**5/3 ETA: Tristan, the shop owner, personally reached out and was sincerely apologetic about my…read moreexperience. He generously offered a refund of the $80 I paid for the tattoo, which I have since received. I truly appreciate his professionalism and the respectful way he handled the situation.**
I had a strange and ultimately disappointing experience here. On April 18th, I booked two appointments through the Booksy link in their Instagram bio--one for me and one for my niece, scheduled for April 26th. I live two hours away in Philly and was coming to town to celebrate her birthday; the tattoos were my gift to her. A small deposit of $39.76 was required at booking.
On April 24th, I received a text from Danny asking what we wanted. I responded with reference photos, and he replied that we'd talk more the next day--but we didn't, which I figured meant he felt the designs were simple enough to proceed with.
When we arrived for our appointments, a friendly woman at the front desk greeted us and had us sign waivers. Danny came out and asked what we wanted, which was odd since we'd just discussed it two days earlier, but I re-explained and showed him the same photos. He took pictures of them with his iPad, despite already having them via text. Before heading back to sketch, he asked if we had cash. I didn't, so I asked if they had an ATM--he directed me to the bank across the street. I get that many artists prefer cash, but considering there's a big sign at the front promoting "tattoo financing" via buy-now-pay-later services, it was surprising they don't take something like Venmo. Not a huge deal, just something to note.
What did feel off was Danny's demeanor. He didn't seem happy to be there and gave off a vibe that we were a burden. While that alone wouldn't have ruined the experience, it added to the general awkwardness. My niece went first--her session took maybe 10 minutes, but the results were nice. I was next, and my design took about the same amount of time. Unfortunately, that quickness showed. I noticed wobbly linework right away, especially along the shaft of the sword. I didn't mention it to him--if he was satisfied enough to call it done, I didn't think pointing it out would help.
When it came time to pay, I asked if my deposit was credited toward the total. He seemed surprised and said, "You made a deposit?" After checking with the shop owner, he confirmed it--but then claimed, "After taxes, your deposit is $30." For the record, tattoos are not taxable in Pennsylvania [39 Pa.B. 7256]. Even if they were, the sales tax in Stroudsburg is 6%, which would amount to just $2.39. So unless they're charging a mystery 25% tax, the numbers didn't add up. I didn't push the issue--I wasn't about to derail my niece's birthday over $9.76, even if the handling of it felt disingenuous. In total, I paid $220 beyond the deposit--$80 for my tattoo and $120 for hers--which I had intended as a generous tip. That's what I usually tip my artist in Philly, and I wanted to extend the same respect here. But in hindsight, I over-tipped for a subpar experience.
I mentioned maybe coming back next year--it's become a tradition to get tattoos for my niece's birthday--but after leaving, I knew I wouldn't return. Once I got a better look at my tattoo, I was even more disappointed: the handle isn't centered, one of the circles at the end is visibly larger than the other, and the shaft is noticeably crooked. My heart sank--it looked worse than I thought.
I'll have it fixed or covered by my regular artist, but the whole situation is just a letdown. I'd seen Danny's work on Instagram and was genuinely impressed. It's baffling that something as simple as a line drawing could be so poorly executed by someone whose portfolio suggests far more technical skill.
