Is This My Fault Or Bad Business?

This is really long, but please bear with me if you can.

I usually dye my hair a bright red. I really like it, but recently wanted to try something new. My sister works at a salon so she offered to do it for me. I tried a dark brown, and hated it. I was crying, felt ugly...it sounds extremely dumb, but it really bothered me.

So after a few days of feeling bad, I made an appointment at another salon. I never go there for my hair, but I do go there to get my eyebrows waxed. So I explained to the woman what happened, and I showed her a picture of my hair normally, and a box top to a dye color that I like. it was a very nice orangy-red color.

She took the color out of my hair and it turned into a strawberry blond color. But it wasn't very even. The roots were still dark brown and it was pretty brassy. She said to me "you're probably going to want to color this." So she gave me a book with hair color to pick from. I told her I like it when it's lighter. I said I like the color is it now (the strawberry blond) but I want it a little bit more red, less blond. I asked her opinion and she tried to get me to go darker, but I said I didn't think that was a good idea because I like it light. She was pretty insistent that I use the darker shade as well as the lighter shade, and I said that's fine. I figured she would know better than I would. And my hair had never been that light to start with, so I didn't want to make a mistake. So I picked 2 colors, and said "I just don't want it to be too dark."

Well we dyed it and it came out only a tiny bit lighter than the dark brown I came in with. I was so upset, because I'm pretty poor and this cost me $150. She knew it was too dark before I even said anything because she told me that if I wash my hair with a clarifying shampoo, it'll lighten up. I was still upset but it looked redder in the salon, so I paid and left.

I got home and looked in the mirror (and took a mirror outside) and I hate it. I'm not one to cause a scene when it comes to people I don't know, so I really didn't want to call back. But I finally did, and I was really polite. I said I really don't like the results and I was wondering if we could do the process over again. I didn't even suggest they do it for free, I was just talking.

The woman who dyed my hair told the receptionist that she explained to me that I need to wash with a clarifying shampoo, and it'll lighten up. But that was the same problem I had with the dark brown I came in with originally. I wanted it fixed, which is why I paid $150. I don't want to wait for dark hair to fade. The woman who dyed my hair also told the receptionist that if I was going to come in to do it again, she'll charge me again.

I really don't have any money, and that was the only money I had saved. My mom called up (she's a lot better at this stuff than me) and the woman who dyed my hair told her that it's my fault because *I* picked the colors. And when she took the color out, it was a light strawberry blond and I said I didn't want it. But that's because it wasn't an all over color, it was kind of spotty and SHE suggested that I dye it.

So now we have to call the manager tomorrow. I really feel awful because
1) I paid and I hate it and
2) now they think I'm a brat, and even if they'll fix it for free, I have to go back to a place that now finds me annoying.

Ahh. So my question to you is: do you think I'm being unreasonable for wanting them to fix it free of charge? I paid a lot of money to have almost the exact same thing I came in with.

I know this seems like such a dumb thing to be upset about considering how bad things can get, but I'm pretty miserable with how I look and now I'm broke on top of it. Does anyone have any experience with this or opinions?

Thank you. I'm sorry this is so long.

you are not dumb or outrageous or any of the sort....you should either let her fix your hair for free or get a refund.  good luck....

You are entitled to a refund or free repair. You specified you wanted it light, they assured you they could give you what you wanted ... and didn't.

Don't feel bad, YOU are the customer. Without customers they have no business. Like I said in a previous post, YOU pay their rent. You gave the A HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS. Where I come from that's a lot of money. You deserve to be happy.

Let us know how it goes.

oxox

Thank you, guys.

I'm feeling a little better about it today. I have to call back at 1 and speak to the owner, but I heard from someone I work with that she can be pretty mean, so I'm nervous.

I definitely will bring the box top back in and say that I showed it and said I wanted my hair that color. I agree that I had no idea what the colors were going to look like, so I don't see how it's my fault that I "picked them."

What's funny is, while she was dying my hair she said to me "you should never go below a level 7. Don't even go to a 6. You like it light."

But then she she was done with my hair, she matched my hair up and said "You're about a 6 now." Umm..I thought you said I should never go below a 7, so why are you pretending that this is what I wanted?

Ahh. it's just so frustrating and I'm awful at confrontation like this. But thanks for your help. At least I know other people agree that I'm not being unreasonable.

Thanks again. :)

This is why I hate going to hairdressers and refuse to ever go back to one. I am a DIY forever!!!!

what's the update on your situation?  did you get it worked out?

Sorry it took me a bit to respond. My boyfriend came here and just left tonight, so I was a little distracted.

My mom wound up calling (I know, not the best move, but I'm just too much of a baby) and she said the manager was actually really nice. She said to wash my hair with the clarifying shampoo for a week, and if I still really don't like the color, to call her back in a week and 'she'll see what she can do.' So I have to call back in the middle of the week and see what she can do for me. I'm not sure if she's going to re-dye it for me or what, but I hope so.

She also told my mom that she doesn't want to take the responsibility of stripping my hair too soon and having it all fall out, so I might wait a few weeks to have it done.

Thanks for your help, guys. I'll let you know what happens from here.

Karen_s...what do you suggest I do? Why does it take a few visits? Should I bring this up to them? I'm lost here, so any advice would be nice. :)

Thank you.

Use the clarifying shampoo for a week, and see how your hair looks, if you are still not happy with it, go back to the salon and let them fix it.

Grrr.

I talked to the manager today and while she was very nice, she seemed really hesitant to commit to fixing it. First she suggested doing highlights over it, but then said that would be using bleach and wouldn't be a good idea. I said I didn't want to do that anyway, as my hair is going to need to be stripped eventually anyway since I don't like this color.

I asked how long I should wait to strip/re-dye it and she was really weird about giving me an estimate. Finally she said a few weeks, and I said that was fine, I didn't mind dealing with it until then as long as it would be fixed.

But it was like she wasn't really listening. She was like "maybe you can come in and we can use something like a special shampoo to lighten it" and I told her that even if it's lightened, it's still too dark because it's too brown and not red enough. She took my cell phone number and told me she was going to call me on friday and maybe I can come in and shampoo it and lighten it. But I had already told her twice that I just wanted to wait and strip it again in a few weeks.

I don't feel very listened to and I feel like she's trying to get out of fixing it. I understand that she would rather me wait to strip it again, so she doesn't have any responsibility of my hair getting damaged. But I told her I was willing to wait a few weeks, so why is she being so weird about it?

I have a hard time speaking up for myself so this is difficult. Hopefully I can talk to her on friday and I'll have to try again to push for waiting a few weeks and then stripping it again.

:(

Yeah, I definitely want it lighter. My hair is at about a level 5 MAYBE 6 right now. I'm used to an 8 so I definitely need it lightened.

I agree that it's dumb to ask me to wait, but I'm also nervous because I don't want to wreck my hair =/