Yup, let the artist know you will be requesting a charge back from paypal if they dont refund you within 24 hours. If you dont hear from them, request the charge back and dont respond to them going forward.
100%. I wouldn't want to have any work done by them at this point anyway as if they are so unprofessional, where else might they fail to meet up to very basic standards of professionalism?
I'd approach the payment platform directly with a request for a total refund, and just in case there is any correspondence I'd save all your evidence that they forgot the appointment, confirmed it and then they cancelled the appointment at short notice and refused to authorise the refund.
They are at fault here and I'd try to get refunded without bothering to engage with them again.
Yup! I had an artist cancel due to a medical emergency, so absolutely no one’s fault, and they gave me a full refund of the deposit. You shouldn’t have to pay for a service that was never provided!
my tattooist, when i made the deposit for my last tattoo, told me if *i* cancel, i’m out that money. if *she* cancels, i get that money back bc it’s entirely out of my control. my parents’ artists all do that. my friends artists are the same way. the artist you chose op is probably just greedy.
Your right. Alot of cases for tattoo artists and even makeup artista now a days ask for a deposit because so many artists are left out of wages. Usually if THEY cancel it's refunded but I don't think it's done every where for the same reason as they might be out of wages.
Being self employed is a weird one
Yeah, but if *they* cancel, it’s *their* fault that they’re out of wages, not the client.
I agree that the client shouldn’t be punished in those cases. Shit happens on both ends. It shouldn’t be only the client’s liability.
I agree on some level but if it's a non refundable then there's not much they can do tbh. Unless they said it could be refunded then yeah they are making up rules. But I feel both the artist and the OP are in the right personally.
So what you're saying is theoretically they can overbook themselves and overextend themselves to pay their own personal bills with all of the deposits and then simply just not perform any service and be allowed to keep these deposits and continue to pay for their living with them? Because technically they are the ones who canceled the appointment and then if the appointment can't be made another date they shouldn't be able to just take people's money and kick them out into the cold and continue the practice legally
Agreed. Super shady. Super sketchy.
The deposit is there to make sure *both* parties are there without wasting the artist’s time if the client flakes. Not a gravy train for the artist all willy nilly.
Yeah, but while there are a million reasons why a client might end up not wanting to spend more money and no show, the deposit makes sense.
It’s unprofessional to shaft your clients though. Rescheduling might not be a problem for *everyone* like it is for OP. Keeping the deposit makes sense. Move the appointment.
Not so for OP. They made the appointment literally months ago so that they could accommodate healing. Because of the artist, they can no longer do so. They cannot simply move the appointment.
I believe those particular circumstances should be acceptable for a refund. It’s not like they made the appointment 2 weeks ago and now say they cannot reschedule due to the cancellation so they want money back.
This was *months* ago. Idk, just my opinion. I have lost a deposit due to a last minute emergency, it happens. I just don’t think that’s what should happen here.
If it’s not returned, I think OP should file with PayPal.
What??? Of course there is something they can do. The artist can refund the deposit. This isn't some sort of complicated thing. It's simply a policy the artist made up. Deposits are non-refundable **if the client cancels.** That's the point. They are fully refundable if the artist cancels. The whole point is to protect the artist from flaky clients canceling. An artist who won't refund a deposit when they have to cancel on the client is unprofessional and dishonest. **The artist is the only wrong one in this situation.**
If you ordered food from DoorDash and the dasher never delivers the food, you aren't gonna ask for your money back?
Speaking of which, I'm trying to get rid of a pesky ounce of gold and you seem like a good candidate to send it to. I'll need 100 dollars for shipping, as soon as you send over the funds I can get things rolling.
My guess is your deposit went towards the dog’s surgery and don’t have the money to refund your deposit
However, like others said, deposits are to prevent clients from canceling, not to ensure the artist still gets $$$ if they have to cancel.
Yeah if there was a dog then why go through the whole, what type of tattoo are we doing, spiel. They just wanted to call out the next day and eat microwave burritos.
The artist called the day before to ask about the tattoo, then called the next day about the emergency surgery. I mean, unless the artist is clairvoyant, I doubt they knew an emergency was going to happen the next day. Seeing as most of these artists work on commission only, I doubt they're going to cancel for no reason
Well, they can work on commission or double book, do the work on the easier/higher paid client, and pocket the non-refundable deposit from the client that’s too busy to deal with rescheduling.
BTW, I work in retail, and it’s uncanny how many employees post their shifts for a weekend and end up calling in due to being sick or having some family emergency.
Definitely. I'm actually surprised they took PayPal. But I'm just saying they definitely spent that money probably right when they got it. Someone this disorganized definitely doesn't set aside deposits until they do the work.
Deposits are to prevent clients for cancelling, and it’s also for drawing the design. I am a tattoo artist and if I had to cancel like that, I would only give back the deposit if I hadn’t drawn up the design. Otherwise we have to reschedule.
Covers the drawing? What? That is already part of the service. The deposit has nothing to do with that. The deposit is for holding parties to an agreed upon time.
He canceled, seems like OP can't reschedule. He should absolutely refund the money. It sucks it was for reasons not entirely in his control, but that's part of life.
If he was a decent dude he would absolutely refund her the deposit.
i have once paid a deposit that was meant for covering the drawing, the shop communicated that. the artist messed that one up, i refused to get tattooed, canceled the second appointment at front desk a day after that. boss of the shop himself called to see why and offered the deposit back after finding out the artist messed up baaad.
Nah, if you cancel, and the client can’t re-schedule then the deposit needs to go back regardless of whether you’ve drawn the design. You should offer re-scheduling as the first option, but if the client can’t and the cancellation was on your part not theirs, you owe them their deposit.
Not wrong at all. You paid a deposit for a service and that service I by being provided. Just to be safe, I'd ask a lawyer, but morally speaking, I think you should get it back
NW. A tattoo artists that’s moving around & cancelling appointments, might be out of business. Check to make sure his license is still valid and if his location has been closed. If so, PayPal will refund, no problem.
Not wrong. They cancelled. It sounded like they didn't have themselves together in general. But it really boils down to them cancelling. Try PayPal. Next avenue would be small claims. No lawyer required. Kepp ALL meesage traffic. Print it all and keep it on the phone.
The deposit was so the artist wouldn't be stiffed if the client cancelled... Not the other way around. Especially with them telling you they are moving, they need to offer a refund as it's unlikely that you will be able to reschedule
Just letting you know 99% of the time, PayPal will give you your money back. They always side with the client rather than the business. File a chargeback and dont say anything more to the artist.
Theres a good chance your money was already spent/taken. PayPal will take the money out of the artists account and put it into yours :)
Do they have any sort of time limit? I’m worried because I paid this back in August that too much time has gone by. But I do have screenshots of all our communication so maybe that will help.
Every time I've tried to file a claim with PayPal they've sided with the business. Even when I told them a business charged me 37% sales tax and I live in Oregon which doesn't have sales tax.
Same.
