To ask for non-refundable deposit back

[Roundgreysoft]

I know mumsnet hate tattoos but please put that aside the the sake of the question.

I had a tattoo appt booked for 7 months. I got very poorly and was hospitalised. Knowing I may still not be well enough to attend (in fact the tattooist probably wouldn't have been able to go ahead on medical grounds), I cancelled the appt with 6 weeks notice and asked to reschedule when I was definitely well enough, as I may not be by the appt date. Was upfront when originally booking that I could only do Saturdays due to childcare. The shop is a long way from me and I can only do a weekend because of people being around to basically help for the whole day.

Tattooist will now not rebook for a Saturday at any point in 2024. They haven’t said they're fully booked, just said they can't do any Saturdays now. They also didn't mention that this would be impossible for them when I asked to reschedule. They are 2 hours drive from me and I've used them 3 times before (did not have the childcare to worry about then). It is a 4 hour round trip to get there and back without the time it takes to do the tattoo.

I paid a £70 non refundable deposit at the time of booking. Should I ask for them to return this? Am I being unreasonable expecting them to rebook for a Saturday if they did before - I don't care if I have to wait months for this, or even if it is next year, but they don't seem to understand I can't magic up childcare for an entire day.
With 6 weeks to go they filled my cancelled appointment and hadn't done my artwork. Still haven't as I don't actually have an appointment yet. So the deposit isn't being held against anything.

I work in an industry where I actually ask for payment in full to secure dates in my diary, but if people cancel with at least 3 days notice then they are refunded in full, and I only keep the money if they cancel on the day (50% if less than 3 days). If I originally offer one week day for somebody and we reschedule, then I will always give them the opportunity to reschedule for the same day I agreed to to start with.
I hate having to ask for a refund when it clearly states non-refundable but...

Interested in opinions.

Has the date been and gone yet?

Yes it has, only recently but it has gone. I've tried to rebook as soon as I've felt physically well and had a couple of weeks without hospital treatment so that I know I won't be back in (lots of complications).

@Singleandproud
I’m not being ridiculous. Im going from all the teacher threads on this forum, where they discuss the lack of leave for funerals and other necessities.

@Picklestop 😂😂😂

Oops. I stand corrected. Sorry

Could someone go with you and either sit with baby in the shop while you're being done, or pop to a nearby cafe until you're finished? Could turn it into a nice day out with lunch (on you, obv!), shopping etc? Otherwise, just ask - explain the situation and if they say no make sure they put in writing that your deposit won't ever expire and that you will be able to use it whenever you can get there, even if it's not until baby goes to school! (Unless of course the contract you already have stipulates this.)

Unless of course the contract you already have stipulates this

There's not really a contract, it's 3 short bulletpoints on an email (one saying deposit non-refundable, one saying no vaping or smoking, one saying bring ID) so that is a good idea.

I have checked with DH and he said he really can't take AL for this so this might be my only option right now, as sadly it really isn't possible for someone to come along (and I'd need a second person to get DD from school)

At least talk to them. I honestly don't think you cancelling with 6 weeks' notice has led to them losing any income which is the purpose of the deposit, not just so they've made 70 quid regardless. They will have had ample chance to rebook the slot if they're sought after.

Good business isn't about slavishly following policy at the cost of customer service and future trade.

If they keep the money they are being quite short sighted and greedy IMO regardless of what has been signed as I wouldn't go back or recommend them.

However you need to give them a chance. Lay out the reasons you think you should, in this instance, receive your deposit back.

If you'd gone in not fully recovered from sepsis that would have been putting them at risk of blood borne infection (regardless of whether you were well enough). So you were doing the right thing in cancelling. Now they can't provide a weekend appointment so you're left out of pocket

@FunnyFinch you are the absolute worst sort of bottom feeding poster and I am so glad you’ve mugged yourself right off on this thread 😂

If I were you, I would politely ask for the £70 back if no Saturdays are available- no harm in asking! If they say no, I would book a random weekday closer to Christmas. That gives you loads of time to suss out childcare, if you're still not sorted closer to the date you could also ask for a friend to accompany you and entertain little one whilst you're in the studio by way of a Christmas gift favour! Worst case scenario you have to cancel again and lose your £70 but hopefully you can go 😊

Surely he gets AL?

