Lesson learned (mani/pedi at a spa)

[lifejoy]

So my sister in law is visiting, and she's just finished her master's degree and is going through a breakup. I wanted this trip to be really special for her so we took her out for dinner last night and today I took her out and we got manicures and pedicures.

The salon has two-for-one Tuesdays. I booked a month in advance because I know the two-for-one books up quickly. When booking they asked if I wanted to add parafin wax treatment and I was like... Uhh I dunno, let me think about it and maybe we can decide on the day? (I wanted to look up the price). Well, I forgot to look up the price and they forgot to confirm whether or not I wanted to add that treatment.

On the day of the mani/pedi, they start doing the parafin wax and my brain goes "oh no, I guess they didn't leave a good note on my appointment and just assumed I wanted it... Ok I'll just go with it, it's 2-for-1...."

Then I get the bill. What I didn't realize is that while I intended to book the basic mani/pedi, they gave us the luxury one. Ok.... Well, it cost $180 fucking dollars. This was the price for one person because it was buy two for the price of one. Any other day, this would've cost $360 for two people! To have paint on their nails! What the fuck!!!

Sorry for swearing but I had a small heart attack when I saw the price. Fml. I didn't want to make a scene in front of my sister in law but I might talk to the manager tomorrow because this is upsetting. :(

I also hate confrontation and losing face so I might just chalk this up to a life lesson. Eeps.

Anyways suffice it to say, I have been cured of ever enjoying spa experiences and will be saving lots of money in the future!!!

[lifejoy]

Ok I just emailed the manager, explaining the whole awkward situation. We'll see what comes of it.

[Neustache]

Whoa!

I used to work at a nice salon, and I just looked, their nicest spa/massage mani/pedi would run you 78.  I guess with adding paraffin for hands and feet I could see adding at most $30, so 108.  $180 seems outrageous.  Glad you e-mailed the manager - were there cheaper options you thought you were getting?  The receptionist should have asked which one you wanted (I was the receptionist at my salon). 

[Bracken_Joy]

Ugh. Good luck. Sounds like such an uncomfortable situation. This is why I usually avoid luxury situations, even if there's a good deal going on. So easy to mess up, or get used to it, or or or... Easier for me to live a simple day to day and avoid the issue entirely!

[lifejoy]

Yah! Outrageous is the word for it.

Thanks for the luck! In a way, I'm taking it as a good thing, because it taught me a very VALUABLE lesson ;) lol

No more manicures for me!!! And always check the price of things. Always.

[lifejoy]

Well it pays to ask! The manager just called me and explained that they overcharged me by $30. I still learned some lessons, and this one is now underscored: always ask!!!!

[Neustache]

Woot!  Good thing you asked (still pricey, but not nearly as bad!)

[lifejoy]

Woot!  Good thing you asked (still pricey, but not nearly as bad!)

Yeah, not as baaaad... But still I will be staying away from spas!!!

[HappierAtHome]

But on the plus side: did she feel cared for? Because if you achieved what you set out to do, it's not a complete fail is it? Just a little financial misstep :-)

[brooklynmoney]

Paraffin is amazing but should not cost hundreds of dollars! Maybe like $30 extra!

[lifejoy]

But on the plus side: did she feel cared for? Because if you achieved what you set out to do, it's not a complete fail is it? Just a little financial misstep :-)

Yeah :D

It was really nice sisterly bonding. She has three brothers and I'm her only chance at girly fun times! :) thanks for bringing me back to that.

[MgoSam]

Ok, this may be weird, but I've wanted to get a manicure, having never gotten one.

Any idea how much they should cost, and is the expense worth it?

[LeRainDrop]

Ok, this may be weird, but I've wanted to get a manicure, having never gotten one.

Any idea how much they should cost, and is the expense worth it?

It totally depends on whether you are going for the practical purpose or full spa/luxury experience.  Most strip-mall-type salons in my city are around $25 for a basic pedicure, plus add on $10 if also getting a manicure.  I haven't done manicure alone, so I would guess probably about $15 or $20.  On the other hand, after seeing that crazy price that the OP got stuck paying, I started searching around the websites of some of my city's most well-known upscale/frou-frou salons, and it appears that their most deluxe manicures are around $45 or $50.  As to whether it's "worth it," that's really subjective.  I only started going a few years ago for pedicures about 3 or 4 times a year, and possibly 1 time a year for a manicure.  Before that, and at other times of year, I just mostly do it myself and paint clear.  My mom likes to go for a pedicure because of her foot issues, so it's no skin off my bones to go with her those few times a year -- makes for a nice mother/daughter afternoon, as we also like to get lunch at a cafe that's in the same plaza.

