). I replied saying I’d chosen phone contact and that less than 2 working days’ notice of a premises change didn’t feel reasonable. She then got quite rude, said I was being unreasonable, that it’s “only a 15-minute drive”, (realistically it is longer that with traffic etc and then finding parking) and that she told me at my last appointment she was moving. I genuinely don’t remember this and absolutely wouldn’t have rebooked if I’d known – I only used her because she was so local. The booking confirmation definitely still shows the old address. There were a lot of messages sent back and forwards, her saying her terms are perfectly clear and i was not getting a deposit refund and she would be invoicing for the entire appt. I told her that her t's&c's couldn't apply as SHE had moved the terms (address) outside of my control. She got quite arsey and she said she didn’t have time to argue as she’s stressed moving an entire business, then refunded me £20 and kept £5. I mentioned it to a friend (very “don’t rock the boat” type) who said I should have just let her keep the whole deposit, but maybe argue the appt fee. AIBU to think I was reasonable to cancel and ask for it back given she changed the location at short notice? Or should I have just sucked it up and let her keep the £25 AND paid for the rest of the appt?

igelkott2026 · 05/02/2026 18:46

Manxexile · 02/02/2026 15:58

I think the answer is quite simple.

If her terms are such that you have to give her 72 hours (3 days) notice of a cancellation, then she also has to give you at least 3 days notice of any changes which might cause you to want to cancel. [See Note 1 below]

As your appointment was for some time on Tues 03 Feb, your deadline for cancelling - according to her own terms - was the same time on Sat 31 Jan.

In order to give you 72 hours (3 days notice) of the change of venue to allow you to decide whether or not you want to cancel within her own deadline, she should have informed you of the change of venue no later than the same time on Wednesday 28 January.

By only letting you know late on Thursday she had left it too late to notify you of the change of venue to allow you to decide whether to cancel within 72 hours, and was therefore in breach of contract herself.

I'd go back to her.

Note 1 - Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 a cancellation term in a contract can be held to be unfair - and therfore unenforceable - if it doesn't apply equally to both parties. The law won't allow a consumer contract to be one sided and to be weighted against the consumer

Note 2 - I'm not a lawyer and I'm not giving legal advice

Edited

But you are absolutely right!

Tryagain26 · 04/02/2026 11:41

MorningActivity · 02/02/2026 19:18

Except many people/businesses don’t work that way.

like I have a few products on repeat subscription. They send me an email a few days before in case I want to reschedule/skip that month etc… if I check my email 2 a week, I’d miss the timeframe for that email and would receive something I didn’t want. My fault though isn’t it?

Ringing someine is becoming less and less of a thing, let alone for companies. You might not like it. I dint particularly either. But it is one of those things we all to do with.

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They could have texted or sent a what's app though. That's what my hairdresser does if she wants to change my appointment. She would never send an email and just expect me to pick it up.
She also told me several months previously when she moved salons and reminded me again before I made my next appointment making sure I was still happy to move with her.Surely that's the least anyone should expect.

SemiRetiredLoveGoddeess · 03/02/2026 19:55

She sounds as though she been on a good thing with her expensive prices and cosy customer base.

She did not contact you by phone so she is on the wrong.You are entitled to your money back.

Find another dog groomer near to you

Original poster

fluffandfaff · 03/02/2026 05:44

NoCommentingFromNowOn · 02/02/2026 20:25

Bloody hell @fluffandfaff you've got the patience of a saint dealing with some of these responses.

The fixation on my inbox feels like missing the point rather spectacularly.

OP posts:

NoCommentingFromNowOn · 02/02/2026 20:25

Bloody hell @fluffandfaff you've got the patience of a saint dealing with some of these responses.

MorningActivity · 02/02/2026 19:18

MiddleChildX · 02/02/2026 16:55

We don’t all need to be the same 🤷🏻‍♀️ I check one personal email a couple of times a week, and another possibly twice a month. If someone needs an urgent answer to something they can phone me.

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Except many people/businesses don’t work that way.

like I have a few products on repeat subscription. They send me an email a few days before in case I want to reschedule/skip that month etc… if I check my email 2 a week, I’d miss the timeframe for that email and would receive something I didn’t want. My fault though isn’t it?

Ringing someine is becoming less and less of a thing, let alone for companies. You might not like it. I dint particularly either. But it is one of those things we all to do with.

MiddleChildX · 02/02/2026 16:55

UncannyFanny · 02/02/2026 10:07

But that leaves you open to missing things that could still require a response. I check my personal email every day. That’s not business either. It may be time to learn from this experience and check your personal email more often. We’re talking a few seconds here, it’s not going to take up your whole evening.

