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AIBU?

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Original poster

Spoilt the surprise

139 replies

baytreelane · 08/03/2022 23:07

It was my birthday last week and I had hinted for an expensive treatment. I received an email from said salon to say I have an appointment, immediately followed by another to thank me for my visit. It turns out when DH purchased the voucher they asked if the recipient had been to the spa before, and he gave my name.

I acted surprised when I got the voucher but I felt like it was a ruined surprise due to the emails in the days leading up.

I have emailed to book the treatment today and explained I was disappointed that they alert the recipient of a gift voucher and that it was a birthday present of mine. They sent some dates of availability and completely ignored my comments. I now feel slightly annoyed that they haven't even acknowledged it, let alone apologised. I totally get it could be human error and I would be fine with that but I now feel like I don't want to visit there now but I have this voucher!

Am I being unreasonable here? I'm not one to complain; it wasn't even a compliant. I simply wanted to let them know it's not ideal for anyone receiving a voucher.

OP posts:
GingerGloucester · 09/03/2022 09:54

It wasn’t a surprise though because you asked for the treatment… so even if you didn’t get the email it wouldn’t have been a surprise surely?

thisplaceisweird · 09/03/2022 09:55

@PleaseDontDriveMeBlind

It's your DPs mistake though
Exactly this. He gave them your details without thinking or checking or saying 'it's a surprise'. Easy mistake to make, but it was DPs not the spa's.
Painiscrap · 09/03/2022 10:07

I agree with you, it was out of order for them to do that. I hate it when surprises are ruined.

A number of years ago I went to a shopping centre with my dh and dcs. We were in a jewellery store, looking for a brooch, for my dm’s birthday, and I just happened to see some lovely earrings. The assistant came over to see if we needed any help, but we said no, we were just browsing. We didn’t buy anything so continued going round the centre. After a while my dh said he needed the loo, so off he went. He was longer than I expected, but really didn’t think anything about it.

Before we left I said to dh, I was just going to pop back to the jewellery store to get my dm one of the brooches. I went back and said to the assistant which brooch I wanted. The assistant piped up “oh you were in earlier weren’t you and your husband came back to get the earrings didn’t he!” Let’s just say, that year’s birthday surprise wasn’t a surprise!

TheMagpie · 09/03/2022 13:52

@lightisnotwhite

YANBU

It’s the opposite of spoilt and bratish to not expect the gift you hinted at. I hint at things I like and it really is a nice surprise if I get something I want.
It’s pretty poor of the spa to not acknowledge your feedback too. I would tell them again that you DH was incredibly disappointed you already knew and that he won’t be using them again.

I agree that it's a nice surprise when one gets you a gift you've hinted at (granted, I don't celebrate birthdays or Christmas or the like but I've had gifted spa days and whatnot). However it seems to me that refusing to go back to a place you enjoy just because your DH gave them your email address instead of his own (his own fault), is a bit silly. Is the 'surprise' really more important than the gift and the experience themselves?
ManateeFair · 09/03/2022 14:49

@SpinningTheSeedsOfLove

I'm not one to complain

I think you kind of are.

Massive LOL at this.
Calandor · 09/03/2022 18:10

How's it a surprise if it's what you asked specifically for? 😂

Vitani · 09/03/2022 18:49

How's it a surprise if it's what you asked specifically for?

Because you might not get what you asked for Confused. It's not my experience that hinting for certain things means you get that thing, sometimes it's missed or sometimes your partner already has something else in mind. If you hint at multiple different things as "ideas" as well, you still don't know which it will be.

Honestly, I'd be surprised if I hinted at something and actually received that something from DP BlushGrin

lightisnotwhite · 09/03/2022 19:27

@Calandor

How's it a surprise if it's what you asked specifically for? 😂
The spa didn’t know she had asked/ hinted did they. It could well have been a proper surprise they spoilt.

In fact as the Op didn’t actually know she would actually receive the treatment, I’d say they spoilt the surprise either way.

TheMagpie · 10/03/2022 04:32

I'm just baffled that the surprise seems to matter more than the actual gift or experience of the treatment.

TheMagpie · 10/03/2022 04:32

The element of surprise, I mean. The fact it's one to begin with.

I'm not fond of surprises though, perhaps I'm biased.

Shesmyperson · 10/03/2022 05:13

It wasn't a surprise. You had hinted enough you were confident, he would get you it.

They asked him if you had been before. He knew they were looking up your name. He should have told them it was a fake surprise and not to attach anything to your details.

I am guessing the salon doesn't really know how to respond. Given, from their point of view, they told him they were looking up your details and attaching this booking. It, probably, comes across as you fishing for freebies.

You want the treatment. You like the salon but this is bothering you, when it's actually your OH that ruined the surprise.

Chocolattay · 10/03/2022 05:22

You sound hard work

Moonshine5 · 10/03/2022 05:31

@WorraLiberty

I acted surprised when I got the voucher but I felt like it was a ruined surprise due to the emails in the days leading up.

That makes no sense. How could it be a ruined surprise when you had to act surprised because you weren't actually surprised, due to basically asking for it in the first place?

They should've acknowledged your comments though, as it could've ruined an actual surprise for someone else.

Blimey, I feel like I've Cilla Black with the amount of times I've said 'Surprise' in this post Blush

Lol to Cilla comments!
TristesseDurera · 10/03/2022 07:47

@Vitani

How's it a surprise if it's what you asked specifically for?

Because you might not get what you asked for Confused. It's not my experience that hinting for certain things means you get that thing, sometimes it's missed or sometimes your partner already has something else in mind. If you hint at multiple different things as "ideas" as well, you still don't know which it will be.

Honestly, I'd be surprised if I hinted at something and actually received that something from DP BlushGrin

I'm guessing the op's dp is pretty well trained and knows that a hint isn't a hint but an order.
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