Can I cancel a payment made for services that weren't really received?

twirlie

HI... I'll try not to make this too long.

I have long blonde hair which over the last year I have paid to have highlighted every six weeks. Anyway, recently I've been insanely busy and a bit strapped for cash and tried to dye it myself instead of going to a salon. Big mistake. It ended up looking like someone dumped a can of paint on my head. The blonde itself wasn't too bad, but it looked un-natural being all one colour like that, and it was bothering me so I went to a salon to get them to fix it.

The guy I saw was really good. He talked me through what I wanted and told me what he thought was possible. I showed him a picture of Fern Cotton and he said her colour was more than achievable that visit. What he decided to do was to tone the blonde down so it was a warmer more yellow blonde, because at that point it was an ash blonde and I'm naturally quite dark.

So he put the colour on, washed it off blow dried it, and I was quite happy with how it came out. It was lighter than the picture I'd showed him and the swatch he'd showed me still, but I thought it was acceptable and duly paid him the £130 we'd agreed on. He wasn't happy though, and told me it would look better if I came back in on Friday (just gone) so he could put a warmer tone through it again. I figured he was the professional and as he told me it would be free, why not?

Well.. I am sitting here typing this now with ginger hair. Its not even strawberry blonde. Its a horrible reddy coppery shade with maybe a dozen tiny tiny blonde streaks through the very top (which he put in foils while he applied the dye to the rest of my hair). I asked him before he began if the colour he was using was likely to make my hair brown and he assured me there was no chance. When I saw the dye turning red on my head during the process I asked three other people who worked there if it was normal and they all assured me it was. In the end I burst into tears in the salon when he had finished drying it. I honestly would rather have the hair I started out with than this. He assured me he would call me today to sort the situation out and rebook me another appointment to 'lift' the colour.

Anyway, he called today. And told me his manager was refusing to do anything more to my hair. Apparently if I want to fight it I have to go in for a meeting with him NEXT monday. Leaving me with ginger hair and £130 out of pocket until then. Still with no guarantees that it will get fixed.

Anyway, my question is - I paid with my capital one credit card and was wondering if there's anything I can threaten them with where thats concerned. As far as I can see, I paid for a service, agreed about in advance, and it hasn't been provided - so can I claim for that against my credit card and somehow recall the payment? The way I see it - they assured me my hair would stay blonde, and it hasn't. If there was even the slightest chance of me ending up ginger then they should have told me before they put the dye on my hair because I never would have taken that gamble. In that respect, I haven't received what I paid for. I can't see how they can leave me like this, take my money and not either fix it or give me my money back so I can go elsewhere to go back to blonde.

Is there anything I can do? What would you guys do?

ILW

Is this serious?

twirlie

Yes, totally serious. I don't think I'd actually do it, but I would like to know where I stand legally regarding services that aren't provided as agreed. Theoretically, is it possible to 'chargeback' for a transaction you paid for in person? I know you can do it online, but that's different, isn't it?

I know it sounds silly to be griping about my hair, but £130 is a lot of money to pay for something I didn't want!!

mrcow

Call Capital One and ask. I think you have a good case. At least then you can tell the salon that you can do a charge-back.

What would I do? Personally I'd call Capital One first thing in the morning. If they said they could do a chargeback, I'd ask them to start the proceedings then and there (but only because I'd be upset about my hair).

Have a read here about chargeback:

http://www.which.co.uk/advice/your-rights-when-paying-by-credit-card/chargeback-on-credit-and-visa-debit-cards/index.jsp


Also from the CAB:

If you paid for your service by credit, you may be able to make a claim against the credit company, instead of the trader. The service must have cost more than £100 and less than £30,000. This can be useful where the trader has gone out of business or has no money to compensate you.
If you paid for the services using a debit card operated by VISA, you may be able to use VISA's chargeback scheme. There is no minimum or maximum limit on the claim under this scheme, but claims must be made within 120 days of the transaction. Ask your bank for details of how to apply under the scheme.

tracy24582_2

i would seriously doubt you have any case here, a large amount of women experience the same thing and have bad experiences at hair salons every single day, they are not miracle workers the best you can hope for is say to the manager i wanted to be blonde but i am ginger sort it out, they have to keep customers happy there business is all about people recommending and word of mouth. if he refuses remember not to go there again and just get it sorted somewhere else, job done!
when i had my hair done once i sat in a chair for 4 hours and said that i wanted it a lighter brown, by 6 o clock at night when she finished faffing it looked EXACTLY the same only the roots lighter i called up the next day spoke to the manager and he asked me to come down i did and they sorted it and made it lighter
never went back!!!

mrcow

tracy24582 wrote: »

when i had my hair done once i sat in a chair for 4 hours and said that i wanted it a lighter brown, by 6 o clock at night when she finished faffing it looked EXACTLY the same only the roots lighter i called up the next day spoke to the manager and he asked me to come down i did and they sorted it and made it lighter
never went back!!!

Yes - but they didn't turn you ginger did they!

tracy24582_2

exactly - turning someones hair ginger is a lot more worse that what they did to mine and they fixed it, so you should get sorted if you speak to a manager
alls i'm saying is how can you be financially reimbursed for a bad dye job, does that sound like something that happens alot

Morglin

I wouldn't think you've got a case - the problem started with a home dye (bad idea!), and the hairdreser has done his best to get a good tone on what is naturally dark hair, which has made the red, which dark hair has a lot of, lift.

It will fade down, or they may be able to put another toner on it to take some of the red out, but I cannot see the credit card company involving themselves.

Lin

Degenerate

You must surely be due substantial compensation for the trauma of becoming ginger.

Jemma-T

I'd be willing to have ginger hair for £130. Only overnight though

Seriously, you have paid for a service and if you're not happy with it I'd recommend you speak and communicate (not the same thing) with the business. The shop has supplied the service so going to your bank will do you no favours as you'd need to prove you didn't get the service or the service was not what you were told. Add to this it was you who f***ed up your 'style' in the first place. You may need a lot of spare time and lots of other bother (hair expert?) claiming from your bank.

I think people need their head testing for spending these amounts but whatever gets you through the day I suppose. Either way you let them do it to you so you sort it out.

To solve the immediate problem I'd recommend www.courtsservice.gov.uk/hairdressers

Good luck.

Grassy_Knollington

twirlie wrote: »

I have long blonde hair

Shouldn't that read "I have long blonde (out of a bottle) hair"?

What price vanity eh?