Make-up artist booked before rule change wants to go ahead...

HopeAndDriftWood

My friend is getting married on the 16th August. It's at a registry office with no reception so most of the planned things have been stripped away, but last week she booked a make-up artist to come and do her, plus her and the bride and grooms mums, on the morning of the wedding. She paid a 30% deposit. 
On Friday, Boris announced that make-up services are suspended until at least the 15th August. She heard nothing from the make-up artist so emailed this week, and got a reply stating that the make-up artist should no longer do her make-up, but is willing to do so, as long as it is just her, her assistants and the person having their make-up done in the room. 
She's not keen to go ahead, but she doesn't want to lose her deposit or upset anyone. She's getting ready at a hotel, which was initially happy for everyone to get ready in a function room, but can't accommodate another room for people to wait in.
The only T&Cs on the booking were that the deposit is non-refundable, and that trial photographs cannot be shared publicly. Friend wants to email and say that she appreciates the gesture but the venue can't accommodate that, and get a partial refund on the make-up side. Legally, does she have the right to do that? 

comeandgo

I'm not up on what the exact ruling is in England, but if it is not allowed due to government ruling, would any insurance the make up artist have still hold or would she be violating it.  Maybe something to ask as she may have no option but to cancel her bookings.

onwards&upwards

Nobody should be enabling anybody else to break the rules. 

These services are not allowed for a reason.

soolin

onwards&upwards said:

Nobody should be enabling anybody else to break the rules. 

These services are not allowed for a reason.

At the moment though the restrictions only apply until the 15th and this is all happening on the 16th. 

MalMonroe

SaucySecrets said:

My friend is getting married on the 16th August. It's at a registry office with no reception so most of the planned things have been stripped away, but last week she booked a make-up artist to come and do her, plus her and the bride and grooms mums, on the morning of the wedding. She paid a 30% deposit. 
On Friday, Boris announced that make-up services are suspended until at least the 15th August. She heard nothing from the make-up artist so emailed this week, and got a reply stating that the make-up artist should no longer do her make-up, but is willing to do so, as long as it is just her, her assistants and the person having their make-up done in the room. 
She's not keen to go ahead, but she doesn't want to lose her deposit or upset anyone. She's getting ready at a hotel, which was initially happy for everyone to get ready in a function room, but can't accommodate another room for people to wait in.
The only T&Cs on the booking were that the deposit is non-refundable, and that trial photographs cannot be shared publicly. Friend wants to email and say that she appreciates the gesture but the venue can't accommodate that, and get a partial refund on the make-up side. Legally, does she have the right to do that? 

Asking for a partial refund isn't a legal matter, so yes. It seems reasonable to me as long as your friend appreciates that she signed for make up services on the understanding that the deposit is non-refundable. It's a shame but also, nobody knows if Boris might come along on 15 Aug and say that there's to be a further extension to that particular suspension, so nothing's certain at this point in time. 

onwards&upwards

soolin said:

onwards&upwards said:

Nobody should be enabling anybody else to break the rules. 

These services are not allowed for a reason.

At the moment though the restrictions only apply until the 15th and this is all happening on the 16th. 

So in that case, assume its going ahead and if there is an update then cancel. 

epm-84

The CMA recently confirmed that if you booked a service within the UK which isn't available due to lockdown restrictions or lockdown restrictions prevent you from accessing it then you're entitled to a full refund. So hypothetically if you lived in Greater Manchester, where there's more restrictions but booked someone from Cheshire, where there's no additional restrictions then you are still entitled to a full refund if the restrictions prevent you from using her service.

Dr_Crypto

I haven’t checked this situation but with a lot of these Coronavirus “Rules” Guidance is presented as law. For example the greater Manchester lockdown didn’t actually become law for about a week after it was announced (the Statutory Instrument was laid down much later). 

epm-84

Dr_Crypto said:

I haven’t checked this situation but with a lot of these Coronavirus “Rules” Guidance is presented as law. For example the greater Manchester lockdown didn’t actually become law for about a week after it was announced (the Statutory Instrument was laid down much later). 

It was the same with the nationwide lockdown.  Although, that did allow those who were staying with relatives when the restrictions were announced to return back to their own home before it actually became illegal to stay at someone else's house.