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.

No. Deposits secure your slot, they're not there to be used as an alternative to payment because decide you want to cancel the day before.

@deebate often there is a sliding scale of payments for cancelling depending on notice given.

Not really the point of this thread, but as a warning to others, please do use medically qualified professionals who are able to prescribe the correct licensed products. The difference between professionals and beauticians buying off license via the grey market is that with non-professionals you don't actually know what product is being injected.

HCP need to have insurance and should be part of a scheme where you can go to another qualified practitioner if your filler needs dissolving urgently.

You can also complain to a professional body. Although cancelation within 24 hours would usually be chargeable.

@deebate ever booked a holiday? Do you think you get a full refund on your flights and hotel if you just ring Tui up the day before and tell them you've changed your mind?

Yes, it is. That's exactly what a cancellation policy IS. If you cancel an appointment with less than a specified amount of notice, then you still have to pay for it. Because it's too late for that appointment to be rebooked, leaving the self-employed person out of pocket. That's not difficult to understand.

Or:
"Hi @deebate - we don't need you at work today. Payment? No, we're not going to pay you for it either. What's that? You've got bills to pay and were relying on that money? Never mind. Sorry? But we've given you no notice and now it's too late for you to find other work for today? Oh well. Too bad".

No?

Exactly. That's why in my business first appointments are payable in full on booking to secure the session and subsequent appointments a minimum of 24 hours in advance.

Why not just take the whole payment when someone books then? If you’re that bothered about not being paid (which any small business would be),then just request payment in full upon booking.

What’s the reason why you only ask for a deposit?

The OP has clearly stated she doesn’t want a medical procedure and would like the time used for something else instead.

Therefore YANBU as there is no ‘loss’ as she could have booked that procedure from the outset, and it’s the beautician who sets the prices in the first place.

Hyaluronidase is cheap as chips (and I’m not entirely sure a reputable beautician would be using this) so all those claiming it would cost big bucks to buy in are quite mistaken.

I feel OP is being a very reasonable client by explaining she wants to keep the appointment and use a different item in the beauticians skill set.

I saw a comment from somebody saying I've done the right thing by changing my mind as hyaluronidase ruined their face, and I can't find the comment now to respond to.

To that poster - I'm so sorry. I've seen some photos online from people who've suffered terribly after having it and it's just heartbreaking. I think practitioners need to be upfront about just how significant the risks can be, and it clearly isn't that rare as this thread has only been up about an hour and already somebody who has had it happen to them 😔

It shouldn't be touted as low risk IMO as there's nothing mild about what I've read.

Is there anything you can do to undo / fix the damage?

It's just absolutely shit isn't it? I really, really feel for you.

I’m not familiar with these procedures but I’d have thought the OP would be entitled to a full explanation/counselling before she had stuff injected into her face, including consent and withdrawing consent if she didn’t want it. I get it that OP needs to do her own reading but is it really a case of no explanation at all beforehand? That’s bloody scary.

I feel OP is being a very reasonable client by explaining she wants to keep the appointment and use a different item in the beauticians skill set.

Yes that's fine. If she accepts she will still have to pay £150 even if the treatment she opts for was cheaper and shorter. That seems reasonable to me, though not sure what T&Cs would say.

What’s the reason why you only ask for a deposit?

Some do require full payment, I suppose for clients it's probably usually preferable to wait (as you still have time to cancel even within a cancellation policy) and it might be due to spreading cost, easier to wait until the day.

Because I do allow people to cancel without penalty as long as they give me enough notice.

I'm a dog sitter so I require a deposit for securing the dates, and payment in full a week before the sit takes place. If they give me a months' notice, they get their deposit back. If they give me two weeks, then 50% payment is due. If they give me less than a week then payment is due in full (ie. they get nothing back).

I would also refund in full if the animal was unwell, for example.

I would have no qualms about paying the full amount, regardless of what treatment I had in place of the dissolving.

I'm still waiting to hear back from her since she edited my appointment on Fresha from tomorrow, to tomorrow with somebody else. I'm confused as to what's going on.

"I'm still waiting to hear back from her since she edited my appointment on Fresha from tomorrow, to tomorrow with somebody else. I'm confused as to what's going on."

Well ring them in the morning then. Perhaps she intially said no to the facial if it's a longer procedure and she didn't have a slot long enough for it, but has discovered that one of her colleagues (who isn't qualified to do injections so whose professional time is less valuable perhaps?) does have a time slot free for a facial?

I’d tell her you’ll be showing up for the appointment and will just sit there if she’s unwilling to give you an alternative treatment. Sounds to me like she’s filled the appointment!

It's a salon beauty treatment and therefore is covered by the DSR.

Also, what is the reason for paying the deposit? If it's not clear in the t&c's and if the salon owner has made no attempt to mitigate her loss, which she clearly hasn't done by refusing to swap to a less invasive treatment, then she has no lawful entitlement to keep the deposit money.

The stuff about her various bills to pay is completely irrelevant in law.

Or by only asking for a deposit, you’re more likely to get people more booking as the initial payment is cheaper? Clever way of drawing more people in I guess as you make yourself look more appealing by asking for £50 upfront instead of £150. As you said people can spread the cost.

Trouble comes though when people then can’t pay the remainder or cut their losses regarding the deposit and cancel at the last minute.

EDIT: You is general you. Not you personally.

I'm still waiting to hear back from her since she edited my appointment on Fresha from tomorrow, to tomorrow with somebody else. I'm confused as to what's going on.

This is what I find annoying about booking through apps. When you talk to or book with someone directly you can have a full conversation with a resolution. When on an app you're waiting for them to get a notification, reply, wait on you getting that etc etc.

The Which? Page on DSR seems to suggest that a refund is only applicable if the service is cancelled within seven days of entering into the contract and as long as certain T&C's apply (which it appears they do).

Here

So the beautician chucks the thing that she paid for and was going to inject and op gets another treatment as well ? All for £150? That makes no sense financially.

You should have done your wider research before making the booking. It is not her fault you have changed your mind.

You need to check the terms and conditions of the booking. Usually less than 24 hours the full amount in charged.
Regarding to change the procedure that depends on the time, been the same time and having the means I would let you change it, but that is me, if I don't have the means and there is different timing I would have to decline your proposition.
It is not personal is business.

Clinic I use that offers same treatments you were due to get take a 50 percent deposit at time.of booking yoi can reschedule or cancel up to 48 hours in advance. it clearly says in bold writing that if you cancel in less than 48 hours you will have to pay in full. I don't understand how you booked an expensive treatment like this without do your research ? did you not even go for a consult or ring for a discussions?
also fresha charge a fortune admin etc for business to use it