Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Nail salon no show charge

129 replies

Prettybutdumb · 28/09/2023 14:52

I had a nail appointment recently at a salon that I’ve been frequenting regularly for years. The morning of the appointment my youngest woke up and ran to the loo and poor thing had a bad tummy. I emailed the school, but still had to take the eldest in and it was bad enough that she had an accident on the way to dropping off her sibling.

I messaged the salon as soon as I got back (they weren’t opened yet) to explain what happened and that I won’t be able to make it. This has never happened before. I’ve never been late or had to cancel before. There was no reply and today I saw that my appointment was charged 100% for no show. I completely understand that they have their own employees, costs etc, but isn’t that poor practice? To charge the appointment in full without as much as a conversation or message back when I’ve been a regular customer (I go at least once a month) for so long?

This last minute type of cancellation has happened twice in my life before as I have small children and they can be unpredictable - once with a dentist and a second time with an osteopath. Both said it’s a first occurrence and they won’t charge anything (although their T&C said they would), just offered me another appointment.

I feel pretty miffed and it’s safe to say they’ve lost me as a customer.

OP posts:
hotcandle · 28/09/2023 15:36

YABU

saltinesandcoffeecups · 28/09/2023 15:43

I love how everyone understands the policy and agrees with it…right up until it affects them personally. Then it’s always “why won’t they make an exception for meeeeeeeeee”

muddyford · 28/09/2023 15:50

Our vet is now charging £50 deposit up-front for any operation arranged in advance, as there have been so many people that don't turn up. I would have thought that charging you £50 would have been a nice gesture, as you won't be going there again.

Atticustheaardvark · 28/09/2023 15:51

Freepo · 28/09/2023 15:10

Generally I agree it’s fine to charge 100% within 24 hours, but if you’ve been a monthly customer for years then it seems like in balance they could have spoken about reducing to 50% in these circumstances. That would seem to show some appreciation of the hundreds (if not thousands) or pounds you’ve loyally given their business.

This is my take on it too. My nail lady takes a 50% deposit at the time of booking, but often cancels on me or changes my appointment time at short notice, usually due to one of her children being poorly or childcare issues. In 3 years I have never missed an appointment per se, but there was an RTA a few hundred yards from her home one day (she could see the accident from her window) which delayed me by 10 minutes and she understandably asked me to rebook. She retained the deposit and requested another one for the new appointment. As another poster said, loyalty doesn't seem to be a 2-way thing anymore.

It does tick me off a bit, but I'm happy with how she does my nails so guess I just need to suck it up and stop whining.

Ketty72 · 28/09/2023 15:52

Pretty standard I guess - I can understand why you hoped for a reduced fee given that you spend £100+ a month there and this has never happened before but...YABU to expect it really.

I would take it as a push to try somewhere else next time and see how it compares.

Atticustheaardvark · 28/09/2023 15:56

Just out of interest, @Prettybutdumb - how did they take payment from you? Do you have an authorisation in place for them to store and charge your cc on file?

PurpleButterflyWings · 28/09/2023 15:59

YABU. It may have been unavoidable/not your fault, but why should the salon lose out? Imagine if, say, 1 in 5 people did this every day... They'd lose a fortune. I am sure they will still have plenty of custom and won't care much that you're not going back.

Original poster
Prettybutdumb · 28/09/2023 16:00

Atticustheaardvark · 28/09/2023 15:56

Just out of interest, @Prettybutdumb - how did they take payment from you? Do you have an authorisation in place for them to store and charge your cc on file?

Yes, my CC is on file. Why? Should I try to remove it? I looked today but I couldn’t figure out how and left it.

OP posts:
BatteryPoweredMammy · 28/09/2023 16:02

They may have taken the money from your account unlawfully.

What is the fee for? Taking 100% of the fee sounds unreasonable to me.

Did you agree to those T&C when you called and booked the appointment?

teaandtoastwithmarmite · 28/09/2023 16:02

Sorry- £100 for nails?? Are you serious? My hairdresser asks for 50% deposit

Bleuuuughhh · 28/09/2023 16:02

Personally, I would try calling the salon again. My sister is on Treatwell (if that’s where you booked) and they do this automatically. She calls back regular clients and reschedules the appointment. Worth a go.

