Disclaimer: BeautyKiln gives general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Talk to a qualified professional before making big decisions.

Consumer Rights: What Your Clients Can Legally Demand

Sooner or later, a client will say the magic words: "I know my rights." Sometimes they're right. Sometimes they're not even close. This guide explains what the Consumer Rights Act 2015 actually says about beauty services, when you do have to offer a refund, when you don't, and how to protect yourself before things go wrong. Knowing this stuff inside out means you can handle complaints calmly instead of panicking or caving to every demand.

The big one: reasonable care and skill

Section 49 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 says every service contract with a consumer includes a term that the service must be carried out with reasonable care and skill.

This is the standard you're judged against. Not perfection. Not matching a filtered Instagram photo. Not guaranteeing a specific outcome. The question is: did you do what a reasonably competent beauty worker would have done in your position?

Courts and trading standards look at:

• Did you follow your training?
• Did you follow manufacturer instructions?
• Did you do the required patch tests?
• Did you carry out a proper consultation?
• Did you maintain hygiene standards?
• Did you give clear aftercare advice?
• What was the price point? (Higher prices can raise expectations.)

If you can tick those boxes, you've almost certainly met the standard, even if the client isn't thrilled with the result.

"I don't like it" vs "you messed it up"

This is where most disputes actually sit, and the law draws a clear line.

Breach of contract (you messed it up)

A breach is likely if you:

• Used the wrong product or colour
• Ignored contraindications
• Skipped required patch tests
• Didn't follow manufacturer instructions
• Clearly fell below the standard a trained professional should meet

In these cases, the client has legal rights to a remedy.

Disappointment (they don't like it)

A "bad" result is not automatically a breach if:

• The tone is slightly warmer than they hoped
• The lashes aren't as full as a filtered photo
• Nails chip within a normal timeframe
• The shade doesn't match an image you never promised to replicate

As long as you did the work competently and warned them about realistic outcomes, they're disappointed, not wronged.

Tip for new starters: Use realistic consultation language. Say things like "we're aiming for this shade, but results vary depending on your starting base" or "these photos are examples, not guarantees." That conversation sets the boundaries of your contract and protects you if they're unhappy later.

Remedies: what you actually owe

The Consumer Rights Act gives clients two main remedies for services:

1. Repeat performance (a redo)

This is the first remedy the law expects. If you fell short, you should offer to fix it:

• At your cost
• Within a reasonable time
• Without significant inconvenience to the client

Examples: correcting hair colour, redoing clumped lash extensions, repairing nail work.

2. Price reduction (partial or full refund)

If a redo isn't possible, or you can't do it within a reasonable time, the client is entitled to a price reduction. This can be anything from a small discount up to a 100% refund for serious failures.

A full refund is normally due when:

• You completely failed to provide the service (took payment, didn't do the treatment)
• The redo isn't possible (for example, the client has had a reaction and can't have the treatment again)
• You can't fix it without significant inconvenience

A partial refund makes sense when:

• Part of the service was fine but another part wasn't (refund the colour portion of a cut-and-colour, for example)
• The shortfall was minor and you've offered to fix it but the client prefers money back

The aftercare defence

This is your strongest card when a client complains about a result that went wrong after they left.

If you provided the service with reasonable care and skill, gave clear written aftercare instructions, and the client didn't follow them, you can usually refuse a refund or offer only a goodwill gesture.

Real examples:

• Lash extensions: You told them not to wet lashes for 24 hours. They went swimming that evening. The lashes fell out. That's on them.
• Brow tint: You told them to avoid oil-based products around the brows. They slathered on coconut oil. The tint faded in two days. That's on them.
• Hair colour: You warned that their previous box dye might affect the result. They went ahead anyway and don't like the shade. You've met your duty.

The key is evidence. Signed consultation forms, written aftercare sheets, and treatment notes showing what you told them. If it's your word against theirs with nothing written down, you're in a much weaker position.

Tip for new starters: Print aftercare cards for every service you offer. Get clients to sign that they've received and understood them. It takes 30 seconds and it's the single best protection you can have against "but nobody told me" complaints.

"No refund" policies: can you have one?

Sort of, but not the way most people mean.

The CRA and CMA unfair terms guidance say that terms which try to completely exclude statutory rights are unenforceable and unfair. A sign that says "no refunds under any circumstances" is legally meaningless if you genuinely messed up.

What you can say:

• "No refunds for change of mind"
• "We do not offer refunds for results within a normal expected range"
• "Refunds are assessed on a case-by-case basis in line with consumer rights legislation"

What you cannot enforce:

• "No refunds, ever, for any reason"
• "By booking you waive all rights to a refund"
• "All sales are final"

These clauses give clients a false sense that they have no rights, and that's exactly what trading standards will flag.

Time limits: how long do they have?

30 days

The strong "reject for a full refund" right is mainly aimed at goods (products, not services). For a one-off beauty treatment, the key question remains whether you used reasonable care and skill.

