I booked an appointment for color and highlight with Aaron at Natural Solutions Scarborough Town Centre on December 12, 2010 at 10am. During consulation, prior to coloring, Aaron and I agreed that he will color my hair and do partial head hightlights. Aaron had recommended trimming my hair after coloring to get rid of any dry ends. Initially, I was reluctant to have Aaron cut my hair. I told him that I just had a haircut done not more than three weeks ago so I don't need one just yet, besides I am not willing to spend on another haircut. Then he said to me, "I will trim just a little bit on the ends, after coloring the bleach makes your hair dry, DON'T WORRY, I WON'T CHARGE YOU. I don't want you to have a nice hair color then have the ends of your hair look so dry. It won't look good. " Since he told me it was free, I couldn't say no. After color and shampoo, Aaron asked me if I wanted my hair blowdried and styled, I asked him if it was extra charge, he said it is, but he will do it for free. Again, how can I say no?
In the end I was charged $175 before tax.The manager wasn't around. I left the salon right after because i was running late for work. The next day I called the salon and spoke to the manager. I told her I didn't like the color of my highlights, they were yellow, it wasn't the color I asked for. I wanted bleach blond highlights. She booked an appointment for me to go back for a redo.
A bit over a week later on December 24, 2010 at 3pm (I got sick so couldn't go back sooner) I went back for a redo and all Aaron did to correct the color was put toner on my hair, which took away all the highlights and now my hair looks like it has one solid dark color. The highlights are still there but are so subtle that I could hardly see them. And also, Aaron's "free haircut" was really bad. I am not joking but it took him less than 5 minutes to do. All he did was take a big chunk of my hair at the front and chopped it off just once and called it bangs. I remember saying to him, "Did you cut the back already? I didn't even know you did that already." He replied by saying, "Yea I'm done cutting your hair."
I asked Aaron's coworker who is also a Master colorist, how much she would charge a client who has my hair type (ie. hair length and thickness)for color and partial head highlights only, WITHOUT wash cut and blowdry and she said $120. So in other words, Aaron charged me an extra $55 for wash,cut and blowdry, a service that I didn't ask for and therefore shouldn't have to pay for.
Evidently, Aaron's real intention is to increase his sale, which means more money for the salon and also in Aaron's pocket, but he is doing it in a way where he is deceiving his clients. With Aaron, coloring your hair also means cutting your hair because he will charge you for both even if you only ask for color.
When I complained to Samantha (the manager) in person, and had complained to her that I was charged for wash,cut and blowdry even though Aaron said it's free, she found ways to defend Aaron. She said to me that if she was there at the salon that day when I initially got my hair done she could've done something about it . She said that it's my fault for letting Aaron cut my hair, according to her, I should've stopped him. She also said to me that Aaron had to cut my hair after coloring otherwise I would blame the salon for having dry hair. I told her that it is fraudulent practice to intentionally mislead a customer by giving them incorrect information, in this case, through deception, by telling the customer that the service is free to persuade them to have the service, and once it's done charge them for it. I also told her that there is no way I can hold the salon responsible for having dry hair, IF I choose not to cut my hair. In this case, Aaron's get rich quick scheme entails a package combo, Color and Highlights Wash/Cut/Blowdry = $120 $55 = $175.00 tax. Every other salon I've been to always asks you if you want to get haircut done after your color/highlight and if you say no, they don't cut your hair AT ALL, nor do they trick you into getting one then charges you for it. Then Samantha made me wait while she talked to Aaron and came back saying that Aaron doesn't remember anything, doesn't remember what he did to my hair, doesn't remember offering me a free haircut. She said there's nothing she can do about it. She didn't offer a refund,or any future discount. I told her that I could not and will not refer anyone to her salon because it had been such a terrible experience for me. I left the salon furious.