Nanny0gg · 28/09/2023 16:04

Prettybutdumb · 28/09/2023 15:12

As I said I completely understand, but is it wise to completely lose a customer like that? Isn’t it better to allow your loyal customers one single ‘strike’ and keep them on? I would more than happily pay the fee if it happened more than once.

No walk-ins, the salon is booking only.

Very short-sighted behaviour

They'll have lost more than they've gained.

But I'd double-check there's no leeway there. first

SkyeBlue28 · 28/09/2023 16:04

Sounds very harsh behaviour by the nail salon. I understand they still have bills to pay but a certain amount of no shows should be considered a cost of doing business.
Personally I would not go back to that salon.

MaidOfSteel · 28/09/2023 16:07

As a long standing customer, I woukd expect a bit of give & take. I imagine they don't give you a refund if they're running late. Things have to work both ways. If they won't budge when you talk to them, eg simply rearranging, then I'd find another salon.

HoneyBadgerMom · 28/09/2023 16:08

It's a business, they're not your friends. Is their no-show policy on their website? Or posted anywhere?

IMO, if you're a regular, you should have followed up with a phone call, not just a message. If you'd called and talked to them, they very likely would have made an exception.

Blinkinbloodyhayfever · 28/09/2023 16:09

I think its not your fault that your dc was unwell (hope they are better soon), but it wasn't their's either. Staff and bills have to be paid regardless of whether a customer turns up. If I have had to cancel a salon appointment where I am a regular, I will give at least a token payment if there is no late charge as its the right thing to do. Nails, hair etc are probably the first things that are cancelled if you have a home emergency, as they are considered frivolous, but for the staff this is how they pay their mortgages and feed their families. To say you won't go there again is petty.

Original poster
Prettybutdumb · 28/09/2023 16:10

BatteryPoweredMammy · 28/09/2023 16:02

They may have taken the money from your account unlawfully.

What is the fee for? Taking 100% of the fee sounds unreasonable to me.

Did you agree to those T&C when you called and booked the appointment?

The T&C say 50% for late cancellation which is 48h or less (I thought mine was because I messaged before the appointment?) or 100% for no show. They decided it was a no show because it was quite short notice.

OP posts:
StopFuckingTouchingMe · 28/09/2023 16:11

You're expecting her to work for free for an hour of her day because you had an emergency.

Peacelily001 · 28/09/2023 16:13

Shame the NHS don’t do this!

Original poster
Prettybutdumb · 28/09/2023 16:13

StopFuckingTouchingMe · 28/09/2023 16:11

You're expecting her to work for free for an hour of her day because you had an emergency.

Not at all, just not to be charged the entire over £100 for a weekday morning appointment that I couldn’t make. It’s not a solicitor’s appt.

OP posts:
BatteryPoweredMammy · 28/09/2023 16:17

I’d contact your credit card provider directly and tell them that they’ve kept your credit card details on file and taken the money without your agreement on this occasion, because that wasn’t your understanding from their cancellation policy.

Businesses may well lose money for no shows, but they’re still expected to abide by the law when it comes to storing and charging a client’s credit card.

Itsalwaysthelasttime · 28/09/2023 16:18

Also they shouldn't have charged you for products they haven't used.

Sehenswürdigkeiten · 28/09/2023 16:18

Prettybutdumb · 28/09/2023 16:13

Not at all, just not to be charged the entire over £100 for a weekday morning appointment that I couldn’t make. It’s not a solicitor’s appt.

Show quote history

'It's not a solicitors appt' - what do you mean by that?

Nicknacky · 28/09/2023 16:19

So do you consider her time to be worth less than that of a solicitor?

HoneyBadgerMom · 28/09/2023 16:19

Prettybutdumb · 28/09/2023 16:13

Not at all, just not to be charged the entire over £100 for a weekday morning appointment that I couldn’t make. It’s not a solicitor’s appt.

Show quote history

You say you don't expect her to work for free, and then you say you shouldn't be charged because the appointment was a weekday morning and you had an emergency. So clearly you DO expect her to work for free. You expect her to take the hit to her bottom line because you had an emergency. She's probably not working for pin money, this is how she pays her bills.