Want refund for unwanted spa day

Bananas1_2

A few years ago, a relative bought me a 'spa voucher' for a local spa/hotel. It sat in the drawer - I kept finding it, thinking 'must use it' but never did, and it went out of date and I felt really guilty. But facing facts, I'm just not into that sort of thing. A couple of days ago, I got the same thing from another friend as a birthday present, and this time decided that rather than lie and pretend to be pleased, I would seek a refund and spend the money on something I really would like. But the hotel/spa are refusing to refund the money. I told my friend that she should try and get the money back under the distance selling law, as she bought with a credit card from a distance, which she is happy to do, but the spa people are determined to hang on to the money, stating their 'policy'. I have put out a warning against buying these things from them on Facebook, making their 'policy' clear to anyone else who might make the same mistake. I have not libeled them or commented on any other aspect of their service, just warned people they don't give the money back on spa vouchers (so you'd best check with the recipient before buying them). I am hoping this will make them give me the money back to shut up and remove the bad reviews. Is there anything else I can do?

BOBS

if you dont fancy a spa day can you not use on some beauty treatment that you do enjoy - maybe getting your nails done ?
The certainly wont want to give money back but am sure they should be flexible about the way it is used.

LilElvis

I'm sorry, but the spa have done nothing wrong as the purchase of leisure activities are specifically excluded from the laws regarding distance sales and "buyers remorse". So you would be in the same predicament should your friend have purchased you concert tickets, theatre tickets or a weekend break.

Bananas1_2

There isn't a beauty treatment I 'do enjoy'. My nails spend most of their life filled with compost, and are kept very short for practicality reasons. What's the point in painting them? I don't want some stranger in a white coat coming anywhere near me for purposes of massage, facial, body scrub - what a load of old cods - I'd be swatting them away. They do a load of old over-priced smellies and make-up, and frankly, I know what I am or am not allergic to, and rarely wear make-up, and get nothing at all out of 'body butter' or whatever it is I can't be bothered, and don't have time to put on. I'm just not that kind of person. It is a pressie mis-match. I just want the money back so I can go and spend it on something nice instead...........

Bananas1_2

But you are wrong. If they had bought theatre tickets I could have flogged them on Ebay, or returned them to the theatre. The problem with this present is that it has no second hand value because they are not a national company, so nobody on Ebay is going to buy stuff for somewhere that's 150 miles away. They have done something very wrong in not clearly warning my friend that these things are a gift to them, regardless of whether or not they provide the tiresome treatments.

bris

They have done nothing wrong, you are wrong.


Do you think Ebay doesn't have any account holders in your area? There are thousands of account holders in your area and you will sell it no problem, but don't think you have been hard done by.

gettingtheresometime

Many theatres don't accept returns or would only sell returned tickets once any unsold tickets have been sold so your comparison doesn't work,

As has been previously said nothing wrong has been done by the hotel.If your friend knows that you aren't a girly girl why on earth did she buy you such a present ?

Bananas1_2

My friend has been hard done by. We don't live in a very populous area and I doubt there will be much interest in the voucher. I realise that the law is on their side, but it shouldn't be. If my friend had bought it for herself and then changed her mind, that would be a different matter because she would be being skittish and inconsistent, but she bought it for me on the off-chance, and was unaware that unlike a jumper, it couldn't be returned and swapped for something else. I'll be willing to bet that these spas make loads of money from recipients who don't turn up for days they don't fancy. It's a total con.

I just think the company should be under obligation to make it absolutely clear to the buyer that if the recipient doesn't want it, they won't get the money back, because my friend's family told her she ought to get me a garden centre voucher (which I would have loved), but it wasn't made clear to her that she was gambling on losing the money by trying something different.

If I can't get them to refund the money, I will have to put it on Ebay, and might get £1.50 if I'm lucky. What a waste of sixty pounds.......... But I will carry on warning people on social media not to buy spa days from this business unless they know 100 per cent that the recipient likes that kind of thing, cos the law is an !!!. Please could people just post other possible solutions now, instead of just repeating that the company has done nothing wrong - they have done something unfair, and the law is unfairly on their side, and it wants sorting. I'm only interested in other courses of action I could take, rather than being told the obvious. Thanks.

LilElvis

Bananas1 wrote: »

I just want the money back so I can go and spend it on something nice instead...........

It's not your money as your friend didn't give you money, they gave you a voucher. You aren't entitled to it and neither is your friend.

If you don't want any smellies or body butter yourself then use the voucher to purchase Christmas/birthday gifts for others and then use the cash you would otherwise have spent on those presents on yourself. Sorted, and without your friend being made to feel worse than she probably now does.

Bananas1_2

I honestly cannot think of anyone I buy presents for who wants body butter - my teenage son? eight year old son? husband? That kind of stuff is what you give people when you can't be bothered to think about what they might actually like. Please don't imagine my friend feels bad about this - she told me that she didn't want the flowers I gave her a few months back cos the pollen was upsetting her allergies- it's all okay on that front. The first time I got one of these vouchers, I lied about it to avoid upsetting the giver - that course of action is none too edifying either - pretending you've had a spa day when you haven't. Ungrateful cow or lying cow? No winning in this one.

But anyway, if we could just get back to any potential course of action........... thanks.

Bananas1_2

.If your friend knows that you aren't a girly girl why on earth did she buy you such a present ?

I don't know, and I so wish she hadn't. If I sound angry and bullish about this, it is because I am absolutely gutted for her, and this whole business has left me feeling really upset - to think she spent her hard earned money on something I would never want to do, and bringing up memories of my guilt at never using the first voucher, which was sent by my cousin to cheer me up when my mum died. I don't get many presents, and there are so many things I could do with right now, and to know she threw the money away and the company are just basically keeping her money, doing nothing for it and sticking up the two fingered salute. It's too heart-breakingfor words.