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We don’t all need to be the same 🤷🏻‍♀️ I check one personal email a couple of times a week, and another possibly twice a month. If someone needs an urgent answer to something they can phone me.

similarminimer · 02/02/2026 16:25

Completely her fault that she had a short notice cancellation.

You cancelled as soon as you became aware of the new venue. Has she told you at any time prior to that, it seems clear thet you would have either not made the appt in the first place, or cancelled it as soon as you heard about the move. You never had any intention of attending an appt in town X, and ahe can only hold herself responsible that she assumed you would

Iocanepowder · 02/02/2026 16:25

MorningActivity · 02/02/2026 15:16

Having run a business myself (one person band, requiring premices) a few thoughts

you expecting her to contact you by phone is totally unreasonable. She will have sent a mass email to all her customers, not a personal one to each individual.
you were told about the change in time. The fact you don’t check your emails is on you not her.
Unless this was a last minute change (like I’m don’t know original place burnt down which is not the case here), she should have told you at the time of rebooking. That’s pretty standard.
She is sticking to her cancellation policy which is fair enough.

Tbh I feel you’re both at fault.
She should have told you when rebooking. She can be more flexible re the terms of cancellation in the current circumstances. It would protect her business too (I couldn’t carry in going but she is great vs we clashed around cancellation policy).
On the other side, you approach things clearly saying she was at fault further using emails etc…. It won’t have helped your case and will have made you look unreasonnable 🤷‍♀️

Next step? It depends how long you’re happy to carry the stress of exchanging messages, being upset,Wonderimg if she’ll find a way to get back to you for not following the terms of contract etc….

How is op being told about the change 24 hours before the cancellation period ‘on time’??

Allisnotlost1 · 02/02/2026 15:59

MorningActivity · 02/02/2026 15:19

If you don’t want people to contact you by email, don’t give them your email address…..

No small business like has the ability to select what is the lerson preferred way of contact. It works with very big corporations. It’s totally unreasonable to expect a one (wo)man band to do so.

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This is obviously false. I receive texts from the nail tech, hairdresser, aesthetician, private dentist, dog walker, window cleaner, mechanic… All of them small businesses, all of them able to manage data correctly. It’s a legal requirement to have basic data protection processes in place. A business that can’t do that isn’t a business, it’s a hobby.

Manxexile · 02/02/2026 15:58

I think the answer is quite simple.

If her terms are such that you have to give her 72 hours (3 days) notice of a cancellation, then she also has to give you at least 3 days notice of any changes which might cause you to want to cancel. [See Note 1 below]

As your appointment was for some time on Tues 03 Feb, your deadline for cancelling - according to her own terms - was the same time on Sat 31 Jan.

In order to give you 72 hours (3 days notice) of the change of venue to allow you to decide whether or not you want to cancel within her own deadline, she should have informed you of the change of venue no later than the same time on Wednesday 28 January.

By only letting you know late on Thursday she had left it too late to notify you of the change of venue to allow you to decide whether to cancel within 72 hours, and was therefore in breach of contract herself.

I'd go back to her.

Note 1 - Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 a cancellation term in a contract can be held to be unfair - and therfore unenforceable - if it doesn't apply equally to both parties. The law won't allow a consumer contract to be one sided and to be weighted against the consumer

Note 2 - I'm not a lawyer and I'm not giving legal advice

Allisnotlost1 · 02/02/2026 15:54

MorningActivity · 02/02/2026 15:16

Having run a business myself (one person band, requiring premices) a few thoughts

you expecting her to contact you by phone is totally unreasonable. She will have sent a mass email to all her customers, not a personal one to each individual.
you were told about the change in time. The fact you don’t check your emails is on you not her.
Unless this was a last minute change (like I’m don’t know original place burnt down which is not the case here), she should have told you at the time of rebooking. That’s pretty standard.
She is sticking to her cancellation policy which is fair enough.

Tbh I feel you’re both at fault.
She should have told you when rebooking. She can be more flexible re the terms of cancellation in the current circumstances. It would protect her business too (I couldn’t carry in going but she is great vs we clashed around cancellation policy).
On the other side, you approach things clearly saying she was at fault further using emails etc…. It won’t have helped your case and will have made you look unreasonnable 🤷‍♀️

Next step? It depends how long you’re happy to carry the stress of exchanging messages, being upset,Wonderimg if she’ll find a way to get back to you for not following the terms of contract etc….

Mass texting is also possible from a proper CRM (even copy pasting from an Excel doc). If you offer clients the opportunity to express contact preferences, it’s best practice to honour it. If you can’t, or don’t want to, don’t offer that. And if you then don’t adhere to those preferences, don’t act like a brat when people don’t receive your messages.

