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

[HeddaGarbled]

Hairdresser's were forcibly shut during lockdown and are now operating with reduced customers and extra expenses. Some won’t survive. I think 50% is a reasonable compromise. I would be really upset if my hairdresser went out of business and would pay the full price if I had to cancel an appointment when it was too late for them to fit in another paying customer.

[MyWeddingFund]

Oh and just to add hairdresser cancelled my last appointment couple of weeks ago because she had symptoms

[Lazypuppy]

A cancellation is a cancellation, late cancellation always incurs a fee so shouldn't have been a suprise

[Brighterthansunflowers]

YABU

if there wasn’t a pandemic and you cancelled because you had a stomach bug you would still be expected to pay for a short notice cancellation.

They shouldn’t be out of pocket when it’s not their fault you’re cancelling.

[Meuniere]

@MyWeddingFund, I’m self employed.

No way I would charge people who can’t turn up because they are testing positive. Its crap imo.
But then I don’t charge people when they ring me and they can’t come because partner has been taken to hospital/they are in hospital etc...

I see that as common decency.

(I can also see many businesses struggling and grasping any sort if income, incl asking for half of the payment when people test positive. Imo it’s detrimental to the business in the long run.)

[surprisebabyshower]

A cancellation is a cancellation, late cancellation always incurs a fee so shouldn't have been a suprise

Neither my hairdresser or nail person have this kind of policy so I don't think it's that straight forward.

[Coldwinds]

[quote MyWeddingFund]@user116439526896

"There are loads of reasons why you might have had to cancel that were beyond your control. Doesn't mean they have to waive their cancellation policy for you."

Bit different to any other reason when i have actually tested positive [/quote]
It isn’t though. You could have broken your arm, had chicken pox, the flu...it’s all the same.

On most - same day cancellations your going to lose what you paid.

If you got a call off work saying ‘we’ve closed today due to Covid’ - I bet you’d still want to be paid... you have bills and it’s not your fault right?

[saltinesandcoffeecups]

Ring them back and let them know you and your positive status will be there for your appointment. But also let them know you plan on wearing a large sign indicating you are a transmission threat to warn others for their safety.

I’m guessing they will change their mind.

[Coldwinds]

@saltinesandcoffeecups

Ring them back and let them know you and your positive status will be there for your appointment. But also let them know you plan on wearing a large sign indicating you are a transmission threat to warn others for their safety.

I’m guessing they will change their mind.

Well legally she can’t..

[Mintjulia]

Unless there is a signed contract between you and the salon with cancellation terms, or at the very least a previous verbal agreement of cancellation terms, they don't have any right to charge you.

And they are very foolish. Would they prefer you to take a couple of paracetamol and go anyway?

[Meuniere]

@MyWeddingFund

Oh and just to add hairdresser cancelled my last appointment couple of weeks ago because she had symptoms

Actually that’s exactly the reason why I don’t charge my clients in that case.

If it’s ok for you as the service provider the cancel at short notice because of Covid, and you expect your customers to just come back and not complain. Then you should also have some sort of leeway for them to cancel in EXCEPTIONAL circumstances. Or you have a system that totally bulled proof so you will never have to cancel anyone....

[Benjispruce2]

YANBU, my salon wouldn’t do that to a regular client. I rang on the day to cancel as I had symptoms and they were closed on Monday so couldn’t phone until the next day. I was told to get well soon and not to worry.

[Coldwinds]

@Mintjulia

Unless there is a signed contract between you and the salon with cancellation terms, or at the very least a previous verbal agreement of cancellation terms, they don't have any right to charge you.

And they are very foolish. Would they prefer you to take a couple of paracetamol and go anyway?

Most hairdressers worth there salt will have a book of clients who regularly return because they like the way that specific hairdresser does their hair.

If OP doesn’t mind going else where it’s up to her but if she wants to keep her I suggest she pays half for the lost revenue

[ImMoana]

I think it’s pretty shit tbh.

I had a similar scenario except I had to wait 3 days for the (positive) result. I had to cancel an ongoing commitment for 2 weeks running. One because I was waiting for the result and one because I was isolating due to a positive result. Both times I was technically ‘required’ to pay. They let me off both charges.

[Lovemusic33]

Don’t pay and don’t use them again. They can’t legally make you pay.

[emilyfrost]

YABU. Of course you still have to pay; the reason for the cancellation is irrelevant. You cancel at short notice, you pay.

[islockdownoveryet]

Pay and never go again , good luck to them keeping customers when they charge .
Pre Covid I once forgot I had a appointment , I was very apologetic but if I was charged I'd never go back sorry but plenty of hairdressers who welcome my business.

[confusedx3]

you dont HAVE to pay at all OP. how can that possibly be enforced? and as a previous poster mentioned, dangerous attitude as could encourage people to still go to appointments with symptoms and positive tests.

[Wales34]

Feeling bad reading these posts , I've cancelled loads of appointments and never paid

[randomsabreuse]

Monday this week, DH and DD woke up coughing at about 7. Came out of denial by 7.30, booked test appointment for 9am and had results by 6pm, so entirely plausible.

Other possibility is of course routine HCP testing or ONS random testing coming back positive out of nowhere...

[islockdownoveryet]

Oh and just to add hairdresser cancelled my last appointment couple of weeks ago because she had symptoms
Then I'd definitely go elsewhere , remind her that she owes you for cancelling so call it quits .

[Misstabithabean]

Definitely wouldn't pay based on what you've said - giving them notice you were going for the test and hairdresser cancelling on you previously. I think it's wrong of them to ask - as previous replies have said - it's not discouraging people from attending appointments when ill. I think all businesses should be flexible with people needing to cancel at short notice due to covid at the moment.

[dewisant2020]

I wouldn't be paying a penny, these are very unusual times and businesses should understand this.
You did the right thing cancelling the appointment and if you were to go they could potentially have to shut for a few weeks

[PumpkinPie2016]

YANBU -my hairdresser's salon wouldn't do this. In fact, she has never charged for clients who can't attend and need to reschedule. You can't go with coronavirus!!

When my Nan (who used the same salon) was poorly (cancer) but still able to have her hair done, she sometimes had to rearrange depending on how she felt on the day. Never, ever a problem and she was never charged.

I once totally forgot an appointment apologised profusely and rearranged -again no charge.

Result is, my salon has a large number of customers who have been going there for years and years. When she reopened after lockdown, we all booked appointments- she's never stopped!

Salons that have the attitude you describe will find their clients start going elsewhere.

[Sakura7]

YABU. Of course you still have to pay; the reason for the cancellation is irrelevant.

Of course it's not irrelevant in a pandemic. These are exceptional circumstances, it's not like OP only has the sniffles or is too hungover to go. And if the hairdresser was happy to cancel on OP for the exact same reason a few weeks ago, it's massively hypocritical (not to mention bad business sense) to push this.

And I don't see how anyone has to pay, unless the hairdresser already took a 50% deposit and clearly communicated it's cancellation policy to customers.