Does a business owner have the right to change their mind about offering services to friends for free?
My wife has a med spa and she had been giving treatments for free to a friend of hers. We invested in a new machine where treatments cost 3500 for three- her same friend offered to be the model for training. There is grey area as to weather or not she promised the remaining 2 treatments for free but regardless she decided she would charge the friend cost of materials- which is 175 per treatment. This covers the cost of the probe that is meant to be used only once. The friend said if the probe doesn’t break on the first treatment then you can just use it again for the second treatment- My wife said no, you have to pay for both probes. This resulted in the ‘friend’ getting upset that my wife had gone back on her word- I believe my wife reserves the right to change her mind even if she said at some point her friend would receive the treatments for free. Considering how much my wife had already given this ‘friend’ I was angry that she would not accept my wife changing her mind just to cover cost- let alone charge a discounted price
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9 Answers
First off, Welcome to Fluther! As to the deal between your wife and her friend, it sounds like they had different expectations from the deal. Was there anything put into writing up front? I think if it was my business and I was going to demonstrate this new product and had a friend that was going to help, I would have asked up front for financial assistance from that friend if I expected it. If, as a friend, I offered to be the “model” for the demonstration, I would consider my role just that….a body to be used to show how the machine works. I would not consider up front that it would cost me something. I would view it as something like a fashion designer using a model on a runway. The model is doing a job…showing off the product. Would it be right for the designer to then turn around and tell the model they had to pay for the clothes they wore?
I think being friends is the initial problem. They needed to talk more up front.
Of course your wife has the right to change her mind about anything.
Of course the friend has the right to be mad about your wife changing her mind, whether it’s valid or not.
This is why they say you shouldn’t mix business and personal relationships. When things go awry, feelings get hurt and friendships get lost.
What is this probe, and why does it cost $175? And please tell me where the probe goes and why would it break….
Yes. Being in business does not automatically mean your friends get it free, or to their personal benefit, time-wise or, money-wise. If one doesn’t like it, tough beans.
Krptner…the wife already offered it and has been giving them for free. Now she’s changing her mind forbr reasons I’m not clear about.
No, its a verbal agreement. You cannot go back on it. Plus it should be considered an advertising expense since the modelling was free. Sorry but that would hold up in court.
But the circumstances have changed since the original agreement. I’m a bit confused and it looks like the OP isn’t going to come back to clear things up.
If I was the friend, I’d send the owner a bill for $175.00 for my modeling fee for my last job saying I had reconsidered & my time was worth more than I had anticipated.. Then I’d retire & let the owner pay for their next model!!!
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