To think I shouldn't have had to pay the hairdresser twice?

[Peachypips78]

I'll try and explain exactly what happened so that I can get a true picture as to whether IABU or not! This may be completely normal.

Last week I went to a new hairdresser (because she has just opened in our village and we have never had one before- much more convenient too). I had a full head of highlights and a trim. At the end she said that my roots hadn't lifted as well as the rest of my hair (which had had previous highlights) and that they were still quite 'warm' (her words). She then said see what it looks like over the next couple of days, and if you aren't happy come back. Her exact words. I paid £70 which is on the higher end of average for down here- I normally pay £60.

My roots were quite gingery after a couple of days and there was a noticeable difference between them and the rest of my hair, so I made another appointment. Totally not her fault as I understand that it's not an exact science.

Went to my second appointment today. She redid the highlights on the roots but they still didn't lift, so she put a toner on to blend it all in. The colour wasn't what I had originally asked for but I thought hey ho, at least it all matches now. I decided to buy some fancy conditioner and went to the till.

She charged me £70 again!!! It wasn't a mistake as we had been chatting the whole time about the previous visit. I stupidly paid because we live in a small village and I would bump into her constantly and also two other people I knew were in the salon at the time. I was also being a wuss.

I'm thinking of going back tomorrow to ask for my money back. AIBU?

Definitely raise it. Is she the owner?

She messed up. She should fix. I agree with those who say go back and do the “I didn’t want to cause a scene with so many customers about but....” routine.
I’d get there at 9am or at closing time so it may be a little quiet for five minutes which backs up your point of wanted a quiet word with fewer people or nobody around.
See what she says.
There may be something about such issues on trading standards or citizens advice websites that you could arm yourself with first. I’ve gone back when one thick highlight stood out amongst all the thin ones and my hairdresser fixed it free washed and blow dried it free. Good customer service speaks volumes.

If you live in a small village then I would think she should be more mindful of her business. Other people are going to think charging you £70 twice is pretty bad and if she doesn’t give you at least half the money back you should be voting with your feet and not returning.

I had my hair cut in the next town along. In conversation, it came out that I lived in the posher town. Paid the price-thought it was more expensive than my usual hairdresser but let it go. On checking on their website later, I discovered that she had charged me 15% extra than her price list displayed. It was just for a trim.

Can't help thinking that she fleeced me because of where I live and would love to go and point this out to her but I'm a coward!

Yes she is the owner.

I think what makes it worse is that we actually got on well!

Maybe she thought there was nothing wrong with it this afternoon..

Your village really doesn’t have another hair salon?

No- only 2,000 people. One Londis, a new salon where a hardware shop used to be and a random antiques shop!

She admitted herself the colour wasnt quite right. She told you to come back in if not happy, she should have adjusted foc. Thats what i would have done. Shes a cf for charging you at all never mind the full whack again. Defo go back.

No she is out of order . YANBU Op

Go and ask for a refund or she will see you as a walkover . (Don't mean that horrible, just that that kind would). If she does that to others though I don't see her business surviving long.

In this instance, I would expect that she will be reliant on word of mouth in a smaller village community, and therefore more willing to please. She would be foolish to let one local customer walk out the door and spread negative reviews.

@Peachypips78

I have to admit, I am a bit fat chicken who doesn't like confrontation much, especially so close to home.

If I was overcharged in tesco or morrisons I would go to customer services, but a village hairdresser who you live near to and whose kids go to school with yours, I would be afraid of causing bad feeling..

Then again, SHE should feel bad really, for charging TWO times £70, to correct your chuffin' hair when she didn't do it right first time!

I think I would probably leave it, but NEVER use her again. If she quizzes why, you could mention it then (discreetly to her only...)

As other people have said, it's very unusual for a hairdresser to charge twice like this. And £70 is a lot of money!

@DollyPomPoms

Same as PP, could you turn it around and say you didn’t want to make a fuss in front of other customers. Or if the salon was empty you could say ‘oh silly us, we got carried away chatting and I paid twice, silly me’ ... tinkly laugh.

Hmmm, not a bad idea. Try this maybe OP?

