to be a bit [hmm] about this beauty salon 's (if that is what they are still called!) voucher policy

[Tommy]

A friend gave me a voucher of a manicure for my birthday last June - lovely surprise as I don't often get to be pampered having 3 young DSs and no money. Anyway, for various reasons - no childcare, wanting to save the manicure for a special occasion, DS3 being in hospital etc etc - I didn't get around to using it.

Last week I was chatting to another friend about feeling a bit down and how I never got any time to myself etc etc and told her about this voucher. She offered to have all 3 DSs for the whole day in half term so I could get a manicure and anything else I wanted to do

So, I got the voucher out to pohone the salon and discovered that it was only valid for 6 months. Sop I phoned the daon to ask if they would still accept and they said no. I asked them why and they ouldn't give me a reply and the woman I spoke to said she would get her boss to phone me back.

She phoned back and said I could redeem the voucher but only in their "quiet" times - Mon-Wed - and that I coudn't book it in advance but would have to phone on the day to see if they could fit me in. Obviously this is not going to help my situation much as I'll have to give my friend a bit more notice than that.

Does this sound a bit odd to you? I know it's their business and they can do what they like really but this treament had already been paid for and I can't see why it would make a difference when I came. Also, I think I wouldn't feel very comfortable going there, supposedl to be pamered, when they are not letting nme book it at a convenient time.

Should I just not bother?

What would you do?

Thats interesting - if that is the case I would say there are lots of high street retailers in breach of that.

although, to be air to them, they are letting me use the voucher - just when it is convenient to them and not me

to be fair to them....

I bought this kind of gift recently and was surprised to see the vouchers expired in 6 months. 6 months is a very short time, and it's easy for the time to pass without being able to book something like this.
I realise they have to have an expiry date, but don't see why it has to be so short! I amde sure to tell the person I was giving them to - if it was me I'd put them in my purse, then look at them 4 months later and realuse they were nearly expired!

yeah vouchers are a rubbish gift in that the vast majority of them have expired by the time we come round to use them, it's basically free money for the company's who distribute them. You should have made up a heart rending tale that prevented you from using the voucher in the time -frame..

I have a wonderful massage that has been paid for but I can't claim either

Hmm, I don't know about what the cinema said now. There's nothing on the Trading Standards website about it. Perhaps it was just the cinema vouchers then, otherwise I'd have thought it would be more widely known.

The cinema guy definitely said TS had told them to honour them and we've been using ones that are a year out of date.

Confused now .

hi TOMMY i worked in a salon and we used to say 6 month expiry however we did honour because they are cash equivelent we just did,t broadcast the fact that we would honour [easy cash] so i would be tempted to rin and ask to speak to the manager [if they aksk who's calling say it's personal and then when she comes on be really cheesy and say xx i was told you would be able to help me etc and lay on the cream and she should help] after all she will be wanting her staff to make some money [potentially you could buy products you and i know you won't but they don't know that -let us know how you get on

Message withdrawn

as you sat there doesnt seem to be anything on TS regarding this

That's good to know as it does strike me as robbery to be honest as the goods have been paid for but not claimed. Most people do not claim in time and billions of pounds worth of vouchers are wasted every year. I think this is quite unreasonable. I might check out trading standards see if I can use mine.

look

I think I'm going to take this article in to the salon and caise a stink for mine see if they let me in for a massage to calm me down

Reminds me of last year when I had a manicure. I never have a manicure as I am a nurse and cannot wear nail varnish, but last year dh and I had booked a Carribean cruise for our 20th wedding anniversary.

Booked my manicure, arrived on day and was told I had to pay prior to having it done (to protect my nails). Paid up, then noticed everyone else paid after having their nails done. Did feel a bit upset. Was it my Liverpool accent do you think.

Anyway, will never set foot in that salon again, and between you and me they did a rubbish job anyway.

why does paying up front protect your nails?

im a nurse and i wear nailpolish on my days off

So I would not mess the manicure when I opened my purse to pay, so she claimed.

cheshirekitty i was a beauty therapist pre baby and every single place i have worked we charged before manicure so you don't chip/rub polish cos it actually takes 2 hours for polish to be totally dry and twenty minutes to be touch dry so try not to be offended {smile]