Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Angry and demanding a refund !

302 replies

LolaRosieBoo · 14/12/2023 11:00

I am a self-employed PT, very well known in my area, have been doing so for 10 years and as such I am expensive (£60 per session). A few years ago, I had to change my T&Cs so that sessions were paid for monthly in advance and sessions cancelled on the day would still be charged.

Before I implemented this policy, people would cancel their sessions with extremely short notice - on the day of - and sometimes only an hour beforehand. I’d also had people just not turn up! This was costing me both time and money, and this income supports my family.

Last month a new client started, she paid upfront and I sent the T&Cs. She cancelled her session yesterday (6 hours before it was due to start), saying her child was sick so she couldn’t make it. I wished her child to feel better and said I would see her next week. This morning, I’ve had a message saying ‘please deduct yesterdays session from next months invoice’. I replied saying that as per the T&Cs, I cannot give her a refund as she cancelled with less than a days notice, making it very difficult for me to recoup that money by finding someone else to fill her space.

She has now sent me a very angry text message demanding a refund or she will post about me on our local Facebook community board. She has accused me of being unethical, as people (especially those with children) will sometimes need to cancel at short notice and she cannot afford to spend £60 for nothing. I replied that this is my income and how I support my family, and I equally cannot afford to not be paid when it’s very short notice with no possibility of me finding someone else.

AIBU?

OP posts:
TrishTrix · 14/12/2023 12:43

If it's in your T&Cs then you perfectly within your rights to not refund.

However, as a client I really appreciate my PTs flexibility if I have to cancel at short notice. Occasionally he will offer to re-provide the session but I really don't expect it as I know the deal with cancellations.

As you say, it's your income. If you are oversubscribed and can replace the client easily I would.

Rocksonabeach · 14/12/2023 12:43

MuggleMe · 14/12/2023 11:05

She agreed to the T&C's, if she wanted to be able to cancel at short notice and receive a refund, she should have chosen a PT who had those terms.

Totally normal to have a cancellation charge, just like with hairdressers, dentists, tutors etc.

Reply that you don’t appreciate her threatening you. She signed the terms and conditions 24 hours for a refund and saying that if she does deliberately follow through on her threat that you will address via formal routes. If she does report to the admin group and fb and police and make sure you have screen shot all messages

EvilElsa · 14/12/2023 12:47

YANBU.
I don't think she will get as much support on Facebook as she thinks she will and I'd cancel her as a client the moment she tried to blackmail me with threatened social media posts.
Don't rise to the bait and argue back. You've factually stated what your terms are (that she agreed to). You have other happy clients.

Itsaselectionbox · 14/12/2023 12:49

If your local FB group is anything like mine, she will become a laughing stock as someone who can afford £60 PT sessions posting about 'us poor mums'.

Teder · 14/12/2023 12:50

Of course YANBU. I am not self employed but I am aware people need this income so if I book something and I agree it’s non refundable, then that’s how it goes.

Baldieheid · 14/12/2023 12:51

I don't think some clients understand that youre not being paid £60 for the 60 minutes you're actually with them. That fee also covers the time you spend preparing their programme, making sure you have the appropriate kit with you, your professional insurance costs, etc.

That time preparing for her has already been spent by you.

She's agreed to your t&Cs. You're just sticking to them.

Personally I would keep the money for the cancelled session, refund the future sessions and "regretfully" inform her that you don't feel that the two of you are a good professional fit and you are consequently withdrawing your offered services.

She's going to be an absolute nightmare so save yourself the pain.

EasterIssland · 14/12/2023 12:51

My pt just changed her t&c. Now I’ve to give.m her 2 days notice if I don’t want to lose all the money because she kept being let down last minute and it was affecting her.
ignore her and lose her as a customer.

Catza · 14/12/2023 12:52

I once had to cancel my PT session because my cat has died and I was in no state to work out. I still paid my trainer even though he charged me on per-session basis. I appreciate the dad cat may be well below the sick child on the importance scale but didn't feel this way to me at the time. Doesn't matter though as it has nothing to do with my trainer.
Would she demand a cancellation of her monthly travel card if she missed one train journey due to a sick child? The way people treat self-employed and small businesses is appalling at times and they wouldn't dream of doing the same to the multi-national corporation.

narkyspirit · 14/12/2023 12:56

I have a PT and due to being self employed occasionally I need to cancel, I expect to be charged if I cancel within 24 hours.

My work is providing training to HNW clients who are the worst for cancelling and expecting not to pay, most recent was the one where I had travelled to site client arrived 1 hour late then was having dramas and said they needed to go home. How much did they owe? full day fee was the response, oh well why don't I pay you for the time you have been here? No its a full day and then argued with me, I walked with no money and blocked them.

Wonderfulstuff · 14/12/2023 12:59

I'd refund her everything that she has paid and wish her well on her fitness journey with a new trainer.

LaurieFairyCake · 14/12/2023 13:01

You refund her for the future sessions and remind her that she signed the T and C's.

