I want to start by saying the shop itself is great. It's clean, welcoming, and the staff working…read morethe front desk were friendly and professional.
Unfortunately, I can't say the same about my experience with the tattoo itself. I do not recommend Tim Peterson.
A friend and I came in for matching tattoos. Her design ended up being slightly larger than mine, but they were otherwise very similar. The quality of our tattoos, however, looks like they were done by two completely different artists--even though Tim did both.
Within 3-4 days, I noticed part of my tattoo already looked faded and unfinished. I waited nearly a month before reaching out because I wanted to give it time to heal. When I contacted Tim, I told him I loved the design but felt part of it looked incomplete. He did not dispute my concerns when I showed him a photo of how the tattoo looked after nearly a month of healing and simply told me to come back so he could fix it.
The problem is that I live over 4.5 hours from Nashville. Coming back isn't as simple as making a quick trip--I have to take time off work, drive several hours, and pay for a hotel. Despite staying in contact and trying to plan multiple trips, Tim never once mentioned there was a six-month deadline for complimentary touch-ups.
It wasn't until I reached out recently about pricing for a friend who wanted a tattoo during an upcoming girls' trip that he mentioned his hourly rate is now $200. I then asked whether I'd have to pay to have my original tattoo fixed. That's when he informed me that because it had been over six months, a small touch-up would cost $100.
Had I been told from the beginning that there was a six-month limit, I would have done everything possible to make it back sooner. But that was never communicated. This wasn't a tattoo that faded from age or sun exposure--it looked unfinished from the start. I assumed an artist would stand behind work that needed correction due to the original application, regardless of when I was able to return.
His response was:
"I'm not sure if you were under the impression you had unlimited time for a touch up. But unfortunately we can't offer that. If you were unhappy with the tattoo from the beginning I'd hate to solidify the unliked design further for you, and you may want to seek out another artist that works for you."
Instead of standing behind his work, he suggested I find another artist to fix a tattoo he acknowledged needed to be touched up. That response was incredibly disappointing.
I have several tattoos, and this is the first time I've encountered an artist who wasn't willing to stand behind the quality of their work. My issue isn't simply the touch-up fee--it's the lack of communication about the policy and the unwillingness to take responsibility for a tattoo that appeared incomplete from the beginning.
If you're looking for an artist who stands behind their work and clearly communicates expectations, then do not book an appointment with Tim.
I'm sharing this so future clients can make an informed decision before trusting someone to permanently tattoo their body. In my experience, I was left with work that appeared incomplete from the beginning and was then expected to either accept it if I couldn't return within six months (and was never originally told this time frame) or pay an additional $100 to have the original work corrected.
