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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Who is the CF, me or the beauty salon?

211 replies

superdelooper · 13/08/2024 07:41

Last week my DM was talking about getting powder ombre brows done. My friend had them done, and they are lovely, so asked friend for the salon details so I could contact them for DM.
I reached out to the salon via WhatsApp on Friday (there is no online booking or website) and someone responded immediately with details and an appointment time for this week (Thursday).
All good, fairly reasonable pricing and DM was happy to go ahead and get me to book. There was a £50 booking fee, which I paid, with the balance to be paid at the appointment.
Within an hour of making the booking DM realised she had forgotten about the blood thinners she takes and after a bit of google searching, we realised she needed at least a week off the thinners before she could safely have her eyebrows done. I reached out to the salon again and they assured me she would be fine to continue with the booking, even while still taking the thinners. DM is in her 70's and we didn't want to risk it and requested to cancel the booking. Salon again said it would be fine (these messages have since been deleted by salon) but I insisted we cancelled and apologised. Fine, booking cancelled. I then asked for the booking fee to be refunded. Salon refused stating this booking fee was 'non refundable'.
When we made the initial booking she sent a message with bank details and a note about things to do/not do prior to the appointment. It also stated there was a £50 'booking fee', no mention of this being non refundable.
Who is in the wrong here? We tried asking politely for the fee to be refunded as it seems like a lot to be charged for an appointment we booked and cancelled within an hour, DM would have been happy to pay a small admin fee but £50 is a quarter of what the eyebrows would have cost to have done.

OP posts:
MrsPerfect12 · 13/08/2024 07:43

The salon should move the booking but not refund. That's the point in a booking fee - to cut out the time wasters

StormingNorman · 13/08/2024 07:44

First post nailed it.

MiddleParking · 13/08/2024 07:46

Just to be clear OP - is your mum willing to have a week off the blood thinners and then get her eyebrows done? Or is she just wanting to forget the whole thing? In the latter case I’m not sure you’ve got any grounds for recourse tbh.

Shawdee · 13/08/2024 07:50

I think if they didn't state it was non refundable they are being a bit unfair, especially if it was all done within the hour. And to delete messages saying her treatment will be fine shows they are shite.

Original poster
superdelooper · 13/08/2024 07:51

She is willing to come off them for a week but not with this salon now. It just seemed like a lot to pay when we cancelled almost immediately once we realised.

OP posts:
Shawdee · 13/08/2024 07:56

I mean if I was already £50 in and she's seen the job they do and likes it....why wouldn't she use them?

Superhansrantowindsor · 13/08/2024 07:57

First post spot on.
But I’m going to be that poster who expresses bemusement that someone would stop pretty vital sounding medicine for a beauty treatment that sounds hideously expensive and pointless.

planAplanB · 13/08/2024 08:00

The £50 is to stop people messing them around. Surely you can just rebook a different date?

Also, are you seriously paying £200 for eyebrows?!?!???

Doingmybest12 · 13/08/2024 08:01

I am not sure I'd want to go to a Salon that tried to persuade me to have the treatment against advice. On this basis I'd want my money back.

Sethera · 13/08/2024 08:01

Did you ask them about postponing the appointment rather than cancelling?

If there is a 'booking fee' 'admin charge' or 'deposit' attached to booking something, I always assume it is non-refundable otherwise what would be the point of having it? You might as well pay the whole balance on the day. It's so they are not totally out of pocket if you cancel and in the meantime they have turned away other bookings.

Original poster
superdelooper · 13/08/2024 08:04

Doingmybest12 · 13/08/2024 08:01

I am not sure I'd want to go to a Salon that tried to persuade me to have the treatment against advice. On this basis I'd want my money back.

This is why we did not ask to reschedule.

OP posts:
NeedSomeAnswersPlease · 13/08/2024 08:05

Superhansrantowindsor · 13/08/2024 07:57

First post spot on.
But I’m going to be that poster who expresses bemusement that someone would stop pretty vital sounding medicine for a beauty treatment that sounds hideously expensive and pointless.

Exactly this lol, especially at 70!!

Lellochip · 13/08/2024 08:05

Shawdee · 13/08/2024 07:56

I mean if I was already £50 in and she's seen the job they do and likes it....why wouldn't she use them?

