Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

142 replies

Peachypips78 · 21/11/2019 19:30

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?

OP posts:
MissLadyM · 21/11/2019 22:52

She's taking the piss. She should have corrected it with no charge. You need to talk to her or this will fester. It's tough tits that you're in a small village but she sounds like a crap hairdresser anyway!

Lhastingsmua · 21/11/2019 22:54

She does sound crap tbh

Heartburn888 · 21/11/2019 22:55

Sounds odd that she couldn’t get it to lift again the second time around. Do you know if she used bleach or tint? If it was tiny, it wouldn’t lift any other tint, she would need to bleach.

IMO she should have given you purple shampoo or suggested you purchase some after your first visit to take the warm tones out.

She sounds crap, sorry to say.

coldfeetallthetime · 21/11/2019 22:59

Love that a PP seems unable to believe there might only be one hair salon in a village. I went to school in a village with a school, a pub and a newsagent. Is that so hard to believe? The village I lived in didn’t even have a shop.

OP I’d have acted similar if it were me this happened to. I’m so British and awkward about stuff and wound rather save face than money at times it would appear Blush

Lhastingsmua · 21/11/2019 23:02

@coldfeetallthetime some of us have lived in cities our entire lives. Is that so hard to believe? I live in London so only having access to 1 salon is unheard of here.

coldfeetallthetime · 21/11/2019 23:07

It was my point exactly Confused

SheSaidHummingbird · 21/11/2019 23:38

In the village where I grew up we had very few grocers, butchers, post offices.... but So. Many. Estate agents. It was nuts. Everytime a business closed it would be replaced with another estate agents.

TildaKauskumholm · 21/11/2019 23:43

I had a similar crappy colour done once, looked very orangey and a million miles from the Ash blonde we had discussed at length. It was late so she told me to come back the next day for toning. I did not offer to pay or go to the reception saying I would do it when the colour was corrected. Next day after the toner, and still not happy, I said I would not pay the full amount but half. There was a bit of a standoff then she agreed. I told everyone I knew not to use that salon, and that was the final straw after years of crappy hairdresser visits. Have not been to one since, cut it myself now and have embraced the grey - now I have natural Ash blonde hair.

NewNameForMeNewNameForMe · 21/11/2019 23:59

What k1233 put. Perfect!

This is the reason why I have a phobia of & rarely use hairdressers. Its not a properly regulated business. Literally any Tom Dick or Harry can call themselves a "Hairdresser" & start charging after a short 9-month course or nowadays a few YouTube videos.

I come from a hairdressing family & grew up in the industry, (trained as a hairdresser myself but never did it as a business) so I know how bad most people claiming to be hairdressers are. I have very long hair & will see a hairdresser every few years. Every time I let my guard down I end up regretting it, which is disappointing as hell! I am desperate to get a proper cut & colour, but refuse to pay a fortune only to look like a trainee did it.

BlackCatSleeping · 22/11/2019 00:20

A salon opened in my mum’s village. My mum was pleased. Then, she found out that the owner could only cut men’s hair, then, that she could only do the one style. Then, that she wasn’t even very good at cutting that style. Needless to say, the salon didn’t last long. But, I don’t get why people open a business when they are not very good at what they do.

Bloodless · 22/11/2019 00:31

This happened to me one time, I didn’t say anything but annoyed me.

I don’t think you should have had to pay, she made the mistake so she should fix it for free. She’s either not left the bleach on for long enough or not used a strong enough peroxide to get the desired lift.

MistyCloud · 22/11/2019 01:30

@Peachypips78

You need to send the message by @k1233 It is perfect...

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.

THIS. Perfect. Concise and assertive without being arsey or confrontational.

Sorry but don't send the re-arranged email that @Lhastingsmua wrote (sorry to that poster. Blush ) You don't want to be saying 'I know it's not your fault' to this hairdresser, because it IS her fault.

If she doesn't refund you OP, I would be telling everyone about it. Not in a nasty way, but just informing people, so they don't have to suffer the same (costly) fate.

Aridane · 22/11/2019 06:00

That's fine - just send it before you change your mind!

Jubilation · 22/11/2019 07:39

I wouldn't say it wasn't her fault because really it was. I've only once gone back and asked to have my highlights redone and that was because I had previously seen a bride-to-be get hers changed not once but twice! It would never have occured to me before that. My hairdresser was completely fine. It didn't take as long as the initial session(no cut, just correction which was adding lighter ones)and there was no fuss and no charge. And I went back for years.

TheMidasTouch · 22/11/2019 07:45

My hairdresser wouldn't have charged for the second visit but she probably wouldn't have asked you to see what it's like in a couple of days. She is a specialist and, although she owns her own salon, she is also a colour Consultant and trains hairdressers in other salons in techniques.

You should have said something before paying but it is worth going back. She hopefully won't want bad reviews.

Original poster
Peachypips78 · 22/11/2019 08:19

Love the correction Misty- it's makes it more clear. I'll send that now.

We don't have an estate agent but we do have a wall of estate agent boards!!!

OP posts:
Original poster
Peachypips78 · 22/11/2019 08:20

Sorry it was K1233 originally!

OP posts:
UnderTheButtNutHut · 22/11/2019 09:43

I've used a few hairdressers over the years who didn't charge for correcting their mistakes but one who made it quite clear that when the colour didn't come out as I had wanted that she would correct it but I'd have to pay for the dyes etc used and her time would be free. She insisted it was because I had too much colour build up in my hair but as I pointed out, I had at that time been using only her for colouring so she knew exactly what she was dealing with and that I wasn't paying for her to correct it. She still refused but her colleague intervened and fixed my hair without charge while the other hairdresser glared at us. That was my last visit there even though I really liked what the second hairdresser did in the end.

edwardcullensotherwoman · 22/11/2019 10:08

Before you send it OP, you should take off the cost of the conditioner if that was included in the second £70. I'm a hairdresser myself and you're right it's not an exact science, BUT if a process doesn't come out as it should I wouldn't charge the customer again. And the way she worded it to you didn't suggest that there would be a charge for correction. If that's her policy she should make it clear when she advises people to come back.
Otherwise, that message sounds great (but please change the cost to take out the conditioner or she might think you want it for free Grin)

fickthisshut · 22/11/2019 10:14

Yes that email is perfect. Definitely send.

Original poster
Peachypips78 · 22/11/2019 11:20

Thanks all. Took off conditioning cost quite rightly!!

I messaged her and at first she said no, but then came back later and told me to come in and she will refund.

I wonder if she talked to someone in the meantime.

OP posts:
bumpertobumper · 22/11/2019 11:25

Sounds like one of her friends is a MNer and told her that the consensus was she should refundGrin
Well done op, glad it worked out for you

SirVixofVixHall · 22/11/2019 11:27

She said no at first ? She sounds terrible! At least you know never to go there again.

GeorgieTheGorgeousGoat · 22/11/2019 11:49

Shock what did her message say? Will you be using her again?

Yesmate · 22/11/2019 12:55

Please let us see the response OP. Wonder if she saw this thread?!

Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.

Join Mumsnet Log In

This thread is closed and is no longer accepting replies. Click here to start a new thread.

Swipe left for the next trending thread