About being charged for missed appointment?

[Buttercupdaisies]

For several months I’ve had a weekly appointment somewhere. This week, I had to go into hospital as am 33 weeks pregnant and had an injury (all was fine.) I rang up and explained and apologised.

They have just charged my card the full amount. I suspect a lot or people will say I am BU but I don’t feel great about it, tbh. Just wondered what the consensus was.

Really not sure what OP hoped to get out of this thread. She started the thread and out it in AIBU and has spent a lot of time being cross with various posters who have contributed.

As far as she is concerned it’s a cut and shut case. In her mind the company were wrong to charge her. She’s decided not to go again. There’s no question about it in her mind, so quite why she asked the Q is totally unclear….unless she just wants a chance to be contrary and disagree with people.

But this attitude towards those on the thread reflects the way she feels about the firm who have charged her too. Oddly, she wants to engage online and argue with people, but is actively against any communication in real life with the firm. But perhaps this is really an attempt to keep a non-issue going and keep the thread going as that is the purpose, not actually achieving an answer to a genuine question. Well, I suppose it’s worked.

In real situations where someone is charged for non-attendance at an appointment, they usually feel a bit miffed. They then either swallow it and accept that the firm was within their rights to do it, and it’s just one of those nuisances in life that you live with, move beyond it …and continue using their services OR you address it with them and possibly find a resolution which suits you better. But here we have a non-issue. It’s not something OP wants to discuss or hear views on - instead she’s making a statement. Or just telling us something - she missed an appointment spur a good reason and has been charged for it, so won’t be going again. We get it. Many others think the business wasn’t unreasonable, or that they could have shown some flexibility, or that OP might find they will refund if she speaks to them. But OP isn’t interested in any of it. She says she’s moved on. But she’s still on the thread arguing with people about them contributing, rather than discussing the issue itself. Hmm.

What are you getting out of it, @WombatChocolate ?

You’ve spent more time on it than me, so do tell.

And, although I have already answered (not that I should have to) I was interested in views. Some agree with me, some don’t.

I have no issue with that. I do have an issue with people inventing their own stories, then proclaiming in long, long posts how unreasonable I am in their made up version of events.

Yes, I did tell you - I’m interested in people’s different views and the reasoning they have for what they think. Always interesting to get an understanding of people coming from different angles….that is, when they are able to explain that view and engage with discussion.

Someone else referred to ‘flouncing’ - good description. Seems drawing out the flouncing is what’s wanted….and I guess a number of us have fed it by engaging in what isn’t a genuine discussion.

It’s got the classic marks……if anyone gets all of OP’s posts up together, what you see is no real engagement in discussion about the topic in question, but letting others engage in the discussion and then complaining about the posters to keep it going.

It’s either one of those we fall for, or one where the OP goes away and feel really upset and annoyed about MN and how people are mean and nasty….and even more vindicated that they are right and the only one marching in step with the drummer, and everyone else is out if step with the timing. But of course there are people who always think that.

I think you need to look up what flouncing means!

The thing is @WombatChocolate , you keep coming back to this thread with long, long posts that have your own version of events. In your version, I didn’t bother to ring the massage place to cancel then got miffed when I was charged, even though it’s clear from the first post that isn’t what happened. No matter how many times I’ve told you this is wrong, you keep coming back and back and back and saying that I am wrong, mistaken, and when I correct you I am flouncing.

Expressing a bit of irritation is not flouncing.

I hope you pull your head in OP, fair enough if you're a bit miffed but you should understand they have a business to run and you cancelled last minute (3 hours is last minute), you sound like you're going to be one of those super entitled parents given you're already acting like that

Oh I’m not referring about your responses to me.It’s all your annoyances with lots of other posters who’ve made some really relevant points.

I’ve had nothing to add on the so-called topic of the thread for ages. I left the thread. What brought me back was how I noticed that lots of people had made relevant comments and the way you’d responded to them. It’s a last word thing isn’t it and desire to be cantankerous and disagree. Well you’ll be pleased that I bit. Off again now, but wonder how long this can rumble on for.

Everyone feels pissed off when they're charged for a mess up they could have avoided. Doesn't mean it's an unreasonable charge though. They will probably see it as having weeded out an unreliable client.

I think I have accepted perfectly graciously that there is an argument for charging me, and as you will have noted I haven’t disputed that.

However, I have corrected you and you have taken exception to this, finally left the thread then returned to announce you believe my thread is not genuine and that I am ‘cantankerous.’

You cannot give your own, wrong version of events and expect people not to point out that they are wrong.

How did OP mess up and how could she have avoided it?? It was a medical emergency

For what it's worth, I would do the same as you have OP. To approach the business again to discuss would only upset me more if they didn't show any compassion, so I would avoid this possible scenario and just not go back.

@Buttercupdaisies

Three hours notice is def not enough time to fill a slot.

Is it an independent business so not a chain?

Why is it people will happily cancel last minute and moan about a charge for an independent but happily pay deposits and fees for chain services

It's not your fault that you were unwell however it isn't the therapists either is it?

