This business manipulates their customers when it comes to refunds on early cancellations.

I placed a deposit to get my hair coloured at El & Co, but due to personal reasons I was unable to attend and had to cancel my appointment early. As a result, I was looking to get a refund on my deposit, however the owner refused to do so.

When I cancelled my appointment it was done so in a timely manner. El & Co refused to give my deposit back despite showing them evidence of my cancellation that abided by their refund policy.

I tried to resolve the issue by email, messages, phone calls and through a meeting in real life, and each time I got in contact with them they would always forget to follow up with me. On top of this, the owner (Helai) was very unprofessional that she even stated that they “barely check [their] emails”.

The reason why the business refused to refund my deposit is because they wrongly believed that I had booked an appointment for a Tuesday and tried to cancel it on Monday. However, they did not have any records of this happening and refused to show proof when asked.

I tried to explain to Helai that her understanding of the situation was wrong, but she was adamant about her understanding of the story, despite me having evidence of my email confirmations that clearly showed that all changes to the appointment were made in accordance with their refund policy.

Instead, I was told that I was twisting the story when I had already clarified my issue with receipts to prove my case.

The only resolution I was offered by Helai was to book another appointment and potentially have my deposit carried over, under the conditions said by her: “If I am feeling lenient”.

Very disappointed in them.

Approximate cost: $110

Quality local hairdressers. Very friendly and skilled staff. My hair is not easy to colour and they have been able to get it just right! The thumping sounds from the gym above is little unexpected but doesn’t detract from the overall atmosphere which is relaxing and friendly. Also they use quality products and don’t rush you, yet prices are much more reasonable than other hairdressers I have tried. Highly recommend.