Child ear piercing gone wrong - help me with what to say

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DD8 had ears pierced today at Claire’s. All went fine, until we got home and she said “my earring has fallen out” and after initially telling her that was impossible l looked, and sure enough there was no earring in right ear. She hadn’t fiddled with them in the 3 hours they had been pierced and we got home, and I found the earring itself in the hood of her coat, no sign of the back so assume it was loose from start and is still somewhere in the shopping centre.
she was very upset, obviously, as she’s 8 and was panicking due to some blood around hole. I called Claire’s and explained what happened, the lady I spoke to sounded very shocked and said she had never had this happen and she needed to call her senior. She called back to say they were very sorry, that it must have been a fault with the earring (though it looks fine) and all that can be done is to leave it a week to heal over and they will pierce it again and as an apology not make me pay again!

I was too shocked to really process it other than to say that I didn’t think she’d want to come back there given she’d been brave to get it done in the first place and was now very upset, and said I had to go as had a very upset little girl to sort out but Could someone senior get back to me. That didn’t happen by the end of the day.

what do I do now? Contact head office? I spent £68 on good quality piercing earrings and about £15 on the piercing aftercare which for me is a lot but it was a special occasion that has gone really wrong. I’d like a refund because I feel I’ve paid for a service that has been poor (be it the fault of the equipment, or staff not checking the back was secure). My daughter is upset she only has one earring (fair enough) and I will try and encourage her to get it re-done elsewhere but right now there’s no way she’d agree to being pierced again.

I don’t write very well- could someone help me word an email and what I should say/ask for? I mainly want to stop this happening to someone other child but I’d also like my money back, not just free new piercing which can’t be goof
for her ear after a week? ☹️

thank you X

I was picking up on the over dramatics from OP and DD over a small incident.

The back fell off an earring, it’s one of those things.

Hardly official complaint worthy in my opinion. But we all have our own opinions here that’s kind of the whole vibe with AIBU….😄

Tattooists will pierce ears, the U18 is for the legality ie needs to be accompanied by a parent.

I guess we all have different takes on what dramatic means. On my read, OP was trying to explain the situation and hoping for advice. It didn't occur to me to criticize her language. That's just me, though. It's a bit nicer, don't you think? You know, not to tear down other women trying to make them feel stupid for asking for help?

Well if you're happy to waste money because something hasn't been done properly that's down to you. The backs don't just fall off those earrings used in piercing guns. I don't blame OP for wanting a refund.

FWIW I just googled "piercing gun mishaps" and found tonnes of YouTube, Reddit, Quora and FB pages on the topic. I had no idea!

Thank you! Exactly this, I don’t think I’m being dramatic or overly dramatic expecting a piercing that was done mere hours earlier to stay in an ear so it remains pierced which is what I paid for! I should just chalk it up to one of those things? No- I want a refund and I want it noted with their head office that mistakes are happening, in the hope it might stop it happening to someone else (be them 1, 8 or 18).

It's usually really hard to get the back off those piercings so it can't have been done properly in the 1st place

What a horrible experience and a big deal for an 8 year old.

either put in an earring now.or let it heal and in about 6 months go to a proper piercer. Or if she’s not keen on having one earring let both heal and have it done again properly at a professional outlet.my son had his done last summer at a piercing/tattoo place and there was an 8 year old having her ears pierced. They were professional and great with this kid.

sorry you’ve been through this. I had my ears pierced as a tot which was decades ago so was surprised at the amount and length of aftercare for Ds.

bless her - hope it hasn’t put her off.

yeah thanks Captain Obvious, would you like a medal?

Claires also do cartilage piercings with those things.

Update:
Following my email to head office, the local store where it took place have just called me and left a message to say they can’t offer a refund, but will re-pierce for free.
Again, I’m stuck for words- what do I email head office now? I’d like to email 🤬🤬🤬but can’t.

Do not accept that!

