Won a beauty treatment ... Now I think I've been duped

[babyitscold]

Won a treatment at my local salon. Was delighted as I needed it badly.
The whole treatment was spent discussing the terrible state of my skin and all the products I needed.
Therapist said she'd put together a package for me ... I thought she was being generous.
I finished the treatment to be met by products for this terrible skin( I got two midge bites on my face yesterday )and was basically Pushed into parting with £100!
Before you say I could have said no thank you , I was genuinely shocked and was rail roaded into it .
AIBU.

This happened to me a few years ago, but in an lingerie store. I was really tired and my mind was occupied with other things and it happened before I really processed what was going on. I was very irritated with myself for being pushed into spending a lot of money I didn't have on things that on reflection I didn't want, but it was my own fault. They didn't force me to buy anything. It did leave a bad taste in the mouth how pushy they had been and I haven't been back. So they lost a customer who had been going there for years for that one day's profit. On the whole, I think they made a bad call.

Its a marketing ploy, unfortunately you’ve gone along with it. Not much that can be done after the event, but you’ll be more prepared next time to just ‘no thanks!’ And not just go along with it.

@DeclineandFall

Its rubbish OP. You got something that made you feel good and then they've pretty much charged you for it with the hard sell.Just don't go there again. They've lost business by operating this way. If you're a repeat customer a free facial without trying to sell you stuff would've made you want to go back there and support their business, so this model of selling is counterproductive IMO.

Pretty much what I said, but much more concise! I know at least 5 people who came out of their 'gift' facial feeling really pissed off, and we have all said to a lot of other people 'don't go to that salon.' It's a shame, because the beauty therapist was actually very good. But the hard sell will always be my main memory of it.

Isn't there some statistic about people telling others more about their bad customer experiences than their good ones?

I'm pretty sure we have all been caught out by these at some point...not quite the same but i stopped using a hairdresser that i really liked going to because she pressured me into buying expensive shampoo and conditioner...I was going through a divorce at the time so money was very tight...she knew this and still insisted i needed these fancy products.
Surely these companies realise that although they might catch you out once you are never going to use them again if you get the hard sell.

There's a place that does this upselling near me. I never quite get why as they don't tend to get repeat custom.

When I went, they recommended all this stuff, I just said "ooh I'll have to check my bank, I'll pop back tomorrow", gave them a fake number and went on my way.

I know some people find it uncomfortable to say no, just go with the good old "I'll have to check with my husband" bullshit.

If you find saying no in these situations difficult I have a stock phrase I use to get out of buying anything I just tell them I like to see how my skin reacts to the products for a few days so won't buy anything now.

@number87inthequeue

Obviously OP could have said no to the upsell, but I hate the upsell from some beauty salons. I always find it really awkward it puts me off having treatments tbh. Especially as there is rarely a price list displayed so you never know whether the bottle of miracle oil they are trying to sell you will be £20 or £200.

I used to help organise raffles for our PTA and hated it when businesses gave us vouchers for a 'prize' that was clearly going to cost the winner £££. I once won a free family photoshoot and framed photo- everyone seemed lovely during the photoshoot but when we went to see the photos they were quite aggressive with us about only choosing the freebie. Despite the fact that I had told them upfront that I wouldn't be looking to buy a package etc. I think they assumed that when we sae the photos we'd feel obliged to buy more.

I hate the hairdresser upsell and always say to the hairdresser when they start 'I've only budgeted for my cut and colour today so won't be able to buy anything else' so that they can decide whether they still want to spend their time going through the upsell. Trainees might want the practice but qualified hairdressers might not want to waste their time.

I did once willingly and happily spend £30 on two bottles of RedKen shampoo/conditioner after a cut and colour as I thought it might help the colour last longer. It was unusable. I used it once and even rinsing five times more than I usually rinse it stayed in my hair and made it sticky and gloopy, it was absolutely ridiculous! The £1 bottles of Alberto Balsam are far superior.

When I bought it I was a bit dubious due to the price, which was a lot for me, and the lady said I could return it for a refund if it didn't work for me and that they'd just use it in the salon. I did return it as it was unusable and they tried to tell me they didn't do refunds. They'd sold it based on the opportunity to refund so I stood my ground and got it.

Well you live and learn. You allowed it to happen, you wanted to please them and br in their gang in that moment. My big tip for this or any decision is postpone, postpone, postpone. Say, 'thanks so much I'll think about it'. Don't be pressured by someone else's sense of urgency.

@DeclineandFall

Its rubbish OP. You got something that made you feel good and then they've pretty much charged you for it with the hard sell.Just don't go there again. They've lost business by operating this way. If you're a repeat customer a free facial without trying to sell you stuff would've made you want to go back there and support their business, so this model of selling is counterproductive IMO.

Exactly! Whenever it's happened to me, I'll say to friends "don't use this salon, they're a nightmare!"

The one I mentioned above are quite expensive and pretty much always empty. I'm surprised they're still in business. It's their own doing from pressurising people. The other salons in town are always heaving.

@sadie9

Well you live and learn. You allowed it to happen, you wanted to please them and br in their gang in that moment. My big tip for this or any decision is postpone, postpone, postpone. Say, 'thanks so much I'll think about it'. Don't be pressured by someone else's sense of urgency.

This. Someone trying to rush you into a decision is ALWAYS a red flag unless it's a doctor trying to help you decide on an urgently needed treatment for your health. I don't buy into someone else's urgency.

