A Woman Got Her First Tattoo & Then Tried To Claim $5K Off The Studio For 'Pain & Suffering'
Her claim also alleges that she was "being taken advantage of."
A woman tried to claim back more than $5,000 from a tattoo artist in B.C. for multiple reasons, a B.C. Civil Resolution Tribunal (CRT) heard.
Documents say that Margaret Fodor asked Happy Buddha Tattoo Studio (HBTS), in New Westminster, to give her a tattoo.
Fodor claims that the tattoo exceeded her budget before it was finished. She said her $200 deposit was also not returned and that she was "very disappointed" with her experience.
Her claim included $2,300 for "intent to take advantage," $2,300 for pain and suffering and a bad experience, $200 for having to pay someone else to complete the tattoo work, and $200 for a deposit refund.
In response to the claim, the tattoo studio said it charges by the hour, that the costs and times that are quoted are only estimates, and that it did not agree to a fixed price with Fodor.
They added that the $200 deposit was forfeited because Fodor cancelled her final appointment with less than 48 hours' notice, which was against their policy. They also said that the tattoo could have been completed for less than the $200 she had deposited and she would have gotten the leftover money back had she stayed and completed her appointment.
In making a decision, Tribunal Member Chad McCarthy considered evidence "on a balance of probabilities," saying that Fodor had saved money for a long time for her first tattoo.
While dismissing Fodor's claim, he added: "I acknowledge that Ms. Fodor found the tattoo disagreement with HBTS upsetting. However, I find the evidence before me does not show that HBTS treated Ms. Fodor unfairly or discourteously, or in any way that could reasonably be expected to significantly worsen a person's mental health. I find the evidence does not show that HBTS is responsible for Ms. Fodor’s claimed pain, suffering, or stress over the tattoo disagreement, so I dismiss her claim for $2,300."
He also dismissed her other claims, saying that Fodor cancelled the appointment despite being aware of the HBTS deposit policy of no deposit refunds for cancelled appointments or for appointment changes with less than 2 days' notice, and that HBTS was prepared to complete the tattoo at the agreed-upon rate.
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.