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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To feel scammed? Hairdressers

206 replies

NeverEverAgain11 · 04/04/2026 15:56

I've been going to the same chain of hairdressers for the last 6 or so years and always had the same service, balayage (colour) with a cut and finish - because they run promotions whereby if you book a colour alongside a cut and finish you get 50% off the colour)

When I first became a customer of theirs I'd pay between £130 and £140.

The last time I went, last year, the price had risen to £170 (ish)

DP kindly offered to pay for me to get my hair done this week as a treat. Upon booking under the same offer I always book under I was quoted £190 which felt steep but I only go once a year so it didn't seem wildly overpriced as a one off cost.

I felt bad about the price as DP doesn't have a huge amount of disposable money so I said if he paid £150 I'd pay the rest myself.

I booked for today and in the lead up had two calls changing the booking, the first call said they'd changed me over to a senior stylist for time saving purposes but said it would be at no added cost to me. Great.

The second call this morning they had to push my apt back an hour so I was aimlessly wandering around to pass time.

Fast forward to paying and I was charged £230.

I was taken aback and just paid on autopilot as there were two other customers waiting to pay and I didn't want to show myself up. I've felt increasingly annoyed/disappointed on the way home.

In hindsight I wish I'd have questioned the disparity between prices but it's too late now.

I feel like I've been scammed, as daft as that sounds. If I'd have known that would happen I wouldn't have bothered.

Am I being unreasonable or is this unacceptable?

Edited to add - I have shoulder length very fine hair. I only had about an inch taken off from the ends so I couldn't have incurred additional charges for having complex hair.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
7
AyeDeadOn · 04/04/2026 15:58

You are being totally unreasonable not to challenge the price when you had a confirmed price already. Id phone and ask that they refund the difference.

NotThoseKindOfEggs · 04/04/2026 15:59

Do they have a price list on a website that you could compare?

Quamarina · 04/04/2026 16:00

Call them. Explain that you were told that the price would not change with the new stylist. If this were my business I’d fall over myself to make this right. £60 is a lot of money.

Scarydinosaurs · 04/04/2026 16:00

You need to call and query the price. It’s obviously a mistake and you need to let them know.

MissingTrees · 04/04/2026 16:02

You need to question the bill. I suspect they mistakenly charged it at the senior stylist's usual price, without realising you had been offered it at the lower price. I doubt you've been scammed, they just made a mistake so ask them to put it right.

Original poster
NeverEverAgain11 · 04/04/2026 16:02

Prices are available on the website when booking, combined the two services, added the 50% colour code and it came to £190. I'm going to need to look at the T&C's as I have a feeling there will have been small print I didn't read 😩

OP posts:
PashaMinaMio · 04/04/2026 16:05

Whoa, that’s extraordinary! Gosh rip off. Is there anything anywhere on their website or on premises to show this massive rise? Ring them, query it!

Voice yr concern and how they caught you on the back foot. Ask for a discount against yr next visit? I would. (When we complain about anything we should always state what we want out it. What we expect the resolution to be.)

I think it comes with getting older that I say to myself “stuff the queue, I need to query this or get it sorted out.” Confidence creeps onto us as we age! I hope the salon will be accommodating.

LilacPony · 04/04/2026 16:06

I could have written this too. Mine wasn’t a change in hairstylist though. When I first went 5 years ago it was £120. Over the years it slowly raised to £170. The last time I went, same treatments, same stylist, and it was now £230. Shot up by £60 since my last visit. Maybe they have charged you the right amount and they’ve just put their prices up?

Bearbookagainandagain · 04/04/2026 16:07

You're overthinking this. Just email them to ask why the price is different from the quoted price. If you had a senior stylist instead of the usual one, it could just be that whoever did your haircut did not know they were meant to charge you a lower rate.

Obviously you should have questioned it at the time, but what's done is done.

aloris · 04/04/2026 16:07

NeverEverAgain11 · 04/04/2026 16:02

Prices are available on the website when booking, combined the two services, added the 50% colour code and it came to £190. I'm going to need to look at the T&C's as I have a feeling there will have been small print I didn't read 😩

Do you have a habit of undermining your own interests in your reasoning processes? They quoted you a price and then charged more. You don't need to explain away their mistake by assuming that there's some fine print you didn't read (40 pounds of fine print? Wow, that's a lot!). You can just say, "I was quoted 190 and, when the appointment was changed by you, I was told that you would honor the original quote. I would not have come here if the quote were 230. I would like the extra 40 pounds refunded. Thanks."

LilacPony · 04/04/2026 16:08

NeverEverAgain11 · 04/04/2026 16:02

Prices are available on the website when booking, combined the two services, added the 50% colour code and it came to £190. I'm going to need to look at the T&C's as I have a feeling there will have been small print I didn't read 😩

Did they put a treatment on your hair when they were washing it? Mine ask this so matter of fact “would you like a treatment today?” And make it seem part and parcel but it’s like £40 and they don’t have the prices for this presented anywhere

Easterbunnyishotandcross · 04/04/2026 16:10

Just tried to book my usual cut and blow dry.
Usually £47.50.
My preferred stylist only had Wednesday slots.. Tried the upper rate services as can't do Wednesdays..
Cut and deluxe drying £77.50..what do they use? Unicorn breath??

