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AIBU?

Hairdressers apparently charge by the hour. I am outraged. AIBU?

66 replies

PortHills · 20/02/2013 16:42

Staying at my mother's. DD aged 2 needed a haircut. Dropped into one in the High Street, they said they could fit her in, and that it would depend how long it took but £10 or more. Fine, I thought. Probably £15 max. Oh no, £23. Apparently it took 30 minutes. I assume they took off the time that she spent washing off someone else's colour while we waited....!

Feel totally conned. At home, they charge by age - i.e., 2 years = £2, or the barber shop charges about £8.

I am gutted. I hate spending money unnecessarily and never imagined it would be £23. I am also really cross with them.

AIBU? I know they didn't give me an exact quote, but £23 is a fortune. I didn't tip.

OP posts:

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KindleMum · 20/02/2013 18:21

Hmm, when I booked DD (2 yo) into a fairly posh salon in Yorkshire, they quoted me £10 and then when I came to pay, said as it had been so straightforward (both mine have easy hair, simple cuts and don't fidget in the chair which I guess helps - DD is particularly fascinated by watching the cut in the mirror) they would only be charging me £4. I felt pretty pleased with that and will be using them next for DS.

I never paid £23 for the kids in Fulham!

toobreathless · 20/02/2013 18:22

Ouch! YANBU.

I take DD (22 months) to the salon attached to a hairdressing college, they make a huge fuss of her as they don't get many kids and charge £2.

poppypebble · 20/02/2013 18:24

Wow, I only pay £15.50 for a wash, cut and blow. £23 for a two-year-old is ridiculous.

BlatantLies · 20/02/2013 18:38

If it s a layered bob then its a bit more understandable. That's is not a home cut hairstyle.

IAmLouisWalsh · 20/02/2013 18:44

Bloody hell. Glad I have boys - we have graduated to the slightly more expensive barbers at £5 each, but used to pay £3.50!

CuriousMama · 20/02/2013 18:47

What a con! They saw you coming.

I've just done someone's hair (freelance) She's an adult and it only took me 10 minutes to trim it. I charged her £7 and she gave me a tenner. I'm in the north so that's good going. If her toddler wanted a trim I wouldn't have charged for that. Even though she wriggles

I'd ring up and complain. It's daylight robbery.

selsigfach · 20/02/2013 19:27

I would have put down the tenner and said that's your lot. What could they have done? I only pay £9 for a dry cut for myself!

Bakingtins · 20/02/2013 19:28

I have a mobile hairdresser come to the house and cut my sons' hair, £5 each. I've taken the older one to the barber a few times, £8. I paid £11.50 for myself for a wash and cut in a local salon recently.
I'm sure when working out their prices salons do take into account how long it's likely to take, but they ought to display a price list for each type of service. To give you the impression it would be in the region of £10 then charge £23 is outrageous. Name and shame, and leave a few crappy reviews on their website.

Sugarice · 20/02/2013 19:34

Name and Shame .

That is a dreadful amount to charge, sorry but I would have called the Manager.

I would still call back tomorrow [after reading replies] and say after some thought you are shocked at their pricing system [I'm dead snotty about certain things] and say how pissed off you are.

Sugarice · 20/02/2013 19:37

I have three teen boys and a dh who have wildly different hair types and it costs £30 for the 4.

zipzap · 20/02/2013 19:40

I would check with them exactly what their hourly rate is - was it definitely a pound a minute? And do you remember the time they started, stopped and took a break for attending to somebody else - might be they forgot (conveniently) to deduct it... Worth writing a snotty letter and saying that they didn't tell you the hourly rate and if you had realised it was so much you would have stopped them spending the last few minutes faffing around (if they did - they often do and I guess there is a reason to if it is by the hour!). Was her hair washed - and if so - did a junior do it?

For what it's worth I'm also based in MK and I use a great salon in Shenley church end (reasonably close to the centre). It looks s bit like an old lady salon from the outside but they are very friendly, cut hair very nicely (and not old laydy style unless you want it!) they have a great training ethic that they seem to train up lots of people, lots of the stylists have kids so it's kid friendly (including a sweetie treat bucket for kids getting their hair cut which is only produced if you say it is ok so kids are none the wiser if you say no. They also do lots of charity stuff. And happy to do kids cuts, plus on weds and sat (I think!) they also do drop in sessions for kids and gents cuts at £8 a go. Its called arcana - google it in Mk for it's website and fb page etc. They also have a second salon with spa attached in Crownhill, a couple of gridsquares or so over from the other one.

Glad to hear you didn't tip in the circumstances!!

thereinmadnesslies · 20/02/2013 19:41

The hairdressers I go to charge half the adult rate for kids haircuts. I see a 'senior stylist' whatever that means, and a cut and blowdry is £42 which would make it £21 for a child. I've never taken the DC there mind ....

SquinkiesRule · 20/02/2013 19:44

£23? I'd have died paying that much for a 2 year old.
Dd (8) got the works at the hairdressers while I was getting mine coloured the other day, wash condition, cut, blow dried and curled for a tenner, she was in heaven. I gave a couple extra as a tip the woman had kept her amused and happy for nearly an hour.

foreverondiet · 20/02/2013 23:44

Its a lot for a haircut for a 2 year old, and I have never heard of it being priced by time - although I always ask and double check as there is a huge variation in price for little girls hair - from £8 to £25.

I would have been tempted to say - you said £15 max so that's all I am paying its not my fault you took too long.

I pay £6 at barbers for my son, and around £12-£15 for DD (she is 9) - thats in north London - although as I said I always check as have been caught out before.

SirBoobAlot · 20/02/2013 23:53

Jesus I wouldn't pay that for myself.

lurkerspeaks · 20/02/2013 23:55

I agree with your outrage. I tried an naice london/ home counties chain who charged like that. For a cut & blow dry it kind of made sense and my hair cut was no more expensive than usual.

For colour, however, they charged for the whole time you were in the salon, including the time you sit waiting for it to develop (while the hairdresser usually sees another client). My straightforward highlights cost around £180 quid. (they usually cost about £70).

I never went back after expressing my anger. Applying it in this way is totally daft.

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