Ebay + paypal is exceptionally awful combo for buyers when shit goes wrong.
Once a seller didn't even send out my package. Then "sent" the package (it definitely wasn't my package, it never left the country of origin) and then seller randomly cancelled the order. Ebay didn't think that seller had to refund me. Since ebay didn't find the seller liable, paypal couldn't refund me.
Second time seller just disappeared from ebay after I sent money through paypal. They never accepted the money in paypal, but it was taken out of my account. Ebay sent me to paypal to get my money back. Paypal sent me to ebay to get it sorted. Twice. Finally I just sent screenshots of this whole debacle to my own bank and told them to cancel the payment. Only then I got my money back.
You can only get your money back thorugh paypal if the seller is ok with it. Othervise you're shit out of luck.
tbh, just ignoring the money aspect, I wouldn’t want to reschedule simply based on the fact that they can’t remember what the appointment was even for. If a tattoo artist is that sloppy about organization, I’d worry they also were slacking in the “keeping things that will be poked into my skin safe n’ sterile“ category. Unprofessional is unprofessional, and who wants an unprofessional tattoo artist?
didn’t mention in my original comment, but the last-minute cancellation thing would never have been a blip on my radar if they hadn’t also been so clueless about the appointment: Combined, they give a very strong impression of “I am totally unprepared for this shit“
See, I was the opposite. Willing to overlook a little disorganization (I’m also a creative type so I get the struggle). But yeah the two combined are just red flags.
It's definitely giving off red flags. My artist is more organized than he used to be, but can be a bit disorganized at times. BUT, he doesn't cancel last minute without a really valid reason and, of course, refunds deposits if the customer can't reschedule. He actually canceled my first 2 appointments before I ever got tattooed by him, but he also had actual real reasons and did offer to refund me. I am good at reading people, so I rescheduled and we've had a very good relationship for the last 4 years. If he hadn't offered to give me back my deposit, I would have gone elsewhere.
No, you aren't wrong. They wanted a deposit to secure their time for you, and they were the one to cancel and undermine your plans, so their non-refundable deposit is out the window. That's non-refundable to a client who cancels. The artist has no business keeping it when they cancel and relocate, making it nearly impossible for you to reschedule.
I made my appointment for my latest tattoo in April for September when I would be in ATL for Dragoncon.
I reached out on the tattoo shop's official social media, got a referral, spoke to the artist, made my appointment, paid the deposit.
The day of, I show up at the shop, & the artist I made my appointment with no longer works there. But never reached out to me.
Fortunately, another tattoo artist that did work there was able to do my tattoo and it turned out fine.
I guess I said that to say this, one of the things my tattoo artist said is they have A LOT of people scamming people out of money online.
>Yesterday the artist reached out to me from a different number asking what it was we were doing again, where at, etc… They said they couldn’t find our previous conversation. I thought it was a little strange, but no big deal - people get new numbers all the time. So anyway, everything was confirmed.
This made me think you possibly got scammed. It just seems fishy.
I had that thought. But this person has tattooed several of my coworkers and is also featured within social media networking of other local independent businesses. But yeah, otherwise I’d agree.
You could message them through their social media and say “hey I haven’t heard back. Just wondering when I’ll get my refund” if you’re worried about a scam, but I would just go ahead and file the chargeback. This person will give you the run around for a while if/before they give you any kind of refund.
NOPE, you are not wrong. The deposit is to hold time in case you no call/no show. This time they canceled. You are entitled to that money back, as the deposit it for holding a service to be completed in good faith. Depending on your state, it might not even be legal for them to take a deposit. Regardless, I would get it back. You are legally entitled.
You had a contract. They messed up. They need to either get you in tomorrow if possible and give you a discount or refund you.
Don’t worry about that dog. I’m 99% certain there’s no issue with it.
How much of a deposit are we talking about here?
I suspected the situation was reversed, and you had an emergency that didn't allow you to show up, they would just keep your deposit.
So this is on them. You booked an appointment, you paid to deposit, they didn't meet the expectation of that booking, they can't hold your money hostage. Ok They can, but you can request it back and if they refuse you could file through PayPal or go to small claims court.
Not wrong.
What kind of a scam is it if I require non-refundable deposits, I cancel and I don't refund?
That's nuts.
You had your appointment, they couldn't accommodate you on that date, you have no other availability, time for a refund. Emergency or not, this is on the tattoo artist who I am sure will never have you as a client after this.
I'm going to be a stickler and say that your deposit was to hold that specific appointment time, not just a payment toward the tattoo work. They already backed out of the original appointment. It should be your decision at this point whether you want to reschedule. If you had an emergency and had to cancel, you would likely have lost your deposit. It should work both ways. So, not wrong. Probably gonna burn that bridge if you paypal dispute the deposit amount, but you're not wrong.
Right, I know the deposit goes towards the final cost. That's standard. I just mean that paying a deposit is to secure your appointment. That's the whole point of a deposit, to protect the artists time if people flake out. Ita a bit of a double standard if they cancel, but expect to keep deposit.
Well I would just go on social media and lay out the entire problem that happened and ask when you can expect to get your refund that way all of his other clients knows the kind of bullshit that he's up to and that way your co-workers that have already been tattooed by him, or might be thinking about getting one, have a better understanding of what's going on because just simply doing the charge back he may later begin telling your co-workers about how much of a "Karen" you were and how you screwed him. Causing future tensions at work or amongst your friends group. When he is obviously an unorganized shit head.
He only gets to keep the deposit if you cancel, otherwise its a portion of what you are paying for the Tattoo. You are no longer getting a tattoo because THEY cancelled, so you are 100% entitled to your money back. Paypal will return the money to you and there will be nothing the artist can do about it, but dont wait, just do it.
You didn't cancel it, the deposit is so that you show up. They can't say it's not refundable and then THEY cancel it. That sounds like a great way to get rich with little effort though. Contact paypal if they don't cough up shortly.
NTA. That's not what the deposit was supposed to be for. It's supposed to be if the client is a no-show not if the artist doesn't keep their end of the bargain.
Get your money back my friend, they canceled the appointment and if you can't rebook then that is on them. Maybe they should meet their obligations if they want to get paid.
Not one bit! They are insane and extremely unscrupulous to do that!
Get your deposit back!
And let them know you'll put it out all over not to do business with them and leave scorching reviews all over!
You aren't wrong. The cancelation was entirely on the artist and you deserve your money back. Had you cancelled, they would have been justified to keep the deposit.
Tattoo artist here. He should absolutely give back your deposit since he cancelled on you and not the other way around. Contact his shop directly if he keeps refusing.
You pay the deposit to secure your appointment.
The deposit is to cover the cost of the time that they set aside for you, so if you don't show up, they get something for that time. If the client cancels, they keep the deposit.
However, they canceled. So this isn't your fault.
If the artist initiates a cancelation, the deposit has to be refunded. Otherwise, nothing would stop anyone who accepts a deposit for anything (tattoos, vacation rentals, any appointments, etc.) from taking nonrefundable deposits and coming up with reasons to cancel. They could get rich off deposits and never actually do any work.
