Would you pay this?

[Quornflakegirl]

I contacted (by email) a cat groomer to help tame the coat of our beautiful but extremely fluffy cat.

They took 3 days to reply to me and then another 3 days of me waiting to find out that the day I wanted was unavailable. Groomer suggested another day and time and I replied immediately “yes that suits me, can I please book it in?
No reply from them.

They were never good at communication so after a week I found another groomer and forgot about it.

I get a knock at the door today and it’s the original cat groomer expecting to groom our cat. I explained that communication was poor and I never received a confirmation so found someone else. She said fine and off she went. I’ve just had an invoice emailed for me for £25, a missed appointment charge stating payment must be in 28 days!

Who is being unreasonable here?

She is. She never confirmed the appointment. Don't pay it.

They didn’t confirm so I wouldn’t pay they can’t expect to run their business without decent communication to customers.

Yeah nah, she never confirmed so not your problem

Yeah, I'd send that straight back stating you had no confirmation, therefore no missed appointment. CF.

Don't pay she didn't confirm

Make sure you keep all the emails.

Did you not message to say you had booked a different groomer? Or to ask if you were booked in?

Yanbu did she set out or make you aware of her T&Cs plus as you say she failed to confirm the appointment.

That's ridiculous
She's being unreasonable
You specifically asked if you could book it in but she never replied so there's nothing wrong with what you did

@dementedpixie

Did you not message to say you had booked a different groomer? Or to ask if you were booked in?

The groomer didn't reply to her last message so I wouldn't have chased

She is

I would send her the email chain and state nowhere does she confirm the appointment so I am not paying

I was so surprised to receive the email it made me doubt myself!

Maybe check your spam folders first just in case she did email and its in there.

Yep, just say there was no confirmation of appointment or any agreement to T&C's about missed appointment charges. You can't just go around charging people because you haven't bothered to confirm their appointments!

How did she have your full address? You dont give your full address out when just enquiring.

You're absolutely sure you didnt fill in a booking form in that reply? When you said yes please, was there any information she asked for which you filled in? Because then that would really be a booking.

She could still argue that it was booked, but you can argue that it wasnt actually confirmed. Unless she actually decides to take you to small claims though then it doesnt matter. Just dont pay it.

I contacted her via her website on a ‘Contact Us’ form and she responded 3 days later via email. The form required my address, email and telephone number.

@dementedpixie

Did you not message to say you had booked a different groomer? Or to ask if you were booked in?

OP shouldn't have needed to. The groomer should have just replied

I would simply not respond @Quornflakegirl do as she did!

I'd be telling her she's got no idea how to run a business!

Unless you were given T&Cs, she’s trying it on. Pull out some links on consumer law or trading standards.

See if as you said she suggested a day and you said yes please book me in - I personally don't see why she needs to confirm since she told you the day was free. But she sounds disorganised so I don't blame you - but I personally once I found someone else would have emailed her back and said I was cancelling incase she had booked you in.

You didn't have an appointment, so no, you definitely shouldn't pay a missed appointment fee.

I agree with ittakes2. You said “book me in” so that to me is being booked in (as she had suggested date and time). Yes she should have confirmed but you had both agreed a date and time and ‘can I please book it’ is agreement to that date and time. Bit of 6 of one and half a dozen of the other, she should have confirmed it.

Are you 100% she didn’t reply?

She sounds awful and someone I definitely wouldn’t be doing business with.
No matter how busy you are you can reply to emails even if it’s to say you’ll let them know.

You made a request for a booking but it was not confirmed. So it was reasonable to assume you were not booked in, and to go elsewhere. The groomer is a CF!