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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Nutritionist Wants £50 For A Chat On The Phone

73 replies

WhereWhyWhat · 30/06/2017 14:21

I have developed some odd lesions on my areolae and am awaiting a biopsy to tell if it's breast cancer.

Meanwhile I've received a lot of support and suggestions from friends who are breastfeeding specialists etc etc on Facebook with possible diagnoses and cures assuming it's not cancer.

One of the people trying to help me suggested I made contact with a nutritionist friend who had helped them in the past. I did so and we arranged a time for me to phone for a chat.

At no point was money mentioned. I did not know before the call anything about her qualifications, background... anything.

I phoned and we chatted for 50 minutes.

I didn't feel that I got anything useful from it.

Much of the call was about her, not about me. It felt a little like a sales chat - with her selling her services to me. She suggested I take cod-liver oil and eat certain types of free range eggs. She said I should go to my doctor and got a full blood test done - provide her with the results of that test - and then she would provide me with a 'plan' to resolve my problem.

Right at the end of the call she asked how I'd like to pay and said that she charges £50 - this was the first mention of money. I assumed she meant for the analysis of my blood test results and subsequent 'plan'.

I decided to wait for the cancer test results and then consider going through with her suggestion.

She contacted me on Facebook reminding me of her payment details and wishing me the best for my cancer check.

I thanked her and said I would get back to her after the check, if I decided to go ahead.

She has now responded along the lines of "Hi, I still haven't received payment".

She's clearly expecting me to pay £50 for the phonecall!

Is this normal!?

I don't feel like I should pay anything at this stage. I know I was on the phone to her for 50 minutes but it was a phone call at my expense that I wasn't that thrilled with the results of. And that money was expected was only mentioned right at the end of the call.

If she'd said that at the start I would not have proceeded with it.

I really thought it was more of a first contact to 'see' if I wanted to make use of her services.

AIBU?

OP posts:
EssentialHummus · 30/06/2017 15:07

What pea wrote.

How very odd. If you want to charge for something you set your terms out upfront.

YouOKHun · 30/06/2017 15:09

I'm a therapist (psychotherapist) and sometimes offer therapy in my private practice over the phone, Skype etc. I consider it my responsibility to state exactly on what basis we are talking. It's not the responsibility of your friend to tell you, it's the therapist's so I think she's very cheeky (and very unwise) to start the meter running without saying so. She's very lucky you're being so gracious about it.

Not sure about nutritionists, there's a lot of quackery out there I found when I was in your position; they all come out of the woodwork and know bugger all generally.

SleightOfHand · 30/06/2017 15:11

Sounds really odd this. Would it be possible that the "friend" and "nutritionist" are in this scam together.

SprinklesandIcecream · 30/06/2017 15:14

Don't pay your friend either. It's an odd thing to say she paid because she forgot to mention charges. That's your 'nutritionist's' job. Or at the very least she should have checked you had been informed. Could there be any chances they have an arrangement of some sorts?

IamtheDevilsAvocado · 30/06/2017 15:17

No any decent professional - makes it really clear when fees become payable.
Many people will do an introductory session free of charge...

It is completely unprofessional not to be upfront (regardless if you were a friend of a friend - a professional doesn't expect a friend to set out your professional fees to a third party!!)

Seriously rubbish!

sausagepastapot · 30/06/2017 15:19

No fucking way would I be paying anyone. Utter horseshit.

I agree with Zefstar re your mate.

Myrobalanna · 30/06/2017 15:22

It's a bit off the topic, but 'eat certain types of free-range eggs' isn't a top-flight bit of professional advice there.
Best wishes for your diagnosis and I hope this hasn't been too stressful.

BreconBeBuggered · 30/06/2017 15:27

I think your friend's involvement makes things even more awkward. I'd have no compunction in saying no to a chancer who failed to state their charges upfront, but you naturally feel an obligation to your friend now.

Polarbearflavour · 30/06/2017 15:27

Can your GP refer you to a dietitian? They undergo a BSc and are registered healthcare professionals.

Or you can pay privately.

www.bda.uk.com/improvinghealth/yourhealth/finddietitian

Benedikte2 · 30/06/2017 15:31

Pity your friend paid. In contract law you are not liable -- there was no agreement that you would pay for the chat so the parties were not ad idem, or of one mind. Properly she should have told you her terms (offer) and you would need to accept (acceptance) before there was a valid contract between you.
Even if the nutritionist thought you knew etc that does not alter the situation at all.
Guess you now feel morally bound to repay your friend, though legally you are under no obligation.

C8H10N4O2 · 30/06/2017 15:34

She's a quack and your friend should not have paid her. Its utterly unprofessional of any service provider not to make their T&C clear first.

I wonder how many people she has scammed with her special free range eggs?

PetalsOnPearls · 30/06/2017 15:35

You absolutely do not have to reimburse your friend; you need to point out at no time did you enter a contract or receive any information that you were expected to pay. Many people offer the first "chat" consultation for free to see whether the two of you can work together.

I would seriously consider making someone else aware of this - is she a member of an accredited professional body? Alternatively, lodge a complaint with trading standards.

It may be nothing, but it may be that she is regularly duping people into these initial chats without mentioning money and then invoicing them.

BerylStreep · 30/06/2017 15:36

I think you will probably now need to pay back your friend, but if she is a good friend you might want to say to her that you wish she hadn't paid on your behalf (actually very manipulative to do so) and that you don't think much of the nutritionist.

Hope your tests come back ok.

Roomster101 · 30/06/2017 15:41

If she is a good friend I would probably offer her the money but I would let her know that I'm really annoyed that she decided to pay it. If she is more of an acquaintance or a recent friend I would suspect it is a scam and she is involved in it.

PetalsOnPearls · 30/06/2017 15:41

How did your friend know you hadn't paid?

Did the lady break client confidentiality or did you tell her?

araiwa · 30/06/2017 15:43

Give her an invoice for £200 As youre probably an equally qualified nutritionist

Roomster101 · 30/06/2017 15:45

Did the lady break client confidentiality or did you tell her?

If she is totally unqualified there will be no confidentiality to break. It just highlights the fact that she isn't a professional.

Jux · 30/06/2017 15:47

NO! Don't pay your friend. She didn't even consult you about paying on your behalf. Just tell her you think it was highly unprofessional of hte nutritionist not to tell you her charges before she started and that as the call was not even helpful you are not going to go ahead with her. It is up to your friend to decide what she wants to do vis a vis a very dubious sounding person,, and if she wants to give her money away then she can; that doesn't mean you have to.

At most, offer half just to keep the peace.

Pestilentialone · 30/06/2017 15:53

If the word detox was mentioned, run.

araiwa · 30/06/2017 15:55

They both work together to scam people

Fuck em both off

ChasedByBees · 30/06/2017 15:58

I would t reimburse your friend. In fact, I'd be trying to get her money back as this 'nutritionist' at no point told you you would be charged.

Don't pay either of them.

WatchingFromTheWings · 30/06/2017 15:59

Sounds like a scam to me too. Why the hell would your friend pay the bill for you?? I'd be googling the name of the 'nutritionist' to see what, if anything, there is about this person online.

hesterton · 30/06/2017 16:04

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

PetalsOnPearls · 30/06/2017 16:06

If she is totally unqualified there will be no confidentiality to break.

Can't see where it says she is unqualified?

saltandvinegarcrisps1 · 30/06/2017 16:10

FFS. I think you need new friends! You are having a cancer scare and this "friend" has got you stressing over shit. I would tell them both to take a hike.