Who is the CF, me or the beauty salon?

[superdelooper]

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.

How did they delete their replies which contradict medical advice? On WhatsApp, you can only delete a message you’ve sent if the other person hasn’t read it yet. Once it’s been read, you can ok to delete it for yourself and not for everyone. So you’ll still have those messages. How have they been deleted?

If this is true, just be really clear with them that they failed to send the proper guidance on which medications would exclude her, and they didn’t provide their terms and conditions around the booking fee, which they must provide if they want to keep the money. Tell them to return the fee or you’ll take them to small claims and they will have to return the booking fee plus pay costs as they cannot prove they provided the terms and conditions.

Edit to say I just tried it and you can delete messages after they’ve been read! I was unable to do that a few months ago when I wanted to delete some stuff but now you can!

It’s not upto the client, a full consultation for service should be done, even for basic waxing. I’m a therapist. Insurance will be invalid

if you booked on the Friday and appointment was 6 days away, would that not have been enough time to have not been on blood thinners anyway? Is the usual not 48/72 hours for thinners?

Out of interest what medication and what condition for blood thinners? It makes a difference to how long you stop and why?

There's usually a time scale say 48 hours and if you cancel after that it's none refundable . They are taking the piss when you have them nearly a weeks notice

I'd be very wary of a salon offering microblading that can fit you in within a week! The place I go to has a 12 month waiting list, and screeds of health questions to complete at the time of booking and pre treatment. A patch test is also a necessity - no patch test no treatment.

Booking fees are generally not refundable, it should be clear on their website for customers though

Why is this funny

Someone good wouldn't have avaliablity next week, usually a 4/6 week wait to get this done.

Because it sounds so over dramatic, she didn't "reach out", she contacted the salon, you know, like any normal person does, not everything is "reaching out " ....its just normal contact. So over the top.

Exctly..what’s that got to do with it? Mumsnet ageism at its finest

people have a choice to pay what they want for stuff, My mother in law pays 300e every 6 months for her eyebrows, she has none, she hates that she has to pencil in her eyebrows every day. Until you have none you dont realise how much a difference they do make to your face aswell as her confidence. She is 82 by the way and not one bit high maintenance, but loves the boost getting her eyebrows done after so long of not having any

In terms of cost it is a lot of money but I had a half hour consultation where she went through medical history, did a patch test, talked about what I wanted.
Then when I had them done, I was there for 2 hours as she drew the shape, we looked at shades and then she did the brows -constantly stopping to check.
Then there is the top up appointment- and can go as many times as needed til the shape and colour are correct.
This is a lot of time for a professional to be spending on 1 client, plus insurance costs and equipment etc.
It's lasts for at least a year so personally don't think the cost is extravagant! Plus they look amazing and save me so much time instead of drawing them on every day!

My MIL is 72 and is considering it! I'm on my third top up (I've gone every 2 years for a top up, though they've never been in desperate need of topping up tbh).
The place I go to has lots of before and afters of older women - the difference is incredible, some of them look as though they've had a face lift!

Exactly this!

Unfortunately I think you’re in the wrong here, and I definitely don’t think the salon are being CF. It’s annoying for you that the booking fee was so expensive and you’ve now lost it… but surely you realise the whole purpose of a booking fee is exactly this? Why would they refund it? It’s the same as a deposit. Why did you think you were paying it in the first place? It’s like how some restaurants charge a £10pp booking fee/deposit when you book, it’s so that if you cancel last minute or are a no show, then they haven’t lost out, as someone else could’ve had that table. Just like how someone else could’ve had your appointment slot at the salon etc. The reason they take a booking fee/deposit is so they don’t get let down by time wasters. And I know you haven’t just been a no show, you’ve cancelled in advance, but it still stands that that’s the reason these things exist.

That's a hefty booking fee! I paid a £5 booking fee to a salon yesterday, and I usually pay £1.50 to my hair salon for a £120 colour and cut. Unfortunately I don't think you'll ever get that back so will just have to chalk it up to experience and not use book with them again.

I really don't want to judge (and I know this will sound judgy) but there's no way I'd come off blood thinners just to get my eyebrows done when there are so many other ways to get them done that don't involve risking your life.

You're not able to get a refund. That's the whole point. Just move the appointment to a week later when your mum has been off the blood thinners.

I agree.
Blood thinning medication isn't given for fun. Whatever she takes it for may well recur if she stops it for a week. This is done for essential things like dental extractions, but it seems excessively risky for a cosmetic procedure.

Spot on

you said "£200 for eyebrows?!? That costs twice as much as getting the same done to my hair"

Do you get your hair tattooed?
Its like saying well I only pay £2.50 for chips, why does it cost £10 for fish?

That's what booking fees are for - I can't think of an example I've seen where you can get this back when you cancel (whatever the reason).

Sorry but I think it's one of those life lessons.

PS completely understand why she wants them done - I love mine. Age doesn't matter, why would it.

Please don’t tell her doctor that she is willing to come off her blood thinners for a week to have her eyebrows done. Presumably she is on them because she has issues with her heart, it really isn’t worth risking having a stroke just to have ombré eyebrows, whatever they are.

I would assume that any deposit is non refundable. Yes it would be nice of them to refund as there was only a short time between you booking and cancelling, but it was your/your DM's mistake.

I agree with others that this should have been made clear before the booking fee was taken.

No website with the info, nothing said when Op booked.

That's terrible.

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.

Surely that's only with the Dr's approval though?