We had similar on the day we went to sign for a new build home. On the day we found some things out about the area and it being on a flood plane and we started to get concerns and decided to wait and continue to research before going ahead with it. We went in and sat down with the sales guy who tried EVERY trick in the book to force us to sign asap:

• If you don't sign now someone else will later today
• You can always sign now and then change your mind later! (not buying that lol)
• If you sign then I'll throw in carpets on one floor

and my favourite:

• if you don't sign for it then my boss is going to kill me, I'm low on sales for the month and going to get in trouble if I don't make this sale

We still chuckle about it now. We decided against using Avant Houses full stop based on that experience.

Ended up buying with Taylor Wimpey who were so chilled they were horizontal. Actively encouraged us to take our time.

You might be able to return the products if they are unopened. Explain that you felt pressurised into buying them but think you will not use the products after all.

www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/changed-your-mind/if-you-were-misled-or-pressured-into-buying-something-you-didnt-want/

I've been rail roaded.into extra beauty products before. I'm shy and struggled to say no. However a mortgage and 3 kids on one income and changed me! I now have a variety of excuses. I would have said, " that's lovely but too expensive for me right now. Can you please write down their names and I'll think about it for.christmas." it makes them think I might buy them another time. Or just say,."not right now, sorry." Anyway it's all character building, so.lesson learnt. You won't be doing that again!

"Therapist said she'd put together a package for me ... I thought she was being generous"

So actually OP, as you sat there having a free treatment and the therapist was talking you through her suggested products you said 'yes please' because you thought you were also now going to be being given free products.

At the check out you were then too embarrassed to admit your mistake. So not a con at all, more like OP being caught out as a CF expecting more than she was due.

Oh sorry your beauty treatment was spoiled OP. I would have thought the same as you - i.e that the products were part of the prize.

Similar happened to me at Natur House. They ask you to spend a minimum on products per week but that's fair enough, you know upfront and you are getting a one-to-one with a trained nutritionist. I did lose a lot of weight. But one week they charged me three times the minimum amount and I didn't notice as they never mentioned the price, they had just said they would swap some of the nutritional supplements for different ones. It's horrible and cringey when the atmosphere at a beauty business is normally so special and then you realise they've charged you more than you agreed to. I find it so embarrassing.

I don't think it was a con but definitely think they used a hard sell on your skin which you could've said no to.

For me it would be the fact that I've been a loyal customer for 3-4 years and then they try to sell you products which you don't need after giving you a 'free' facial which I wouldn't be happy either and probably wouldn't return there. It would be a tricky conversation to have with the salon too. But why give you a 'free' facial which they make out you've 'won' as a treat when it's more a promotion to sell products?

My local beauty salon sold me some eye cream with a massager - it's good but not amazing!

@ChequerBoard

"Therapist said she'd put together a package for me ... I thought she was being generous"

So actually OP, as you sat there having a free treatment and the therapist was talking you through her suggested products you said 'yes please' because you thought you were also now going to be being given free products.

At the check out you were then too embarrassed to admit your mistake. So not a con at all, more like OP being caught out as a CF expecting more than she was due.

OP was told she'd won a free treatment.

I can see how she might think she'd be given trial or complimentary sizes of the products used rather than spend more money on products.

But the words "I'll put together a package for you" could easily mean small sample pots, not I'll sell you a package for £100, I can totally see how Op feels dubbed into buying £100 worth of stuff.
OK to be fair she should have queried pricing but she maybe thought either samples or £30 worth not £100

I still think the best option is to return some of it

So you got a free treatment and then you expected her to give you some free stuff too??

Apparently so.

Is that why you agreed to pay, because she actually said would you like me to put a package together and you said yes lovely thinking you were getting more freebies and then didn’t wish to look like you’d changed your mind or tell her you thought you were getting more free stuff?

It’s really unusual to think that you’d get a free package of goodies as well.

It's absolutely a con. Those sorts of occasions are supposed to be for relaxing, feeling good about yourself, trusting the therapist because it's quite a personal intimate process, letting your guard down. That sounds about as relaxing as going to a yoga retreat and finding out it's being run by Everest Double Glazing "consultants"

@Viviennemary

I would name and shame them. It's hard sell unethical methods. You won nothing. They got a hefty profit.

What a horrible attitude.

I once won a photoshoot thing. I wasn't bothered, but the children were keen. I ended up with one (free) nice photo of the children (nice in that contrived kind of way) and a long list of other photos I could buy. I thanked them for the one we had, thanked them for a nice morning, and went on my way without buying anything at all.

They were not unethical for trying to sell me something else. They were just doing their job.

'I'll put a package together for you' doesn't ask if you want it so is designed to not give you the chance to say no. Saying they'll do it for you rather than asking if you want it also suggests they're doing you a favour with trial products or something. It was all done very badly and I'd never go back again and I'd tell others about the hard sell. It's no way to run a business and get repeat customers.

You weren’t conned, you could have said no. You knew what you were buying and you knew the cost. If you were unable to decline then that’s on you. We’re you embarrassed to look mean?

I cannot tell you how many PTAs and charities ask me for free treatment vouchers, especially in the run up to Christmas.

I can 1) say no, in which case I get bad mouthed, 2) offer a free treatment, whereby I have to try to up sell to recoup costs 3) offer a money off voucher, which means people have to spend.

Which would people prefer?

Sorry to hear that O P I once won a beauty prize so it was anything to the value of X euro but pretty much everything in the salon was 15 or 20 quid higher than that plus the beautician remained tight-lipped and said she'd book me in for a facial when I randomly mentioned my skin type. Never again

@SalonSharon number 2 or 3 but don't give customers a hard sell...