I had already spent a couple thousand dollars at this shop prior to this situation, so this was not…read morea one-time visit or a casual walk-in. I was a repeat customer who trusted this business. Despite that, the shop refused to refund $400 that was never used, tied to a "double value" gift card promotion. No work was performed for that amount, yet my money was withheld anyway.
I am autistic and conflict-averse. I approached this situation in good faith, paid significant money up front, and gave multiple opportunities for concerns to be addressed calmly and privately. What followed was technically poor tattooing by Lisa (the artist) and an unprofessional, dismissive response from Monica (the owner) that made the situation far worse.
The tattoo work done by Lisa had serious technical problems. Uneven and crooked lines, inconsistent bands, shaky execution, and visible blowouts. This is not about style or personal preference. Other professional tattoo artists have since confirmed to me that the work should never have left the shop in that condition and that further attempts to fix it would likely make it worse or require laser removal.
When I raised these concerns, Monica's response as the owner was not to assess the workmanship or take responsibility, but to immediately defend her artist and deflect accountability. There was no meaningful attempt to correct the actual problems. Instead, I was talked over, dismissed, and gaslit.
What crossed the line was being told that I must be the problem. Monica blamed my skin and implied my expectations were unreasonable, despite issues involving more than one artist at this shop. A business owner who refuses to acknowledge that their employees can make mistakes, and instead defaults to blaming the client, is not running a professional operation.
After my experience, I noticed other reviews describing similar issues involving poor communication, disputes over charges, and dissatisfaction tied to the same gift card promotion I was sold. While I can only speak to my own experience, it was unsettling to see multiple customers describe patterns that closely mirrored what I went through.
Leadership matters. Monica made it clear that protecting her people mattered more than doing right by a paying customer, even a repeat one. Employees can and do make mistakes. Owners are responsible for how those mistakes are handled. She chose deflection over accountability.
The overall atmosphere of the shop reflected this attitude. Interactions felt rude, dismissive, and transactional. There was no sense of pride in workmanship, no accountability, and no concern for the long-term impact of what was being permanently put on someone's body. The focus appeared to be on money and damage control, not quality or integrity.
As an autistic client, I made repeated efforts to resolve this without conflict. That willingness to be patient and cooperative was not respected. It was taken advantage of.
I am now left dealing with the emotional and financial cost of fixing work that should never have been done this way in the first place.
If you value clean linework, professional accountability, and being treated with basic respect when something goes wrong, I strongly recommend looking elsewhere.