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Original poster

Should I make a complaint about this woman?

101 replies

Cantbebothered31 · 31/12/2022 12:56

I won some free beauty treatment on Instagram for a clinic, should've known it was too good to be true. Upon arriving I was told by the aesthetician that not everyone is suitable for the treatment (skin treatment).
She then told me that there were various offers on at the clinic atm and asked if I had any problem areas. I told her I was keen to remove the acne around my chin area.
She then took a photo of me and blew up my face on a big screen. Then, without me asking, she started telling me all the cosmetic work I need doing.
She told me that I've got facial sagging (I'm barely over 30, how much sagging can I really have?) That my face isn't symmetrical (is anyone's?)
Smokers' lines (I've never smoked in my life) dark circles, my top lip is uneven, and so on.
I didn't ask for her opinion on any of it. How saggy am I really going to be in my very early 30s?
The only good Feedback she gave me was on my acne. Of course I was then their 'perfect' candidate for filler at £700.
I wasn't a suitable candidate for the free procedure, how convenient.
Then they had the cheek to ask me to leave a review.
Luckily I'm not taking to heart what she said. I bet a supermodel could've walked in and they'd find something to say she needs doing. However I think they're really rude and irresponsible. Someone very impressionable and with low self esteem could hear that and believe everything they say, and shell out for work they don't need.
I know this is how they make money, what would you do? Report it?

OP posts:
CrystalCoco · 31/12/2022 13:31

That sounds like a horrible experience, I've had similar (not with the competition element) but where the aesthetician has 'gone to town' telling me aallllll the things I need to fix on my face. Like you I didn't take it particularly personally, they're trained to 'fix faces' and sometimes it would appear they forget there's a real person behind that face whose feelings may well be hurt - especially in your instance as it's not what you went to see them about!

If they were a decent clinic (which it sounds like they're not!) they would offer a suitable substitute treatment to the same value as the original treatment, not just palm you off like that.

Sparklesocks · 31/12/2022 13:31

The competition just sounds like a guise to get people in the door so they can flog more shit to them, like those ‘free photo shoots’ where you have to pay for all the extras. I’m sure they do it often.

pocketvenuss · 31/12/2022 13:32

Exactly what was the treatment you won? I'm interested to know so we can assess whether it makes sense that your skin was not 'suitable'. It sounds ridiculous to offer a prize then get out of delivering it by saying 'yeah, not for you love'. I would leave a review saying you won a prize for a comp they ran for xxx treatment but they refused to honour it and instead tried to get you to buy a £700 treatment. Then I'd get onto trading standards

PlaitBilledDuckyPuss · 31/12/2022 13:33

You can report to Trading Standards via Citizens' Advice:

www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/get-more-help/report-to-trading-standards/

Hankunamatata · 31/12/2022 13:35

What was the treatment that you won?

Sandra1984 · 31/12/2022 13:35

Leave a bad review and explain what you just wrote here. You can make it anonymous or under a fake name.

StickyCricket · 31/12/2022 13:39

I would report them to the Advertising Standards Agency.

This very much sounds like a clinic I once went to in Liverpool for a consultation about Botox. They ended up recommending about £1500 worth of treatment and the owner (who isn’t even a qualified medic/practitioner) got extremely pushy and she was clear visibly annoyed when I reiterated several times that I was only there for a consultation and would not be having any treatment done there and then.

amonsteronthehill · 31/12/2022 13:45

Please leave a review: the competition was clearly a 'front' for selling expensive treatments, and they claimed you were conveniently not right for the treatment you'd won. Bollocks to that.

Brefugee · 31/12/2022 13:46

how did you win it? Leave feedback at the place you won it, and leave feedback at the place you went to.
Be truthful and dispassionate rather than personal. Be factual.

Original poster
Cantbebothered31 · 31/12/2022 13:50

I don't want to say exactly just in case, but they didn't say they couldn't do the treatment, just said that there'd be quite severe potential side effects and that it wouldn't give me the results I wanted. They probably say this to everyone.
But thanks for the replies,it is false advertising

OP posts:
CountZacular · 31/12/2022 13:50

royalrecording · 31/12/2022 13:21

Social media competitions are governed by the ASA. You can report to them. I would screenshot the competition, if following best practice they should have had terms and conditions clearly linked, which you can review. Unless the Ts and Cs were totally clear, they’ll get a slap on the wrist and think twice about doing it again.

I was going to say this and I would absolutely report it.

picnicshicnic · 31/12/2022 13:50

Cantbebothered31 · 31/12/2022 13:03

Apparently it wouldn't have given me the results I was looking for. It was clearly just a sales pitch for the clinic, they did their best to put me off with negative side effects.

They really should have given you another treatment then, of similar value.

I'd be pissed off if I took time out of my day for that.

You should absolutely leave a review, just be factual and then she'll just look like a total dick if she leaves a snarky reply.

"I won a free treatment in a competiion. Upon arrival I was told what cosmetic procedures I needed, at a cost of £700, but that I wasn't suitable for the free treatment. So I left with nothing."

