Spa voucher and treatment times - who is right?

notanewuser

I was bought a voucher for a spa day as a gift. It includes "90 minutes of treatments of your choice". So I've looked at the treatment list online, and found it very hard to add 2 treatments that make 90 mins. There are treatments listed at 85 mins, 55 mins, 40 mins, 25 mins. I selected 1 55 minute and 1 40 min treatment.

The spa want to charge me for an extra 15 minutes of time (£15) because they say 5 minutes of "aftercare" is added to each treatment (so that the therapist can fetch you a glass of water). There is a (tiny) a footnote which says "N.B. 5 minutes aftercare will be added to treatment time", but gives no instructions to include it in any of the spa day information. I'm happy to pay for the extra 5 minutes, but they are refusing to budge. Who's right?

wealdroam

notanewuser wrote: »

I was bought a voucher for a spa day as a gift. It includes "90 minutes of treatments of your choice". So I've looked at the treatment list online, and found it very hard to add 2 treatments that make 90 mins. There are treatments listed at 85 mins, 55 mins, 40 mins, 25 mins. I selected 1 55 minute and 1 40 min treatment.

The spa want to charge me for an extra 15 minutes of time (£15) because they say 5 minutes of "aftercare" is added to each treatment (so that the therapist can fetch you a glass of water). There is a (tiny) a footnote which says "N.B. 5 minutes aftercare will be added to treatment time", but gives no instructions to include it in any of the spa day information. I'm happy to pay for the extra 5 minutes, but they are refusing to budge. Who's right?

How about picking an 85 minute treatment then?
Seems like 85 mins plus five minutes "aftercare" is just what you are looking for.

unholyangel

Have you suggested to them that they give 5 mins less treatment time to account for the aftercare time?

What would happen if someone just paid for a 55min treatment? Would they then be expected to pay for the extra 5 mins of aftercare when they arrived? Or would that be included in the price?

notanewuser

wealdroam wrote: »

How about picking an 85 minute treatment then?
Seems like 85 mins plus five minutes "aftercare" is just what you are looking for.

I don't want any of the 85 minute treatments.

wealdroam

notanewuser wrote: »

I don't want any of the 85 minute treatments.

Oh, OK... new information. Good luck.

notanewuser

unholyangel wrote: »

Have you suggested to them that they give 5 mins less treatment time to account for the aftercare time?

What would happen if someone just paid for a 55min treatment? Would they then be expected to pay for the extra 5 mins of aftercare when they arrived? Or would that be included in the price?

I haven't, no. I can't imagine they'd go for it but I'll bear that in mind.

The 55 minute treatment costs £55. They're saying that that covers 60 minutes including the "aftercare".

The 40 minute treatment costs £45. They're saying that covers 45 minutes including the "aftercare".

(So some minutes are worth less than £1 and others more?)

I have a voucher which only refers to 90 mins treatment time. But they're saying that has to include 5 minutes of aftercare per treatment.

daytona0

notanewuser wrote: »

I don't want any of the 85 minute treatments.

Other options include:

1. Doing 2x 40 minute ones

2. Doing 1x 55 minute one, and a 1x 25 minute one

But I suspect that you want the 55 and 40 minute one ONLY


But no, in response to your main post.... it is evident that 5 minutes of "aftercare" will be added on, based on the times alone (55 + 5 = 60, a nice round time). It also states this on the page. So your only major avenue is to explore whether "aftercare" is obligatory, and whether the company makes that clear(ish) on their website or voucher (or both).

EVEN IF you manage to do that, expect an uphill struggle trying to convince their employees that you are right. You'll spend more money in the long run when you end up going to the spa due to the stress it causes

£15 is a fair charge, as it is evident that the "aftercare" is included (but not charged in your price, if you are going for treatment only). Either pay it, modify your bookings or delve into their Ts and Cs a bit more.

notanewuser

There are no T+Cs. It's here if you want to see for yourself. http://www.vale-hotel.com/Spa/Spa-Days-Wales

I don't think the "aftercare" notes are very prominent, nor is the impact on the treatment time explained anywhere.

iammumtoone

can you look to see how much a 90min voucher cost, then check the cost compared to a 85 min treatment. If they are the same cost then it does seem like your voucher is suppose to include the 5 mins aftercare. However I do agree it is very badly worded and would have been more sensible to sell 85min vouchers.

notanewuser

The only 40 minute massage is a leg only one. That's not the bit I want massaging!

notanewuser

iammumtoone wrote: »

can you look to see how much a 90min voucher cost, then check the cost compared to a 85 min treatment. If they are the same cost then it does seem like your voucher is suppose to include the 5 mins aftercare. However I do agree it is very badly worded and would have been more sensible to sell 85min vouchers.

Voucher was £97. An 85 minute treatment is £70-75.