On 14 Mar 2015 at 3:53pm UPSET wrote:
I was recently given a £50 gift voucher for the Stillroom beauty clinic in Lewes. I booked an appointment for a treatment but unfortunately a had to cancel last minute as a was taken into hospital. The Stillroom has canceled my voucher and informed me I cannot use it again. They have effectively charged me £50 for canceling. I have pleaded with them and even asked to refund the £50 back to the person who bought the voucher but they are refusing to do anything. is this legal or just plain theft?
On 14 Mar 2015 at 5:04pm Mark wrote:
I would imagine that that is probably legal. There's usually a time limit on any sort of experience present, sort of thing. I think that, like gyms, they rely on making quite a bit of money out of people who "never quite get round to it". Why not wait til loads of irate people have commented here sportively and then email them a link to this thread - even if that doesn't get you a refund it will surely be satisfying and might teach them something about public relations.
On 14 Mar 2015 at 5:16pm Country Boy wrote:
A business is a business and not a charity - however, most would give due consideration to bad publicity and show some discretion. Where exactly is the Stillroom?
On 14 Mar 2015 at 5:57pm trooper wrote:
@Upset. I have seen your thread and I fully sympathise.I some time ago I also was given a voucher for an expensive week end break in an up market country hotel, like you I was, due to business commitments unable to take advantage and requested that the gift be returned or be held to a later date, I was informed that neither option was acceptable and that the gift would have to lapse.I took legal advice and was informed that their position was legal but very poor PR.I wish I could have had better information for you. @Mark I hope you are correct and they learn something about customer relations.
On 14 Mar 2015 at 8:19pm Mavis wrote:
On the one hand small businesses need our support to survive, but then they too need to be flexible. If you had made an ordinary appointment and had to cancel, would they have still charged you £50 ?
On 14 Mar 2015 at 9:00pm puzzled wrote:
For a start UPSET I hope you are better now. There seems to be a complete lack of morals in todays world. Good publicity means a lot so come on STILLROOM and through this forum show a little goodwill and refund UPSETS money or re schedule the appointment. Otherwise it could end up a STILLROOM.
On 14 Mar 2015 at 9:15pm Mrs a wrote:
you could contact trading standards.
On 14 Mar 2015 at 9:29pm Belladonna wrote:
Well it's common for dental clinics to ask for 24 hours cancellation notice on pain of being charged, but a beauty salon ? Did they have to compensate a therapist for the lost appointment ??
On 14 Mar 2015 at 10:39pm Celine wrote:
Owner of Stillroom is not the type to think of anything other than herself I'm afraid. Go to the Beauty Rooms on Railway Land. Much better.
On 15 Mar 2015 at 1:35am Beauty school dropout wrote:
This happened to my wife too, legal but absolutely awful customer service and PR.
Pure and simple greed I'm afraid, just put the word out and hopefully they will lose the custom they deserve to lose.
Isn't there a new beauty place a few yards down the road?
On 15 Mar 2015 at 10:35am Mrs Metatron wrote:
Try Brown's Treatment Rooms in English passage. Its tucked away in the Cliffe, but very nice staff.
On 16 Mar 2015 at 12:09pm Passing By wrote:
Usually there is a time period for cancellations. The sooner you cancel the sooner they can fill the space. The problem is, when someone cancels at short notice you never know if their excuse is genuine or if the person is simply hungover (i am not suggesting that your reason is made up)
If businesses do not have a cancellation policy they they stand to lose a great deal of money. On the flip side, if you did not have a gift card and were a paying customer how would they have got the treatment money from you?
I agree that it is bad customer service, but they also have a business to run with wages and bills to be paid.
Usually companies only enforce this cancellation policy on serial offenders.
I hope you get a refund for the person who purchased as this doesnt sound like a place you would like to visit after this.
I agree with the beauty rooms suggestion. Lovely girls and reasonable pricing
On 16 Mar 2015 at 1:41pm Town Flyer wrote:
I stopped using The Stillroom years ago for all the reasons listed above, but of course that doesn't help 'Upset'.
My dentist has a £25 for late cancellation so why on earth The Stillroom think £50 is fair is a mystery.
The Beauty Rooms in the place to go down by the Railway land.