For not wanting to pay my therapist when I was sick!!

[Anonymous2566]

So, I’ve been seeing my therapist for about a year and things are going well. I’ve been very dedicated and always attend my sessions and pay upfront. My issue is, the cancellation policy. The agreement stipulates that I must give 72 hours notice for cancellation, otherwise the full payment is due. I was sick a few weeks back and let my therapist know on the day, she wished me better, advised me to relax and then put something about the cancellation policy, but that she didn’t wish to charge me on this occasion. Again, I have been sick and had to cancel my session on the day. She sent a similar message, wishing me better etc, but this time included something like “I’m afraid this is very short notice to cancel
without charge” and then offered a reschedule, which was online and didn’t suit as I was still feeling poorly.

AIBU to not want to pay this? How could I possibly give 72 hours notice when I woke up sick?!! It’s seem a little inflexible.

My therapist has a 14 day cancellation period, you can’t cancel for any reason whatsoever and not expect to pay if you do this, now that is inflexible I feel.

Yours sounds generous in comparison.

@ilovesooty

you say you charge the client at the time of booking for the next session. So in effect clients pre pay.

Then you said if you are sick on the day of the next session you give them a free session.

Is that on top of the prepaid session? So they get the next slot with you as the pre paid session then the following slot free?

If so that is very generous.

How would you feel if your manager said I don't need you to come in today and your not getting paid?

You book a time slot with your therapist, when you cancel last minute she can't re book that spot so would effectively not get paid. . If 5 clients aweek did that how would she pay her bills?

Also she didn't charge when she had to cancel which is reasonable as she was inconveniencing you. How would you have felt if you lost that money because she was sick.

You need to pay it because you entered an agreement to do so and it's wrong not to pay. . To be honest she should have charged the first time so you knew where you stood. But she was probably being kind.

She gave you an inch and you want to take a mile. She probably shouldn't have given you a freebie in the first place. It's given you expectations.

Did you suffer financially from them cancelling? Because they did from you.

YABU - you booked her, and she made herself available to work with you at the time. If she is sick and cancels the appointment at short notice she would have to bear the cost i.e. not charge you. If you are sick and cancel at short notice, then you have to bear the cost. Hopefully you won’t be sick again, now that you’ve had two bouts of sickness within a few weeks so across the year it’s a tiny amount and you should graciously pay it.

I lose hundreds of pounds a month on people who cancel at short notice or simply do not turn up . This is the result of the cancellation policy not being properly enforced by the company I contract for . I’m sure the people who fail to attend think I’m still being paid but I’m not .

Its money down the drain when an appointment is wasted. Why should your therapist have to shoulder that , especially when you won’t be the only one ?

yabu. Why should she lose pay? She won’t be able to fill your slot at such short notice.

i Presume it’s in her contract so you already knew. I think all therapists have this in place. Maybe some are 48 hours. My beautician has a 24 hour cancellation window or full payment. They still have bills like everyone else.

Standard with every business you book, I have to pay the dog groomer; the secure field I book if need to cancel within 72hrs, same with hygienist and so many more. She was very flexible with you last time but she can’t keep letting customers off with the cancellation policy

AIBU to not want to pay this?

Yes, yes you are. She has to earn her living. If she didn't enforce boundaries then people would walk all over her and she wouldn't be able to afford to continue.

Find another therapist with a different kind of cancellation policy.

Good luck with that!
I mean there's plenty who have 24 hour cancellation policies but that still wouldn't have suited op who wanted to cancel on the day, twice, without being charged.

You are sick and you think that the Therapist should loose out on time and income because of your illness?!!!! I’m afraid that’s not how it works, people have to make a living, pay their their mortgages.

It’s exactly the same as Childminders, PTs, Beauty and hair therapists, Tutors etc - they are self employed and if you are sick and cancel then it’s your loss.

If you had a monthly gym membership for £80pm but you were sick for a week and couldn’t go, would you ask them for £20 back because you weren’t able to use it while you were sick? No.

People like you make my life SO difficult. Until I started enforcing my cancellation policy I was losing £400-500 a month from last minute sickness. Now I charge an admin fee the first time and then the full fee if it happens again. My policy is 24 hours so hers is tighter but that’s her right. People take the total piss when you are self employed

I guess it depends on arrangement. I don’t pay in this situation (not a therapist but other services), but I wasn’t informed of any policy regarding cancellation except the unspoken rule of being reasonable. I always try to give as much notice as possible. They also can cancel any time they want. But in your case the policy is known and communicated. Therefore, you should pay.

It's not her role to go around making life fair for you.

If you have reserved her time and then don't use it - for any reason - and don't give her enough notice to fill that time with another client then you must pay for the time.

This is pretty much the policy of every self employed person ever.

She sounds like she has been very reasonable regarding one cancelled session. You've had your freebie, now you must follow policy.

YABU

When she is sick she will lose out financially. She can't be expected to lose out for every single client too - with less than 3 days notice she is unlikely to be able to put someone else in your slot.

She really shouldn't need to share her policy with you if you cancel. You knew it from the start. If I cancel my regular appointment I transfer the money and then text, saves any awkwardness.

It’s not pay as you go.

I ditched mine because she had no cancellation period at all - I gave her seven days notice that I needed to change the next week appointment and she said you can’t cancel. I walked away. It also wasn’t in her ts and cs.

72 hours is fair enough in my opinion. She will struggle to fill the slot with less

Your circumstances may be 100% genuine, and if you are sick you are sick. Cancellation policies are the price normal people is paying because of the entitled CF taking the piss all and around. Thank you CF, we love you.

I understand is frustrating to pay for something you didn't attend but it is what it is thanks to the great people I mentioned above.

Im assuming you’re very young to be confused by this. I hope this thread has enlightened you and you can approach this situation with a more reasonable, mature attitude and maintain your relationship with your therapist, which has otherwise been going well for you

Of course you think that…🙄
You are VERY unreasonable and she should have charged you for both missed sessions.

I think your therapy sessions need to address your feeling that you should be exempt from the therapist's completely reasonable boundaries, OP.

Yabvvvu. You very kindly let you off once. You paid for the slot. You know the teens and conditions

You obviously have never been self employed! It was very good of her not to charge you for the first session you missed. She had every right to charge you for the second. Due to the nature of her work it is very unlikely she will fill the slot with a "one off".

Why should she suffer finacially when you are ill?