Is It Ever Okay To Refuse To Pay For Your Manicure?

A few years ago, while backpacking around Bali, I booked a so-called “luxury” hostel, lured in part by the promise of complimentary manicures for guests. After weeks of roughing it, the thought of a little pampering was irresistible. But as I settled onto a bean bag by the pool, ready for my treatment, it quickly became clear why this service was free.

The staff member was sweet and enthusiastic — but not a trained nail technician. She filed my nails hastily with a worn-down cardboard file before slathering on a coral polish with all the precision of a child let loose with a paintbrush. “They’re lovely, thank you!” I lied, forcing a smile as I stared at the mess in disbelief. Oh well, I thought. You get what you pay for. I then set off in search of the nearest shop selling nail polish remover.

It’s one thing to laugh off a botched freebie, but what if I had paid for that manicure? If you’re conflict-avoidant like me, you might have sat through a bad nail appointment in silence. But if TikTok is anything to go by, not everyone is so shy about speaking up.

Nail technicians have recently gone viral for sharing shocking videos of clients refusing to pay or attempting to haggle down the price after their appointments.

Ohio-based nail technician Jaeda Lowe has racked up 58 million views on a video featuring a client who demanded a full redo — after a 90-minute appointment — simply because she didn’t like the colour. In another viral clip with 4.6 million views, a client disputes the agreed-upon price, saying, “I just don’t like how you’re acting about this,” even after being given a discount and making it clear that she wouldn’t leave a tip.

There are so many similar videos, that they have even inspired several satirical skits. But behind the humour lies a serious question: Is it ever acceptable to refuse to pay for a manicure?

Beauty journalist Alex* recalls a manicure that was so bad, it left her with an infection — and she refused to pay. “It was a terribly done manicure with uncured gel polish, a poorly done extension to help fix a broken nail, over-filed nail beds, poor nail shaping and uneven polish texture,” she tells Refinery29. “The kicker was that the nail technician made six of my nails bleed. Not just a little cuticle nip, but full-on bleeding and open wounds.”

Despite repeatedly asking the tech to stop using nail scissors on her cuticles, Alex says her requests were ignored until she firmly insisted. “She got annoyed [with me] and even tried to stop the bleeding with pure acetone,” Alex adds. “It took me three months to rehab my nails.”

Alex says that the nail tech quickly disappeared to the back of the salon when the manicure had ended. Initially, the receptionist was indifferent. “The salon only cared after they found out I was a journalist,” says Alex. “They first offered 20% off and I said, ‘No, I won't be paying.’ There wasn't much resistance after the receptionist saw how bad the final result was.”

For a lot of people, enduring sub-standard manicures is easier than risking an awkward confrontation (especially if you’re in earshot of other customers). But when a service is really bad, would leaving a salon without paying be considered on par with shoplifting?

Fiona Peake, a personal finance and consumer expert at Ocean Finance says that, in the UK, salons are expected to meet certain standards, as outlined in the Consumer Rights Act. This means that the service must be carried out with reasonable care and skill, adds Peake. “If the manicure isn’t up to scratch, for example, the colour or design isn’t as agreed, or the quality is poor, you’re entitled to ask for it to be corrected.”

Most reputable salons are likely to fix the issue free of charge or suggest a partial refund if the result is unsatisfactory. Angie Campbell, a lead nail technician at Paint Nails London, agrees: “Yes, there are situations where [if] a client isn’t satisfied — for example, if a top coat didn’t cure properly or there’s an unexpected chip soon after the appointment — we’ll fix the nails free of charge or offer a partial refund, providing the client can show us that the issue wasn’t caused by improper aftercare, such as picking at the nails.”

As for injuries, Amy Lewis, a nail technician and managing director of Mooeys Nail Bar, explains that minor nicks can occur, especially on soft or damaged cuticles. If a soft cuticle is accidentally cut, it may bleed quickly due to the rich blood supply in the area. If someone experiences cuts on multiple cuticles or nail beds, as Alex did, Lewis believes the client is justified in stopping the service — let alone refusing to pay for it.

But what if the manicure is up to standard and you simply don't like the colour or the design? In this case, there’s less of a legal argument, says Peake. Unlike clothes, you can't return a full set if you change your mind.

