Clinics nip money pain by tucking away lay-by
JUST like lay-bying the kids’ Christmas presents and paying them off, mum can now put her cosmetic surgery on a payment plan too.
Cosmetic surgery clinics and travel agencies are offering boob jobs and procedures on payment plans to cater for demand from clients who cannot afford to pay upfront.
Those who commit to certain schemes, however, be warned – you could end up paying twice the original surgery price.
Claire Licciardo, managing director of the Coast’s Cosmetic Holidays International, will today launch a new lay-by option where clients can enter a six to 12-month payment plan and only pay weekly transaction fees.
“I think this will be really successful because we’re catering to that part of the market I never used to. I only catered for the middle to high end,” Ms Licciardo said.
Makeup artist Ellie Wright, who runs local styling business Beauty Queen, said lay-bys gave women a good option for cosmetic surgery if they weren’t good savers.
Ms Wright wants to go to Thailand next year for a nose job and possible chin implant.
“It’s a way of paying that money, just not spending it week to week on little things you don’t really need,” she said.
Australia’s biggest cosmetic surgery provider, The Cosmetic Institute in Sydney, provides payment plans using Zip money which charges a 19.9 per cent interest rate if the loan is fully repaid within three months.
Gold Coast-based Cosmeditour provides an interest-free payment option where the person pays in instalments for travelling to Thailand for surgery or using the business’ Gold Coast service.