I had a terrible experience
1. I'd like to clear some things up. First, in response to her comment on honesty, it is hypocritical for her to criticize on that part as she is the one at fault. If you take a look at the previous review, you may read the entire scope of the story. Furthermore, it is not uncommon for one to go by a pseudonym to protect one's privacy. Her criticism is merely a means to avoid the crux of the issue. What upsets me the most is not only the fact that she preyed on an unsuspecting acquaintance of mine into giving her the money, but also the fact that she made a deal and she broke it. I asked specific questions regarding the financial compensation, and by email, she confirmed that $200 would be the total charge. I would have only spent $100 on her services if not for the deal she gave us of $200 for 5 hours. I was going to go with another company that offered 2.5 hours at the price of $100, before she matched the rate with the "five hour discount package." Seeing as she was closer, I went with her. If I knew she would have charged 1/3 more than the price she said she would charge, I would not have brought my business here. You should be able to trust a company to keep its word. My experience has shown me that this company is unreliable. That's just not right or ethical.
a. Initial contact, date is suggested.
b. She offers a package price of $375 for five hours. Previously, I was only considering using one or two hours. The discount persuaded me to use five hours instead.
c. Fooled by the five star reviews, I agreed on a date and asked if the yelp discount of $200 for the price of $100 could be applied to the package price (50% discount). She promised to uphold the agreement of $200 for five hours, and she arrived one hour later than the agreed time. So, instead of 12-5, the appointment time went from 1-6.
d. She suggested we go to the Valley Fair Mall, when we were planning on going to the mall closest, to decrease driving time. She said it was fine, and she would not charge for the driving time it took. We had previously discussed this issue via email, and I have a electronic copy of her agreement. What she said about the styling time being six hours is COMPLETELY FALSE. It was clearly five hours, the set time we agreed upon.
e. She offered to drop off to a location on the way back to SF anyways. She told us it was $300; handed over the money, not realizing that she was charged an extra $100.
f. We realized later that we overpaid her by 100 USD. We communicated through email, and one and a half months ago, she agreed to send a check with the money she took wrongly. That never came. Two months became three, and she ceased communication. It seems to me that she does not want to own up to her deceit. I suggested we use PayPal if it would be more convenient. No reply. So, I wrote this Yelp review to let others know to be beware of this company.
As for the "$2000 budget," that is a lie. The budget was always set as $1000, and when initially proposed, it was assumed that a whole new wardrobe would be bought, not 6 unflattering dresses and a mix of random tops and skirts.
Also, all the things she complained about in the comments were ones she herself confirmed as "fine with that" or "ok, no extra charge, it's not out of the way at all!"
Regarding ice tea, she was the one who wanted to stop by to get one, and she EXPLICITLY stated in her email that part of her service is to "pick you up with your favorite Starbucks drink in hand." She did not arrive with my "favorite Starbucks drink in hand." When she bought the ice tea, I assumed that this was the "Starbucks drink" that she was supposed to have showed up with. At most, the ice tea would have been $3, so either way, she still owes money ($97 versus $100). Although more trivial, this is yet another example of this company promising one thing, then not keeping their end of the bargain (financial compensation agreement, not delivering what was promised as part of the service.)
Jackie was unfocused and self-absorbed in the session too. She looked at Barbie clothes for herself at stores, and chatted with MACS salespersons over exchanging empty eyeshadow cases for new ones. If I were to look at as a a stylist, I would not recommend her either. The budget given was for a wardrobe full of clothes, and we came home with 10-12 items that could be easily found and were quite unflattering.
She also had the audacity to ask for positive reviews in exchange for one hour of free styling afterwards! My experience either is a reflection of her business communication skills, or a reflection of trickery by overcharging. I'm an unhappy customer because the service that was promised was not up to par, and because I ended up being significantly overcharged. My closet is still sorely lacking, and this experience made me spend $300 on a service that was unhelpful. I'm not only still at square one, I'm on square -1. The worst customer service! read more