A couple of similar things have happened to me with hairdressers. I have booked in for a dry cut, and the cost was £18, and she said 'do you want me to wet it and then blow dry it?' Then was charged £28 instead. Or 'do you want some honey and cherry serum on the ends to get rid of the flyaway-ness?' 'Ummm yeah OK' I said.' Then the £18 cut becomes £23.50 An extra £5.50 for a blob of serum that I could fit in a thimble.

Upselling I think it's called.

I think we all need to ask if said 'extra thing' being offered to us is going to incur a charge. (Although, they should bleeping well tell us!)

You really must go back. A few years ago, my highlights turned out really stripey and I hated them. They quickly rectified the colour, free of charge and threw in a free head massage and deep conditioning treatment for the inconvenience. That’s what a good salon SHOULD do.

Thanks all. I thought it wasn't right!

I think I'll send he a message- I know it's a bit wet but otherwise there's always going to be customers I know in there.

How is this:

Hi- this is xxx here- you recoloured my hair yesterday afternoon. I didn't feel I could say at the time as there were two other customers in the shop (that I know well) but I don't think you should have charged me for the colour again- in effect I have paid £140 for a cut and colour that should have only cost £70. When I had it done the first time you told me to come back if I wasn't happy and said the roots were still 'warm'. I took this to mean you would correct it as part of the price. If I had known it was going to cost another £70 I would have left it as it was. I know it wasn't your fault that my roots wouldn't lift, but that shouldn't mean I should pay double. I have never heard of this happening anywhere else.

I feel a nicety is needed at the end but not sure what!

Depends on the conversation before the first treatment. Dsd bleached her blonde hair white one summer, and in her teen wisdom used a blonde box dye to get it back to normal when she got visible roots. Hairdresser did warn us that dsds now white, bronze and yellow hair might not take to the high and low lights evenly first time so we expected to pay for a second attempt when they didn't.

That's terrible! I have had my hair highlighted for years and I've never heard of it not lifting!

I would say the start of the message but I wouldn't say I know it's not your fault..she is at fault here.

She really should be keeping customers happy especially with a new business! She will have a lot of trouble ahead of her if that's the way she runs business

It is her fault. Did she do a strand test on you?

I wouldn’t say it wasn’t her fault the roots didn’t lift, surely if she knew her colours and peroxide it would have.

Definitely ask for your money back.

Hi- this is xxx here- you recoloured my hair yesterday afternoon. I didn't feel I could say at the time as there were two other customers in the shop (that I know well) but I don't think you should have charged me for the colour again. The first cut and colour was £70 and you charged an additional £70 to correct the roots. You had noted after the first colour that the roots hadn't coloured properly and asked me to come back to correct this if I wasn't happy after a couple of days. I had assumed this correction would be complimentary due to the colour being incorrect on the day and your acknowledgement of the same.

I would appreciate it if you could refund the £70 that was charged for the correction work. As I had noted initially, I didn't dispute the charge at the time due to knowing people who were in the salon and not wanting to negatively impact your business.

Look forward to discussing at your earliest convenience

Does the 2nd £70 include the cost of the conditioner?

I just rearranged your email:

Hi X

Wondering if you could clarify the cost of my appointment. I am a bit confused after paying £140 for my cut and colour which was initially quoted as £70, could you please look into this?

I know it wasn't your fault that my roots didn’t lift the first time, but you told me to come back if I wasn't happy due to my roots being quite warm in comparison to my lengths. I took this to mean that you would correct the root colour as part of the price. If I had known it was going to cost another £70 I would have left it as it was.

I didn't feel comfortable discussing the cost yesterday as there were other customers in the shop (that I know well) and I didn’t want to make a fuss, but I wasn't expecting to be charged £70 for the root correction.

I must admit I've never had my hair coloured professionally, so I may be talking rubbish. However if it is the case that,, as you said in your message to the hairdresser, that it wasn't her fault that the dye wouldn't work on the roots, I can't see why she should bear the cost.

But you obviously are entitled to a refund in respect of the trimming element of the cost.

Does the 2nd £70 include the cost of the conditioner?

This!

Don’t say it wasn’t her fault they didn’t lift. She did something wrong, knew it and offered to correct it. She then charged you.

You know what, just don't go back there. If she carries on behaving like that, she won't have much of a customer base from the village and she'll be the one to lose out in the end.

For the sake of harmony, I probably wouldn't say anything, especially with kids in the same school.