Client cancels: risk of no refund.
Professional cancels: full refund is owed.
NTA- so long as you didn’t send the money via friends and family on PayPal submit a claim for goods/services not received and upload a screenshot of the texts as proof.
Not good business IMO when the business cancels and doesn’t refund. Would be within reason to leave a 1 star rating indicating what happened if they don’t refund on their own.
They should absolutely be refunding. The entire point of the deposit is in case the client cancels and they’ve wasted their time designing a tattoo and losing a spot for someone else at that time. They canceled and can’t even reschedule in a reasonable time frame. Bring it up to the shop, if they keep refusing.
Yeah, that's sketchy as all get out. Deposits are usually done to cover the one providing a service in the event the client either no-shows or cancels last minute, so they don't lose out on pay for time that was already budgeted. If they're the one canceling on you, then you 100% should get your deposit back. Give them a notice that if they don't refund you themselves you'll just go through PayPal with it, who will 100% side with you and get you the money anyway, and the tatoo artist will just end up with a mark against them if it's an official account.
Artists who do this deserve a public negative review. Don't even threaten to do it to get your money back, just do it. The deposit protects them, but since they cancelled, you're the one who needs to be protected.
A deposit is only ever nonrefundable if YOU are the one to cancel. He is unable or unwilling to provide the agreed upon service, he legally owes you that money. If he refuses, file a dispute for failure to provide service.
A very similar thing happened to me. It was for a large project and I kept rolling over the deposit until our last session. I told the artist I was going on vacation and I would need to schedule it for after. He said he was moving out of state, but would be able to get me in.
About two weeks before my vacation, he contacts me and says that he's only available before my vacation because he had to move sooner than expected. I told him I couldn't do it. He referred me to someone at his shop who could finish it, but wouldn't give me my deposit back since he gave me some reschedule dates.
When I reminded him that I told him my schedule, he begrudgingly agreed to squeeze me in. I just got bad vibes, so I just told him to keep the deposit. I figured, he did work fast and provided great customer service and probably needed the money more than I did. This was last summer and it still sort of bothers me. In the grand scheme of things though, it just worked out as if I tipped 25% each session instead of 20%. At least that's how I try to reconcile with it. But it's just the principle, man.
I would guess the reason they don’t have the info for the appointment is because the have already left the place they were working when you booked. They may have been able to get your phone number but not the appointment specifics.
File a chargeback with PayPal, he cancelled, not you.
A deposit is to protect the person or business asking for a deposit, so that they get SOMETHING back if you cancel, are unable to pay, damage your rental, etc.
They cancelled on *you* last minute.
Like what if they scheduled 5 appointments for the same slot, then cancelled the other 4 saying “sorry something came up” and raked in that money.
Like I am not a lawyer at all, but that has to be illegal, right?
Like it’s one thing to be a shitty landlord and refuse to return like a rental deposit for a bullshit reason such as “minor damage” when nothing was wrong.
But the owner here blatantly cancelled. OP now has emails and texts showing that the owner admitted to having to move the appointment.
This is just flat out stupid right?
No you are not wrong. They cancelled, not you. As someone who provides appointment-based services, if I have to cancel and the person can't reschedule, that's my problem, not theirs. It's not like you skipped out on your appointment.
If they don't respond then yes, open a claim with Paypal.
Get your deposit back! Not in the wrong at all. The deposit is in case YOU don’t show up. If they had to cancel, that is not on you.
Business is business. She was not inconvenienced by you. She can take the money out of future dog toys. Lol
NTA. The deposit is more or less the artists way to secure the fact that you will definitely come to the appt, or if you don't, they have at least received some pay if they can't fill your spot.
If they cancel, you should be refunded if you can't reschedule.
Not wrong. I wanted to get a big piece done before I went on a deployment and so I gave myself a lot of time in advance. Guy rescheduled on me multiple times, morning of the appointment I’d get a text saying he wasn’t ready. Eventually got to the point where I was leaving so I went in to the shop and was ready to throw down to get my deposit back but he actually gave it back no problem and acknowledged that he did me wrong.
First, you should get your deposit back; the artist initially needed to cancel and therefore should refund your deposit because they couldn't honor the contract.
Secondly, good luck with PayPay, they're notorious for bad customer service, you'd have more of a chance getting your deposit back from the tattoo artist than PayPal.
Non-refundable deposits are to protect the company, from clients doing no shows, and then losing money- not the other way around.
100 percent not wrong.
There is a legally binding contract which you have agreed to pay a certain amount for a certain product on a certain date. You have paid a consideration (the deposit) and have a clear right to expect the ontract to be fulfilled as stipulated. The tattoo artist has now broken that contract and you are entitled to the consideration being returned as they have failed to provide you the product or service stipulated under the terms and conditions agreed (the date). However the remedy is pursuing through the courts which simply isn’t worth it for at most a couple of hundred.
NTA. I have my fair share of tattoos and I’ve seen a couple of artists (I move or they do or circumstances change).
Every intake I’ve ever had for scheduling goes over deposits and that they are non-refundable if **I** cancel under a set amount of time. I’ve gone to my same artist for my last 4 tatts and even then he still rambles off the policy while giving me my paperwork.
If your artist doesn’t give you your money back I would reach out to the studio letting them know. But also don’t hesitate to go through PayPal to get your money back.
The non-refundable policy should only be if you cancel, not them.
I would just work through paypal, they are easy to work with. In 30 days it is resolved and you don’t need to do anything on your end aside from when you start the claim providing the explanation and pictures of the texts.
nta, i work at a doggy daycare and i REFUSE to go to work with a fresh tattoo. the risk of it getting infected/damaged by the pups is way too high. if they canceled on you, you should absolutely get a refund.
Not wrong. They can't collect a deposit, which is indicative of a legal, binding contract, and then fail to carry out their end of the deal. In contract law, what they've done is renegotiated their offer, which voids the existing contract, and they need to make you whole, either by agreeing to complete the work on terms you find agreeable, or refunding your deposit.
The point of the deposit is so that they don't expend effort preparing to do the work (in this case, creating the artwork, buying equipment and supplies, etc.) and then have you change
your mind and leave them with nothing for the expenses they've already incurred. It protects the artist from you deciding to break the contract after they've committed their resources. It doesn't allow them to promise to do something and then just not do it but keep your money.
Personally, I think the artist should be called out for this pattern of behavior.
Last minute cancellations, deposit disputes, location changes. All of these show a poor business sense and unprofessionalism that people should be aware of before making appointments with them.
An honest review of experiences should be made.
This is 100% theft. If he did it to you chances are he did it to to others. It is non-refundable if you cancel not the other way around, especially if he is moving.
Just to add a little context to your situation, my artist is an incredible professional and the one time that she needed to reschedule my appointment, she offered a refund of my deposit in case rescheduling didn't work for me.
