Being charged £150 for changing my mind about a procedure

[AbsolutelyGutted1]

I have a small amount of filler and I wanted to have it dissolved so I made an appointment to see an aesthetician I've seen before and paid a £50 deposit. Her social media contains what i felt was a reasonable amount of info about the product used to dissolve, hyaluronidase. I clearly didn't do enough research.

The appointment was for tomorrow.

Unfortunately (or fortunately - depending on how you look at it) I was reading up about it today to prepare myself and came across some disturbing accounts of what hyaluronidase can do to you when it goes wrong, and I decided I didn't want to take the risk for such a small amount that will probably be undetectable to the eye after a year or so.

I sent her a message today and told her I'd had second thoughts about the dissolving and why, but said I'd keep the appointment and just get something else (a facial or something)

She can't/won't do that and now wants me to pay the full £150 charge for the original procedure I booked for and I'm absolutely gutted. I don't have a lot of money and had saved up for this especially.

Do you think it's fair or unreasonable? I didn't expect to see the deposit again, obviously, but the whole cost?

I've NC.

Too late for her to find someone else. She will have a gap, you should have researched sooner. But I suspect she won’t chase you if you say keep the deposit.

What's the terms and conditions but tbh at this short notice I'd expect they charge full cost of appointment. Does she have your bank details as you might get away with the £50 but you won't be able to use her again. I'm afraid this is on you re late cancellation.

Was the suggested alternative procedure less than £150, and did she make you aware of a cancellation fee?

I would expect to pay if i was cancelling within 24-48 hours, but i wouldn't use her again.

She will have terms and conditions which you should probably check.

Many people who offer services (hairdressers, dentist, private doctors) will charge the full amount for cancellation within 24 hours unless they choose to waive it.

You've cancelled with fewer than 24 hrs notice, so yes, the vendor is completely within their rights to charge you the full cost: presumably it's in their T&Cs.

Yes I think cancelling this short notice would incur a fee.

Using the appointment for something else such as a facial isn’t isn’t replacing the money she would be losing.

How much was the facial you were going to have?

As others said, check her policy for rules but sounds fair enough with so little notice. I guess you could discuss an alternative treatment to that value but she's within her rights to charge you.

If you are willing to use the appointment for something else she is really unreasonable to charge you instead of letting you switch treatment as no wasted appointment.

I would not pay. I would pay if I wasn't using appointment at all and cancelling at short notice.

I wouldn’t pay. I bet she won’t chase you for it either.

I think she's unreasonable not to allow you to use the appointment for something else definitely.

I booked through something called Fresha which takes your bank details when you book in (for the deposit) so she does already have my bank details.

The cost of the dissolving procedure is £150, I've paid £50 so far and I assume the remainder is going to come out from my bank tomorrow.

Stupidly I only scanned through the terms and conditions 😔

I really didn't want to mess her about hence suggesting I'll have something else but she doesn't want to do that.

She will probably have got the product in especially, hence the charge. Within 24 hours it's only fair. A facial will take longer than dissolving filler so she is not unreasonable for declining this as she will probably have other people in after you.

Ah, you’re stuffed then. Not sure it’s really a great idea on her part given that a bit of flexibility on her part would have ensured good will and probably future bookings.

I think it'll be taken from my card which is linked to my Fresha app 😕

But a facial would take much longer than dissolving filler. It would mess up other appointments all day.

If it's in her T&C's then you don't really have a leg to stand on. It's very common to have to pay in full if you don't give adequate notice.

If you're paying in full anyway, I don't see why you can't just have an alternative treatment in that time slot though?

If a client tried to stiff me for £150 I would definitely be chasing them - taking them to small claims if needed.

I thought you said she has offered to do something else?

Takd that offer because it looks like you’ll be paying!

What do the terms and conditions actually say about cancellation fees? I get that you'd forfeit the deposit though ...

My aesthetician has to buy in the materials bespoke to the client for certain procedures, a bit like a prescription. If the client changes her mind or can't come the product can't be used for someone else or returned so it's a loss (and the cost is a big chunk of the treatment fee). It may be something like that.

She shouldn’t be charging you anymore than your deposit. That’s what a deposit means. Also, the bulk of that £150 cost would have been for product. A product that you’re now not taking, so absolutely no chance would I pay her anymore than what you have

With less than 24 hours to go until the appointment, she's well within her rights to charge OP in full.

She won't be able to re-book the appointment at 6pm on a Bank Holiday Monday - why should she have to lose out because OP didn't do her research?

I think you can remove your card details from Fresha, I would do that and then the remaining amount wouldn’t be able to be taken.

She'll just be taken to small claims court if she refuses to pay. Then she'll have to pay £150 plus all the other costs involved.

Have you suggested that you would have any treatment that fits in the slot so she is not losing time but you will still pay the £150?

To be honest I think the majority is for the product so that option won’t work.

I think I’d be tempted to take the risk and fight it on the basis that she offered to have another treatment so the appointment was still used.

But I can see why it might be rubbish advice I’m giving.