FlissyPaps · 31/12/2022 14:00

Did the competition have terms and conditions that clearly stated “Not everyone will be suitable for the treatment”. If not, I would raise this with them.

To point out all your “flaws” is incredibly unprofessional of them. Any experienced nurse aesthetic practitioner would never do this. They first listen to the patients concerns and give their recommendations based on that area.

That being said, if they regularly reply to constructive reviews with bitchy replies that tells you everything you need to know about their standards and ethics.

I personally wouldn’t complain. To me, it wouldn’t be worth the hassle. But I sure would be telling my friends and my family of my horrible experience. Word of mouth is powerful.

Pelo22 · 31/12/2022 14:05

Surely a decent place would have maybe in the terms and conditions
"Dependant on skin suitability, if not suitable we will offer X/Y/Z up to the price of the original prize"
It would have cost them virtually nothing to do say a facial/massage and you would have been happier

Opp · 31/12/2022 14:09

If she offers Botox at the clinic then they will have a prescriber. Prescribers should only be working at reputable ethical clinics where the practitioners are registered nurses, dentists or doctors. What this "practitioner" did contravenes the royal pharmaceutical society, gmc and nursing standards to which the prescriber is accountable and they should not be working with them. First thing a practitioner is supposed to do is ask a patient what they are there for and then discuss treatment options for that. They are not supposed to mention unsolicited "problems" or suggest unnecessary treatments, and certainly not blow up someone's face and start laying into it in such a crass way. Safety should take priority over everything. As a practitioner she should be well aware of the high percentage of people with body dysmorphia syndrome (+/-15%) that present at aesthetic clinics and you're absolutely right, a "consultation" like that with someone suffering from BDS could very feasibly trigger something catastrophic. Please report this to the British Association of Cosmetic Nurses (BACN) who keep an eye on this sort of stuff and are campaigning for more compliance. In the meantime please write an honest review just like you have here, you might save some person with BDS from doing something terrible. The woman who saw you sounds absolutely awful and greedy - people like this are unsafe and gives the industry a bad reputation. She likely won't care because she sounds like she has zero empathy but she will be making a lot of money from vulnerable people she does not deserve and needs to be held to account

GettingStuffed · 31/12/2022 14:10

Report to advertising standards as they ran a competition without stating the prize was conditional on you skin type

Shinesway · 31/12/2022 14:11

I honestly think this is the sort of thing they do to gain clients, they prey on people’s emotions. They lower self esteem and then feed on. Terrible experience.. Glad you’re not taking it to heart.

Metabigot · 31/12/2022 14:14

MichelleScarn · 31/12/2022 13:15

Sounds like the new 'win a photoshoot' scam of the 90s.... yeah win the shoot but if you want a photo to look at /take its ££££s!

That's not a scam if you know the deal. My daughter and I do one of those £9 wowcher makeover and photos hoot deals, I am very clear up front that I am only getting the free print and after that they don't hard sell me.

We just pick the one we want, usually get 2 prints, bargain for £9
Then do it again next year

whynotwhatknot · 31/12/2022 14:14

was it the actual clnic running the competion

leave a comment on their post about how you didnt receive any free tratment but they were floggin paid for treatments they cant deny that

Satinthemiddle · 31/12/2022 14:20

Cantbebothered31 · 31/12/2022 13:50

I don't want to say exactly just in case, but they didn't say they couldn't do the treatment, just said that there'd be quite severe potential side effects and that it wouldn't give me the results I wanted. They probably say this to everyone.
But thanks for the replies,it is false advertising

So they didn't refuse they advised that there could be side affects
Sounds to me as if they are not in the wrong as they advised you to not have it so technically you can't do anything as you said they didn't refuse the treatment you had won.
What are you going to gain by leaving a false review?

Aquasulis · 31/12/2022 14:24

IncompleteSenten · 31/12/2022 13:01

I'd leave a factual review specifically mentioning the freebie you weren't allowed to have and the £££ they recommended you paid.

This give it 100% factual with dates, times etc

DogInATent · 31/12/2022 14:26

Leave a factual review.

It's an unregulated industry and the public needs to be warned about the chancers and scammers.

indie123 · 31/12/2022 14:31

Write an honest review

Whatwouldscullydo · 31/12/2022 14:35

Whats the point of running a competition if you dont at least give the exclusion criteria? Surely a skin care clinic has a variety of treatments and products to cover all the combinations of needs? Surely a prize advertised with out any criteria would be one that's reasonably generic or is easily adaptable?

Sounds like a complete scam to get people through the doors and make them feel so shut about themselves they cough up hundreds.

Leave a very factual review on all relevant platforms

anyolddinosaur · 31/12/2022 14:36

This may actually have been illegal www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/public-and-players/guide/page/free-draws-and-prize-competitions so you might be able to report on that basis.

Write a factual review saying how disappointed you were not to get your prize and that you considered it unprofessional to try and sell you other, expensive, procedures.