What the law says about spa treatments
When you book a spa treatment, you are entering into a contract for a service. The same consumer laws that apply to any other service provider, whether a plumber or a hairdresser, apply to spas and beauty salons.
The Consumer Rights Act 2015 sets out what you can expect. Any service must be carried out with reasonable care and skill, performed within a reasonable time if no specific time has been agreed, and provided at a reasonable price if no price was fixed in advance.
The term "reasonable" is significant here. It means the standard you would expect from a competent professional in that field. Put simply, the person providing your treatment should have the proper training and should not cause harm through carelessness or poor technique. A massage therapist should know how to perform the treatment safely and correctly. A facialist should use products appropriately.
If the service falls short of this standard, you have grounds to complain and seek a remedy. This could mean asking for the treatment to be done again properly, requesting a price reduction, or in some cases obtaining a refund.
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Most spas display a treatment menu with fixed prices, so you will usually know what you are signing up for before you book. This forms part of your contract. The spa cannot charge you more than the agreed price without your consent.
If no price was agreed beforehand, the law says you only have to pay a reasonable amount. What counts as reasonable would be assessed by looking at what similar spa treatments typically cost within the industry, not just service prices generally.
Watch out for outdated price lists. If you have been given an old menu showing lower prices, but the spa has since updated its charges, there may be a dispute about what you agreed to. In most cases, the price you were shown when you booked is the price that should apply. However, if the spa made the current prices clear before your treatment and you proceeded anyway, you may be taken to have accepted the new rate.
Some spas add service charges or expect tips. Tips remain discretionary. However, if a service charge was clearly stated when you booked and included in the price listing, this may form part of the contract you agreed to and could be treated as non-negotiable.
Your situation may be slightly different. ask a question below ↓ and our editorial team will reply with our advice.
When things go wrong
Problems with spa treatments can range from minor disappointments to more serious issues. For example, if the therapist did not adhere to the booked schedule, affecting the treatment quality. Maybe the room was cold, the equipment was dirty, or the result was not what you expected. In worse cases, you might suffer an allergic reaction or injury.
Your first step should be to raise the issue with the spa directly. Speak to the manager or owner and explain what went wrong. Many businesses will offer to redo the treatment or provide a partial refund as a goodwill gesture.
If you cannot resolve the matter informally, put your complaint in writing. Set out clearly what service you booked, what went wrong, and what you would like the spa to do about it. Keep copies of any correspondence, receipts, and photographs if relevant.
For treatments that caused injury or an adverse reaction, you may want to seek medical attention and keep records. This evidence could be useful if you need to take the matter further.
If the spa is a member of a trade association, you can escalate your complaint to that body. Some associations offer dispute resolution services. You can also report concerns about hygiene or unsafe practices to your local council's environmental health team.
Taking things further
If the spa refuses to resolve your complaint and you believe you are owed money, you may be able to take action through the small claims court. In England and Wales, claims under a certain value can be handled through the county court's small claims track. The process is designed to be straightforward and does not usually require a solicitor, though you must still follow civil court procedures. Claim limits and court fees change over time, so check GOV.UK for the most current information.
Before going to court, consider whether alternative dispute resolution might help. Some spas agree to mediation, where an independent third party helps both sides reach an agreement. This may offer a more efficient and less adversarial resolution than court proceedings.
If you paid by credit card and the treatment cost more than £100, you may have a claim against your card provider under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974. This gives you an additional route to recover your money if the spa will not cooperate.
Keep in mind that claims have time limits. For most breach of contract disputes, including those relating to services not being performed with reasonable care and skill, you have six years from the date of the problem to start court action. It is always better to act promptly while the details are fresh and evidence is available.
messages to her so I had to go elsewhere to get my procedure done however I rang her up and she said she never got any of my text message and she refuses to give me a refund as she says it’s a deposit but as I said to her it’s paid in Full for a procedure which I couldn’t get done because the lady never got back to me we’re do I stand please to get a refund
Pay for the next treatment in 4 weeks so I pay after every treatment for the next one. So I have been trying to contact her and got no answer for a while and now So I had to go to another salon for the treatment I finally got through to her now she said I can’t get a refund as it’s a deposit but I pay for the full treatment price is £17 what can I do she refuses to give me a refund
I've asked for a refund as I am unsure of when I will be able to use it and in this climate need my money back if not going to use voucher, it is after all my money.
I booked this around the end of Aug 2022. I'm still waiting on a response and my refund as well!
Thank you
At the end of January I bought 9 massage sessions for £270.
I used 3hrs 20mins only. I wanted to book a massage today. However,
The masseur/ beautician told me that my voucher expired last month. I checked my voucher and there is nowhere mention that the voucher is valid only 6months.
I was not made aware about the 6months expire date. I feel it is not fair.
She never mentioned about 6months expire.
Please, could you help me with that.
Many thanks,
Jola
She charged me £800 for all these and to top it up she told me that I will need products, serum, sunblock and epidermal repair for my skin. Now, to tell you about the treatment and how it went.
I had a free peel done which was so messy the lady who was doing it got it stuck in my hair. Next tracey did the plasma pen, she put so much pressure on my nose when she was using the plasma pen and creating burns on my nose. She put holes all over the nose. It hurt so much my eyes were watering. She took 30mins or more to do this. She said I'd get small burns that would go away in a week as scabs would form. I told her that it was too painful and I don't want scars left and she said there wouldn't be any. I was still not happy. I didn't want to go ahead with the plasma pen sessions anymore. I asked for a refund and she said they don't do refunds. I told her that the plasma pen has burned my nose and I have lines all over it. She instead offered me alternative treatments instead of refunding me. I want a refund for the burns caused by her. She owes me a full refund but isn't willing to pay. I'm not happy with the services given to me.