PenPaperIdeas · 04/04/2026 16:16

I would definitely question the price you paid at the till but then I would have checked when they moved you over to the senior stylist.

I would also consider a new hairdresser. Mine used to work in a city centre salon where prices are higher because their overheads are higher due to location. She then became mobile whilst setting up her own premises nearer to home. She is much cheaper than before.

Go onto your local facebook and have a look at other hairdressers where you live. Potentially cross reference this with their instagram account if they have one. My hairdresser takes lots of before and after photos and posts them. £230 for a balayage where I am is way too much. I pay £145 for a full head of highlights in foils with Olaplex. This includes 2 colours and a head massage. My hair is bra strap length.

You aren't even getting the same stylist and each time you have come out you are disappointed at the price, shop around and find cheaper.

ohtobethin · 04/04/2026 16:22

aloris · 04/04/2026 16:07

Do you have a habit of undermining your own interests in your reasoning processes? They quoted you a price and then charged more. You don't need to explain away their mistake by assuming that there's some fine print you didn't read (40 pounds of fine print? Wow, that's a lot!). You can just say, "I was quoted 190 and, when the appointment was changed by you, I was told that you would honor the original quote. I would not have come here if the quote were 230. I would like the extra 40 pounds refunded. Thanks."

Show quote history

Agree. Ask for your money back OP.

PeonyPatch · 04/04/2026 16:25

That’s so expensive!

Trusttheawesome · 04/04/2026 16:25

NeverEverAgain11 · 04/04/2026 16:02

Prices are available on the website when booking, combined the two services, added the 50% colour code and it came to £190. I'm going to need to look at the T&C's as I have a feeling there will have been small print I didn't read 😩

It doesn’t matter if there is small print you didn’t read. They quoted you the price, and they confirmed it on the phone when changing stylists.

Sorry but… why did you pay? This is when having a bit of a back bone is helpful.

Call them, complain and ask for your money back.

Original poster
NeverEverAgain11 · 04/04/2026 16:31

I called the salon.

It was Olaplex.

Olaplex was mentioned when I sat down but there was no mention of it being an additional cost and I assumed that if it was then they'd have said that.

She said she reccomends it as they will be slightly overlapping the bleached hair at the ends and I said OK sure 🤦🏼‍♀️

OP posts:
Moonnstarz · 04/04/2026 16:31

YABU for not saying something at the time. As soon as they said the price all you needed to say was that isn't what I was quoted on the phone.

Viviennemary · 04/04/2026 16:34

That was cheeky of them. Don't go back. Something similar happened to me and I didnt go again. I found a cheaper better hairdresser.

Trusttheawesome · 04/04/2026 16:34

NeverEverAgain11 · 04/04/2026 16:31

I called the salon.

It was Olaplex.

Olaplex was mentioned when I sat down but there was no mention of it being an additional cost and I assumed that if it was then they'd have said that.

She said she reccomends it as they will be slightly overlapping the bleached hair at the ends and I said OK sure 🤦🏼‍♀️

Make a complaint about the way they did that. Hairdressers are notorious for adding on a treatment without telling you that it comes with extra cost. It should be illegal really.

HermioneWeasley · 04/04/2026 16:34

Olaplex was £50?

I would query it again and say you were quoted a specific price and nothing was mentioned about an additional cost when you were offered olaplex.

I would also consider going elsewhere from now on, they’re not someone who deserves your money.

Merseymum1980 · 04/04/2026 16:35

Hairdresser prices are getting crazy now. I live in the northwest outside of liverpool and was quoted 250. Blame the increase in business rates to square meter and ni etc. Its becoming a luxury a lot cant afford

Delphiniumandlupins · 04/04/2026 16:35

I think you have either been charged for the more senior stylist or else they didn't apply the expected discount. Just call and query why you were charged more than they quoted. It's understandable that you were confused when paying. You can either ask for a refund or credit towards your next appointment, although you might not want to return after this.

aloris · 04/04/2026 16:39

NeverEverAgain11 · 04/04/2026 16:31

I called the salon.

It was Olaplex.

Olaplex was mentioned when I sat down but there was no mention of it being an additional cost and I assumed that if it was then they'd have said that.

She said she reccomends it as they will be slightly overlapping the bleached hair at the ends and I said OK sure 🤦🏼‍♀️

Again, so what? If they are going to sell you an add-on, they need to disclose the price up front. I don't appreciate tricksy behavior by vendors.

Holidaymodeon · 04/04/2026 16:40

NeverEverAgain11 · 04/04/2026 16:31

I called the salon.

It was Olaplex.

Olaplex was mentioned when I sat down but there was no mention of it being an additional cost and I assumed that if it was then they'd have said that.

She said she reccomends it as they will be slightly overlapping the bleached hair at the ends and I said OK sure 🤦🏼‍♀️

Lol at olaplex, what a joke. Much as I love and respect the craft, I have decided to embrace my greys, in a big part due to the insane costs (and time) of getting my colour done and just having wet cuts , I can’t justify that kind of money anymore , especially when I stil have to pay for teenage haircuts which cost pretty much the same as an adult

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