Should I be upset at paying £300 for haircut

[charlieginger1987]

Hi ladies,
Have waited 7 months to get my hair done and finally went today. I got a full head of balayage highlights, a root tint to cover my greys and a cut and blow dry. The website was really unclear and it said £130 for a full head of balayage. Knowing sometimes that hairdressers add optional extras I budgeted £180 just in case. I got to the till, the receptionist seemed awkward, didn't confirm the price straightaway, so I asked her what it was, and £300 appeared on the credit card machine. I can only guess that she didn't say the figure out loud because she was embarrassed to charge me that much. I didn't want to say too much in front of a full salon full of people but I simply said "wow that's expensive?" She shrugged and didn't say anything but "your e-receipt will be sent directly to you". I thought I'd best pay and then query the receipt later as I already felt so embarrassed and caught off guard.

Looking at the receipt they have charged me for:
£130 full head of balayage
£65 full head of permanent colour
£65 ladies cut and finish
£35 olaplex
£5 tip
Total: £300

Am I right to be completely shocked at the price of this?? It did take 4 hours and I have long thick hair but really? Have you ever heard of a haircut this expensive and fellow hair stylists, does this price sound reasonable to you?

Needless to say I have sent Rush an email but am I being unreasonable questioning the price of this haircut?

I was also not told of what the total price would be and had extras added. My other friend who recommend his salon, later went back and was charged £170- when she usually only paid £100. I honestly wouldn't go back and he will lose a lot of customers like this.Try to enjoy your new hair and think of the total divided by the number of months in a year.

I’ve had that dye/haircut and paid I think around £200. £300 does seem dear! Especially for a rush Salon it’s not a fancy Salon in the west end is it!

“ Just go to Trevor Sorbie. Best balayage, same price, and they always explain if there are extras and how much they cost.”

From their website: 2 hr service is £225-325, depending on who is doing it. The cheapest is 1/2 hour - that’s a touch up price. If you have thick hair like OP, you end up charged extra.

Jesus Christ I'm glad I'm a bloke. Pay max of £15 for a cut

Just to add, the one time I enquired about it in a London salon, their website stated starting at £175... however when I chatted to them while getting my cut and they casually ran their hair through my short Bob cut, they estimated I’d be looking at £250-300. I have fairly thin hair, but I have a shitloads of said thin hair which is quite deceptive and tricky for hairdressers.

Ran their hand through my hair, I meant.

I wish there was an edit button on this dino site.

I’m in Manchester not London but I pay £120 for the same thing here. Cut, blow, roots, balayage, olaplex treatment and a tiny bottle of olaplex oil to take home. If a salon asked for £300 I’d call the police that’s daylight robbery.

I’d query that!

@NeverBeenNormal

My local hairdressers ask you to pay upfront when you make the appointment. £32 for a cut and blow dry. £300 is absolutely insane even for having a lot done.

The OP didn't have just a cut and blow dry though. That's like saying it's a rip-off paying £40 for a three course meal because you had a bacon sandwich from Pam's Baps for £3.75.

I get my hair done a lot. They shouldn’t be charging you for a full tint if you only had your roots done. Cheeky buggers. Rush are well known for lots of added extras.

I have short, bleached hair. I once enquired with Rush how much it would be to sort my hair, they quoted £280 - this is why I time my visits home to Scotland for when I need my hair done; as my hairdresser charges me £36 for a cut, tone, bleach and style 😂

Wow that’s expensive.
I pay approx £120.00 for roots and cut and blow dry which feels expensive to me, yes I am in the salon hours but it’s not just me, they put colour on, leave me to do someone else then wash it off and cut and dry.
I used to go every 4/5 weeks but then started to stretch to 6/7 weeks after I started to think about how much it was costing per year.

@HaveringWavering

I feel sorry for any hairdressers reading this thread and seeing how little people value their skills and experience.

