Simply living with the basics is more expensive than ever before—so much so that even bogus fees hardly surprise us anymore.
But a hefty fee just for ... being in the same room as your child?
According to mom and TikToker Mel of @nursemellymel2021, that's what happened to her. She booked a hair appointment for her 6-year-old daughter to get her hair done at a salon she hadn't been to before, but that came highly recommended.
Mel said when she booked the appointment online, the salon's website explained their policy about parents being in the room during a child's haircut. Since it was an added distraction for many kids, the parent would have to pay a fee if they chose to stay.
At the time of the appointment, there was some confusion among the stylists regarding their own policy. One confirmed that there would be a fee, and said it was $25. Since Mel wasn't comfortable leaving her child with people she had just met, she stayed throughout the appointment, and everything went well.
When it was time to pay, the haircut was $70—and the stylist added a $45 "non-compliance fee" for staying in the salon. When Mel said she thought it was $25, she was told the other stylist was mistaken.
Then, the stylist added another $35 fee for trimming her daughter's hair, bringing the price of the appointment to $150.
The mom decided to pay, knowing that she would never walk back into that salon.
You can watch the video here:
@nursemellymel2021 I’d love a recommendation for a stylist who does children’s natural hair in DFW!
Fellow TikTokers were alarmed by the fact that the hair salon wanted children to be alone.
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It's totally understandable that a hair salon would charge fees for various services, but it's surprising how many were not revealed until the mother was already paying.
Also, it's concerning that a hair salon would charge parents for staying in the room with their child. If a parent or family member is too distracting during the appointment, then it might be time to step out, but this feels like something that could be done on a case-by-case basis.