[lifejoy]

Yeah I would agree that for a manicure you should look at paying $20-45. Any more than that is crazy. Today I went to a spa but the polish is no better than when I went to the cheaper Asian salon down the street. Don't be fooled :)

Also... I can give myself a damn good manicure. Practice makes perfect! It's fun to do while watching a movie. I only do manicures at a place when I want to treat someone, have a special bonding moment, and/or I want some human contact and am feeling lonely. So I get like 1-5 a year. Now it's gonna be zero!

I guess what I'm trying to say is, save it for a special occasion and don't make it a habit :)

[lifejoy]

Did I mention we let our toes dry for three hours and I still have smudges from my socks? Agh! No more spas for me! I'm actually kind of grateful for such a poor experience there... All temptation to go back is GONE!

[Jschange]

Once my ex roomie treated me to a manicure and upgraded me to gel. Apparently it lasts longer, and it was a reward for finishing my semester.

But even with YouTube helping me I couldn't get it off the next week. I had to pay people to use a dremel and sand it off.

The world of luxury is baffling.

I'm glad the manager caught the mistake, and I hope you drank copious amounts of free tea.

[K-ice]

My mani-pedi budget is around $50.

So I would be FURIOUS too.

I go to the less expensive Asian places 1-2 times a year.

They always try to upsell.

Do you want extra foot soak salts?
Do you want blah blah scrub?
Do you want extra critical treatment?
Do you want schelac Polish?

I think there are about 10 potential upsells.

I always feel kinda guilty saying no.

But I would rather say no then still have money to give a good 15-20% tip.

[mxt0133]

Did I mention we let our toes dry for three hours and I still have smudges from my socks? Agh! No more spas for me! I'm actually kind of grateful for such a poor experience there... All temptation to go back is GONE!

That's just a rookie mistake always wear sandals or flip flops when getting a mani/pedi.  I don't know how you do thing where you live but in SF this is SOP (standard operating procedure) even guys know this.  =)

[faithless]

That is ridiculous! I haven't actually had a pedicure, I quite like doing my toes myself usually whilst watching tv and it lasts weeks and weeks with top coat.
I always meant to get one thinking i would be a luxury treat but then I had a normal manicure on a free offer, and it was no better than I can do at home, and they are quite rough with filing. I had a good look afterwards to see if the people paying were getting a better job, and they weren't. It only lasted <2 days, the same as when I do it myself (weak nails). So I figured a normal pedicure wouldn't actually be any better either.

I've had two gellish/shellac manicures ever, and they last twice as long, and look really shiny and professional, much nicer than I can do, which was really nice for my wedding but was impossible to remove without ruining my nails (even with the tinfoil soaks recommended by Youtube). I didn't have a Dremmel!

[lifejoy]

Did I mention we let our toes dry for three hours and I still have smudges from my socks? Agh! No more spas for me! I'm actually kind of grateful for such a poor experience there... All temptation to go back is GONE!

That's just a rookie mistake always wear sandals or flip flops when getting a mani/pedi.  I don't know how you do thing where you live but in SF this is SOP (standard operating procedure) even guys know this.  =)

I agree! I usually bring sandals, but we had let our toes dry for three hours... and it was 4 degrees outside... so yeah. Ya win some, ya lose some :)

Good reminder though!

[lifejoy]

Speaking of at-home manicures, THIS is the best:

http://ca.sallyhansen.com/nails/nail-polish/gel-nail-color/miracle-gel

Sally Hansen Miracle Gel. Get the top coat. WOW it's so good. Really makes your polish last and chip not as quickly. No UV light required. Great value.

[MgoSam]

My mani-pedi budget is around $50.

So I would be FURIOUS too.

I go to the less expensive Asian places 1-2 times a year.

They always try to upsell.

Do you want extra foot soak salts?
Do you want blah blah scrub?
Do you want extra critical treatment?
Do you want schelac Polish?

I think there are about 10 potential upsells.

I always feel kinda guilty saying no.

But I would rather say no then still have money to give a good 15-20% tip.

That's a good point, if I do go and get a pedicure, what all should I ask for and what all should I decline? I'm thinking I might get one as I'm guessing it will feel awesome, and as I'm on my feet a lot it might well be worth it (standing desk, kickboxing).

[lifejoy]

My mani-pedi budget is around $50.

So I would be FURIOUS too.

I go to the less expensive Asian places 1-2 times a year.

They always try to upsell.

