DECEPTIVE BUSINESS PRACTICES & UNLICENSED PEOPLE PROVIDING SERVICES!!
I wish I had checked Yelp before going to this salon!
I called the salon because I was trying to track down a hairstylist who had cut my hair in the past and had sent me new contact information for Clary's Salon. When I called I was told she was no longer there. Maybe that should have been a clue! I spoke with Clary's husband who operates the barber shop on the other side of the salon. Since this person was no longer there and I had never been to Clary's Salon, I asked him if they had someone else who could cut curly hair. He said I would need to speak with his wife. I asked how much a cut would cost and was told $15. I got a call back from Clary and she asked me to text her photos of the cut I wanted. I got a text back saying she could do it. I made an appointment for 2 p.m. but had to reschedule for 2:45 p.m. I drove past the place and was forced to drive several blocks south in order to get back so, I arrived around 3 p.m. When I walked in I was greeted by a lovely tall girl who I'll call "MC." I told her I had an appointment with Clary and she told me she's the person who cuts curly hair at the salon and is known for her C cuts. The salon services were posted on a board and showed haircuts priced at $15 and deep conditioning was $10. There was nothing listing curly hair prices and MC never told me before the cut that prices for curly hair services would be different than what was advertised.
I had a lengthy conversation with MC about traumatic experiences getting haircuts by stylists in the past who claimed to cut curly hair. Since MC had curls I was encouraged but, her hair and style were very different from mine so I explained the style I wanted and showed her the photos I texted Clary and she told me she could cut my hair exactly as I wanted but she only cuts hair dry. I don't like dry cuts but, she assured me I would be satisfied and said after a deep conditioning my hair would look great. Because she had an air of confidence and sounded extremely knowledgeable about curls and hair care AND had photos of cuts she did for other clients, I decided to let her cut my hair. She spent a long time with me and after the dry cut, my hair was washed and conditioned and I was put under a steamer for 30 minutes for the deep conditioning. (The steam was so hot my forehead was red when I got out - even though I tried to keep my head down the entire time.) The deep conditioning was rinsed out and I was taken back to the chair for styling. After all the styling products were applied and my hair was dried, the cut looked pretty good but, to me the proof is always in what my hair will look like days or weeks after I leave the salon. Hours later it didn't look as good so the cut is not perfect, but it wasn't as horrible as some other cuts I've had before.
When it was time to pay, MC wrote out a handwritten bill and said the haircut was $80 and the deep conditioning was $20 and I would be charged tax if I used my credit card. I told her I was told a haircut was $15 and the board said deep conditioning was $10. She said the prices were different for curly hair but, I was never told this before the cut. She took my credit card and brought it to Clary's husband who ran my credit card twice...once for a charge for $109.18 and again for a charge of $119.18. When I questioned these charges, I was told the $109.18 was cancelled but the $119.18 was correct. When I asked why the second bill was more, she said I WAS CHARGED A $10 LATE FEE! I was FURIOUS! I told MC they can't charge fees if they don't tell the customer up front and said I would never go back there because of their deceptive business practices. On top of that, the $109.18 was charged to my credit card and will stay there until the signed transaction is processed.
HERE'S THE PROBLEM: After this entire experience I realized I was conned. Before and after MC cut my hair, she talked about learning to cut hair and stressed how much she enjoys educating her customers about curly hair care. I thought she was trained and never thought to ask for a license at that point. Turns out she's 17 and has learned by practicing on herself and her "clients." She has no professional training to be a hairstylist! While she's a smart girl and definitely has potential, SHE'S NOT LICENSED AND THE SALON KNOWS THIS! They are promoting her as an experienced and licensed stylist when that's not the case at all! And while she apologized for higher prices and the late fee, I was not offered an adjustment. She said those are the rules and she's only following what the salon does. She told me she only gets 20% of what the customer is charged. If that's the case, the salon owners are exploiting her while knowingly deceiving customers.
I WOULD NEVER RECOMMEND THIS PLACE! read more