This with enormous bells on! I don’t work in hairdressing anymore but many hairdressers aren’t earning masses and it’s a tiring job being on your feet all day. I can’t imagine what it’s like in all the PPE etc. People value their appearance and want to look nice but want the people doing it to charge little for it, it’s sad.

I do think this does sound expensive but Rush are an expensive chain even outside of London. However lots of people boasting about how cheap their hairdresser is need to think whether they are underpaying particularly for colour services when they have to cover the cost of all the products and materials as well as their time. I have no idea how some of these hairdressers make a living!

My hairdresser comes up my house and I pay £35 for a cut and blow dry. I have a half head bleach highlights which is about £60. I consider that reasonable to cover her costs and time - it’s her business not someone doing me a favour!

Also I can’t think of any salons I work at, work with, or have been to which included a cut and finish in their colour prices. They are 2 separate services so they each come with a charge.

*worked not work

Room - these sorts of threads always go the same way. People piling in saying they pay pennies for this, that and the other. They seem almost proud that they are paying less than minimum wage and getting one over on the person that is doing their hair.

Having said that the big error the OP made was not asking for a price up front. I don’t colour my hair but have been to Central London in previous years. I love the experience, all glamorous and once I saw a Spice Girl!

If you are In Central London and you have thick hair and want it coloured surely you would wonder at least how much it would cost?

Bonkers. I went to a well known chain last year when they were having a 50% colour sale. Got a full head of highlights and a trim. Went to pay and it was £215 (including a conditioner that was literally thrust into my hands as I was about to pay). I handed over my card, slightly shocked but said nothing. Walking home I thought I'd ring when I got home to say they clearly hadn't taken off the 50%. Wrong. I got an itemised receipt in my email - the cut alone was £70. Definitely not worth that.

Did you have a full head of colour and then balayage on top??? 🥴
It sounds insane money to me.

Is that normal prices for london?

@Moonstone1234

Room - these sorts of threads always go the same way. People piling in saying they pay pennies for this, that and the other. They seem almost proud that they are paying less than minimum wage and getting one over on the person that is doing their hair.

Having said that the big error the OP made was not asking for a price up front. I don’t colour my hair but have been to Central London in previous years. I love the experience, all glamorous and once I saw a Spice Girl!

If you are In Central London and you have thick hair and want it coloured surely you would wonder at least how much it would cost?

Yeah you are right. It’s sad though. People who provide services like hairdressing (which most people do use) are under valued - as lockdown has shown us they are missed when they aren’t available!

No-one's actually explained why its all so expensive, unless I missed it

Wow that’s a lot! Most I’ve paid is £100

I’d expect that for the area - not saying it isn’t expensive though. The tip is very cheeky though

Often a great hair cut and colour can transform someone. Why so little value is given to it is beyond me. London prices are of course more expensive but Birmingham, Manchester etc have their own snazzy salons with some fab talent.

I love the experience but horses for courses. I could say the same about cars, they get you from A to B. Why spend £40k when you can get a car for say £1k....

Why aren’t people more assertive and ask for a clear price upfront? I always ask, I’ve had lots of looks from the hairdresser who act as if I’m the only person who has ever asked before but I don’t care. I want to know exactly how much something will cost before committing to it.

@Macncheeseballs You have missed it.

1. OP had four different treatments. The first was the balayage. The second was the root colour - balayage does not include colouring roots. The third was the cut and blow dry. (OP mistakenly and inexplicably thought they were all included with the balayage). The fourth the olaplex, which they offered on the day and OP accepted.

1. Rush is a chain which is on the more expensive side. They’re nothing special, but they tend to have branches in central and nicer parts of London. So it was always going to be more expensive because OP is in London but then even more expensive because OP went to a chain. £65 for a cut and blow dry is actually very normal for London. All the prices are advertised on the Rush website but as mentioned, OP thought the balayage would include a hair cut (it doesn’t) and root colour (it doesn’t).

Everyone here is comparing their cheaper salons but you can’t compare a salon chain in the City of London with a small salon on the west costs of Scotland. TBH, the prices OP quoted are actually on very common in London.