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?

It's a lot of money but unfortunately I don't think it's a mistake, apart from the all over hair tint, that should be for a root tint and they shouldn't have added tip!

Balayage is not like your usual highlights, it doesn't start at the roots and you have to be quite experienced at it so doubt the junior stylists would be doing it unless absolutely necessary, it takes a lot longer and requires more skill. This is why your roots would have to be tinted as an add on, but ask them why they charged you for a full head tint.

I had similar happen to me a couple of years ago - not exactly the same details on the work done but similar. I was expecting about £180 from pricing I could see plus some additions in my head and it came to £330 ... this was also Rush. I've not been back there and I don't recommend them as I felt the charging was both misleading and not communicated adequately - shame really as the work done was fab and I loved the cut!

You haven’t had a full head colour in addition to the full head balayage, just a root colour. Did you ask for the olaplex treatment? If it was a necessary measure for what you had done you should have been informed first. I’d say, with your thick, long hair, that £200 wouldn’t have been shocking but £300 seems excessive!

I don’t think it’s that bad. I have a guy who comes to my house and charges £180 for a cut and colour (I have to wash my own hair and sweep up the hair).
I also do go to the aforementioned Richard Ward in London for a cut which is around £100 for a senior stylist but not the man himself or a top stylist.

In comparison £300 doesn’t seem a like a lot, but on its own it seems extortionate.

Why didnt you check the price first fully?

*go to

I’ve paid 180 there and that was the limit after the first lockdown they put their prices up and now they’ve done it again. It’s not even worth it and i refuse to go to this chain now and support local instead. Crazy.

100%ludicrous - they are taking the p*ss - make sure to give them a frank honest write up online so that others are warned - many people would not have that amount if money to spare, what would they have done if you didn't have the money I wonder

As a balding bloke I only pay about seven quid!

Cripes that’s outrageous! I went to Rush last year as a treat, it cost twice what I’d estimated from the website price list thanks to all the ‘extras’ they hadn’t explained were charged on top. Like when they said “ok we’ll use this conditioning treatment to help the finish if that’s ok”, no mention of the costly charge for said treatment! I went this weekend for my first cut in about a year, to a local salon in Peckham and they weren’t cheap, but a lot less than Rush and did a brilliant job!

I think it sounds odd that you’ve paid for a full head of colour and a balayage. Other than that, that’s what it costs unless you go to a small local cheap hairdressers (curl up and dye etc )

I Always ask the price BEFORE I go in. That way, there are no surprises. How lobg did it take? I usually value things ob the time take plus materials cost. For example, for car maintenance £40 to £50 per hour plus parts. For a builder or carpenter (who woks physically hard) about £180 per day. So for a hairdresser, typically £20 per hour plus products. So if it takes 30mins, then £10 is reasonable. £65 for your hair cut must have raken 3 hours! With regard to the hairdresser having overhead costs (rent, electricity, water, etc) you already covered them in the other treatments.
If you do not agree the price at the start, it is difficult to haggle later. However, I would have negotiated at the checkout even with customers in the room. The hairdresser wouldn't want othet customers to hear a fuss, so they would probably have reduced it by half, saying it was a typing error. Now they have your money, its hard to get it back. By agreeing to pay yoy entered a contract. You might be able to claim from your credit card provider if it was an error. You need to read the terms and conditions carefully. Contact Citizens advice.

SUCH a lot.
I was caught out similarly when I had a cut & then the stylist said, "Would you like me to curl it for you?" I said, well if you're not busy... very naive of me, I know.

I had been expecting to pay £65 for the cut, but at the till I was charged twice as much because the stylist said she charges £65 per hour - and of course she had just spent another hour curling my hair with her hot tongs. Which I could easily have done myself at home, or got my sister to do.
I paid it, but really they need to make clear in advance what they are charging before you get a nasty surprise at the till!

This is exactly what Rush do and are known for. Made that mistake once and will never visit a salon of theirs again and advise everyone I know to steer well clear. Sorry this has happened to you, I would definitely raise a complaint

@DirtyDancing

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

The overcharge is £10, not £65. Root colour is £65 so it's the difference.

The tip is definitely cheeky.

Ring them up and request a £15 refund for the overcharge and tip.

I'm not sure if you can do much about the Olaplex.

Crikey, I feel that I’m a very lucky bunny.
My hairstylist phoned me to book my appointment in advance of lockdown ending and I explained that I was wanting a complete hair makeover.
She charged me only £70 for treating my block dyed mid brown hair with 5 months growth of salt & pepper roots. Cut it from past shoulder blade length to a 1 inch below chin bob, added highlights and lowlights and a toner to blend the grey growth. My intention is to grow my natural grey, gracefully I hope, may only need to have this same treatment once more in a few months time, as suggested by my hairstylist. Will have it trimmed regularly though. Love my new look & I did tip an extra £20.🙂

@Tomasinabombadil

Crikey, I feel that I’m a very lucky bunny. My hairstylist phoned me to book my appointment in advance of lockdown ending and I explained that I was wanting a complete hair makeover. She charged me only £70 for treating my block dyed mid brown hair with 5 months growth of salt & pepper roots. Cut it from past shoulder blade length to a 1 inch below chin bob, added highlights and lowlights and a toner to blend the grey growth. My intention is to grow my natural grey, gracefully I hope, may only need to have this same treatment once more in a few months time, as suggested by my hairstylist. Will have it trimmed regularly though. Love my new look & I did tip an extra £20.🙂

Forgot to mention that my hairstylist works at home and is fairly picky on the clients she works with, I’ve been with her for about 25 years and have had quite a few different colours and styles during that time. An added bonus is, weather permitting, I can sit in her lovely garden enjoying a mug of coffee too.🙂

OH MY GOD... That's ridiculous amount of money. And I didn't want to pay £35 for a trim. I better let my DH do it for free

This thread goes a long way to explain why there are so many people walking around with pretty awful hair!

I’m enjoying the competitive undercutting from the people who spend 50p on a haircut and cover their greys with shoe polish.

For what it’s worth, I believe box dye can be fine for some hair colours but it’s a disaster for blondes. You can tell when Holly Willoughby has used contractually-obliged Garnier.

I've been researching hairdressers prices recently. I caught my breath at £55 for a colour and cut. £300 is obscene, I know what you mean though about not making a fuss at the time. I bet this place relies on it. Maybe get a complete quote before beginning next time?

I live in York which is expensive but not London prices. I pay £97 for my cut, colours and finish. I've been with my hairdresser alot of years. She is good and trained in salon working in a select salon though not a branded place.

She is worth it. I would have said up to £200 fie London. £300! Wow just don't go there again

Did they give you a quote at the start?

To me they double charged you on the colour. Whole point of balayage is to have roots find another colour. Very steep on oplex and cut. Cheeky for them to add in £5 tip too!

Jeez, I'm not one for expensive haircuts, I either do it myself (or get DH to trim the ends) or go when there's a student needing a model so I'm probably not the best person to ask. I have holidays that cost less than that.