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?

[quote Pomped]@Isthereaduckinthehouse I think you’re thinking of ombré, which is different

Balayage is just freestyle highlights which don’t go right to the root and therefore can look more natural and grow out better[/quote]
Could well be! I got my first ever highlights last year. I've never touched my hair apart from a cut. I've stupidly delicate and fine hair. I currently resemble worzel gummidge.

I got my hair cut last week, full head high lights and cut and blow dry for £93, I can't see why anyone would get highlights plus colour though??

I used to go to Rush regularly but I signed up as a new customer every time with a different email account as i refused to pay the high prices.
Changed jobs now so go more locally and it is one third of the price and a good hair cut.

Wow that’s bonkers! I always thought the colour price quoted included the cut, that’s how it is in mine anyway. I pay around £75 for some balayage highlights, roots done and cut...I’d pass out if it was £300 (granted I’m not in London though). Hope you get a reply from them.

Bloody hell! I pay £65 for cut and colour (full head highlights/toner) and this hairdresser, who works from her back bedroom is hands down the best hairdresser I've ever been to. I've paid ridiculous amounts before for hair and IMO when you pay those crazy prices you're not paying for a more skilled hairdresser, or better products, you're paying for a fancy salon...
I hope it's really lovely OP and sorry you've been diddled.

To be honest, I am in London and I'd like to find a good hairdresser that would charge less than this.

Within walking distance, , I have at least five independents, a Toni and Guy and a Headmasters.

I've just had a look at price lists. All of them charge:
between £50-180 for a wash, cut & blowdry
between £40-75 for root tint (which is what would say you had)
between £90-£160 for Balyage
Between £32-38 for Olaplex

So if I went to any of my locals for what you had, I'd be paying similar. And I do have grey roots which need tinting, and I do have a few colours through my hair which obviously need re-doing and I do have dry hair that would benefit from Olaplex, so unless someone can recommend someone amazing near me, I will have to bite the bullet fairly soon too.

I have emailed them but is this too late to kick up a stink now that I've paid?

Not if they have mischarged you. I don't think they've necessarily mischarged you though, they just charge a lot. They might knock you some money off if you kick up a fuss.

And I don't think they should be doing stuff you haven't agreed to in advance- unless you've said you're ok with that. My friend pays £30 for her Olaplex, so what they've quoted for it isn't outlandish.

Sounds like your hairdressers' are just posh/expensive. You could decide to go elsewhere next time, or be really clear with this lot in advance about what you're paying for or what your budget is.

I just paid about £35 for a 'restyle' to fix my attempts to cut it myself during corona. Didn't actually change much from my effort. It's ok, it wouldn't wow anyone though. I probably could've paid for just a basic cut+finish and that would've been a bit less.

It depends what you want though. You could decide on a budget and shop around.

You're paying for the convenience of the location and the amount of money in said location and how 'time poor' people who work in said location are. It's like the equivalent of paying £3 for a loaf of bread in the convenience store on the corner vs. 80p in Lidl. f

@SheenMcQueen

To be honest, I am in London and I'd like to find a good hairdresser that would charge less than this.

Within walking distance, , I have at least five independents, a Toni and Guy and a Headmasters.

I've just had a look at price lists. All of them charge:
between £50-180 for a wash, cut & blowdry
between £40-75 for root tint (which is what would say you had)
between £90-£160 for Balyage
Between £32-38 for Olaplex

So if I went to any of my locals for what you had, I'd be paying similar. And I do have grey roots which need tinting, and I do have a few colours through my hair which obviously need re-doing and I do have dry hair that would benefit from Olaplex, so unless someone can recommend someone amazing near me, I will have to bite the bullet fairly soon too.

You in Chelsea/Fulham/Kensington? Bit of a stealth boast there.

@SheenMcQueen

To be honest, I am in London and I'd like to find a good hairdresser that would charge less than this.

Within walking distance, , I have at least five independents, a Toni and Guy and a Headmasters.

I've just had a look at price lists. All of them charge:
between £50-180 for a wash, cut & blowdry
between £40-75 for root tint (which is what would say you had)
between £90-£160 for Balyage
Between £32-38 for Olaplex

So if I went to any of my locals for what you had, I'd be paying similar. And I do have grey roots which need tinting, and I do have a few colours through my hair which obviously need re-doing and I do have dry hair that would benefit from Olaplex, so unless someone can recommend someone amazing near me, I will have to bite the bullet fairly soon too.

Just one more reason why I'm glad not to live in London!

There was another post about Rush recently too
Bizarre

My wash cut and blow-dry in November (which included toner after the bleach - forgive me if my terminology isn't great) was £85. Independent salon in a relatively pricey suburban area. Olaplex £20 on top of that.

