Getting a refund for an unused prepaid treatment course

Katerina Galkina · EN · 07/10/2026

Gather the terms of your purchase

Find the receipt, contract, course description, expiry date and cancellation terms applicable when you paid. Record how many sessions were purchased and how many were actually provided. Also establish where the contract was made: at the salon, online or away from the trader's premises. This affects possible cancellation rights.

Do not attend another session solely to avoid losing your prepayment if a medical concern has arisen. Discuss suitability with a qualified professional. When contacting the provider, explain the cancellation reason and supply only necessary supporting evidence rather than an entire medical history.

Is a refund automatic?

A purchase made at a salon does not normally create a general right to a refund simply because your plans change. For a service contract covered by the distance-selling rules, the cancellation period is normally 14 days after the contract is made ↗. Starting the service and your consent to that start can affect the calculation; do not assume a full refund without checking the circumstances.

A new personal reason, including a contraindication, does not invariably create an automatic right to a full refund. Suggest cancelling the remaining sessions, extending validity, pausing treatment or agreeing a partial refund. If the provider cancelled the service or performed it inadequately, explain that separately from a voluntary cancellation.

Challenge an absolute no-refund clause

According to CMA guidance ↗, wording such as “non-refundable” does not make every deduction fair. Request a written calculation of services already provided and actual losses caused by cancellation. The business should consider ways of reducing those losses, such as selling the vacant appointment to another customer.

Do not automatically accept a recalculation of every used session at an unexpected full price. Ask where that contractual basis was disclosed beforehand and why the resulting deduction is fair.

Make a practical complaint

Write to the provider with the order number, dates, remaining sessions, requested remedy and a reasonable response deadline. Attach copies of relevant documents and keep the correspondence. If refused, request a final response and details of any available dispute resolution scheme. GOV.UK directs consumers ↗ to the appropriate advice service for England and Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland. If you paid by card, promptly ask your bank about an available dispute mechanism: eligibility depends on the payment and the basis of the complaint.