AIBU to ask for a refund for my hair?

[HairRaisin]

I went to a local independent salon this week to get a balayage and cut, first time since before DC was born end of 2021 so I was very excited! I’d never been there before but the salon owner/stylist had good reviews.

At end of cut and colour the stylist insisted on curling my hair, and with the mixture of the curls and the soft salon lighting I didn’t notice how choppy and uneven it was. As soon as I got home and had a proper look I realised that she had done a really bad job and it’s not the natural looking balayage I’d asked for.

I’ve since been messaging the salon owner to let her know how unhappy I am, and have also been back to show her what I’m not happy with.

Not only did she play down how bad it was, but the only option she is currently offering is for her to ‘fix’ my hair by trying again, however I don’t trust her to try again and have instead asked for a refund so I can get it fixed somewhere else. She has no employees, it’s just her, so there’s nobody else there that could try to fix it.

Looking at what she did the first time (which took 4 hours, and cost me £160) I haven’t got the confidence in her to fix it, so I asked for a refund, but she is currently refusing - although asked for the weekend to seek advice on what her next steps might be. So she might decide next week to refund me, or might decide that she legally doesn’t have to since she has offered to fix it - and that’s that.

Not sure if photos will do it justice? But it’s choppy, patchy all over including underneath, yellow and grey in parts, and all a little too Friar Tuck. Plus the cut is uneven too! I’ve been left feeling quite sad after being so excited for this first little treat since DC was born!

AIBU to want a refund so that I can get this fixed somewhere else?

Could you show her this thread? That might galvanise her into giving you a refund - she should really pay for it to be corrected too. Nobody with any hair dressing experience would have done that cut or colour, was she standing in for the owner?

What did she cut it with? A knife and fork?

She was running late, but she still insisted on curling your hair. Alarm bells ringing loudly! She knew exactly how bad it was, and curling your hair was a way to disguise it, and get you out of there without you noticing.
You deserve a refund AND compensation. As someone else said, I would post the pics on local pages regardless, other people need to know what they might end up with if they go there!

No, get a refund if you can, if not, put an honest review on her site.

It is bad.

I thought the same!
Shocking

Oh gosh!! Please do push for a refund. £160 for four hours sounds suspiciously cheap too (location dependant of course).

On my god, the haircut looks like it was done by a sheep shearer not a hairdresser! Absolutely get that money back by any means (within reason i.e. not sending the boys round or anything, but definitely pursue it if she refuses)

I’d be so annoyed! but isn’t it the law (I’m being very vague cos I might have imagined this) that hairdressers have to be given the opportunity to put it right (obv only if you agree!) instead of you being entitled to a refund? I don’t know what happens if you won’t let her touch it again though

God my sheep would be asking for a refund if the shearer left them in that state

Oh gosh that's awful, she needs to refund you. If she won't I'd be sure to leave a review with pics and post on social media. In fact I'd be doing this anyway even if she does refund, I wouldn't want anyone else having their hair ruined. Make sure you go to someone recommended next time.

Damn wrong quote. Sorry

Good grief - I’ve had half a bottle of wine and I reckon if you gave me a pack of Clairol and some scissors I’d do a better job. YANBU - no way are you!

Shockingly bad colour and the cut is just well there are no words to describe it.

You had such beautiful hair in the before picture. Damn right to ask for money back or put her work out on FB for all to see her shockingly bad standards.

Your hair will look beautiful again but right now that's not the point.

I cut my 93 year old mothers hair, ( including some layers) and coloured my own hair during lockdown and both look professional compared to what she has done to your hair. I've had a few horror chops from hairdressers in my time, and I don't mean to be unkind, but she has totally BUTCHERED your hair !!! The least she can do is give you your money back , if not suck up the cost of the repair cut and colour.

Holy fuckamoly that's shocking

I read your first post and genuinely thought you were being unreasonable and probably just being a bit precious about your hair.

Then I saw the pics.

Fucking hell op, that’s atrocious. A refund is the very least you need. Both cut and highlights are so bad, I mean really bloody bad. I wouldn’t let her near your hair again. I’m gobsmacked that’s a professional job.

Oh no OP
Poor you, I never suggest asking for money back if the colour doesn't turn out like you expect however in this case I think you should have a full refund

Oh bless your hair was beautiful before

I agree with previous posters - she needs to refund you, AND pay for your hair to be repaired.
If not, I would be putting these pics ALL over social media.

Oh I'm so sorry. I've had a couple of bad balayages I haven't been happy with but nothing like this. I think it's quite a specific and fairly new technique that not all stylists know how to do!

Why did you even have foils on? Balayage is a freehand colour technique that doesn't need foils, colour should be blended by hand.

Posted too soon...give her one more chance to refund, tell her that you're going to name and shame on Facebook. The photos speak for themselves really. If she won't refund pursue through small claims.

Gosh she’s made such a mess! Your hair was gorgeous before! I’ve had a huge disaster before and got a refund eventually (but this was a chain so I went to head office). But definitely go down the sharing on social media/small claims court route if she’s digging her heels in! Good luck 💞

@WilsonMilson I think that would be good, but from what she’s said so far it’s probably very unlikely! Agreed that I should be sharing photos if not!

When I went back to the salon she kept telling me that it wasn’t that bad, and so I did ask if she’d be happy if I shared the photos on Facebook, and she said “NO! You wouldn’t do that surely?!” - So she does know it’s bad but thinks I owe it to her to let her fix it!

Tell her you WILL be posting the pics of the colour and the cut which are both horrific, frankly, on social media and attributing it to her incompetency. You will also be warning people that she's refused a refund and thinks someone who is so incompetent should get another go with your hair. Ha!

And also, has she pulled some of your hair out in the process? (This happened to me, my scalp was actually hurting). It looks way thinner!