Had to cancel hairdressers appt because I tested positive... they are trying to charge me

[MyWeddingFund]

Had a hairdressers appointment for today. Had symptoms yesterday and test which came back positive. I phoned the hairdressers to let them know I had tested positive and would not be attending and would call to rearrange when feeling better as didn't know when that would be I didn't want to rearrange right now. They told me because it is short notice...I have to pay half the price of the service. Fair enough if I had to just cancelled but there is no way I can go

Also it’s like you cancelled you want to go but it’s government enforced that you now can’t leave your house!

You should pay up and be grateful at their generosity at only charging you half

Ha!
Hell would freeze over before I paid anything.

Just don’t pay and find a different hairdresser op 🤷🏻‍♀️

Yep, it depends whether you want to go back or not. You either pay and suck it up, go back when you next need to, don't pay and never go back, or pay and never go back.

If it's in their cancellation policy, regardless of Covid, I guess that's a contractual thing.

For what it's worth, it's not unusual in that industry.

I once had some agency cleaners on direct debit and one day they said they couldn't get in the door and didn't come. There was nothing wrong with the door. They wouldn't refund me the £60 I paid for them to clean my house. They don't have my business anymore and they have a filthy review on Google so I hope they enjoyed their free £60

I wouldn't pay and unfortunately that would be the end of my custom there.

[quote Tessabelle1]@Baxterbear pay the OP half of what? Until her hair is done, her appointment hasn't cost her anything so what a daft response [/quote]
Is it really a daft response Karen, really...

My hairdresser is making people pay deposits when booking due to the high amount of cancellations. If you cancel within 48 hours you lose your deposit. She’s also put her prices up by 10%. Hairdresser said if she doesn’t do this she’ll probably go out of business. It’s only a small local salon not a big chain.

If she had needed to cancel due to illness or whatever, which would have meant you going inconvenienced ( and still needing your hair done), would she have given you some money towards that? No. So I would not be paying for an appointment for which you have given cancellation notice. Most Hairdressers are now holding wait lists of clients, she will have no problem filling the slot.

You should pay- and why moan about it?

If you don't like it find another hairdresser with a cancellation policy that suits you.

I think it’s unreasonable that the hairdresser is trying to get 50%. Pay it or don’t pay it, I wouldn’t go back.

As for cancelling when you first got symptoms, how many times has everyone here questioned if they might have it and didn’t?

Whatever, the hairdresser sounds like a dick.

My hair dresser said that she's not allowed to charge anything if you cancel due to Covid. Better to miss out on one lot of monies than 2 weeks worth

Definitely just don't pay.

There is no way they will chase this up with you.

I read a similar sign in my hairdressers! Couldn't believe my eyes to be honest. Sometimes things happen and you can't make it! I'd be gobsmacked if people actually cough up half the money.

How loud did you laugh op?

Wow, so many selfish people here who have no idea how hard it is running a business. If I was the hairdresser I’d be delighted if the likes of you (saying you’re shocked by a completely reasonable cancellation policy) never came back

I'm not a hairdresser, but I'm in a not dissimilar business (service industry).

Every appointment that is cancelled at short notice costs me £14 in rent and travel and minimum 90 minutes of my time. If I charge half price, my profit is £11. That is £7.33 per hour maximum, or less than minimum wage. (That doesn't take into account other necessary business costs like insurance and cpd, that aren't on a per client basis).

So yeah, if my clients cancel at short notice and don't want to pay a cancellation fee, then they are welcome to go elsewhere. I don't see why I should subsidise their poor time management.

Well said bluemoonrising
Similar for me, not a hair dresser, but self employed service industry. Fortunately I have no clients like those in this thread. When mine cancel they pay in full by bank transfer without me having to ask. They value all I do for them and have the intelligence to understand the hidden business costs of every hour

@Joyfulmummyofone I meant said similar. My clients value what I do, and generally even when I try to say I'll waive the fee due to the circumstances, they pay anyway.

I'm sure the people in this thread that think the cancellation fee is 'wrong' would love the chance to be out of pocket in order to not work

That should say I nearly said similar.

I'm not convinced you should be paying. You're staying away to protect the hairdresser, their clients and their business. You are not staying away for your sake!

Another thought ... if you had booked a meal in a restaurant, would people still pay if they had to cancel because they had coronavirus?

I would imagine most restaurants can book in more than one person at a time, so it's hardly a like for like comparison. And I've seen a few restaurants take deposits for bookings recently, because they are also having issues with no shows.

OP, you shouldn't worry too much about this now. There are plenty hairdressers out there and lots who need your business in the future. With an attitude like that I wouldn't have gone back to the same hairdresser. Just focus now on getting well ASAP and for the rest... these are very little things in life and shouldn't affect you much.

Everyone’s banging on about ‘if you were a loyal client, I’d let you off with payment’
If I was a loyal client I would pay the 50% without thought to enable my loyal hairdresser to keep her business open.
Nobody knows if this is a hairdressing chain or if the hairdresser rents a chair or if the hairdresser owns the salon with a mortgage or rent in the building and staff to pay.
Circumstances change what you’d normally do.
I have a sport mum friend who is a hairdresser who frequently comments on FB about clients who don’t show up or cancel at very short notice. She’s had to move her salon recently and the amount of no shows or short cancellations could literally fold her business so she takes a 50% deposit for all appointments now. She lost £350 in one day.
My chiropractor still has the same 24hour cancellation policy in place, so does my beautician (she has also had to start taking deposits due to no shows and cancellations - she is really concerned about losing her house and business)
Waiving a cancellation fee might be a nice thing to do but some just can’t afford to.

To be honest I can fully understand why you didn't think to call them with the onset of symptoms.

I imagine your first thought was that of your loved ones, where you have been and if you have this terrible virus. Tbh I wouldn't be thinking of hairdressers appt in this circumstance either. Also op might of just been thinking ill test as a precaution and didn't want to worry people.

It is a business yes but if the circumstances were reversed the hairdresser wouldn't take 50% off for the customers.

Maybe op doesn't have the money to pay 50% of the cost. That is quite a lot. My hairdresser charges £120. If I had to pay 50% of that I certainly wouldn't be able to pay for my whole treatment again in 2 weeks time.

Feel for everyone in the circumstances. It's not the OP fault she has corona I don't think you should have to pay. I think possibly losing the deposit would be fair. Say around £20.

No need for mean comments on this thread OP is asking genuine advice.

#bekind

Also OP I hope you feel better soon. I really hope you don't exp any horrible symptoms. Feel better soon ❤

You make it sound as if you would have gone to the hairdressers with COVID symptoms if you hadn't had the results back in time.