MorningActivity · 02/02/2026 15:50

fluffandfaff · 02/02/2026 15:35

As explained it was required on the registration form for my dog. I have been using her for 3 or 4 years and never has she sent an email before. All booking confirmations etc have been via text. If she hasn't got the facilities to give us an option of preferred contact then why ask?

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As a guess because 3~4 years ago, she had this great idea to start sending regularly emails either info about her business, tips and whatnot.
She didn’t get around it 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️ Not unusual at all.

She might also have noticed that most people say ‘texts’ re confirmation of appointment. So stuck with that.

Out of curiosity, did she send you a confirmation text for the appointment? Did it have anything about the new location? Or is it normally just a reminder 24h before?

Doubletroubledoubled · 02/02/2026 15:45

I’m obviously in the minority but it wouldn’t have entered my head to cancel this appointment for the sake of a 6 mile journey and a bit of inconvenience.
I’m not usually one to shy away from confrontation if I think I’m right, but assuming the appointment wasn’t at the dead of night and you wouldn’t be hanging around in the dark, I would have just kept it (and not booked another) if only to save myself the inconvenience of having to find another groomer at short notice and the hassle of getting my deposit back.

Original poster

fluffandfaff · 02/02/2026 15:35

MorningActivity · 02/02/2026 15:19

If you don’t want people to contact you by email, don’t give them your email address…..

No small business like has the ability to select what is the lerson preferred way of contact. It works with very big corporations. It’s totally unreasonable to expect a one (wo)man band to do so.

Show quote history

As explained it was required on the registration form for my dog. I have been using her for 3 or 4 years and never has she sent an email before. All booking confirmations etc have been via text. If she hasn't got the facilities to give us an option of preferred contact then why ask?

OP posts:

IsItSnowing · 02/02/2026 15:35

I'd probably have gone to the appointment and then not bothered to use her again. I get that it's inconvenient as a regular thing but as a one off it isn't that much of a big deal.
I also don't get the only checking emails once a week thing. I don't get an awful lot of emails unless I buy something online but I do a quick check twice a day to see what's new. If I couldn't be bothered to check I wouldn't give people the email address then they'd have to ring or text instead.

Original poster

fluffandfaff · 02/02/2026 15:32

MorningActivity · 02/02/2026 15:16

Having run a business myself (one person band, requiring premices) a few thoughts

you expecting her to contact you by phone is totally unreasonable. She will have sent a mass email to all her customers, not a personal one to each individual.
you were told about the change in time. The fact you don’t check your emails is on you not her.
Unless this was a last minute change (like I’m don’t know original place burnt down which is not the case here), she should have told you at the time of rebooking. That’s pretty standard.
She is sticking to her cancellation policy which is fair enough.

Tbh I feel you’re both at fault.
She should have told you when rebooking. She can be more flexible re the terms of cancellation in the current circumstances. It would protect her business too (I couldn’t carry in going but she is great vs we clashed around cancellation policy).
On the other side, you approach things clearly saying she was at fault further using emails etc…. It won’t have helped your case and will have made you look unreasonnable 🤷‍♀️

Next step? It depends how long you’re happy to carry the stress of exchanging messages, being upset,Wonderimg if she’ll find a way to get back to you for not following the terms of contract etc….

I do take on board that as a one woman band she may well have sent a mass email, and I understand why that’s easier from her side. However, I’d still expect a significant change like a premises move to be mentioned at the earliest possible stage, especially as the booking confirmation showed the old address and phone was my stated preferred contact method. If she doesn't have the ability to use multiple preferred contact channels she shouldn't offer them. I only gave an email address as it was a required section of the registration form. Pretty standard I think. Email and phone number were required, and then a box to tick the preferred method of contact.
I’m not suggesting she acted maliciously, but the location was a fundamental part of why I used her, and that changed with very short notice. That’s why I felt cancelling was reasonable in these circumstances.
In the end she refunded most of the deposit and I’m happy to draw a line under it rather than keep the stress going.

OP posts:

FlorenceAndTheSewingMachine · 02/02/2026 15:30

Just for your information, dog grooming is an unregulated area so anyone can say they are a dog groomer, if you want to find professional qualified groomers in your area the best place to search them is on
www.thegroomersspotlight.com
It's free to use and really helpful.

SushiForMe · 02/02/2026 15:25

I’m with you, OP, YANBU.

However, I’m surprised that you only check emails a few times a week, I thought you might be an exception, and then another poster wrote Most people do not check their emails every day, thats a huge generalisation

Everybody with a smartphone surly checks their emails at least once a day - that is 90% of the adult UK population!

