ComplaintsforSapphire Esthetics

• Initial Complaint

  03/25/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Unresolved

  More info

  My sister in law hired ******************************* from Sapphire Esthetics to do her makeup for her wedding day. The total cost was $250. Myself and my sister wanted to cover the cost for our SIL. Our initial payment was $125 split in half from each of us for a deposit. The agreed upon arrival time for the wedding was 1pm on 3/15/24. ********* was 30 minutes late. We then still paid her the other $125 plus another $50 for tip which was a total of $300. She agreed when she arrived in a room full of women that she would provide 30 more minutes of service on another day bc she was late. That day of service was yesterday 3/22/24 and she was a no show. When we kindly requested that she make it right and refund us half the amount she said that wasnt fair to her because she still completed the service on the wedding day. She also stated that we never discussed that her being late would require her to pay me half of her service fee. We paid for a full hour and only got half bc she was late. I have requested the amount several times already and have still not received it. She has only agreed to send $50 which was the tip.

  Business response

  04/11/2024

  
  I have done my absolute best to work with this party to resolve this is***. 
  Originally I was scheduled to come at 1:30 to do the brides makeup. A few weeks later she asked if I could come early around 1ish (all of this is in writing). It was my mistake, I didnt change it in my calendar from 1:30 to 1.
  I felt awful as I have never done that in my career and I apologized profusely. Originally I had until 3:30 to do her makeup (the bride changed the finish time on that Friday while I was on my way there to her needing to be done by 2 oclock. 
  I let the bride know I can absolutely complete her bridal makeup in 30 minutes  (which I did and have done many times before- I need to add that the bride was continuously interrupted while I was doing her makeup - so much so that I was waiting around for minutes at a time for her to be done which added another 10 minutes to the end time- not that this bothers me per say, but they accused  me on my ****** page of making the bride late to her wedding, which I dont believe, because they werent ******* at all when I was leaving after my service was completed. 
  
  During texting on my way there, there was a misunderstanding- I perceived her text as since I was late, I can make it up to her by doing her makeup the following Friday for a discounted price. I agreed to do this, as I wanted to show my sincere apologies, and as her sisters had just paid me an additional $50 on top of the remaining balance owed. 
  I thought the $50 was the discounted price to do her makeup the following Friday- I didnt think it was gratuity). 
  
  I arrive at 1:30 to do the brides makeup and she LOVED it. She repeated over and over again that it was perfect and that I had done an amazing job and that it was all good. I hung around for long enough that I felt was appropriate and for the 10th time asked to make sure she was happy with her makeup look, which she continuously stated she loved it and it was perfect. I also offered to stay longer as long as she wanted to really show my apologies and care. She assured me it was perfect and so I left. 
  
  The following Friday I could not do her makeup for her Photoshoot; I let the bride know in the morning and apologized. Her sister ***** who wrote this complaint, texted me stating she wanted a refund for $125. I was confused at this and stated that I wouldnt give back half of the service that I performed the week earlier, that I completed and the bride was as happy with. But I would give back the $50 (which I thought was for the service that day). 
  ***** then said that since I was late the day of her wedding,  they wanted half of what they paid me back, she explained that they thought they booked me for an hour of time ( which they didnt: no where in my text to them or on my marketing I say they are paying for a certain amount Of time for my services. My makeup services are not like a massage where you pay for by minutes). I charge what I charge whether it takes me 30 or 90 minutes ( which I routinely complete makeup looks in 30 minutes). 
  ***** informed me the $50 was a gratuity, and I explained that I thought it was for the extra service and thats why I would refund it since I couldnt complete the service that day. ***** said would happily take the $50 back and said wish we couldve had a better experience thank you. We resolved it to what I thought. 
  An hour later the bride, ***** and the other sister group text me and demanded I  pay them $150 back immediately, and if I didnt they would *** me and slander my name to all the vendors in our area. 
  Since the bride was over the moon happy with my service the day of her wedding, since I completed the look she wanted, (she wanted me to be there around 1ish and I arrived at 1:30, completed her look by 2:10 when she was suppose to be ready by 3:30 and I stayed as long as she wanted me to that day- there were no complaints that day and I  didnt think it was fair for me to give back 50% of that service. 
  I offered a luxury facial certificate (from a local spa I am connected with (so it wouldnt be me performing it - I figured they wouldnt want to see me based on how they were speaking to me - the luxury facial was 90 minutes and valued at $150) and stuck with my $50 refund that I believed was fair. They denied it and demanded $150 back. 
  
  The $250 that they paid for my bridal makeup services the day of her wedding I did not think was fair for me to pay half back and I respectfully and professionally explained why. They assumed (when there was no texting at all or verbal agreement  they were paying for an hour of my time- which I explained isnt how I run my business and Im not sure where they got that information from). They again threatened to slander me if I didnt do what they said,  and said no matter what I have to pay them whatever they say they want back because theyre the customer and I have to make the customer happy. 
  I really did try to make this work to the best of my abilities, and have never in my career had a situation like this happen. 
  

  Customer response

  04/19/2024

  This has not been resolved. The business owner will not respond to any requests from us directly even though multiple times she said she would refund even $50. This is poor business. She did not give us the service we paid for. She still owes us half a refund. 

   

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