Id say you’ve let me down once, I’ve lost confidence and I’m not bringing my child again. I’d ask for details of their governing body (if they have one), saying you’ll revert to them. Do not get involved in a conversation with the store, go straight back to HO with the answer of no and you do not intend to speak to the store. Detains of where they can send the refund provided

thanks, I’m really disappointed as had hoped the email you guys helped me compose would do the job 😔

Make the complaint more public on their Twitter/X feed. They will likely be more attentive! :)

I am.not surprised at this update. They don't really care now they have had your money. You could try and push back, but not sure whether it will get anywhere.

Agh I’m not on X.
I’ve checked and apparently there are no laws regarding lobe piercings in the UK so not even a governing body I can appeal to. What a mess😡

Just to say OP, you said you couldn’t write very well but you were doing yourself a big disservice - your calm and measured responses on this thread are extremely well-written.

That’s so kind, I’ve been told in the past I don’t write well so I always doubt myself with things like this.

https://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/regulation/consumer-rights-act-aKJYx8n5KiSl#supply-of-a-service

The problem is that consumer law gives the service provider the right of offer to do the service again in the first instance, which is what they have done. See the Which? explanation of the Consumer Rights Act linked above.

To get a refund (aka the 100% discount mentioned in the Which? advice) you’d have to show that it was impossible to do the service again. I think there are arguments for this (eg child too upset, have lost faith in Claire’s and don’t want to risk another mistake etc) but you’ll have to argue it. And you’d also have to show that you were going to let the “good” ear close up too otherwise they’d say that you got at least 50% value. On top of that, you’d also need to point out that the earrings were no longer fit for purpose and return them (I know they can’t be re-used by Claire’s but otherwise you could be said to be keeping them to sell or give to a friend or something).

That’s the law of course, any sensible person in Claire’s management would just refund you regardless of the legal technicalities. But the shop staff probably have no authority.

This is really helpful, thank you

OP this is a perfect knowledgable answer. I have had a few piercings in the last year and have been happy knowing that I went to a reputable piercer and had implant grade titanium with flat backed labrets each time. That and aftercare of Neilmed spray or sea salt/water bathing and no touching, twisting, fiddling has meant everything had or is healing well.

Also, people can heal very differently with piercings. Mine take ages. In fact, my seconds were done with a gun many years ago and were never ok FOR THIRTY YEARS until my now piercer told me to put some implant grade titanium studs in a leave well alone. They're fine now. My first piercings, done by a shaky old man at a jewellers when I was 9, were wonkily placed then one got infected and grew up over the back butterfly and I needed antibiotics. But that was when you were told to clean with TCP and twist the earrings twice a day.... plus the tights as fuck butterfly not giving your piercing space to heal. Thankfully, advice is very different now and my daughter's piercings have all been entirely trouble free.

I can understand your daughter's worry though - one of my thirds, pierced in November, fell out yesterday somewhere, or at least that's when I noticed one had gone. If you have internally threaded labrets, the tops do work loose and you are advised to check them. I managed to clean the wound, sterilise a little titanium clicker hoop that I had and put that in to keep the hole intact but I'm off to the piercer tomorrow to have it all checked out.

I had a cartilage piercing, on a whim (!) at Claire’s, with the gun. It became very infected, swollen, painful and required a week of antibiotics. The affected ear is still slightly bigger than the other one!
I’d previously had ear piercing, with the needle method and had no problems at all.
A reputable piercing studio with strict regulations is better. I’m not sure what the training that Claire’s staff are given is like but I doubt it compares to a piercing/tattoo studio
Good luck OP- hope DD is ok

They admitted that it must have been faulty initially though. Which is why when I first replied to you (actually answering your question) I put that in my response.

I know! The first person I spoke to said it must have been a faulty earring 🤷‍♀️head office have come back to say they will repierce for free (no thank you) but can’t offer a refund.

Go into the store, speak to the manager and tell them you’re not leaving without a refund.

Report them to Trading Standards, quoting the relevant laws.

I'd not back down over getting a refund.

You cannot get her ears repierced now anyway, they need to heal.