Jaffalemons · 02/02/2026 15:23

StrangerThingsHappenRoundTheTwist · 02/02/2026 10:59

It does change it though

She sent an email giving you time to cancel within her terms of "acceptable"

Because you decide your email aren't worth checking every day (most people check them multiple times a day and some even have them to their phone so pick them up immediently) you missed an important email and didn't reply for FOUR days

I'm on her side. She gave you chance, you not knowing was your own fault

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Don’t ask how people prefer to be contacted if you just do your own thing!

MorningActivity · 02/02/2026 15:19

fluffandfaff · 02/02/2026 14:30

The issue for me isn’t whether I could physically get there once, it’s that the service I booked was at a specific location and that changed at very short notice, using a contact method I hadn’t selected. I wouldn’t have booked at all had I known the location was changing, and the booking confirmation still showed the old address. Despite her saying she told me verbally (doesn't count anyway) she absolutely didn't and I absolutely would not have booked. I am not sure how you can say that less than a week, and actually 2 working days notice is plenty! What a ridiculous comment.
I’m not being snooty about the new premises. I’m being realistic about parking, safety, and what works for my dog. Those are practical considerations, not judgements. Also I am not a confident driver, and never drive in towns or cities. I used her before as the location suited me.
In the end, she refunded all but £5, which suggests she accepted there was some responsibility on her side too. I’m happy to leave it there.

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If you don’t want people to contact you by email, don’t give them your email address…..

No small business like has the ability to select what is the lerson preferred way of contact. It works with very big corporations. It’s totally unreasonable to expect a one (wo)man band to do so.

MorningActivity · 02/02/2026 15:16

Having run a business myself (one person band, requiring premices) a few thoughts

you expecting her to contact you by phone is totally unreasonable. She will have sent a mass email to all her customers, not a personal one to each individual.
you were told about the change in time. The fact you don’t check your emails is on you not her.
Unless this was a last minute change (like I’m don’t know original place burnt down which is not the case here), she should have told you at the time of rebooking. That’s pretty standard.
She is sticking to her cancellation policy which is fair enough.

Tbh I feel you’re both at fault.
She should have told you when rebooking. She can be more flexible re the terms of cancellation in the current circumstances. It would protect her business too (I couldn’t carry in going but she is great vs we clashed around cancellation policy).
On the other side, you approach things clearly saying she was at fault further using emails etc…. It won’t have helped your case and will have made you look unreasonnable 🤷‍♀️

Next step? It depends how long you’re happy to carry the stress of exchanging messages, being upset,Wonderimg if she’ll find a way to get back to you for not following the terms of contract etc….

Tryagain26 · 02/02/2026 15:06

sandyhappypeople · 02/02/2026 14:20

Yes, and those reasons would make sense as to why she no longer wants to go there anymore, she's free to choose where she goes, but those reasons are ridiculous to use as an excuse for one appointment, one time (which will be her last one), which she could have EASILY attended.

The groomer told her in person about an upcoming move and gave her notice of the move in writing 4-5 days before the appointment.

OP has cancelled the appointment less than 72 hours before it was due.. not because she would have trouble getting there.. because she is unhappy about the move and doesn't want to put herself out in even the smallest way ONE time.

Very grey area. If I was OP I'd have kept this appointment then never gone again if it was that inconvenient, and if I was the dog groomer I would have given her the £20 back due to closeness of when I emailed.

I still think OP is being ridiculous though to have cancelled the appointment.

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The groomer said she told her, OP said she didn't. If she had told her she wouldn't have booked another appointment..
The appointment that OP made was for another premises OP was very happy to keep that appointment, but in effect it was cancelled by the groomer because she moved premises. It doesn't matter why OP didn't want to go to the new premises she didn't make an appointment to go there so she can't be charged for not going

Blondeshavemorefun · 02/02/2026 15:05

It’s personal email. So check it

if you don’t want emails as a contact point then don’t give one and only a phone number

Tryagain26 · 02/02/2026 14:59

StrangerThingsHappenRoundTheTwist · 02/02/2026 10:59

It does change it though

She sent an email giving you time to cancel within her terms of "acceptable"

Because you decide your email aren't worth checking every day (most people check them multiple times a day and some even have them to their phone so pick them up immediently) you missed an important email and didn't reply for FOUR days

I'm on her side. She gave you chance, you not knowing was your own fault

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But the contract is void because the groomer changed the venue at very short notice. It's not the same as the OP cancelling at short notice because they are ill etc the cancellation is because the groomer can no longer fulfil their part of the bargain ie carry out your grooming at the place specified on the invoice.
And also the groomer didn't contact the OP using her preferred method..
OP isn't in the wrong at all here and should get a complete refund including the £5