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.

Know*

YANBU.

I am self employed and if / when a regular client does not show up but informs me of an emergency, even if at late notice, I do not charge them.

I trust that their emergency is genuine, based on their past respectful behaviour. If someone insisted on paying me anyway, I would only take 50% of the session fee so that we both contribute to the distressing situation.

Ya do realise that treating someone with a protected characteristic the same as everyone else is discriminating against them

@CrazyLadie Err no

I agree, OP, I've been given goodwill on occasion when I've had to cancel for an important reason. Have you spoken to them about it? Might be almost automatic to charge your card and they might reconsider if you point it out. I'd definitely be telling them that I'm not coming back. Nail places (if that's what it is ) are two a penny.

Nope you are wrong she is pregnant and she cancelled an appointment, in this instance it isn't a protected characteristic.

She isn't being discriminated against you really need to be careful it isn't just a protected characteristic washes everything away.

Are we reading the same thread? Plenty of people said that she wasn't being unreasonable I was one of them. You look like a right prat.

Where have I replied to all the comments?

@AgnesX

already said what?

my comments. Missing word.

if it’s tedious perhaps won’t and then you won’t have as much to read.

They wont miss your 30 $a week visit op dont flatter yourself 😅

They charged you as you didnt give enough notice. Such is the thing with most appointments. No need to "never go back" . Maybe just chill and contact them. You might be able to sort something out

@darjeelingrose

Tippexy · Yesterday 12:56

OP: AIBU?
MN: Yep
OP: No I’m not, you’re all wrong!

Are we reading the same thread? Plenty of people said that she wasn't being unreasonable I was one of them. You look like a right prat.

Bahahaha. The only one looking like a prat is you with your strange comment 🤣

I think it’s bloody dodgy that they used your card without you there and without conversation. I’m not sure that’s allowed and I’d consider querying it with your bank. You weren’t there and you didn’t authorise it.

I know you say 'surely they'll miss the ongoing £30 from me not going anymore more than a one off £30' but you're misunderstanding I think.

When they implement a cancellation policy, across the board, they have no way of knowing whether charging someone (which the customer will have previously agreed to when signing up) will incentivise them to stop attending. Lots of people would just accept the charge as fair enough, you'll booked a slot you're not using and it's too short notice for them to fill it, and keep going. So by saying 'fine I won't go anymore' you'll be in the minority.

Additionally, having a robust cancellation policy is what protects their income. Otherwise every time someone cancels at 2pm for a 3pm appt and has their fee waived they've not only lost £30, they've also ensured that that customer will take that to be the policy and feel comfortable doing it again in the future. Losing many more £30s.

It's fairer to ALL to have a cancellation policy that applies regardless of personal circumstances. In very extreme situations they may choose to waive it (for example someone is due in Tuesday afternoon and finds out Tues morning their partner has died) but it probably comes out automatically anyway so you'd have to speak to someone to ask for it to be refunded/waived.

My piano teacher requires 24hr notice for cancellations/moving lessons, and if it's within 24hr they expect the payment for the lesson. Doesn't matter the reason, whether it's illness, work, whatever, it's fair to everyone and everyone knows the policy. Our swimming lessons are paid for whether the child attends or not because you've paid for a slot in that lesson, you can request to attend a catch up elsewhere in the week but they don't not charge you just because you can't make it. Once a piano teacher for example starts picking and choosing who to apply the lesson payment to when it comes to short notice cancellations it could easily lead to favouritism and discrimination.

No offence but everyone thinks their circumstance warrants special treatment. If you don't agree with their policy you shouldn't have signed up to them, and it's absolutely within your right to say now 'oh, this isn't the place for me'. But make sure you read the T&Cs of the next place.

It's not dodgy restaurants do this all the time due to no shows.

That’s entirely different. A restaurant booking is a one off and it’s explicit when you give your card details. OP didn’t know her card details had been held and they were used without her consent.

Why else would they take card details when booking, unless it's to be able to use them at dinner point? If op didn't realise that, that's on her.

Every time I've made a booking online using card details, it has been very clear when they will use them. Pretty sure op just slipped past that part. That's not the fault of the business.

You’ve misunderstood @ISeeMisledPeople (very appropriate name). OP didn’t provide her card details at the point of booking, they were retained from payment for previous appointments. Nobody assumes that when they entrust a business with their card details for a transaction they’re giving that business permission to retain them and carte blanche to use them however they see fit.

I am self employed, I am fully booked and I do charge people for not turning up. Why should I miss on my income because my client could not make it and it’s not my fault?
however this is in my terms and conditions and I make my clients aware they are committed to pay regardless they turn up or not. Saying that, I don’t enjoy charging people when they have booked an appointment and for some reason could not make it. But that’s the way it is.

I have lost clients before, when they have booked an appointment and did not turn up and did not want to pay either. I don’t regret losing them, I rather have reliable clients who are committed. Your situation is unfortunate and I do sympathise, however business is business and you had to pick a loss, not the business provider.

I have a couple of places I go to that have al online booking and a similar cancellation policy.

Every booking confirmation I get clearly states that my card will be charged if I cancel last minute or don't turn up.

Do you think businesses only protect themselves in the event that someone does this the first time round?

So you’re happy that every business you ever provide with your card details is able to retain them and use them as they see fit? This is one of the best arguments for paying cash I can think of.

I'm happy that every business I continue to frequent has my card details in order to use them in the way that I agreed to when I first input them. That doesn't seem to be what you are asking, but it does appear to be what has happened.

Loving the Bahahaha.
I can't decide whether this is a name change fail or just intentionally hilarious. Either way it's a win😂because it's really made me laugh, so thanks for that.

Excellent way to get sacked as a client, that.

Chargebacks aren’t for situations like this - they’re for breach of contract in providing services. Assuming that the cancellation policy is in the business’ T&C then the business hasn’t breached the contract.