Hairdressers - right or wrong?

chocolate.buttons

Hi all,

I had my hair dyed at my normal hairdressers on Monday. On their till system, I was owed a 50% discount for recommending a friend, which I had previously benefitted from for my last haircut.
My hairdresser said I would be able to use the 50% discount for my colouring too, and when I came to pay for the dyeing with the receptionist, right enought the discount automatically went through.

Since then, I have had a voicemail message left on my mobile asking me to come in and pay the difference as they have should have wiped the 50% discount after I used it the first time. Her exact words on the voicemail are "We do admit it is our mistake."

My feeling is that I have no obligation to go back in and pay the difference, however I am not 100% sure on all of the legalities of this. Am I justified or not?
Thank you for your response in advance.

pinkshoes

Did you recommend one friend or two?

If it was just one friend, and you've already had the 50% discount previously, then it's logical that it wouldn't apply a second time.

Not sure if this counts as a debt though, given it was their system error, and the transaction has now taken place.

Obviously I'd be finding a new hairdresser from now onwards...

Pollycat

Morally versus legally.......

I think you knew that you'd already had the 50% discount the previous time so you knew you weren't entitled to the discount.

From another point of view, I guess you could compare it to those notices that say 'Please check your change as mistakes cannot be rectified later'.

I'd weigh up whether you like the hairdressing salon enough to want to keep going there.
If you do, pay the other half of your treatment. Or maybe even try to negotiate with them to pay only half of the extra as they've admitted it was their mistake.
If you're happy to go somewhere else, as pinkshoes says, find another salon.

RadoJo

I agree with PollyCat - they probably can't make you give them the extra, but if you like the service they offer you and want to stay on as a client then it would seem reasonable to help them correct their mistake (although it wouldn't hurt to ask for a smaller discount). Also bear in mind that the person who put the discount through may be feeling the heat directly for giving you the discount, so consider whether you really think it's fair that they cop the trouble for an honest mistake.

arcon5

Just a thought....

Some websites states in their terms that if you use a coupon code to get a discount then they reserve the right to charge the different to your card. If the salon have any notices like this then would this perhaps change where op stands at all?