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?

Take the receipt back and say "I'm sorry, but I've overpaid. I didn't have a full head of colour, I had roots only. And I didn't ask for the Olaplex, so I'm not paying for that. I would like £70 back please."

I was in the hairdressers for 5 hours last week. I have LOTS of hair- my hairdresser saysI have three times the average person. Root touch up and highlights. £115. Worth every penny.
My hairdresser has said the next two (possibly three) visits will be lower cost as he’ll only do root touch up.

You need a new hairdresser! Ozzie Rizzo in Richmond is v good I find. If you are not in that area have a look around and try asking for recommendations near you. In my experience paying top dollar for hairdressing does not get better results.

I’ve had a similar thing happen ... they charged for a wash and blow dry even though like you I was having highlights and a root colour. And the stylist seemed embarrassed although she did tell me the cost when I was in the chair before she started. I just didn’t go back ....

Your hair is fabulous, Siddalee. I'm very jealous.

It’s the full head of permanent colour that would piss me off. I would assume that balayage included all of the colour (as in what’s underneath and what’s on top).
Of course the cut was going to be on top - as was the olaplex.

That colour is amazing sidalee

@FourTurnings @GreyhoundG1rl thanks. I think my hairdresser is a genius. He really thinks ahead too so that I’m not having to pay over the odds at each visit. I’ve been with him 20 years.
I’m 53!! My mother thinks it’s shameless having hair this long at my age 🤣🤣🤣

That's outrageous. Not so much the cost of the items per se (well, it is, but that's another thread) but that they charged you for a full head of permanent colour that you didn't have AND had the audacity to add a tip!

The fact that the receptionist 'seemed awkward' and was unwilling to confirm the price straightaway, then didn't say it out loud, clearly shows, to my mind, that she knew they were ripping you off. And it's shit customer service to just shrug when a customer asks about the cost.

You really shouldn't have just paid up, but now you have I think all you can do is complain. And I'd go straight to head office. Make clear what you want (if it were me I'd want the £65 back and the £5 tip, and I'd strongly suggest they should add something for goodwill.) And make clear also that if you don't get what you want, you'll name and shame them all over social media and will be contacting trading standards and any official trade bodies they might belong to, to take up the issue of the unclear pricing on the website as well as the actions of the receptionist on the day.

Go on trustpilot and have a look at the reviews. They do this a lot - biggest complaints are unclear pricing, adding in treatments without consultation and cancelling appointments at the drop of a hat. There are also quite a few complaints about ruined hair and unprofessional handling of complaints.

I wouldn't have paid. I'd have told them they quoted £130 and never mentioned any extra charges so that's all you will pay. They cannot logically charge for a full village and a full colour it is one and the same thing. I'd contact your card company and advise they were not authorised to take that much and as they withheld the recipient till later you were unaware exactly what they were charging for. I'd also contact the salon and demand your money back for one or the other colour or advise you will be contacting trading standards. If you didn't specifically ask for a olaplex I'd request that back too. If you paid by credit card then your card company will investigate anything extra taken.

[quote Siddalee]**@FourTurnings* @GreyhoundG1rl* thanks. I think my hairdresser is a genius. He really thinks ahead too so that I’m not having to pay over the odds at each visit. I’ve been with him 20 years.
I’m 53!! My mother thinks it’s shameless having hair this long at my age 🤣🤣🤣[/quote]
You're 53! Seriously, that is the hair of a teenager. Either you have incredible genes, or your hairdresser is indeed a genius.
Amazing. God I'd be so thrilled if it was mine.

Where on earth did you have this done I’m just outside London but I’ve never heard of this sort of prices I wouldn’t have given a tip either as far as I’m concerned they have had a hundred pound tip ,

I pay £170 for a full head of highlights plus another £75 for a cut.

I was given a Rush voucher for my birthday that included all different types of treatment as a menu type thing. I started with a cut but it was so bad I never went back. Few years later, different county different Rush salon, went for cut and colour and it was again dreadful (and expensive for what it was) so I have since vowed never to use them again. This is despite people raving about this chain of salons. I just don’t find them good quality.

I think city centre salons are generally quite expensive, as opposed to the ones in suburban areas? If you want multiple services they can really add up.
You miss the point. They added a £65 full head of permanent colour that the OP didn't have. And said olaplex was 'about £20 or £30' and then added on a fiver. It's really sharp and they shouldn't get away with it.

Yes you should. That's an insane amount. Usually the prices should be combined. £120 is what the price should be at a middle class salon and £180 at highendish.

You’ve been overcharged £65 full head of permanent colour. You can’t have that + full head of ballyarge as well. It’s not physically possible

Complain to your credit card company instead.

I wouldn't have paid it, they weren't clear in the first place. What on earth is a balayage?? Do you really need all that? I've let the grey grow in and my hair feels so much better texture wise and the white streak makes my blue eyes look more vivid! Mind you I hardly ever go to the hairdresser as have think wavy, ringletty, wiry ( Nicole Kidman, Julia Roberts) hair that does its own thing whatever, learnt this in my teens when thinks like the Perdy were in and page boys, used to try to sellotape my hair to my cheeks while it was drying. Thank god for all these wonderful black hair products, a godsend to people like me! I get a pair of scissors and chop of the ends. Occasionally might go to the HD and get it layered. Once every 5 years! I once went and got is straightened for a business meeting as (ex) business partner said my hair didn't look professional! There is a lot of discrimination against curly hair and the two stars above don't help as don't always show their natural hair.

Oh and I just paid £200 at a fairly expensive London salon for similar : half head Bally, olaplex, cut and finish. You just need the £65 back. Unless you were at Richard Ward in Chelsea or something you never pay £300 in any other non central London salon

When you mentioned it was in Rush, alarm bells rang. This has happened to me, not quite as much as that but still a lot more than what I expected. So, since I have only gone on the days when they have 50% off colour treatments. I then go through in detail exactly the price of everything and ask each time they offer another treatment etc.This is so I am not too shocked at the end of the session. It is still a huge price though and when they ask if I want to rebook in six weeks I say I will phone! Once or twice a year is all I could muster!

That’s bloody ridiculous and I would have refused to pay all that. What they can what they want to make up for lost revenue

YANBU - they wrongly charged you for a full head of colour as well as a full head balayage... unless you have two heads, this is ridiculous! Roots should have been sorted as part of the balayage imo... most i’ve paid was £180 in a central london for the same. Defo complain and be firm with them.

I don’t like Rush myself and have not been happy the couple of times I’ve been. Wouldn’t go again. However I do think it’s really unfair that people are saying the hair colour price you were quoted for should also have included a cut and blow dry. That would never be the case and you would alway paid extra. It’s a different service. You wouldn’t have a leg to stand on if you try to claim that this is overcharging.
If you had an electrician round to put in some plug sockets at an agreed price then you wouldn’t expect her to also wire up your spare room and not charge you. You did have a lot of services. And did they put the tip on or did you suggest it?