Because they're very unprofessional? In this situation they should be apologising for not checking she had any medical issues before booking her in, not trying to give bad medical advice they're not qualified to give

Nameychangington · 13/08/2024 08:05

Superhansrantowindsor · 13/08/2024 07:57

First post spot on.
But I’m going to be that poster who expresses bemusement that someone would stop pretty vital sounding medicine for a beauty treatment that sounds hideously expensive and pointless.

Thank christ I thought it was just me!

Who prioritises what their eyebrows look like over medically-prescribed, so presumably necessary, treatment? Do people really do that? Mind boggling

Original poster
superdelooper · 13/08/2024 08:07

NeedSomeAnswersPlease · 13/08/2024 08:05

Exactly this lol, especially at 70!!

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She had them done years ago (as she didn't really have any) and they have faded and now look pink and she self conscious about them.

OP posts:
MrsGlennBulb · 13/08/2024 08:08

NeedSomeAnswersPlease · 13/08/2024 08:05

Exactly this lol, especially at 70!!

Show quote history

Why especially at 70, pray tell.

Moonshine5 · 13/08/2024 08:08

planAplanB · 13/08/2024 08:00

The £50 is to stop people messing them around. Surely you can just rebook a different date?

Also, are you seriously paying £200 for eyebrows?!?!???

I paid £300.
And would do it again in a heartbeat; one of the best beauty investments in myself. Meant I could go out without makeup and still look normal (over plucked in past). They don't look fake as I went for normal size and I fill in myself when I want a fuller brow. Can you tell I ❤them lol!!

NeedSomeAnswersPlease · 13/08/2024 08:09

@MrsGlennBulb because it's an utterly pointless exercise and I'd expect someone with the life experience of a 70 year old to realise that? It's the same as my dad being told he had to come off his blood thinners for varicose vein surgery for looks and he decided not to as it's not worth the risk for a vanity project

ChateauMargaux · 13/08/2024 08:09

When you paid the booking fee, were you advised of the contraindications for the treatment and the fact that the booking fee was non refundable? The cancellation terms should be made clear at the time of making the payment. If you did this over whatsapp and remote payment, without seeing and agreeing the terms, I think you have grounds for a full refund.

VanillaImpulse · 13/08/2024 08:09

Just because someone is 70 it doesn't mean they have to no longer worry about their looks. However, I don't think I would be risking a blood clot in order to get some eyebrows.

merrymelodies · 13/08/2024 08:10

Sounds very suspicious to me; I would not book with someone who didn't have a website and I CERTAINLY wouldn't give them my bank details.

Moreofthesamenothanks · 13/08/2024 08:15

YABU

You didn't reach out to the salon, you contacted or messaged them.

Booking fees are there so workers don't lose out when people cancel.

DrinkFeckArseBrick · 13/08/2024 08:16

I can see both sides. Yes I'd generally assume booking fees or deposits are non refundable.

However there were no terms and conditions, ans if there are medical caveats they should have made this clear. It's a bit shady that they were actually giving epically advice that it would be fine, and they know this if they deleted the messages.

However the point of deposits is to stop them losing money by turning away other custom. So that people don't book in and then not turn up or cancel on the day. If you booked and cancelled within an hour it's highly unlikely that they would have turned away customers for the same slot you booked, and you were cancelling for a medical reason not just because they couldn't be bothered. So I agree in this instance they should have just given you back the deposit, maybe less an admin fee to cover the booking and unbooking

Shawdee · 13/08/2024 08:19

Lellochip · 13/08/2024 08:05

Because they're very unprofessional? In this situation they should be apologising for not checking she had any medical issues before booking her in, not trying to give bad medical advice they're not qualified to give

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Although I agree, if I'd already paid £50 and I knew they done a good job, I'd still go there.

MrsGlennBulb · 13/08/2024 08:20

OP I would try to recover the booking fee on the basis that it was taken under false pretences. You might not have much luck as they sound very dodgy - no website, not asking in writing for vital health and safety info before they agreed to the booking, deleting their later replies…. and at £200 very cheap!

I’m your mum’s age and have powder brows, also on various meds (but not blood thinners). My beautician takes a large booking fee but only after I have submitted a comprehensive questionnaire where she asks about medical issues. I assume this is required for her insurance cover, and I wonder if the outfit you dealt with have any cover.

You may have to wave goodbye to the £50 (lesson learnt), but I hope you find somewhere decent for your DM, and she is happy with her new brows.