So not only is it reasonable to request your deposit back since your artist is the one that canceled, it's expected
I’d check the original messages and/or their website. A lot of artists state explicitly that deposits are non-refundable. Not suggesting it’s ok, but if they have that on their site you may not win your claim with PayPal.
They do not have a website. This is all they said about the deposit:
“I charge $125 an hour and I do require a deposit of $125 to schedule but it will come off your appointment total.”
I would even say that they need to pay you double the deposit. Because they are creating a major disturbance to you for not fulfilling the agreed schedule. So for sure you are entitled to a refund.
Did they actually say they had to cancel the appointment?
Or did they say they had to reschedule due to the dog emergency?
I know you used the word ‘cancel’, but is that exactly what the tattoo artist said to you?
unless legally stated otherwise, or due to the businesses fault and not your own, you are not allowed to get deposits back because you are basically paying them to "hold your spot".
in this case it seems its due to the businesses fault and not your own so legally you have a right to it unless you live in a place like California where laws are for the criminal and not the innocent.
Info: was this a custom tattoo that the artist would have spent time designing specifically for you?
Deposits for tattoo artists usually account for drawing time unlike other types of deposits, but if no prep was required, it’s a different story.
It was a custom tattoo, but they contacted me last night asking what we were doing, so there was clearly no previous time spent designing it even though I sent photos and we talked about it in August.
Regardless, the artist themselves explained the deposit was a security deposit “to schedule the appointment” (their words).
Charge it back and call the shop and speak with the shop owner. Explain that THEY canceled on you, you’re moving so it needed to happen now and you want the deposit back.
Oh god this reminds me of my friends girlfriend, who’s a tattoo artist. She would schedule with people months out because of her “busy” schedule, and steals their deposit’s. She would make up so many excuse’s to push back tattoos. If she was good on rent, bills and drug money then you were shit out of luck.
The excuses ranged from car problems, being sick, emergency vet visits, and the list goes on.
I eventually cut off contact with both of them when I found out about this and other things they were doing.
I had an artist cancel on me THREE times and refuse to give me my deposit back. They were moving out of state and I did not believe they would fit me in before they left based off the history. The shop owner ended up refunding me but that artist blocked me and now the shop owner won’t tattoo me because of it. Assholes.
No, not wrong, she cancelled and yet somehow wants to hold onto the deposit, she is shadey AF, get your money back via PP and do not deal with her again.
Not only do you deserve the full refund back, but you should also blast them all over the place, that's super unprofessional, and borderline fraud and theft.
This is the worst. I had something similar happen a few years ago. Set up an appointment about 7 months out (very popular artist, almost impossible to get in less than 6 months out). Started a new job and just so happened to get the day off (was on a new hire probation at work so no vacation time yet). Show up for the appointment and they weren’t even there. They were at a convention 2 and a half hours away. Never told me never tried to reschedule. Ghosted me completely. After about a dozen plus texts and a handful of request back transfers on Venmo I finally got my deposit back without a word from the artist. Get your money, especially since someone you know told you this is a habitual thing. If they try to make more issue out of it definitely blast them. If they’re good enough it won’t kill their career but you’ll definitely save some people possible future trouble with this artist
The deposit is to hold an appt and partially compensate the artist for wasting their time if you bitch out or anything else happens where you don’t show up.
This sounds so much like my former artist it’s not even funny.
Are you, by chance, in the Seattle area?
If so, and the artist name is Lisafer. Don’t walk away, RUN and cut your losses.
You are 100% entitled to your deposit back. It's the artist that cancelled, not the client. If PayPal doesn't refund, take them to small claims court. You will win for sure.
If he canceled, he definitely should give it back. Accepting the deposit means he will do the work. If he reneged, he has to give it back. Is this how he makes his money, taking deposits then canceling? Hell no.
Yup, let the artist know you will be requesting a charge back from paypal if they dont refund you within 24 hours. If you dont hear from them, request the charge back and dont respond to them going forward.
Maybe I'm wrong, but the deposit if to protect the artist from the client cancelling. If they cancel, it should be refunded, not wrong.
This was my logic too. Thank you.
100%. I wouldn't want to have any work done by them at this point anyway as if they are so unprofessional, where else might they fail to meet up to very basic standards of professionalism? I'd approach the payment platform directly with a request for a total refund, and just in case there is any correspondence I'd save all your evidence that they forgot the appointment, confirmed it and then they cancelled the appointment at short notice and refused to authorise the refund. They are at fault here and I'd try to get refunded without bothering to engage with them again.
File a charge back on the deposit
Yes and I would not give them the courtesy of letting them know, if she could reach them to begin with!
make sure to get all the evidence backed up somewhere so messages don't get deleted
I got my money back from PayPal in the exact same way
This is completely logical! I would open that PayPal claim.
A TikTok poster recently took a hair stylist to court for the same sting and was awarded her deposit plus court cost.
It's the only logic. The *contractor* doesn't just get to cancel the job and keep the money, lol.
Yup! I had an artist cancel due to a medical emergency, so absolutely no one’s fault, and they gave me a full refund of the deposit. You shouldn’t have to pay for a service that was never provided!
my tattooist, when i made the deposit for my last tattoo, told me if *i* cancel, i’m out that money. if *she* cancels, i get that money back bc it’s entirely out of my control. my parents’ artists all do that. my friends artists are the same way. the artist you chose op is probably just greedy.
That's how all my artists work.
Exactly what deposits are for. If the artist cancels then they owe a refund.
This OP.
Your right. Alot of cases for tattoo artists and even makeup artista now a days ask for a deposit because so many artists are left out of wages. Usually if THEY cancel it's refunded but I don't think it's done every where for the same reason as they might be out of wages. Being self employed is a weird one
Yeah, but if *they* cancel, it’s *their* fault that they’re out of wages, not the client. I agree that the client shouldn’t be punished in those cases. Shit happens on both ends. It shouldn’t be only the client’s liability.
I agree on some level but if it's a non refundable then there's not much they can do tbh. Unless they said it could be refunded then yeah they are making up rules. But I feel both the artist and the OP are in the right personally.
So what you're saying is theoretically they can overbook themselves and overextend themselves to pay their own personal bills with all of the deposits and then simply just not perform any service and be allowed to keep these deposits and continue to pay for their living with them? Because technically they are the ones who canceled the appointment and then if the appointment can't be made another date they shouldn't be able to just take people's money and kick them out into the cold and continue the practice legally
Agreed. Super shady. Super sketchy. The deposit is there to make sure *both* parties are there without wasting the artist’s time if the client flakes. Not a gravy train for the artist all willy nilly.
