She wants a refund of the non-refundable fee

I knew it was just a matter of time before it happened....

I scheduled a quick 30-minute mini portrait session with a client about 2 months ago. She was really excited and into the whole thing. We set it up- location, time, date, all good-to-go. She paid me the $60 non-refundable booking/portrait fee (I don't do mini sessions that often this just happened to be during one of the times I offered them). "Non-refundable booking fee" is clearly stated on the price list she has and I made sure she understood that before she handed over the cash and sent her a receipt for it. Done, quick and easy shoot for 3.

2 days before the shoot she emails me saying that the outfits she ordered for her son and boyfriend haven't come in and yet and wanted to push the shoot to the following weekend. Ok, I'm free. Fast forward to the next weekend, about 2 hours before the shoot; she emails me that he son is being fussy because of the heat (it was 108 that day, I remember it well) and wanted to reschedule for the next Sunday since she only has Sunday's and Monday's off work. Well that was Father's Day so I said no to that but that the Monday after was fine. This was starting to get a little ridiculous for just a little mini session.

Like clock work, Monday comes and I get a call from her that she's not feeling well and wants to push our session again, but not sure to when. At this point I begin to realize that this session isn't going to happen. I go ahead and tell her, "Ok, let me know when you feel better and we'll shoot."

About a week later she messages me on facebook saying that she's sorry for rescheduling all those times but that she doesn't think they'll be able to do the photos at all now because her family is going through a lot and she's not sure if I do refunds but wants to know if I can give her back the $60. I knew it!

I replied back to her that I would rather just do the shoot and that I have a clearly stated non-refundable policy that she acknowledged and agreed to when we first scheduled. Now she replies back that even if she needs the money to get to a funeral I won't refund it? Great, use a guilt trip to make me look like an a-hole if I say no. I haven't messaged her back yet but I'm curious as to what you guys would respond with.

Pound sand lady.

Since you have a non-refunable policy....stick to it.

rivas8409 wrote in post #17021938
I replied back to her that I would rather just do the shoot and that I have a clearly stated non-refundable policy that she acknowledged and agreed to when we first scheduled. Now she replies back that even if she needs the money to get to a funeral I won't refund it? Great, use a guilt trip to make me look like an a-hole if I say no. I haven't messaged her back yet but I'm curious as to what you guys would respond with.

I would forward the reply you sent to her that said the refund was non refundable and not bother replying to the other bits and just leave it at that.

memoriesoftomorrow wrote in post #17021994
I would forward the reply you sent to her that said the refund was non refundable and not bother replying to the other bits and just leave it at that.

I would do the same. Be polite but firm. No use getting into an argument with her.

I could see a refund if she didn't reschedule over and over before canceling and laying on the BS about a funeral. Some people are only taught lessons financially, she is one of them.

NO refunds. What part of those two simple words in the contract isn't clear to her? If you start breaking your own terms you're gonna begin to sink, just like a skipper who starts punching holes into his own vessel.

She is the exact type of person that makes it necessary to have a "non-refundable" policy. I mean, if it is not applied to her, then who would it ever apply to?

But, but ... she has to get to a funeral. Yeah right.

Nonrefundable is nonrefundable. I'd also look at adding some language around cancelation and rescheduling to the contract.

Tom Reichner wrote in post #17022316
She is the exact type of person that makes it necessary to have a "non-refundable" policy. I mean, if it is not applied to her, then who would it ever apply to?

^^^^^

Case by case basis. How do YOU honestly feel about the situation and the client?

But if you DO decide to give a refund on it, then make sure it comes with half a dozen of your business cards. If they get their money back then expect them to give you some free and highly directed advertisements.

Personally in the case of a funeral being mentioned I would be inclined to err on the side of caution and cave, as I would rather take the risk of a handful of people seeing me as a sucker than them spreading the word that I'm heartless and uncaring. (Really how wide would someone spread the word that they cheated another person out of money by making up a story about a death, vs how wide will someone spread the story about someone not giving them a break during a hard time in life?)

Tom Reichner wrote in post #17022316
She is the exact type of person that makes it necessary to have a "non-refundable" policy. I mean, if it is not applied to her, then who would it ever apply to?

+1. She's playing you like a fiddle. Non-refundable is non-refundable. That's the policy she agreed to and it's to prevent exactly the type of situation she has created for you. Consider it her fee for wasting your time on multiple occasions.

My first lesson in the photography business was that there are two types of people, people who will waste your time, and people who won't. She's a time-waster. Keep the 60 bucks.

hokiealumnus wrote in post #17022575
+1. She's playing you like a fiddle. Non-refundable is non-refundable. That's the policy she agreed to and it's to prevent exactly the type of situation she has created for you. Consider it her fee for wasting your time on multiple occasions.

+1 on this one too. You booked time and set aside time that you may have otherwise been creating income. She rescheduled on you 3-4 times or more and now wants to leverage emotion in order for a refund.

There is a reason airlines do not give discounts or refunds when someone claims a family member dies. It is because then everyone claims it expecting sympathy.

I say stick to your guns and do not give a refund. She has already caused you to spend more than $60 in your labor and time recheduling and not making money during certain days.