Cancellation fee (COViD reasons)

luiceur

I had a follow up appointment with a physio, that day in the morning I woke up with fever and cough, called immediately and try to reschedule. However, physio says I have to pay £25 cancellation fee because I have not cancelled 24h before. I feel this is not fair since we are in pandemic and can happen at any time to anyone. Should I pay? Is it legally right?  

LaHostessAvecLaMostess

Yes, it can happen to anyone.  Why should the physio be out of pocket because you were ill though?

It's unlikely he could fill your appointment with a few hours notice and although he is only allowed to charge his reasonable costs, it seems a bit pointless to start quibbling over a few quid.

luiceur

Physio says it is difficult to fill up the gap, however I seriously doubt it

luiceur

obviously, physio has lost a client forever

Sandtree

Were you immune to illness in a pre-pandemic world?

Unfortunately even before Covid people got sick and couldnt make appointments at the last minute and its fairly normal for cancellation fees to still apply. If its a first offence sometimes a company will waive the fee as a guesture of goodwill but theyre not obliged to.

Brie

I think it's unfortunate but a necessity for anyone running a business.  

If you phone at 7 am? 8 am? they cannot guarantee they will be able to get someone else.  It would also depend on when your appt was.  You phone at 7 am to cancel an 8 am appointment - completely impossible to get someone else in on such short notice.

Maybe if you phone at 7 am for a evening appointment there would be a chance.  In that circumstance I would like to think the physio (or their admin person) would phone their short list of whomever needs something urgently and only if no one else could make it then charge you for that slot.  

LaHostessAvecLaMostess

luiceur said:

Physio says it is difficult to fill up the gap, however I seriously doubt it

In a few hours?

I'd say it's likely very difficult. I'm not sure there's a queue of people waiting for physio slots to show up with a fewhours of notice, most people would have booked weeks or more in advance.

If it was a hairdressers I could see them getting a last-minute walk-in.  Can't really say the same for a physio though.

luiceur

I phoned at 8am for a 4pm appointment. In understand the situation from the physio point of view, but really if you want to keep a client it is not the best way. Furthermore, I did not know about this fee, physio says it is on the website but it was never mentioned to me when I phoned the first time.

LaHostessAvecLaMostess

luiceur said:

I phoned at 8am for a 4pm appointment. In understand the situation from the physio point of view, but really if you want to keep a client it is not the best way. Furthermore, I did not know about this fee, physio says it is on the website but it was never mentioned to me when I phoned the first time.

Take him to court then.

As you appear to have no interest in going back there, there is little incentive not to.

Would be rather petty for £25 though.

Aylesbury_Duck

luiceur said:

obviously, physio has lost a client forever

Given your overreaction to a very reasonable charge for something out of the physio's control, I suspect they're quite happy to let you go.  You said yourself you seriously doubt he could fill the gap, which suggests he has plenty of custom with which to replace yours.

mattyprice4004

luiceur said:

obviously, physio has lost a client forever

That shouldn’t be an issue if you think they’re busy. 

It’s a reasonable fee; you’re the one cancelling (regardless of reason) - I can’t see the problem.