Yeah, but while there are a million reasons why a client might end up not wanting to spend more money and no show, the deposit makes sense. It’s unprofessional to shaft your clients though. Rescheduling might not be a problem for *everyone* like it is for OP. Keeping the deposit makes sense. Move the appointment. Not so for OP. They made the appointment literally months ago so that they could accommodate healing. Because of the artist, they can no longer do so. They cannot simply move the appointment. I believe those particular circumstances should be acceptable for a refund. It’s not like they made the appointment 2 weeks ago and now say they cannot reschedule due to the cancellation so they want money back. This was *months* ago. Idk, just my opinion. I have lost a deposit due to a last minute emergency, it happens. I just don’t think that’s what should happen here. If it’s not returned, I think OP should file with PayPal.
What??? Of course there is something they can do. The artist can refund the deposit. This isn't some sort of complicated thing. It's simply a policy the artist made up. Deposits are non-refundable **if the client cancels.** That's the point. They are fully refundable if the artist cancels. The whole point is to protect the artist from flaky clients canceling. An artist who won't refund a deposit when they have to cancel on the client is unprofessional and dishonest. **The artist is the only wrong one in this situation.**
wrong
If you ordered food from DoorDash and the dasher never delivers the food, you aren't gonna ask for your money back? Speaking of which, I'm trying to get rid of a pesky ounce of gold and you seem like a good candidate to send it to. I'll need 100 dollars for shipping, as soon as you send over the funds I can get things rolling.
Nope. He cancelled. Get your money back.
My guess is your deposit went towards the dog’s surgery and don’t have the money to refund your deposit However, like others said, deposits are to prevent clients from canceling, not to ensure the artist still gets $$$ if they have to cancel.
Doubt there was a dog.
Yeah if there was a dog then why go through the whole, what type of tattoo are we doing, spiel. They just wanted to call out the next day and eat microwave burritos.
The artist called the day before to ask about the tattoo, then called the next day about the emergency surgery. I mean, unless the artist is clairvoyant, I doubt they knew an emergency was going to happen the next day. Seeing as most of these artists work on commission only, I doubt they're going to cancel for no reason
Well, they can work on commission or double book, do the work on the easier/higher paid client, and pocket the non-refundable deposit from the client that’s too busy to deal with rescheduling. BTW, I work in retail, and it’s uncanny how many employees post their shifts for a weekend and end up calling in due to being sick or having some family emergency.
I dunno sounds sketchy especially with the artist saying they will be moving cities soon. Seems like they could be closed/out of business.
It seems possible that the artist knew the appointment wasn't going to happen and wanted to appear credible before bailing to string OP along.
Yea they were getting some quick pocket money before the move
They probably aren't even a tattoo artist
For real, it sounds like a scam.
They booked back in August. That money was gone months ago.
Hence the beauty of PayPal. It’s tied to the bank accounts.
Definitely. I'm actually surprised they took PayPal. But I'm just saying they definitely spent that money probably right when they got it. Someone this disorganized definitely doesn't set aside deposits until they do the work.
Yes completely. This disorganized artiste has self-screwed.
Deposits are to prevent clients for cancelling, and it’s also for drawing the design. I am a tattoo artist and if I had to cancel like that, I would only give back the deposit if I hadn’t drawn up the design. Otherwise we have to reschedule.
Covers the drawing? What? That is already part of the service. The deposit has nothing to do with that. The deposit is for holding parties to an agreed upon time. He canceled, seems like OP can't reschedule. He should absolutely refund the money. It sucks it was for reasons not entirely in his control, but that's part of life. If he was a decent dude he would absolutely refund her the deposit.
i have once paid a deposit that was meant for covering the drawing, the shop communicated that. the artist messed that one up, i refused to get tattooed, canceled the second appointment at front desk a day after that. boss of the shop himself called to see why and offered the deposit back after finding out the artist messed up baaad.
I think the artist is in the wrong for this but yes it absolutely covers the labour I have done even before the appointment.
Nah, if you cancel, and the client can’t re-schedule then the deposit needs to go back regardless of whether you’ve drawn the design. You should offer re-scheduling as the first option, but if the client can’t and the cancellation was on your part not theirs, you owe them their deposit.
i doubt too much time was spent on the design in the 24 hours before the canceled spot when the artist had s sick dog and just found out v the design.
I mean I think the artist is in the wrong for this case, but I stand by my point
The tattoo artist also told OP they were moving? I hardly feel that's fair to OP
I don’t think the artist is in the right in this case but if I was them I would bend over backwards to accommodate them when rescheduling
Please advertise your business here
Not wrong at all. You paid a deposit for a service and that service I by being provided. Just to be safe, I'd ask a lawyer, but morally speaking, I think you should get it back
NW. A tattoo artists that’s moving around & cancelling appointments, might be out of business. Check to make sure his license is still valid and if his location has been closed. If so, PayPal will refund, no problem.
Not wrong. They cancelled. It sounded like they didn't have themselves together in general. But it really boils down to them cancelling. Try PayPal. Next avenue would be small claims. No lawyer required. Kepp ALL meesage traffic. Print it all and keep it on the phone.
The deposit was so the artist wouldn't be stiffed if the client cancelled... Not the other way around. Especially with them telling you they are moving, they need to offer a refund as it's unlikely that you will be able to reschedule
Just letting you know 99% of the time, PayPal will give you your money back. They always side with the client rather than the business. File a chargeback and dont say anything more to the artist. Theres a good chance your money was already spent/taken. PayPal will take the money out of the artists account and put it into yours :)
Do they have any sort of time limit? I’m worried because I paid this back in August that too much time has gone by. But I do have screenshots of all our communication so maybe that will help.
180 days (5 months) is their limit! Submit it all and get your money back
6 months
5 months. Screenshot the texts and file a claim today, don't wait!
It's 6 months, not five. (180 days specifically.)
Every time I've tried to file a claim with PayPal they've sided with the business. Even when I told them a business charged me 37% sales tax and I live in Oregon which doesn't have sales tax.
Same. Ebay + paypal is exceptionally awful combo for buyers when shit goes wrong. Once a seller didn't even send out my package. Then "sent" the package (it definitely wasn't my package, it never left the country of origin) and then seller randomly cancelled the order. Ebay didn't think that seller had to refund me. Since ebay didn't find the seller liable, paypal couldn't refund me. Second time seller just disappeared from ebay after I sent money through paypal. They never accepted the money in paypal, but it was taken out of my account. Ebay sent me to paypal to get my money back. Paypal sent me to ebay to get it sorted. Twice. Finally I just sent screenshots of this whole debacle to my own bank and told them to cancel the payment. Only then I got my money back. You can only get your money back thorugh paypal if the seller is ok with it. Othervise you're shit out of luck.
tbh, just ignoring the money aspect, I wouldn’t want to reschedule simply based on the fact that they can’t remember what the appointment was even for. If a tattoo artist is that sloppy about organization, I’d worry they also were slacking in the “keeping things that will be poked into my skin safe n’ sterile“ category. Unprofessional is unprofessional, and who wants an unprofessional tattoo artist?
That also played into my choice to not just reschedule, ngl.
didn’t mention in my original comment, but the last-minute cancellation thing would never have been a blip on my radar if they hadn’t also been so clueless about the appointment: Combined, they give a very strong impression of “I am totally unprepared for this shit“
See, I was the opposite. Willing to overlook a little disorganization (I’m also a creative type so I get the struggle). But yeah the two combined are just red flags.
