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?

What do they charge to use the toilet? That is one reason I will never use a chain hairdressers, I once went to Sak's for a cut & blow & even with a voucher nearly fainted at what they charged. For £300 I would want it gold plated.

Yesterday I paid £68 for a full colour, cut, blow dry, straighteners plus £5 tip and I thought that was expensive. You paid £130 for the parts of your appointment the same as mine, which is almost double. I would rethink where you go for the future op. Your roots will come through and need doing at the same rate as mine and there are good hairdressers around, who charge a lot less. Maybe get some recommendations from people whose hair you like who live in your area. I didn't have the other treatments but just can't imagine paying £300 for a visit to the hairdressers.

@normalsaline

What should you tip? I just normally bung a fiver to my hairdresser on top of c. 150€ because I just feel like I basically want to 'buy her a drink' type thing because I'm happy with the work and we always have a fun time chatting. Is it like a restaurant where you should do a set percentage?

I don't think it's possible they did full head and balayage in one go, on thick hair in 4 hrs That doesn't add up and I suspect that's not what you had done or asked for. Definitely query the full head charge, looks like they're having you on there. Also tipping should be goodwill, not compulsory.

Fucking hell 😲🤯. I paid £90 for balayage, root colour, cut and finish yesterday, and my hairdresser nipped over the road to Tesco and bought my lunch for me. You too could have the same plus a return train ticket from London for less than what youve paid, OP !

Normally the cut and finish is included in the price of the balyage? That’s obscene and I hope it’s a mistske

I've never known a hairdresser to include a cut and finish in with a colour service.

@EmbarrassingAdmissions

Olaplex can be bought online for about £26 and the bottle lasts a few washes depending how long/thick your hair is.

Do several posters recommend Olaplex? I've never heard of it before but my hair is definitely a little out of condition that's a euphemism as it hasn't been trimmed since 2019.

I use it once every week, my hair is highlighted. I sleep with it on then rinse and shampoo in the morning. Someone will probably come along soon and say I’m using it too much or for too long though but it works for me.

I don’t see how they can charge for full balayage and permanent colour, i woukd be requesting the £65 back
For me it’s that the bleaching/balayage is an undercoat, and the colour on top is the top coat. But I’m getting “creative colour” on top of balayage bleaching & toning.

I just looked them up on TrustPilot and 49% of their reviews give them 1 star:
www.trustpilot.com/review/rush.co.uk?stars=1

@Chloemol

I don’t see how they can charge for full balayage and permanent colour, i woukd be requesting the £65 back

Along with the tip as that is optional

If they refuse I would leave a truthful review, that they overcharge etc etc

Colour doesn’t go on the roots in balayage nor does it go on as a block colour so roots would be a seperate treatment. I’m guessing the root tint price is only for regrowth between colour whereas a gap of 7 months would be about 5 inches growth for me!

Rush are known for rip off prices. I went as a walk-in once and they did give me a great cut, the best I've ever had but it cost about £70. I was taken aback by that but as I loved the cut so much I decided to bear the cost and go back for another cut after about six weeks.

It was the same stylist as before but this time she made an absolute pigs ear of it. It was lopsided with a clump of hair covering one eye which I was constantly pushing out of the way. For £70.

Five minutes after leaving, I decided to go back and ask for the stylist to change it. The previously charming receptionist turned as cold as ice as soon as I politely complained. No, she can't see you, she's very busy, come back another day, no you can't wait, no you can't talk to her, or wait here.

Luckily the very nice stylist noticed me and seemed happy to change my hair. I never went back to Rush, down to the rudeness of the receptionist and the constant hard sell of products from everyone from the shampooist to the stylist.

Independent salons are much better, I find.

Shakes head in disbelief.
I think it’s one of those those learning from experience moments .
I think you need to find another hairdressers

Carawaybaby I did check the price first... £130 for full head of balayage which last time included the price of a cut. I had a tint to cover my greys at the top, not a full head of perm colour over the top.

You seem more angry about me paying £300 than I am 😂😂

Do they not quote you first ?
You ‘Id like x ‘
Them’ yes that will be £x and take y hours ‘

If you don’t know what you’re paying before you sit in the chair that’s an issue
I think I’d ask for email confirmation of the price too

( I’ve no idea about these things my friend does my hair )

Its around 65 for a cut and colour so why on earth after paying for 2 lots of colour is it still 65 quid to actually cut it?

It doesn't cost 65 quid to cut hair I mean you've already paid fir all the colour etc

They quoted £130 for the balayage and that's what they charged.

I have never had cut & dry included in colour service. I'd query the £65 for full head colour, but base and highlights are frequently charged separately.

Tipping haidressers, since when has this become a thing? You pay them the full price for the services they charge you

@Whatwouldscullydo

Its around 65 for a cut and colour so why on earth after paying for 2 lots of colour is it still 65 quid to actually cut it?

It doesn't cost 65 quid to cut hair I mean you've already paid fir all the colour etc

Because it's exactly as much work as cutting it without colouring it. You may or may not think £65 is reasonable to pay, but it isn't going to change because you also got it coloured.

Ouch!

I haven’t been charged that much but like you, I have been caught off guard before. That was when I was a teenager and I remember the embarrassment of having to spread it across several cards and then walk home because I’d spent my bus fair!

YANBU to have sticker shock but that's about what I pay. I absolutely love my stylist though, she's amazing and I love what she does with my hair.

If I didn't feel that way about how the results looked, £300 wouldn't be worth it.

Actually, I think that is just Rush prices. The reason why you have been charged for the balayage and full colour is that they do highlights or balayage and then put a full colour on over the unfoiled bits to cover up the greys technically so I don't think you have been overcharged

I used to go to them but stopped because it cost so much. Rush is mainly based in London and the south east and it is just very expensive. I was once in Doncaster for work and went for a haircut. I got a fantastic cut and blow dry for £25 that would have cost £80 in London.

I am so sorry you have spent your ipad money but I don't think you can complain about being overcharged in the sense that they made a mistake.

Wow! I’d have gone more ashen faced than my ashen balayage.

As for a charging for a cut on top, depends. Was it a trim only? I can’t imagine what work is needed for long hair. I have short hair so I lack imagination on this front.

I’ve had a £50 haircut today. The worst I’ve had in years. It’s just so boring. Its like “yeah, you’re 50+, this’ll do”. Really pissed off.

oh dear , iv just read their customer reviews , they are terrible and sounds like your not the only one getting done over by the pricing either

But if its 65 fir a cut and colour that includes cut and colour. Unless the colour is free and the cuts 65

Ridiculous. I go to a more expensive salon in the area. Have long, very thick hair. Full head of foils with their best colour technician, cut and finish with salon director and I pay around £150. I'm also in there around 4 hours.