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.

Why should she lose money because you are sick? She can't fill the slot and if she had 8 people call in sick for example she wouldn't have a financially viable job. It's the same when sending your kid to nursery. If they are sick you still have to pay.

Be grateful you were given the first one free. I wasn't with my therapist but I understand why I needed to pay.

This is completely standard for therapists, physio, all kinds of appointments where someone else cannot take the slot at short notice if it's a repeat appointment. I pay therapists for my teens, they have to be paid whether they attend or not, but both are flexible to go online at short notice if the person is well enough to stay home but not well enough to travel to therapy.

Totally standard stuff. Can be 48 hours notice, but I don't know anyone who allows 24 hour notice cancellations.

Nooone can help illness. But you knew the cancellation policy when you started .

Which is why each company has to carefully consider their own policy and the customer considers whether it suits them. If the customer doesn’t like it they can walk away.

For some businesses “no shows” are part and parcel of doing business and they can be anticipated and don’t harm the bottom line. For other businesses the number of “no shows” they might face without strict terms (or prepayment), if simply rescheduled, would put them out of business in a matter of months.

I'm a therapist and I personally think 72 hours is a bit steep. When I work in private practice my cancellation policy is 24 hours but I have not enforced that when there's been good reason.

Being self employed is tough, we do have to roll with the punches. I contract for an agency whose policy is that I only get paid a minimal fee if a client doesn't attend.

Yesterday my child was sick and DH took her to the hospital because I wasn't working. My client then did not attend their appointment and so, instead of earning £45 I earned £10. It's pretty rubbish but those are the terms I accepted when I signed the freelance contract.

You accepted this therapist's terms when you signed the 72 hour contract (personally, I would probably not go with a therapist who expects that level of notice).

Sorry meant, DH had to take child to hospital because I was working. Then client didn't turn up. So not only could I not help my child, I didn't really get paid either. It's just the way the cookie crumbles sometimes.

Her T & C, which - as many others have said - you agreed to. She was actually very generous in allowing you the first cancellation without charge.

I'm not entirely sure what you're hoping for here - did you think you'd get a large majority agreeing with you and then you'd use it as evidence to argue with the therapist?

It would take too many Vs for me to state how unreasonable I think you're being.

Sorry, I didn't see your earlier responses!

Assuming you were made aware of this policy before you booked, I can't see what your issue is.

Why is it that you think that the policy you accepted when you booked, should not apply to you?

I'm self employed and I obviously take the hit for all of my own illness and time off. I cannot afford to pay for all my clients illness and time off too.

I drop clients who don't understand this. Very quickly.

Maybe it's time to look for a new therapist, OP. One who has a policy that suits you better?

Looks like you think everything in this world works like NHS!!!

The problem with 24 hour cancellation policies is that people leave it until precisely 1 minute before 24 hours before to cancel. Then you're stuck, as you can't charge them, nor can you fill the spot, especially if you are, you know, working, and can't see the cancellation message until later. Which is why my cancellation policy is longer.
But honestly, the number of people who still ask to not pay even though they cancel at late notice is ridiculous.

Standard practice for this kind of thing. If you give her late notice, she can’t fill that slot. She loses because you’ve got a sore throat? How is that fair? As a gesture of goodwill she let you off last time. But this time you have to pay. This would be the same with personal trainers, childminders, nail techs, hairdressers, piano teachers. It’s obvious!! Otherwise people will cancel all the time just because they can’t be arsed, it’s raining, bit of a cold etc

I think a 48 hour policy is fair. I have to pay one therapist 48 hours prior to the session and so whether you cancel or not is immaterial. That person is very strict with boundaries and if you are late, that's your session you are wasting! I appreciate their direct and straightforward way of doing business, it takes the personal out of it.

YABU. She has already been flexible and not charged you the first time you were ill (some would).

Now she plans to observe her T&Cs going forward. I would too. If you don't like the T&Cs that you voluntarily signed up to, find another therapist.

I meant whether you show up or not for the session is immaterial, you pay 48 hours in advance and then that's that, unless you cancel more than 48 hours ahead. Once paid, it's up to you to attend, go online or not attend.

72 hours before seems a bit long of a notice, around here its usually 48 hours. But its perfectly reasonable of her to charge you within the timeframe you agreed to. Certainly if you cancel of the actual day. Yes, it sucks. But if everyone cancelled on her, she would be out of pocket very soon.
On the first occasion she may have felt generous, or it actually suited her that you cancelled so she felt she is able not to charge you.

OK OP. You've had it explained to you why you're being unreasonable. The vast majority think you are being unreasonable. And even if you've got a point, you've still signed to accept her T&Cs and she still reminded you of them the first time you cancelled. So the question is, what are you going to do now?

You can accept her T&Cs and continue with her. It's hard to find therapists who are a good fit and if you get on with her otherwise, then why not? Or you can seek another therapist, check their T&Cs, and hope you get on better. I don't think either is wrong, there are risks with both. If you stick with your current therapist you may find all of this has upset your relationship with her. Or maybe have another session with her, talk about boundaries, and then decide from there how you feel?

I actually think, and I've posted on here before, that I don't think these cancellation policies are reasonable. And it's not about whether it is in the terms and conditions - they have to be reasonable. We can argue whether they are reasonable, but it's not the case in consumer law that you are bound by something because you agreed to it.

If I cancel an appointment, they want to charge me. But if they cancel, they don't pay me the cost of the appointment. I might have made a loss if I eg needed to pay for childcare or had already bought a train ticket or whatever.

If you don't cancel at all and simply don't turn up, it's fine to charge. If you cancel at short notice, well I think they need to consider if they want you to turn up ill. If you cancel the day before they've time to fill the appointment slot. 72 hours is ludicrous.

The OP cancelled on the day both times

I think your therapist has been VR in allowing you to cancel without charge once - a second time I agree YABVU to expect her to cancel with no charge

We have similar with DDs riding - cancel with 24 hours notice no charge but if it’s 2 weeks running we have to pay for one of the weeks. And we are only allowed to cancel once within a 6 week period otherwise we forfeit the space (unless we pay for it - which we always do without question) only had this situation once where holidays with both us and Dad took 4 weeks of a 6 week period completely out - so we paid the full 4 weeks she wasn’t there

I’ve also been very understanding when she has been sick and emailed in the morning.

You can afford to be.

It isn't affecting your income.

She's not doing the job out of the kindness of her heart - she's got bills to pay. How is she supposed to operate a business if she can't predict her income? It was very good of her to let you off the once IMO; I don't doubt that you were sick, but if anyone who had something come up could get a session moved on the day simply by claiming they were sick then I don't think it would be viable for her to work as a therapist.

It depends on the modality, I suppose, but there aren't many opportunities for one-session therapy that I can think of. If you're offering 6-12 weekly sessions of therapy, or open-ended therapy, you can't usually just parachute someone into that slot. Most therapists are taught as part of their training that you meet at the same time and place every week and you hold that slot for the client.

You are lucky she didn't charge you for the first time you were sick. She is being reasonable and yes you do need to pay her.