In the past, Lewis says that her nail technicians used to simply take the polish off and apply another layer. It would take around 10 minutes. “Now we use gel polish, that's not the case,” says Lewis. “You're looking at another half an hour or 40 minutes just to remove the polish and reapply it. If the client [says they don’t like it] after we've checked in, then we would say, ‘I'm sorry we're taking payment, but you can come [back] in for a change of colour — and it will cost £20.’”

Once you’ve agreed on the shade, shape and design of your nails, the technician should check in regularly to ensure you’re happy with the progress. If they don’t, it’s fine to ask to take a closer look at the end of each step and, of course, if any element of the service is painful — such as cuticle trimming or electric filing — let the technician know immediately.

While comfort is a given, quality is subjective, as Veronica discovered when she complained about a French manicure: “[My nails] were very uneven and cheap-looking, and too much acrylic was put on the nail resulting in a thick [appearance],” she recalls. “When I asked the nail tech to fix the nail he got annoyed and [...] argued with me about the design.” Veronica agreed to pay, but went to another salon to have her nails fixed — and wrote an honest online review.

While a French manicure is usually straightforward for a skilled technician, certain nail art designs — like the trending magnetic heart manicure — are deceptively difficult. What's more, in this digital age, you never know if a photo you see on Pinterest is genuine, or if you're looking at hand-painted nails that took several painstaking hours to complete. Lewis explains that when clients book nail art, her team always asks for a reference image. “Once we have that we can see if we have a therapist who can do it in the time we allocate, and we're comfortable saying we can't achieve this [if it’s too complex].”

Even with clear communication, misunderstandings still happen. Mary ended a manicure 15 minutes in when the technician consistently failed to achieve the soft square shape she had requested. “I politely said that this wasn't working for me and that I needed to leave,” Mary says. “I went to the desk and offered to pay for [the nail artist's] time. I didn't think it was right to leave without paying if there was a misunderstanding, even though I knew otherwise. The manager was very gracious and refused my payment. [They] even offered to rebook me with someone else on another day. I declined again.”

What if your manicure is pristine at first but you notice a problem later? While policies vary from salon to salon, most will fix any chips or breaks that arise soon after the manicure. “If anything goes wrong within the first three days, we'll rectify that particular area for free,” says Lhaki David founder of Atara Nail Bar. “We even go up to a week; we are quite generous.”

Most customers are reliable and trustworthy, but thanks to isolated incidents, all the salon owners I spoke to say they’ve brought in stricter policies like deposits for late arrivals and missed appointments. Now, they ensure prices are specified by email or text beforehand. “By confirming prices in advance and requiring payment upfront, both the client and the technician know exactly what to expect, which helps avoid any misunderstandings at the end of the appointment,” says Campbell.

Timings are often tight, so to avoid delays it helps to come prepared. Research the shape, colour and design you’d like and take a few screengrabs to show the technician. They can show you the closest shade match they have, swatch the polish before painting, and confirm any additional costs like chrome or cat eye polish.

Even when prices are specified upfront, some thrifty customers will try to haggle or get a discount. David thinks they wouldn’t be so brazen in larger establishments: “They see it's a lone woman entrepreneur who doesn't have a lot behind her. They wouldn't try that in a big chain of nail salons,” she says. Happily, all the salon owners stressed that the majority of their clients are kind and considerate, and are more likely to add a tip at the end of the appointment than underpay — or not pay at all.

There may be occasions when the service falls short. As a client, you are well within your rights to complain. Badly shaped nails, nipped cuticles, poorly applied polish or substandard nail art are all legitimate causes for concern, but going nuclear on your nail technician is never a good idea.

“If there is a genuine concern or dissatisfaction with the service received, then openness is always the best policy,” says Lewis, who suggests raising the issue with the technician as soon as possible. “If the staff member doesn’t or can’t rectify it, then ask to speak with the manager. Explain what you are unhappy with and what you’d like to be done.” Remember that kindness goes a long way, adds Lewis. “You will get more respect from people if you show respect.”

Depending on the outcome of the conversation, you might want to leave an honest online review — whether positive or negative — or choose not to return to a salon if it was your first visit. With so many excellent nail bars, it shouldn’t be difficult to find a technician that you click with, and to whom you’ll remain loyal for years.

Even then, experienced nail technicians can make mistakes, but there’s no need to react angrily if they do. While TikTok’s ‘My Worst Nail Client’ genre offers shock value and entertainment, rudeness at the salon is never a trend worth following.