While I understand that those qualities that make a great tattoo artist are not always the same…read morequalities that make a great businessman, Renegade Ink is nonetheless guilty of terrible business. I share this experience to warn others what they might be getting themselves into.
I put a $60 deposit in cash in May of 2021 for a tattoo I expected to receive a month later, and forwent receiving a receipt (stupid me). Shortly thereafter my son was hospitalized and I decided to cancel the appointment; it just didn't seem like the smartest time anymore to spend money on tattoo ink.
I phoned Renegade Ink, conveyed this to the receptionist, and asked about a receipt. She said she'd get back to me and never did. I then reached out to Justin Headstone (owner of Renegade Ink) through Instagram, where we had been communicating previously, and he said he understood why I canceled the appointment, but ghosted me when I brought up the subject of the receipt. For reference, that conversation is the image dated June 7th.
A few weeks later someone from the office contacts me via text message, and asks me when I was going to get my sleeve finished. Apparently no one there communicates with anyone else who works there. I repeated to this new employee the same thing I told Justin, and asked AGAIN about a receipt. AGAIN, I was ghosted. For reference, that conversation is the image dated July 12th.
At this point I went to see Justin in person, to personally ask him for a receipt. He claimed to not be able to find any receipt templates, but swore up and down that he would honor the deposit whenever I felt ready to get inked again. I asked, "well what if I come back in a year and you don't work here anymore?" To which he replied, "I own the place. I'm not going anywhere."
In March of this year I finally went back to Renegade Ink, ready to get this tattoo. Justin, as promised, still worked there, and took my phone number claiming he would contact me shortly when he knew better his schedule availability. ONCE AGAIN, I was ghosted.
This shocked me. While I understand getting ghosted for a receipt, I still don't understand how you ghost a customer trying to receive something THEY HAVE ALREADY PAID FOR. Justin finally responded to me once I said to him I wanted my deposit back and would see a different artist. For reference, that conversation is the image dated March 15th.
He ignored my text on March 15th, ignored my text on March 18th, and then swore he would contact me on March 19th. On March 21st I said again I wanted my deposit back, and he once again gives me this sob story. After March 16th I gave up trying to reach him electronically.
I showed up to Renegade Ink in person two weeks ago. Justin wasn't there, but his employees copied down my number and vowed they would make him respond to me. That was two weeks ago and I still have heard nothing.
I share this not because I suspect others will have similar experiences, but because I want people to know the sort of person they are entering into a contract with. I've always believed a person is only as good as their word; at the moment, Justin is not good for his word.
I will wait to see if Renegade Ink publicly responds to this review with any indication of remorse or culpability for their actions. I might be waiting for some time, however.
