The Hairdressing Claims Blog

23/10/2017

Consumer complaint issue vs legal claim issue
Consumer complaint issue vs legal claim issue

Consumer complaint vs legal claim

At Hairdressing Claims, we’re often asked which types of negative hairdressing experiences constitute a consumer complaint and which are suitable for a legal claim. In today’s blog post, this is what we’re going to address by differentiating between the two situations and helping you to channel your hairdresser-related queries accordingly.

Many of us have suffered the unfortunate consequence of asking for a particular cut or style from our hairdresser but ending up with something entirely different, for example getting a severe crop instead of a trim. Instead of leaving the hairdresser’s on a high note and proud of your freshly quaffed hair, the chasmic gap between expectations and reality means you’re disappointed and annoyed in equal measure at your hairdresser’s inept skills.

In these circumstances, it’s about receiving very poor service and falls under the remit of a consumer complaint. As such, you should raise the complaint directly with your hairdresser then, if necessary, with the salon owner or manager, quoting the Consumer Rights Act 2015 in order to get a partial / full refund or restyle.

These types of claim aren’t ordinarily eligible for ‘no win, no fee’ funding and paying for legal costs may exceed the amount you eventually recover. As such, if a satisfactory resolution isn’t reached following your initial complaint, ask about dispute resolution schemes or you may choose to use the Money Claim Online service and take the matter to the small claims court yourself.

Two useful sources of guidance for consumer complaints are Citizen’s Advice and Gov.uk. By reading the advice given on these sites, you can better understand your options and decide upon next steps.

Now that we’ve clarified the consumer compliant side of things, it’s easier to see that legal claims arise from more serious cases of physical harm. These include personal injuries such as scalp burns, scalp blisters, wounding, hair loss and hair damage resulting from over application of products, incorrect use of equipment, mishandling of sharp instruments or general lack of care.

Should this happen to you, you should consider pursuing a legal claim. At Hairdressing Claims, we’re experts in legal claims against hairdressers and offer no win, no fee funding to all our clients. Contact our legal team to start your claim and read our step-by-step guide to the hairdressing claims process for help during the preparatory stages.

Once instructed, we’ll work closely with doctors and trichologists to secure expert medical evidence and increase your chances of success.

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Categories: Making a claim
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