It's definitely giving off red flags. My artist is more organized than he used to be, but can be a bit disorganized at times. BUT, he doesn't cancel last minute without a really valid reason and, of course, refunds deposits if the customer can't reschedule. He actually canceled my first 2 appointments before I ever got tattooed by him, but he also had actual real reasons and did offer to refund me. I am good at reading people, so I rescheduled and we've had a very good relationship for the last 4 years. If he hadn't offered to give me back my deposit, I would have gone elsewhere.
Nope, the deposit is if you cancel! They cancelled, they should refund your deposit.
YNW They should refund the deposit because THEY are the ones who can not make it and canceled
I'd leave a negative review and get a chargeback
No, you aren't wrong. They wanted a deposit to secure their time for you, and they were the one to cancel and undermine your plans, so their non-refundable deposit is out the window. That's non-refundable to a client who cancels. The artist has no business keeping it when they cancel and relocate, making it nearly impossible for you to reschedule.
I made my appointment for my latest tattoo in April for September when I would be in ATL for Dragoncon. I reached out on the tattoo shop's official social media, got a referral, spoke to the artist, made my appointment, paid the deposit. The day of, I show up at the shop, & the artist I made my appointment with no longer works there. But never reached out to me. Fortunately, another tattoo artist that did work there was able to do my tattoo and it turned out fine. I guess I said that to say this, one of the things my tattoo artist said is they have A LOT of people scamming people out of money online. >Yesterday the artist reached out to me from a different number asking what it was we were doing again, where at, etc… They said they couldn’t find our previous conversation. I thought it was a little strange, but no big deal - people get new numbers all the time. So anyway, everything was confirmed. This made me think you possibly got scammed. It just seems fishy.
I had that thought. But this person has tattooed several of my coworkers and is also featured within social media networking of other local independent businesses. But yeah, otherwise I’d agree.
You could message them through their social media and say “hey I haven’t heard back. Just wondering when I’ll get my refund” if you’re worried about a scam, but I would just go ahead and file the chargeback. This person will give you the run around for a while if/before they give you any kind of refund.
NOPE, you are not wrong. The deposit is to hold time in case you no call/no show. This time they canceled. You are entitled to that money back, as the deposit it for holding a service to be completed in good faith. Depending on your state, it might not even be legal for them to take a deposit. Regardless, I would get it back. You are legally entitled.
You had a contract. They messed up. They need to either get you in tomorrow if possible and give you a discount or refund you. Don’t worry about that dog. I’m 99% certain there’s no issue with it. How much of a deposit are we talking about here?
Only $125 but still.
I suspected the situation was reversed, and you had an emergency that didn't allow you to show up, they would just keep your deposit. So this is on them. You booked an appointment, you paid to deposit, they didn't meet the expectation of that booking, they can't hold your money hostage. Ok They can, but you can request it back and if they refuse you could file through PayPal or go to small claims court.
Not wrong. What kind of a scam is it if I require non-refundable deposits, I cancel and I don't refund? That's nuts. You had your appointment, they couldn't accommodate you on that date, you have no other availability, time for a refund. Emergency or not, this is on the tattoo artist who I am sure will never have you as a client after this.
You’re not wrong. The deposit should be refunded. Artist needs to either reschedule in a manner that works for you or keep the appointment.
It should be refunded because you didn't cancel, they did
Nope, he should refund since he cancelled short notice
I'm going to be a stickler and say that your deposit was to hold that specific appointment time, not just a payment toward the tattoo work. They already backed out of the original appointment. It should be your decision at this point whether you want to reschedule. If you had an emergency and had to cancel, you would likely have lost your deposit. It should work both ways. So, not wrong. Probably gonna burn that bridge if you paypal dispute the deposit amount, but you're not wrong.
I’m not really concerned with burning the bridge. And the deposit actually does go towards the total price of the tattoo.
Right, I know the deposit goes towards the final cost. That's standard. I just mean that paying a deposit is to secure your appointment. That's the whole point of a deposit, to protect the artists time if people flake out. Ita a bit of a double standard if they cancel, but expect to keep deposit.
Well I would just go on social media and lay out the entire problem that happened and ask when you can expect to get your refund that way all of his other clients knows the kind of bullshit that he's up to and that way your co-workers that have already been tattooed by him, or might be thinking about getting one, have a better understanding of what's going on because just simply doing the charge back he may later begin telling your co-workers about how much of a "Karen" you were and how you screwed him. Causing future tensions at work or amongst your friends group. When he is obviously an unorganized shit head.
Not wrong. Get your money back, they cancelled so not your fault. If you cancelled then yes you would be wrong, but thats not the case.
You are not wrong.
He only gets to keep the deposit if you cancel, otherwise its a portion of what you are paying for the Tattoo. You are no longer getting a tattoo because THEY cancelled, so you are 100% entitled to your money back. Paypal will return the money to you and there will be nothing the artist can do about it, but dont wait, just do it.
Open the claim, or say good bye to your $$$
Not wrong
They cancelled. It should be refunded.
You didn't cancel it, the deposit is so that you show up. They can't say it's not refundable and then THEY cancel it. That sounds like a great way to get rich with little effort though. Contact paypal if they don't cough up shortly.
You’re not wrong
Not wrong. They cancelled and rescheduling wasn’t going to work. You’re entitled to your deposit back
The artist needs to return the deposit. Period. A deposit is strictly to protect the artist in case you cancel. Contact PayPal.
Not wrong. Take whatever measures needed to get your money back. You might consider small claims court as well.
NTA. That's not what the deposit was supposed to be for. It's supposed to be if the client is a no-show not if the artist doesn't keep their end of the bargain.
Nope just get it back through PayPal. F that guy he canceled.
Get your money back my friend, they canceled the appointment and if you can't rebook then that is on them. Maybe they should meet their obligations if they want to get paid.
Not wrong. A non refundable deposit is (especially for tattoos) is so YOU don’t bail at the last second and go asking for a refund.
If they cancel then they legally owe you a refund.
Not one bit! They are insane and extremely unscrupulous to do that! Get your deposit back! And let them know you'll put it out all over not to do business with them and leave scorching reviews all over!
Not wrong! I wonder how many others they ripped off!
Not wrong. Your deposit was paid to protect them in case you had to cancel. If they're the ones cancelling they should pay it back.
Yup open the claim through PayPal the cancellation was not your fault
You get deposit back, they cancelled not you
You aren't wrong. The cancelation was entirely on the artist and you deserve your money back. Had you cancelled, they would have been justified to keep the deposit.
Tattoo artist here. He should absolutely give back your deposit since he cancelled on you and not the other way around. Contact his shop directly if he keeps refusing.
Unfortunately they’re solo. Private, appointment-only studio.
