Should I pay my mate for looking at my knee?

Mick_Leary

I'm a musician - I sometimes play for senior citizens groups - and I charge them - it's my living. However, I also do the odd film show or quiz - that's for free, it's not my job.

Regarding telling his mate's wife he saw him with a prostitute - I wonder if his wife might wonder how you knew what this prostitute looked like - and whether she might mention it to your wife or girlfriend?

barbiedoll

I'd have thought that the general rule of thumb is that if a "mate" offers treatment and does it at your house, then it's a freebie or at mates' rates.

If you go to their place of work, then you're just a normal, fee-paying punter, unless they tell you otherwise.

I've been caught out like that too. One of my friends had a mate who was training to be a manicurist/nail technician. My friend asked me to come round one afternoon so that her mate could "have a go" at painting my nails. I thought that she just wanted someone to practice on, so I was shocked when she did a paint job (which was no better than I normally do myself) and then asked me for £15! :eek:

My face must have given me away because she reduced it to a tenner as I was a "friend"......it was the first time that I had met her! I did pay, begrudgingly, but only because I didn't want to look like a complete tightwad (even though I am )

theoretica

Sure you should pay him. And you should pay me the £10 you owe me for this advice.

Lunar_Eclipse

tain wrote: »

I'd be saying something about them offering treatment to anyone without being upfront about the fees. No organisation should be doing that - they might as well ask for a signed blank check when you arrive.

The fact that he's also a mate makes it even more underhand.

Only a fool would treat a mate without being entirely upfront about the costs long beforehand for this exact reason.

This.

The fact you received an invoice, instead of paying at the time, shows he feels awkward about requesting payment under the circumstances.

forzaitalia

Of course you should pay. My brother is a builder but I don't expect him to fit my new bathroom for nothing. I'm a gardener and I don't work for nothing, even if it is family. We all have bills to pay and time is money.

StixUK

Wow, what an awkward situation.


I'm one person who lacks in confidence sometimes and I am an avoider so I could understand how the OP might have not asked about charges or fees as may have felt uncomfortable doing it.


But in this situation you really have to look at a couple of factors:
1. What kind of relationship did you and mate have? And for how long?


2. What was the situation when the friend asked?


I would have been mindful that I could have used the NHS FOC so I would have probably said to said friend that I am quite happy using the NHS because I am dubious of everything and everyone, hence it takes me an age to commit to something.


But my outlook on this is that if it was offered to you, with no mention of charging on his part then you could naturally assume that it was a friend helping you out and you wouldn't expect to be charged.


I feel it was your friends responsibility to tell you that you weren't entitled to any discount and were to be treated as a normal paying member of the public.


He has two ample opportunities to tell you about pricing:
1. When he offered you the treatment.
2. Before he treated you at the practice.


As a paying consumer, which you became when he offered you the treatment, I would have thought that you were entitled to all the same rights under law that everyone else is entitled to (I am no expert)


If he didn't outline his charges before services were provided and avoided presenting you with any information regarding the cost of the treatment then he hasn't treated you fairly, which is a big misnomer is modern society.


I would contest the invoice and tell him why you don't think you should have to pay. It is likely that because you have received a treatment you may have to pay. If so, I would put it down to experience and setup a repayment plan that is affordable to you.


If he wants to be all official with you, I would be official with him, document your complaint and complain.


It really depends how much you value the friendship and whether or not you see it going anywhere in the future?

ptrichardson

If my mate asked me to pop round and he'd take a look at something for me, I would assume it was free unless said otherwise. Many people would simply go and see their GP in this situation, which would lead to entirely free treatment.

I'd say the above to him and let him decide whether he was helping a friend, or was "at work" during your session.

Then the ball is in his court - i.e. he knows that you will be unhappy if you are asked to pay.

indiepanda

ptrichardson wrote: »

If my mate asked me to pop round and he'd take a look at something for me, I would assume it was free unless said otherwise. Many people would simply go and see their GP in this situation, which would lead to entirely free treatment.
.

I am not convinced that true. In my experience, the NHS is not great at providing physio - you have to be a seriously bad case to get a referral to a specialist for that kind of thing from your GP. I have a friend who had major back problems who couldn't get anything in the way of regular treatment from the NHS and funded a lot of visits to an osteopath herself because the NHS wouldn't do anything to help. I had physio for a knee injury but I am sure that was only because I had private health insurance to cover the bill.

In my view, I would only think something was a freebie if someone had a look at an injury for a few minutes round my house / down the pub etc something like that.

If I turned up at their clinic and took up a full slot that would usually be used by a paying customer, I would assume that I was going to pay too unless explicitly told it was free.

somethingcorporate

I can see good arguments on both sides.

Not very professional on the part of the "friend" but if you're taking up appointments at his place of work then expecting it to be free is just unrealistic.

I think you should talk to him and tell him you were surprised to be paying full whack given he approached you.

Still, you live and learn.