MMD: I was wrongly given an OAP discount for my haircut, should I have paid full price?

68squared

hairdressers make a fortune, my partner's previous is always jetting off to the americas on holiday 3 times a year. If someone chooses to assume you're an OAP without even asking, and charges you a reduced fee then that's their choice.
The opposite side of the coin is when I was 15, I was routinely arguing with ticket sellers that I was under 16 and eligible for child rate. They often didnae believe me.

Abbey1991

MSE_Kelvin wrote: »

Should I have offered to pay full price?

The theme of this website is consumer revenge, so no..

chimneyman

The real question ought to be "why do hairdressers continue with the rather pointless idea of giving an OAP discount?" If a pensioner is concerned about the price of a haircut, then it is easy to save money by going less often.

I live, in Bedfordshire, on state pension and state pension credit so I'm officially 'poor' but I always pay a tenner to have my hair cut even though it is always more than the asked-for price. I think any less is taking the p*ss. I get my money's worth by leaving long intervals between cuts - my hair grows very long and I have it cut very short.

My favourite, and nearest, hairdresser charges only £7 and offers no discounts. He works in a tiny lockup shop with hardly any waiting room. He also takes forever over every customer. It sometimes takes several attempts, over several weeks, to find him with a queuing time of less than an hour. Sometimes I give up and go elsewhere.

Devonian_Rodders

In this day and age, when are you classified as a pensioner. ??

Abbey1991

John_Gray wrote: »

Most MSEers will be aware of the legal maxim De minimis non curat lex

This !!!!!!

Unkdb

A retailer is not legally bound to charge you the advertised price. So it is not down to you to question them.
If they ask you for a specific amount, then just pay.
If they were to say something like. “At the senior rate, you need to pay...£” you should probably correct them.

rach_k

Given how much hairdressers charge compared to barbers (even for cuts that take less than half the time and skill of one by a barber), I'd just smile as I accepted the discount!

pdr77

I think it would embarrass the hairdresser to now point out that they thought you were an OAP when you aren't.
If you still want to go to that hairdressers, I would offer to pay the correct price and say you have only just realised that you had actually been charged the concessionary rate previously.
Otherwise, change hairdressers !!

gloriouslyhappy

ripongrammargirl wrote: »

I am now disabled (I used to care for the disabled) and just can’t afford anything on the tiny benefit I get- which only pays credit card, so I can only afford to go to my hairdresser (independent and not part of a big chain)once every couple of years. At nearly £50 a visit I just can’t afford it so have to cut my own fringe etc. If you can afford it, as it seems you can, then pay up and it might mean unfortunate people like me could maybe get a discount.

Check and see if you've got a local college who run Hair & Beauty courses and have a professional salon which is open to the public. They charge very low rates because the work is done by students supervised by the tutors. At mine I always get a decent cut / colour / blowdry / mani / pedi for about a tenth of high street salon rates. The only downside is it takes much longer than usual as the tutors have to keep checking. But as I'm retired, I don't mind spending the occasional afternoon there and coming out looking great.

COCKNEY190

You already know the answer.. of course you should pay the correct price. If you don't come clean you are actually altering your own moral compass.