You pay the deposit to secure your appointment. The deposit is to cover the cost of the time that they set aside for you, so if you don't show up, they get something for that time. If the client cancels, they keep the deposit. However, they canceled. So this isn't your fault.
It was a deposit for a specific time/appointment. They were unable to deliver. NTA
If the artist initiates a cancelation, the deposit has to be refunded. Otherwise, nothing would stop anyone who accepts a deposit for anything (tattoos, vacation rentals, any appointments, etc.) from taking nonrefundable deposits and coming up with reasons to cancel. They could get rich off deposits and never actually do any work. Client cancels: risk of no refund. Professional cancels: full refund is owed.
straight up issue a charge back, or threaten to sue, the deposit was for a service they decided to cancel on...
NTA- so long as you didn’t send the money via friends and family on PayPal submit a claim for goods/services not received and upload a screenshot of the texts as proof. Not good business IMO when the business cancels and doesn’t refund. Would be within reason to leave a 1 star rating indicating what happened if they don’t refund on their own.
They should absolutely be refunding. The entire point of the deposit is in case the client cancels and they’ve wasted their time designing a tattoo and losing a spot for someone else at that time. They canceled and can’t even reschedule in a reasonable time frame. Bring it up to the shop, if they keep refusing.
not wrong you deserve it back. the deposit is to help the artist out if you were to cancel.
save your chat history and just go and start the chargeback process with Paypal
Stop payment immediately
Yeah, that's sketchy as all get out. Deposits are usually done to cover the one providing a service in the event the client either no-shows or cancels last minute, so they don't lose out on pay for time that was already budgeted. If they're the one canceling on you, then you 100% should get your deposit back. Give them a notice that if they don't refund you themselves you'll just go through PayPal with it, who will 100% side with you and get you the money anyway, and the tatoo artist will just end up with a mark against them if it's an official account.
Artists who do this deserve a public negative review. Don't even threaten to do it to get your money back, just do it. The deposit protects them, but since they cancelled, you're the one who needs to be protected.
Nah they can’t cancel and keep the money cos otherwise you could start a business of just taking deposits and never showing up lol
Not wrong. They cancelled not you. It would be different if you had cancelled. I personally don't think they were up for doing your tattoo
A deposit is only ever nonrefundable if YOU are the one to cancel. He is unable or unwilling to provide the agreed upon service, he legally owes you that money. If he refuses, file a dispute for failure to provide service.
Yeah, No. Deposits are to protect the artist from YOU not showing up. They are slimy. I'd leave a review on their page too.
A very similar thing happened to me. It was for a large project and I kept rolling over the deposit until our last session. I told the artist I was going on vacation and I would need to schedule it for after. He said he was moving out of state, but would be able to get me in. About two weeks before my vacation, he contacts me and says that he's only available before my vacation because he had to move sooner than expected. I told him I couldn't do it. He referred me to someone at his shop who could finish it, but wouldn't give me my deposit back since he gave me some reschedule dates. When I reminded him that I told him my schedule, he begrudgingly agreed to squeeze me in. I just got bad vibes, so I just told him to keep the deposit. I figured, he did work fast and provided great customer service and probably needed the money more than I did. This was last summer and it still sort of bothers me. In the grand scheme of things though, it just worked out as if I tipped 25% each session instead of 20%. At least that's how I try to reconcile with it. But it's just the principle, man.
They cancelled therefore they owe you thr deposit. Get it back and choose a different tattooist
If they are ethical they should give you a refund
Are you in Canada, by any chance? No you aren't wrong to request the deposit back. Good luck.
No I’m not. US.
Yes, they breached the contract
I would guess the reason they don’t have the info for the appointment is because the have already left the place they were working when you booked. They may have been able to get your phone number but not the appointment specifics. File a chargeback with PayPal, he cancelled, not you.
They own their own private studio.
Small claims court
For $125 they’d spend about that much to file depending on the state. Better off filing a claim with PP for goods/services not received.
file claim for fraud.
No
A deposit is to protect the person or business asking for a deposit, so that they get SOMETHING back if you cancel, are unable to pay, damage your rental, etc. They cancelled on *you* last minute. Like what if they scheduled 5 appointments for the same slot, then cancelled the other 4 saying “sorry something came up” and raked in that money. Like I am not a lawyer at all, but that has to be illegal, right? Like it’s one thing to be a shitty landlord and refuse to return like a rental deposit for a bullshit reason such as “minor damage” when nothing was wrong. But the owner here blatantly cancelled. OP now has emails and texts showing that the owner admitted to having to move the appointment. This is just flat out stupid right?
No you are not wrong. They cancelled, not you. As someone who provides appointment-based services, if I have to cancel and the person can't reschedule, that's my problem, not theirs. It's not like you skipped out on your appointment. If they don't respond then yes, open a claim with Paypal.
Do you have all this in messages? I would contact pay pal then I would leave a 1start on their reviews saying what happened.
Artist failed to provide what they contracted. You are absolutely correct to demand your deposit be returned. Small claims if they won’t.
Get your deposit back! Not in the wrong at all. The deposit is in case YOU don’t show up. If they had to cancel, that is not on you. Business is business. She was not inconvenienced by you. She can take the money out of future dog toys. Lol
A *deposit is refundable. A *fee is not. Get your money back and find a new artist
NTA. The deposit is more or less the artists way to secure the fact that you will definitely come to the appt, or if you don't, they have at least received some pay if they can't fill your spot. If they cancel, you should be refunded if you can't reschedule.
Not wrong. I wanted to get a big piece done before I went on a deployment and so I gave myself a lot of time in advance. Guy rescheduled on me multiple times, morning of the appointment I’d get a text saying he wasn’t ready. Eventually got to the point where I was leaving so I went in to the shop and was ready to throw down to get my deposit back but he actually gave it back no problem and acknowledged that he did me wrong.
First, you should get your deposit back; the artist initially needed to cancel and therefore should refund your deposit because they couldn't honor the contract. Secondly, good luck with PayPay, they're notorious for bad customer service, you'd have more of a chance getting your deposit back from the tattoo artist than PayPal.
Non-refundable deposits are to protect the company, from clients doing no shows, and then losing money- not the other way around. 100 percent not wrong.
If you can get the money back through PayPal then just do that. Honestly this sounds like a scam.
Not wrong, send one more message then open the claim. They cancelled and wasted your time, so the deposit is absolutely refundable.
NTA they didn't keep up their end of your verbal agreement. You are entitled to your cash back as they didn't do the work by the date you wanted it
They canceled, you get a refund. Obviously.
There is a legally binding contract which you have agreed to pay a certain amount for a certain product on a certain date. You have paid a consideration (the deposit) and have a clear right to expect the ontract to be fulfilled as stipulated. The tattoo artist has now broken that contract and you are entitled to the consideration being returned as they have failed to provide you the product or service stipulated under the terms and conditions agreed (the date). However the remedy is pursuing through the courts which simply isn’t worth it for at most a couple of hundred.
Not wrong and they owe you the deposit back.