And in regards to storing card details it's totally legal and again when you booked and read and ticked the terms and conditions section it will have stated all the relevant info your moaning about here before you proceed with the booking.

Spot on.

Won't make that mistake again.

OP, I don’t think YABU for being surprised they wouldn’t give a gesture of goodwill. And I genuinely hope you’re ok. I know people cancel late and lie but if you’ve always been a good customer, i undertand why you’d be upset. I would too!

I understand this has left a sour taste in your mouth and you don’t want to use their services again. I don’t know if it might make you feel better to actually speak to someone as maybe it was an automatic payment due to late cancellation and actually they may be mortified at the situation. Obviously that’s completely your choice but it’s an option.

THIS. YANBU. A private dentist may have published cancellation fees but if you were long-established patient and had a medical emergency on the way to the appointment or overnight they likely wouldn't charge you.

but why did she start the thread in the first place? She already made up her mind and decided that she was sooo annoyed by this that’s she’s never going back - despite not evening attempting any sort of communication with the business to see if they could give a bit of goodwill. Then she just gets annoyed at any poster who doesn’t agree with her 100%! It is going on with herself when she’s not taking on board any comments that don’t align with her own views. Worse offence than flouncing really.

What a load of absolute tosh.
Ignore this ridiculous "advice"

This thread has been a wild ride! I started off rather sympathetic to the OP because although the salon had every right to charge her, it is frustrating on an already stressful day when she’s worried about her pregnancy.

Her subsequent replies to people - wow. It’s like she’s hunting for offence to take.

@JulieHoney
Indeed, from her she hasn't even contacted the massage place and they might actually refund her I'd she explains situation.

But she can't be bothered to contact them, but starts a thread on here.

What I find a bit strange is that she's planning (quite reasonably) to contact them to ensure that her card details are removed but apparently won't discuss the charge at the same time.

If that's the case, they're presumably also reliant on 30 quid from OP next week and the week after and the week after that. And they're not gong to get it because of their conduct. They may well also lose other customers if OP chooses to spread the word. It just doesn't make good business sense.

To not return or give any indication of why is like never calling the tutor again, that your child has attended weekly for 2 years, or not re-booking your personal trainer who you’ve exercised with on a 1-2-1 basis for years.

But then again, the massage place might just be able to work out that a good customer who has to cancel due to a medical emergency might not take too kindly to being charged. If they can't work that out but are bothered about finding out why she's cancelled, they could always ask her and maybe show a bit of human concern fo her health?

It makes total sense. I run a business and could fill my slots twice over. What I can’t do is fill a slot at short notice. I currently have a waiting list and would have a new client sorted by the next week.

As it happens I would, and have, waived fees for a medical emergencies, but generally people get one chance and then they’re booted off my books.

I get that they can do this but I think an exception should have been made in your case.

Then every fucker will be saying it was a hospital emergency just to get their money back.

The business has no real way of knowing if OP hospital visit was real or if she was just sat on her arse and couldn't be bothered to go. Same with anyone cancelling with any reason/excuse - how would they know who was legitimately at death's door and who just missed their appt cos they slept in/didn't bother/forgot the date etc etc?

T&C's are there for a reason.

I waived the charge recently for a client I'd had for several months who's been 100% reliable. They'd already paid and I let them reschedule. I would have no hesitation in believing that they were ill.

For a less longstanding / reliable client I might adhere to the T&Cs made clear in my contract. It's my choice though.

I did have a client who queried it. I stuck to my guns and they're still with me. Context is important.

YABU as you have no idea if the fee could be waived (or in this case refunded) because you are resolutely refusing to contact them beyond your original cancellation message.

For all you know they didn't receive your message until after your appointment time, at which point the system had already automatically charged your card so they had no way to reverse it. If you had then called them they could have been more than happy to process the refund (or if that wasn't possible then they could have agreed to use the fee as credit towards your next appointment), but if you haven't called they have probably assumed that your call was more "FYI I won't be in due to an emergency, I know I'll still be charged" as opposed to "FYI I won't be in and would appreciate if you could show some goodwill and not charge me the late cancellation fee due to the circumstances"

You aren't obliged to call them again but if you're bothered enough to start, and repeatedly post on, a MN thread then why wouldn't you just call them and say "I see I have been charged the £30 fee for late cancellation. I know it is in the TS and C's but as my late cancellation was down to a medical emergency and I am a long standing customer who has never missed an appointment in all the years I have been using your service I was hoping that you could waive the fee on this one occasion? Especially as I did try to contact you but was unable to get through on the phone and so had to leave a message as I was in hospital and unable to keep retrying till I spoke to someone. I don't know if that was received before or after my card was charged"

If they were totally unsympathetic, rude and/or dismissive then I would have no issue saying "I understand you have your rules but if you are insisting on sticking rigidly to them despite the circumstances I won't be booking with you again" but if they were sympathetic, polite and/or willing to make some sort of gesture of goodwill (even if it is just a percentage refund as opposed to a full refund) then I'd chalk it up to miscommunication on everyone's part, continue using them but keep in mind that I had used up my "free pass" with them.