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Unfair price increase for hairdressing services.

December 11, 2013 | 35,00 EUR | answered by Steffan Schwerin

Hairdresser visit:

Customer X wants a short haircut as usual for 10.00 EUR. Since she has been visiting the hair salon for some time, she knows that the service includes washing, cutting, and a quick blow dry to dry the hair if it is still wet after the cut. She does not want anything more, as she has a fixed budget for it.

There is a price list in the shop window, as well as an additional advertising sign "Haircut 10.00 EUR".

On this day, Customer X is treated as usual: washing, cutting. Then the lady who performed the haircut asks if she can blow dry the hair. Unaware - as it is always blow dried shortly at the end without an additional charge - Customer X agrees.

The hairdresser then blow dries Customer X's hair with foam and special brushes elaborately, so that she has "more volume"... and charges nearly 20.00 EUR instead of the usual 10.00 EUR.

Grudgingly and upset, feeling like she was taken advantage of / cheated, Customer X pays, but decides to visit a different salon, not without expressing her displeasure to the hairdresser.

Was the customer justified in not paying the extra charge? The service did not correspond to what was originally ordered. The customer did not want "more volume", but the usual short haircut for 10.00 EUR.

Steffan Schwerin

Dear questioner,

I am happy to answer your question as follows:

Only blow-drying was contractually agreed upon.

Charging 10 euros for this is considered usury according to § 138 of the German Civil Code.

Furthermore, the customer was taken by surprise.

Styling was not contractually agreed upon. Therefore, the hairdresser is not allowed to charge any costs for it.

So, the customer should have only had to pay 10 euros instead of 20.

Kind regards

Steffan Schwerin
Attorney at Law