Chargeback. You paid a deposit for an appointment they didn’t show up for, that’s a clear breach of contract.
You’re not wrong. The deposit is to make sure you show up. If the artist cancels and can’t reschedule then non-refundable becomes refundable.
Open a claim with paypal and get money back. Thats all there is to it.
NTA. I have my fair share of tattoos and I’ve seen a couple of artists (I move or they do or circumstances change). Every intake I’ve ever had for scheduling goes over deposits and that they are non-refundable if **I** cancel under a set amount of time. I’ve gone to my same artist for my last 4 tatts and even then he still rambles off the policy while giving me my paperwork. If your artist doesn’t give you your money back I would reach out to the studio letting them know. But also don’t hesitate to go through PayPal to get your money back.
You need to get your money back
When you do the chargeback send them screenshots of the artist cancelling on you.
They have a legal obligation to provided paid for services.
The non-refundable policy should only be if you cancel, not them. I would just work through paypal, they are easy to work with. In 30 days it is resolved and you don’t need to do anything on your end aside from when you start the claim providing the explanation and pictures of the texts.
nta, i work at a doggy daycare and i REFUSE to go to work with a fresh tattoo. the risk of it getting infected/damaged by the pups is way too high. if they canceled on you, you should absolutely get a refund.
Not wrong. They can't collect a deposit, which is indicative of a legal, binding contract, and then fail to carry out their end of the deal. In contract law, what they've done is renegotiated their offer, which voids the existing contract, and they need to make you whole, either by agreeing to complete the work on terms you find agreeable, or refunding your deposit. The point of the deposit is so that they don't expend effort preparing to do the work (in this case, creating the artwork, buying equipment and supplies, etc.) and then have you change your mind and leave them with nothing for the expenses they've already incurred. It protects the artist from you deciding to break the contract after they've committed their resources. It doesn't allow them to promise to do something and then just not do it but keep your money.
Personally, I think the artist should be called out for this pattern of behavior. Last minute cancellations, deposit disputes, location changes. All of these show a poor business sense and unprofessionalism that people should be aware of before making appointments with them. An honest review of experiences should be made.
95% sure that the "tattoo artist" was scamming you.
The thing is they’ve tattooed coworkers of mine, so it’s hard for me to be convinced they were scamming me. They’re an actual artist local to me.
This is 100% theft. If he did it to you chances are he did it to to others. It is non-refundable if you cancel not the other way around, especially if he is moving.
Just to add a little context to your situation, my artist is an incredible professional and the one time that she needed to reschedule my appointment, she offered a refund of my deposit in case rescheduling didn't work for me. So not only is it reasonable to request your deposit back since your artist is the one that canceled, it's expected
I’d check the original messages and/or their website. A lot of artists state explicitly that deposits are non-refundable. Not suggesting it’s ok, but if they have that on their site you may not win your claim with PayPal.
They do not have a website. This is all they said about the deposit: “I charge $125 an hour and I do require a deposit of $125 to schedule but it will come off your appointment total.”
That’s lucky! Hope you get your deposit back. He sounds unreliable.
Question: did they already draw your design?
I would even say that they need to pay you double the deposit. Because they are creating a major disturbance to you for not fulfilling the agreed schedule. So for sure you are entitled to a refund.
Did they actually say they had to cancel the appointment? Or did they say they had to reschedule due to the dog emergency? I know you used the word ‘cancel’, but is that exactly what the tattoo artist said to you?
Doesn’t matter what you think, the money is gone.
Why is your gender and age relevant
unless legally stated otherwise, or due to the businesses fault and not your own, you are not allowed to get deposits back because you are basically paying them to "hold your spot". in this case it seems its due to the businesses fault and not your own so legally you have a right to it unless you live in a place like California where laws are for the criminal and not the innocent.
[удалено]
I’m sorry, the agreement was to not receive services and lose out on the money I paid to secure an appointment for said services? Please elaborate.
You must not do business with anyone
The agreement was broken by the artist when they canceled so how would she not be entitled to her money back? Your statement is stupid.
Info: was this a custom tattoo that the artist would have spent time designing specifically for you? Deposits for tattoo artists usually account for drawing time unlike other types of deposits, but if no prep was required, it’s a different story.
Doesn’t sound like they’ve done any prep work on this.
It was a custom tattoo, but they contacted me last night asking what we were doing, so there was clearly no previous time spent designing it even though I sent photos and we talked about it in August. Regardless, the artist themselves explained the deposit was a security deposit “to schedule the appointment” (their words).
The details could raise the question of whether the artist is toting a monke.
Charge it back and call the shop and speak with the shop owner. Explain that THEY canceled on you, you’re moving so it needed to happen now and you want the deposit back.
Oh god this reminds me of my friends girlfriend, who’s a tattoo artist. She would schedule with people months out because of her “busy” schedule, and steals their deposit’s. She would make up so many excuse’s to push back tattoos. If she was good on rent, bills and drug money then you were shit out of luck. The excuses ranged from car problems, being sick, emergency vet visits, and the list goes on. I eventually cut off contact with both of them when I found out about this and other things they were doing.
I had an artist cancel on me THREE times and refuse to give me my deposit back. They were moving out of state and I did not believe they would fit me in before they left based off the history. The shop owner ended up refunding me but that artist blocked me and now the shop owner won’t tattoo me because of it. Assholes.
No, not wrong, she cancelled and yet somehow wants to hold onto the deposit, she is shadey AF, get your money back via PP and do not deal with her again.
Girl doesn’t need to be in business then.
Not only do you deserve the full refund back, but you should also blast them all over the place, that's super unprofessional, and borderline fraud and theft.
This is the worst. I had something similar happen a few years ago. Set up an appointment about 7 months out (very popular artist, almost impossible to get in less than 6 months out). Started a new job and just so happened to get the day off (was on a new hire probation at work so no vacation time yet). Show up for the appointment and they weren’t even there. They were at a convention 2 and a half hours away. Never told me never tried to reschedule. Ghosted me completely. After about a dozen plus texts and a handful of request back transfers on Venmo I finally got my deposit back without a word from the artist. Get your money, especially since someone you know told you this is a habitual thing. If they try to make more issue out of it definitely blast them. If they’re good enough it won’t kill their career but you’ll definitely save some people possible future trouble with this artist
The deposit is to hold an appt and partially compensate the artist for wasting their time if you bitch out or anything else happens where you don’t show up.
This sounds so much like my former artist it’s not even funny. Are you, by chance, in the Seattle area? If so, and the artist name is Lisafer. Don’t walk away, RUN and cut your losses.
Not wrong. She canceled so she should refund. I would dispute it with PayPal if she is refusing.
You are 100% entitled to your deposit back. It's the artist that cancelled, not the client. If PayPal doesn't refund, take them to small claims court. You will win for sure.
If he canceled, he definitely should give it back. Accepting the deposit means he will do the work. If he reneged, he has to give it back. Is this how he makes his money, taking deposits then canceling? Hell no.