You can ask...sounds like they not working Saturday

That's for the best, since you are purposely misreading and misunderstanding the whole post.

If you cannot comprehend what she very clearly, for the majority that understand, then I despair you ever will.

Reading is fine but reading comprehension is even more important as is quite apparent.

It's very obvious that @FunnyFinch is being purposely obtuse. Whether they think they are clever, funny or a super sleuth, it has been an epic failure.

Thanks for all of your replies. I think it's a bit divided so I'll just have to ask and see what happens, or I can book a random week day and see what happens later in the year. Or ask them to hold the deposit for ages. If they can refund it, I'll no doubt go back to them soon anyway!

DH can't take leave for this as he used pretty much all of it during my recovery and has also said he won't use his leave for me go get a tattoo because I could just go to any other artist that works weekends (fair enough, it is me that wants to be very specific in who I use, he doesn't really get it and would use anyone).

If you decided to fight them in small claims for the deposit then you would likely win. People have fought airlines and won, because the airline has resold their flights/package holiday so hadn’t lost any money.
If they haven’t spent time on the artwork, then they can’t claim it’s to cover their time and if they have booked someone else in then they can’t claim to have lost income. Unless there is drastic difference in price in your tattoo and whoever booked in.

But… you probably don’t want to ruin this relationship so start just asking what they can’t do for you.

Until you have asked them, I don't see that you have a problem to be posting about. Why won't any of you just talk to people?

😆

If I am reading it right, the deposit only becomes nonrefundable if you cancel at less than six weeks notice. You called to reschedule before this, but in the interim they are now unable to accommodate your only week day that you can attend, which you had notified them of from the very start.

The deposit is refundable. They should have no grief over giving the money back.

I know nothing about tattoos but I'm guessing this is a large tattoo.

Couldn't you go and take baby with you and just have a teeny tiny tattoo that takes five minutes whilst baby is asleep or in the pram next to you?

i think tattoos are vile and I’d recommend you don’t have it done ad it will look really awful in a few years.
however, if these are their t@cs then just send them an email to see that you can only make a Saturday and they need to refund you if it’s no longer suitable.
please call the CAB advise line if there is still Ian issue.

I think tattoos are vile and I’d recommend you don’t have it done ad it will look really awful in a few years

I already have plenty of other tattoos, some of which I've had for 15 years, I love them. They are a part of me and my body. They look no worse than moles or stretch marks which aren't to everyone's taste either, but I have those too. I have a difficult relationship with my body because of numerous chronic conditions, and my tattoos are something I choose for myself. Each to their own.

Ironically there are people that have said this to me in real life who all have visible physical side effects from smoking (stained teeth, deep set wrinkles around the mouth, receeding gums, smokers cough) and I'd never comment on a choice they made for their body that effected their appearance. I'm not saying you have these things. But it is an interesting comparison.

Also a few of mine are 15 years old and honestly with daily moisturising plus regular factor 50 on sunny days, they haven't really aged. Placement on your body makes a big difference too as some body parts just don't hold on to ink and age horribly.

Station11 and thank you. I'm not sure how they can hold on to my deposit if I am asking to rebook and suggesting a day (which is the same as the original day). I've just realised we have several bank holidays coming up, easter ones are way too close for anyone to be available now, but I'll suggest May and August. DH will be home on those days too.

Do you know anyone who lives in the area the tattooist is based who could help with baby? Then it would be a much shorter time you're asking for childcare

Read the thread again when you’re sober. You don’t even need to understand the timeline to answer the question!

I don’t know why I found this so funny but it’s made me almost wee myself laughing.

I think it’s something my mum would have managed to do without realising and I was really struggling with grieving for her after Mother’s Day.

I know it was just a mistake but thank you! It changed the feelings of sadness and grief to fond memories and made me giggle as well.

You never know what impact you have on someone’s day sometimes without realising, I just wanted you to know you made mine a lot easier.

Please don’t delete it (if you work out how!) 😂.