What are my rights?

SunflowerT

Hi everyone

I've just done something very silly and allowed myself to be pressured into booking and paying for accupuncture treatment/herbal teas. I am suffering with sciatica and just as a little treat to myself this afternoon I went to have hopi ear candelling (cost £25) (I know bit weird!) at one of these chinese herbal shops (not sure if I'm allowed to name them). I then found myself having a consultation with one of the doctors and the manager of the shop translating. It was all very confusing as he talked about free consultations and giving me the ear candelling free if I then had accupuncture treatment for my sciatica. I ended up having accupuncture (£35) and accupresure (£40) and then further consultation saying my problems were serious and I needed a further 15 sessions. When I tried to ask about price before the treatments he was very vague and just said it was cheaper when you go for the permanent solution. I ummed and arrred just not sure what to do and the whole time he's talking at me fairly quickly and he just kept on and on even when I was saying I couldn't afford all this treatment. He said people just put it on credit cards no-one comes in with just lots of cash. I then said I didn't want to get into debt but he just kept coming up with different offers. Finally he said have 4 sessions of accupuncture and tea only. Then he tried to sell me some tablets and when I said no to them he tried to sell me oils saying they were essential. I said no again to those but then was so worn down I agreed to the treatments and paid £340 on my credit card. I said I felt I'd been pressured into it. He made no reply at that stage I guess thinking too late luv.

I'm so upset now and just don't know what to do as I really can't afford this treatment and certainly don't want to go somewhere they bully you into doing it.

Am I within my rights to go in tomorrow and ask for a refund? I've called my credit card suplier and they said there was nothing I could do.

Can anyone help please, I'm desperate.

Many thanks

normanmark

Yep you're well within your rights to ask for a refund if you've not received the treatment for £340.

SunflowerT

Ooh sorry I'm a bit new to this forum so clicked thank you thinking I could put a message with it!

Thank you so much for your really quick reply. I'm so relieved. No I haven't had £340 worth. Will obviously pay for what I have had but so glad I'll be able to ask for the rest back.

I'm sure they'll try and make me pay for everything now, including the consultation. I'll try and say no to that as it was very misleading what he was saying was free and what wasn't.

thank you so much again.

SunflowerT

Hi again everyone

Further to my problem above, I went back to the shop today to ask for my refund saying that he had unfairly taken advantage of my vulnerability and coerced me into having treatments I didn't really want and paying for further treatments I couldn't afford (which I told him on more than one occasion yesterday). He told me that he was not authorised to do refunds in the shop as the card machine was locked and he didn't have the code. I said I didn't believe him as he was the manager and asked again for him to do the refund. He said that I would have to go through their customer service and they would do the refund by cheque, he couldn't do the refund. I asked him to call them there and then to get the code to unlock the machine he said he couldn't do that and I would have to call them. So when I said I would he said they are only there Monday to Friday. He then referred me to the refund policy on the wall which he said was approved by Trading Standards. I asked for a copy and was told that was the only copy they had so I went to read it and found that they also say they charge 15% handling on refunds. He said I would need to fill in a form and then it goes for investigation. I just find their whole method of doing business really underhand and bullying (sadly that seems to be the sales tactics of this day and age so heaven help anyone who is vulnerable). When I said he pressured me into signing up for more he just said he didn't force me to put my card in the machine. I said no you wore me down by talking talking talking at me until I was in tears with frustration and pain. I said I would take legal advice (I work for lawyers) and also speak to Trading Standards about their methods of trading.

I have a nasty feeling that their customer service team is going to behave in the same sort of way so I've had a look on Trading Standards website and they say to contact Consumer Direct. I called but they won't be available until 8.00am tomorrow. I just wondered if anyone could give me any further advice in the meantime.

This whole experience has just added to my stress and the tension is not helping the sciatica. They also used fear, telling me I would have even more problems and end up with cronic back problems if I didn't have the treatments.

Thanks for listening everyone.

normanmark

Ignore what they're saying, they're just saying anything to ensure you give them your money. You're well entitled to your £340 back should you not have received the service. See what consumer direct say, if you paid it on a credit card, give the company a call on Monday and get them to open a dispute on the transaction.

SunflowerT

Thanks everso much again. I've just found this review website talking about this place I went and oh my goodness the number of people who have had the same experience as me is awful. The way they operate is not just peculiar to the branch that I went too and these high pressure sales tactics are used throughout it seems. Horrendous.

I spoke to my credit card company again today and they said I would have to wait 2 or 3 days to put a dispute on the transaction as although it was approved it was not up on the account as yet. I think I'll try them again tomorrow though as I'm guessing at least that stops the merchant from being able to claim the money?

Rightyho I'm off to get some divine inspiration/intervention! Thanks so much again for your reply.

normanmark

As soon as it appears on the unbilled statement side (after the approved authorisation stage) then they'll be able to dispute it. Best bet is to wait for that to go through & then report them also to the local trading standards office and see if they can log a complaint!

SunflowerT

Yes I'm definitely going to report them to trading standards as these kind of sales tactics need to be stopped that's for sure. I'll give Consumer Direct a ring in the morning before I phone the customer service people just to see if I can force them to refund to my credit card and not by cheque and also without all this investigation business. I had a closer look at the form he gave me and there's a bit that I have to fill in stating reasons for refund etc. then by the looks of it it then gets sent back to the store for the Dr and sales person to sign. This just doesn't seem right and fair to me. Wish me luck! Thanks very kindly again.