Even at mine in a suburb in Birmingham, you could pay £265 or something for what you had done, depending who you saw.

So I think you need to decide what you want/are prepared to pay for. And be clear about that to anywhere you go.

Not sure why you're only counting a balayage when you also had a haircut and root colour? Balayage is a very specific colour treatment that doesn't include roots. And surely anyone knows that a haircut in central London for long, thick hair is upwards of £50....?

Have you not lived in London long? If you want a cheaper price, you're obv not going to get it as a central London brand name salon for crying out loud!

All those prices should be on their website/price menu? Why would you not check it out yourself? Tbh for everything you've had done, it would be around £200 in London anyway. Any treatment that requires FOUR hours is not going to be cheap is it.... in central London!

Bloody hell! I pay £65 for cut and colour (full head highlights/toner) and this hairdresser, who works from her back bedroom is hands down the best hairdresser I've ever been to. I've paid ridiculous amounts before for hair and IMO when you pay those crazy prices you're not paying for a more skilled hairdresser, or better products, you're paying for a fancy salon

I do the same now. I ditched my old salon because it all took really really long. The stylist, the person you pay up to 90 pounds to do your hair has the most minimal involvement ever, one I saw applied the messiest colour I've ever had and cut ny hair like wrapping paper.. kinda all.pulled tight with the scissors not snipped just pulled down so spent about 30 seconds trimming my hair.

I now see someone else. I've person start to finish , who doesn't try and flog whatever hair spray/conditioner they've got in that week, no head massages cos I hate them after being fed up of people trying to crush my skull and/or pull my hair out.

75 quid fir cut colour open blow dry and a straighten. Far cheaper than anywhere else and you aren't dumped on everyone else and paying 90 quid fir the person who spent about 5 mins in total with you.

@Isthereaduckinthehouse

My wash cut and blow-dry in November (which included toner after the bleach - forgive me if my terminology isn't great) was £85. Independent salon in a relatively pricey suburban area. Olaplex £20 on top of that.

Sorry, it was highlights (full head), wash, olaplex, cut, blowdry. Total £105.

This happened to me. Not Rush but in a hairdressers where most of the stylists came from Rush ( in central London) To be fair it was a colour correction but what I didn’t factor in was that they charged for the blow dry and a fortune for all of the extras! I chalked it up to experience and now ask for the cost upfront- and I found a cheaper but well recommended hairdresser. We have all been there, it might not have been a be a hair cut but I think we have all had a situation where we have thought ‘bloody hell, how much’ then sheepishly paid up..

I see the head stylist at a fancy city centre (not London, admittedly) salon and I pay £150 for balayage, cut and style. Their booking system is online and there is a cheaper option for just the balayage, then another with the cut included.

The fact that the receptionist was dithering about when putting it through the till makes it sound like a mistake has been made somewhere. You definitely shouldn't have been charged for a full head of colour when you only had a root smudge. They also should have known the exact price of the olaplex treatment when you asked.

I've stopped bothering with hair colour becuase I resent paying so much on my hair. I guess fancy hair is just for rich people now!

I want to see your hair now!
I've booked mine for next month and was thinking I was being extravagant going for a curl by curl cut at £50

Wow! I'm a city centre stylist and that would have cost around £120 in our salon. Our policy is to always agree the cost during consultation to ensure clients don't get a nasty shock. Gives them the opportunity to refuse the service or us to recommend something cheaper.

I know it's Alot of money and I do appreciate that, but you have said you have long thick hair and you have had Alot done.
It's time, products (which are bloody expensive) and if your haif looks really great and you are happy with it I don't see the problem. Hairdressing isint like years ago.. Its not pulling a few bits of hair through a cap and bunging some bleach on. Balayage is a longer technique and yes you will need a toner and olaplex Is a brilliant product . People saying you can buy it for 26 pounds.. That's the number 3 conditioner that is used at home to top up the treatment you have in salon at the time. The one in the salon is incredibly expensive to buy for the salon owner.also if you have grey hair it will need a pwrmenant colour in the roots and sometimes it is necessary to take it through some of the ends it they are faded... Tubes of colour are bloody dear particularly if the salon is using loreal or wella.

Wash, cut and blow dry today, £25 inclyding a fiver tip - best friend is a hairdresser and I do my own colour. I've had people stop me in the street to ask where I get my hair done...yes you have been royally shafted there

@Whatwouldscullydo

Agreed! I have refused to pay for a blow dry done by a junior before and I paid less and walked out with half wet hair in a ponytail. It was frizzy and appalling and it hurt! I'm really good at blow drying after years of long thick hair (and having a PT reception job at Saks as a Uni student.)

Any salon that palms everything, save the cut/colour, off on trainees is not giving value for money.