Want refund for unwanted spa day

munchpot

Bananas1 wrote: »

[/I]Thanks - nice to know it's not just me. I am coming to terms with selling it for 99p on Ebay and putting the money on a sixty to one horse - you never know........and making regular Facebook posts and reviews warning people never to buy spa days for friends and relations from that place without checking first.

As everyone else has pointed out the hotel have done nothing wrong and you (or your friend) has no legal right to a refund.

You say that you will keep posting on Facebook, warning others not to buy from them unless they are made fully aware of the law about refunds. Will you posting on the Facebook pages of every other retailer who follows the law in the same way?

Whilst I love that some shops / vendors give way above statutory rights and allow refunds and exchanges when not legally required to do so, this has led many people to believe that ALL should do it and potentially posters like the OP to get angry when they don't offer the same options

Personally (and I do not know the OP) I think this may be the case here.

Blackbeard_of_Perranporth

OP PM me. I'll take it off your hands. I need a complete de roughing this time of year. I may even paint my nails!

gettingtheresometime

Given that she's bought you a gift that is your idea of hell and you bought her flowers that she's allergic to , please never go on a friends version of Mr & Mrs!

RosiPossum

Bananas1 wrote: »

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.

How is it a con? The spa doesn't expect that people will buy vouchers for people who won't use them. They provide them so that someone can give a gift of an experience at the recipient's convenience.
They've done nothing wrong. They're more than happy to have you use the voucher, so they've kept their side of the deal.

Just leave it, and maybe think about not posting all over business' facebook pages when they've not done anything wrong.

arcon5

Ok telling your friend you don't want it is understandable.

But repeatedly posting negative comments about the spa for which I assume your friend will see would get a bit sore for me. Don't see why it has to be constantly thrown in her face in the form of an angry rant about a company whom have done nothing wrong to you.

I'm a little shocked by this whole ordeal. If I had a friend that was doing all this i'd be well p155ed off.

So rather than acting like a little madam, do any of the following and move on:

give it to somebody who will want it
give it back to your friend to do as she pleases
stick it on ebay auction and see what it fetches

:shocked:

hollydays

Reading through your posts I think this is some passive- aggressive way of getting back at your friend who rejected your flowers.whether you are aware or not .
If someone gave me a gift I didn't want I'd just thank them and keep my mouth shut. It's the thought that counts .The fact two friends have given you spa days must be significant ..You seem uptight in the extreme.

Stevie_Palimo

hollydays wrote: »

Reading through your posts I'm wondering if this is some passive- aggressive way of getting back at your friend who rejected your flowers.whether you are aware or not .
If someone gave me a gift I didn't want I'd just thank them and keep my mouth shut. It's the thought that counts .The fact two friends have given you spa days must be significant ..

My thoughts to about two friends buying the same gift, They must both presume the OP is in a drastic need of such treatments.

Bananas1_2

The aggressive people on here are some of you guys - what an unfriendly forum - I only wanted some money advice about what could be done. FYI, my friend's partner contacted the spa, who said they would consider a refund if I took down the Facebook review (which only highlighted the company policy and danger of buying vouchers without checking first - it did not say the changing room was dirty, or the pool was freezing or the masseur gave me sciatica), so I have done that, and contacted the spa to say that I have removed it. We shall see if they are as good as their word.

A few years ago, I heard an interview with someone on the radio who didn't like chocolate, talking about how nobody believed them, and denied that anyone could dislike chocolate. They talked about how hard it was to explain, and how people just thought that if they tried chocolate (again) they would suddenly like it. They talked about how other people wanted to normalise them and make them conform to 'chocolate liking'. I'm beginning to think that not wanting to go to a spa is a similar thing.

If you want to know why two of my friends might have thought I should go to a spa, it is probably because I have been living with a disabled husband for sixteen years, been pretty much the sole breadwinner, am a mother, teacher, foster carer, lost my parents after a protracted period caring for them, and I am in no doubt that both of them thought that because I live a lot of my life around other people's needs, I could do with some 'me time'.

A lot of people on here have come to the conclusion that I am a spoilt brat of a woman. I'm not. I just didn't want to waste a precious and generous gift and at the time I was honest about it, I believed my friend could straightforwardly get a refund under distance selling regulations. I had discussed whether to tell her with my husband, who said honesty was the best policy. I only came on here when I found that DSR wasn't the case. And really, what would I have done if my friend had rung up and said 'have you been on your spa day yet? what was it like? what treatment did you have? was it good?' It's all very well saying to someone 'thanks, I loved it' about a gift you didn't care for so as not to hurt their feelings, but this kind of gift would require a whole new level of fabrication and dishonesty if you think about it.

Thank you to all the people who came up with some positive ideas and showed some understanding of the fact that this was an difficult and emotional dilemma for me, and an awareness that honesty is probably a feature of a strong and enduring friendship. The friend who sent me the vouchers remembers me as a bump in my mum's tummy, and I'm now 50, so we have long history. With any luck, this will get resolved now, and I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas. B

tomtontom

You've effectively blackmailed the spa into a refund. You must be very proud of yourself for that. Shameful behaviour.

Pollycat

Bananas1 wrote: »

The aggressive people on here are some of you guys - what an unfriendly forum - I only wanted some money advice about what could be done.

But you refused to listen to posters telling you about what the law says and point-blank rejected a number of suggestions.
You had lots of advice but wouldn't listen.
This is the Consumer Rights board of MSE - it's not the right place if you want to be told you're entitleed to a refund when you clearly aren't.

Bananas1 wrote: »

A lot of people on here have come to the conclusion that I am a spoilt brat of a woman. I'm not. I just didn't want to waste a precious and generous gift and at the time I was honest about it, I believed my friend could straightforwardly get a refund under distance selling regulations. I had discussed whether to tell her with my husband, who said honesty was the best policy. I only came on here when I found that DSR wasn't the case. And really, what would I have done if my friend had rung up and said 'have you been on your spa day yet? what was it like? what treatment did you have? was it good?' It's all very well saying to someone 'thanks, I loved it' about a gift you didn't care for so as not to hurt their feelings, but this kind of gift would require a whole new level of fabrication and dishonesty if you think about it.

At the end of the day, you weren't entitled by law to a refund but you kept going on about "the law is unfair" and the law should be on your side.

Anyone's personal circumstances does not change that.

It seems that you may get your refund but be aware that it is a goodwill gesture only on the part of the spa, not your right.

And if you think it's within your rights to return a jumper for an exchange, I suggest you read the sticky at the top of this board.
Sure, you can do it at M&S but maybe not at Polly's Boutique.