When I complained to the technician she refused to accept responsibility and maintained that this had never happened before and insisted I had suffered an allergic reaction. However I feel this was due to a lack of hygiene and due care. I insisted on a refund after paying £125 for 2 sets, this was refused. Do I have any recourse, the salon does not display any warning notices about potential allergies to the eyelash glue or the fact that they fall out after 1 day and become uneven.
I was so shocked and appalled, I lost all trust and am too afraid to go back there. I have four pre-paid treatments left and I have been asking for a refund for the remaining treatments since July 2018 but each time I have asked the Business Branch Manager has said she has escalated the case to higher management, but I never hear back. I feel I'm being fobbed off and lied to.
I have read many similar negative reviews about this company and think it is high time they were held to account. They have no concept of customer service and their service is not only unfit for purpose but actually damaging to their customers. How can I get a refund if they are not addressing my complaint? I've never experienced anything like it!
What is my entitlement to a refund to credit card? Thanks.
Further to all the above I found her very unprofessional in a way that she was rather rude. She also never did any skin test, she also took my pictures after the treatment and posted them (including my whole face) on social media.
When I paid her she didn't give me any receipt so I also wonder if she claims or her incomes since she only accepts cash.
What are my options here please?
I am desperate to solve this...
Thank you in advance,
Sarka
I purchased 8 ipl sessions and paid for them all in advance. I started early october and have only had 2 sessions so far. I habe had 2 appointments cancelled. One of which i went to the salon and waited 20 minutes to be told the owner would not be coming for my ipl session. Was meant to have a session in december but the lady went on holiday without informing me and so i arrived at the store and it was closed. Tried chasing her calls and visited shop multiple times. Im frustrated with cancellations and my ipl is ineffective as the gap between sessions exceeds 6 weeks. Asked owner for a refund she said she will get back to me and now is no longer answering phone calls or responding. Is there anything i can do?
Thank you
Are they allowed to do this? Surely if treatments haven't worked they haven't fulfilled what they advertise. Do I have any consumer rights?
I went to a clinic and had Botox to 3 areas of my face, however they didn’t work at all. I informed clinic of this and they said to come in and they will top it up which I did, again it didn’t work so I contacted them again. They have a Dr at this clinic so I asked to see him, he repeated the treatment but it has failed to work at all. I contacted the clinic to advise them of this and asked for a refund, however they have refused saying sometimes treatment doesn’t work and they already given me a repeat treatment as a goodwill gesture. At no point was I told this, there isn’t anything on their page to say occasionally treatment doesn’t work or was I ever messaged to say repeat treatment was goodwill gesture. I might add it does state that they do a free top up of treatment 3 weeks after initial treatment. Final note I have had botox previously at other clinics which worked perfectly. Am I entitled to a refund?
Thank you.
Of our health so this is not a cancellation because I am going elsewhere!! Should she be giving me my money back?
arrived at the address at the same time as the therapist whose initial response to me was very negative. There was no greeting and friendliness. Her demeanour was very off and she was definitely not happy to see me. I tried not to let it perturb me, thinking it would improve once inside. On entering the building she locked the door and pointed to a narrow and awkward stairwell and instructed me to “go downstairs, take off your clothes and lie on the couch.” I have a physical ailment which affects my walking I knew it would be a struggle to take myself downstairs and my travel case. I had booked a trip outside of London and would be travelling shortly after the treatment. When I asked politely if I could leave my travel case upstairs, her prompt response was a cold “No.” With the front door clearly locked, I could see no problem leaving my case upstairs but as requested struggled downstairs to a dingy room silent room. .
I tried to put her negative demeanour to the back of my mind. I had been through a lot physically and knew I deserved and therefore paid for a 2 hour ‘pamper’ session, to relax and unwind. I took my clothes off and lay on the couch. She joined me and instructed me to lie on my front. With no other conversation she started the treatment on my back. After some minutes she said “I’ll do the body wrap before your facial so I can do your facial whilst the wrap is on.” I had never had a body wrap before so was so looking forward to a full 1 hour treatment to an aching body and also the experience. She massaged my entire body with a cream lotion, wrapped me in a towel, a heavy blanket then continued to do my face. Within minutes she said “that’s your treatment complete, get changed and I’ll see you upstairs.”
She promptly went upstairs. I had an incline that she had finished early but wasn’t sure how early until I checked my mobile. It was 10:02am exactly. My appointment for the 2 hour session was from 9.00 till 11.00am. As this was such a negative experience I could see no point in requesting more of her ‘service’, but promised to be very honest with her about the experience in my usual calm manner.
Back upstairs with an awkward smile she said “so how was your treatment?” I told her that whether it was because she had had a bad morning or because I was not the ‘type’ of clientele she expected, her response from our initial meeting and throughout was very negative. I explained that if she wanted only a certain calibre/ethnicity of clientele it should be explicit in the advertising. I added that in addition I had paid for a 2 hour treatment session and only received 1 hour. Her response was “it’s because I did the body wrap before your face and it’s the wrap that usually takes long.” Regardless of her explanation the treatment was advertised as a 2 hour pamper package. The advertising read “unwind with a 1 hou
A number to call??
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