6 months

For goods, problems within six months are presumed to have been there from the start unless you prove otherwise. For services, there's no identical presumption, but detailed records are still your best defence. If a client complains four months later that their highlights weren't right, your consultation notes and before/after photos tell the story.

6 years

Clients have up to six years to bring a contract claim in England and Wales (five in Scotland). That doesn't mean someone will demand a free redo of their gel nails from 2020. But it does mean serious injury or damage claims (chemical burns, allergic reactions, infections) can still surface years later.

Keep your core treatment records, consultation forms, and consent documents for at least six years. Your insurer will thank you.

Gift vouchers

Gift vouchers are treated as pre-payment for a service.

Expiry dates

You can set a reasonable expiry date (12 to 24 months is standard) as long as it's clearly stated before purchase and printed on the voucher. Very short or expiry dates can be challenged as unfair under the CRA.

Online voucher sales

If you sell vouchers online, the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 usually give the buyer a 14-day cooling-off period from the day after purchase. They can cancel and get their money back without giving a reason, unless the voucher has already been fully used during that period.

Deposits

Deposits are a flashpoint. Here's what the law actually says.

A deposit is generally refundable if you cancel. If the client cancels, you can keep some or all of it, but only to the extent that it fairly reflects your actual loss.

CMA guidance says blanket "non-refundable deposit" terms are likely unfair where the client gets no benefit. Your T&Cs should explain what happens to deposits on cancellation, and the amount you keep should be a genuine pre-estimate of your loss (lost appointment time you couldn't re-fill, products already prepared).

A fair deposit policy looks like this:

• "A deposit of [amount] is required to secure your booking"
• "Cancellations with more than 48 hours' notice: full deposit refunded"
• "Cancellations with less than 48 hours' notice: deposit may be retained to cover lost appointment time"
• "No-shows: deposit forfeited"

You should still use common sense in individual cases. A client who cancels because of a genuine emergency (hospital, bereavement) and gives you as much notice as they can deserves more flexibility than someone who just didn't feel like coming.

Cancellation rights for online bookings

If a client books online, by phone, or at their home (not on your premises), the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 normally give them 14 days to cancel.

There's a narrower exception for appointments booked for a specific date and time: if the client asks you to perform the service within the 14-day window, and you tell them they'll lose the right to cancel once you start, you can keep an amount reflecting the work already done.

Bookings made in person at your salon or premises do not attract the 14-day cooling-off period. Your own cancellation policy and general fairness rules apply.

Real-world scenarios

Botched lash extensions

You used the wrong lengths, placed lashes dangerously, or caused eye irritation. That's a failure of reasonable care and skill. The client can expect safe removal, a redo (if they want one), or a significant price reduction up to a full refund. If there's an injury, they may also have a negligence claim.

But if the set is neat and safe, just "too natural" compared with a heavily filtered photo you never promised to match, that's a preference issue, not a breach.

Hair colour gone wrong

Using the wrong formula, ignoring a clear instruction ("no bleach" but you bleached anyway), or skipping strand/skin tests is likely a breach. Offer corrective work or a substantial refund.

If you explained that previous box dye could affect the result, followed professional steps, and the shade is slightly different from the reference photo, that's usually within "reasonable." You can decline a refund or offer a small goodwill discount.

Allergic reaction after a correct patch test

You did the patch test, recorded it, gave proper warnings and aftercare. A rare delayed reaction happens. You've met reasonable care and skill. The law doesn't make you an insurer of all outcomes. You might offer a goodwill gesture, but a legal right to a full refund is weak if you did everything right.

"It doesn't look like the Instagram photo"

If you used filtered, edited images as guaranteed results in your advertising, that could be misrepresentation. Trading Standards or the CMA could get involved.

If you used photos as illustrative examples and said results vary, a slightly different outcome is not a breach. Manage this at consultation stage and you'll rarely have a problem.

Who to Contact

• Citizens Advice - consumer rights guidance for businesses - 0800 144 8848 (Free)
• Trading Standards - report unfair trading or get advice (via Citizens Advice, who refer to local trading standards) - 0808 223 1133 (Free)
• CMA (Competition and Markets Authority) - unfair terms guidance, fake review rules - gov.uk/cma (Free)
• Your insurer - always notify them early if a complaint might become a claim (Paid, but you're already paying for the policy)

Sources

• Consumer Rights Act 2015, sections 49-54
• Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013
• CMA guidance on unfair contract terms, 2025
• Limitation Act 1980 (England and Wales)

Related Guides

• Handling Client Complaints
• Clients Threatening Legal Action
• Cancellation and No-Show Policies
• GDPR for Beauty Workers
• Patch Testing: Legal Obligations
• Complete Pricing Guide

Download these templates

📢 Sponsorship available — Learn more

What to do next

Didn't find what you were looking for?