Do nothing more.

You have a waiting list, it's fine. What you mustn't fall into is justifying yourself - women really fall victim to this people pleasing bullshit

You've done nothing wrong Flowers

EggNoggin · 14/12/2023 13:04

If this were me, I'd stick to my policy regarding the short notice cancellation, but I'd refund her the rest and cancel all future sessions.

YouOKHun · 14/12/2023 13:06

@LolaRosieBoo I am not a PT but have had similar problems in the past. I now send my T&Cs with a request for signature to confirm they have read, understood and agree with my terms before the first appointment (as well as GDPR forms etc). As long as terms are very clear up front it’s fine. I see a lot of PTs etc trying to enforce terms the client has not seen or been forced to acknowledge which doesn’t help them in the quest for payment.

Part of my terms is that payment has to be received 24 hours before the appointment or it doesn’t go ahead. I’ve found this generally focuses people and removes the need to have awkward conversations about money at each appointment. It also becomes clear up front who is going to cause me extra admin and I can make a decision about how to proceed with them before I am out of pocket. I do make some concessions for long term clients or if it’s something absolutely unavoidable, for example a client had a minor car accident on the way to me recently and was shaken up and very delayed so I rearranged at no charge.

I think you’re right to make a stand but I wouldn’t get into a back and forth with her. I know children get ill but it tends to be a repeated reason that is expected to be the one reason that trumps T&Cs every time. If she takes it to social media she may be surprised to find opinions fall in favour of people trying to make a living.

KingsleyBorder · 14/12/2023 13:10

Just ditch her. She’s an idiot. My PT has the same policy as yours and I abide by it because I understand that she is running a business.

Saharafordessert · 14/12/2023 13:10

You are absolutely not being unreasonable.
She sounds entitled, rude and above herself just because she has a child!
Loose her as a client, be polite and professional and let her crack on with her fb post…..she’ll look ridiculous.
Also ignore the posters that are saying you charge too much…..you don’t!

Dentistlakes · 14/12/2023 13:19

YANBU. She had the terms and conditions and is trying her luck. Tbh, I would have trouble working with someone if they treated me like that. i would fulfill my obligations in terms of the sessions she’s already paid for, but tell her I wouldn’t be retaining her as a client.

Gonnagetgoingreturnsagain · 14/12/2023 13:20

It depends re small businesses and their T&C. I’ve cancelled a couple of times in my life with hairdressers (genuinely sick on the day) and if they charged me a cancellation fee I probably wouldn’t use them in future.

One time I’d booked a series of treatments (manicures etc) with a local beauty salon. On the day of my appointment and they knew about my plans (holiday) the same weekend they cancelled. No other option as everyone else was fully booked or off sick. No apology either. It stung all the more as I’d been a regular and first client of this salon (when she started in one room) and a friend of mine worked there. I rather peevishly refused to return (I lost out on a few hundred pounds due to the series I’d booked and paid for). The owner was known for being rude though.

If for regular clients you are more flexible they’ll be more likely to return/recommend I find.

kneesdonthurt · 14/12/2023 13:22

Definitely stick to your guns on this one! If she does post on a FB group, you can calmly reply with a link to your Ts and Cs. She'll just look silly.

But either way, the relationship has broken down so I think you should cancel her as a client.

SparklyOwls · 14/12/2023 13:22

I do a similar job, however I do have in my T's and C's that the service accepts sickness/other circumstances can occur at short notice and therefore I allow 3 late cancellation credits a year.

It's a very difficult one I totally accept that. Being self employed is tough.

mottytotty · 14/12/2023 13:23

She;s being a riduclous twat, OP. Don't refund her and do do her any favours.

Tell her that she is free to find a different PT if the terms she signed up to no longer suit her.

Brefugee · 14/12/2023 13:23

i would let her post - and then counter post with the fact that by signing up to your services the clients accept the T&Cs including the cancellation fee schedule.

Have you had the T&C checked by a lawyer?

lunaticfringer · 14/12/2023 13:23

Hi OP. Why not invoice in a block? I pay my PT up front for 10 sessions at a time. I do my best to attend every one and she does her best to reschedule if I'm poorly.

Eddielizzard · 14/12/2023 13:24

Since you're fully booked and you have a waiting list, I would ditch this client and contact the next person on the list. I'd refund her for the sessions you are cancelling, and say that as she didn't read the t&c's and clearly isn't happy with them, you are unable to continue.

gnarlynarwhal · 14/12/2023 13:24

Just reply that if she does this you will post a copy of you t&cs in response to her ranty post and that she was made fully aware of them when she started. She will make herself look like an idiot. Chances are her kid isn’t ill anyway.

krustykittens · 14/12/2023 13:26

She is a new client who has threatened to trash your business the first time she didn't get her own way. I would drop her like a bag of burning dog shit and I wouldn't refund her either. She signed up to the T&Cs, which are perfectly reasonable and standard in many professions, she can jog on.