Do you want extra foot soak salts?
Do you want blah blah scrub?
Do you want extra critical treatment?
Do you want schelac Polish?

I think there are about 10 potential upsells.

I always feel kinda guilty saying no.

But I would rather say no then still have money to give a good 15-20% tip.

That's a good point, if I do go and get a pedicure, what all should I ask for and what all should I decline? I'm thinking I might get one as I'm guessing it will feel awesome, and as I'm on my feet a lot it might well be worth it (standing desk, kickboxing).

If it were me, I would opt for zero extras because the regular basic feels awesome :)
But you could consider shellac polish which lasts longer but is a pain to get off. Maybe youtube search it if you're not sure what shellac is.

Myself I don't get shellac on my toes just my hands sometimes, because then when it grows out I just put lots of polish over my whole nail to mask the fact that it has grown out. I get lots of compliments on my long perfectly shaped nails! And then when it gets too long I just use nail clippers and cut it down. I've tried ripping off the shellac and it always takes off a top layer of nail... not a good idea. Hope that helps!

[Ceridwen]

That is insane.  I was treated to a pedicure with parrafin wax for Mother's Day, and it was $80 (at a very nice salon in a HCOL city).

[LeRainDrop]

That's a good point, if I do go and get a pedicure, what all should I ask for and what all should I decline? I'm thinking I might get one as I'm guessing it will feel awesome, and as I'm on my feet a lot it might well be worth it (standing desk, kickboxing).

If it were me, I would opt for zero extras because the regular basic feels awesome :)

Yeah, I just do the basic pedicure for $25 (plus I tip $5 cash), which is great.  My mom upgrades to the $30 level, which I believe is to add some extra special callous treatment.

[HairyUpperLip]

Ok, this may be weird, but I've wanted to get a manicure, having never gotten one.

Any idea how much they should cost, and is the expense worth it?

I've had a couple mani/pedi's... (3 manis - 2 pedis)

The manicures, they are whatever for a dude. It's easy to cut your own nails and I don't have hang nail problems so mine look healthy anyways. The smoothness and shininess looks pretty cool but it's to much for a man imo.

The pedicure, man, now that's actually kind of worth it. I never seem to cut my toenails as well as they do. It helps that they have  proper tools but they just do a much better job of clipping and cleaning out my toenails then I ever do on my own. Feels good, but it's not a big deal. I don't run out and get them.

Also - I've had 1 mani at a typical Vietnamese strip mall type of place and it sucked. I didn't care for it and I didn't enjoy the experience at all.

The other mani's and the pedi's were done at really high end luxury men's type of place. Free beer when you walk in and such. I would never pay the prices but I believe it was like $150ish for the mani/pedi combo. Both times were gifted to me.

Anyways, that's my two cents on it.

[ringer707]

One of my cousins gave me a gift certificate for a spa pedicure and manicure at a high-end chain salon for my wedding shower last year. It included the parafin wax treatment, which was super luxurious, but holy moly the price!!! I think it was $90 just for the pedicure. I can't say I "got my money's worth" (particularly since it wasn't my money), but I at least felt I got some value out of it since I had it done two days before the wedding for my wedding nails. I couldn't believe when the manicurist was telling me how some brides rent out the place the morning of their wedding and will bring their whole bridal party and mothers of the bride and groom in for hair, makeup, and nails. I can only imagine how much that costs...

[MsPeacock]

I pay $25 for a pedicure every month or so (because as I get older and more arthritic I can't reach/see my toes very well).

I am trying to figure out what it would need to include for it to be worth $180. Like, what would that entail? The $25 gets me a good foot soak with frou-frou stuff in the water, awesome massage chair, all the tending to the nails, a scrub and rubdown of my legs, polish...  They do offer a spa pedicure - which idk what that entails or how much more it costs (maybe $15 more). But like $155 more dollars for what????

[accountingteacher]

Did I mention we let our toes dry for three hours and I still have smudges from my socks? Agh! No more spas for me! I'm actually kind of grateful for such a poor experience there... All temptation to go back is GONE!

Ok that's just amateur on their part.  If you're putting socks on you need to rub oil over the toenails to stop the socks from indenting the polish.  (I'm not fatally sure why it works but it does.). The longest I've ever sat to dry is 1 hr.

My compromise with myself, btw, is that I do my own hands but pay someone to do my feet.

[lifejoy]

I pay $25 for a pedicure every month or so (because as I get older and more arthritic I can't reach/see my toes very well).

I am trying to figure out what it would need to include for it to be worth $180. Like, what would that entail? The $25 gets me a good foot soak with frou-frou stuff in the water, awesome massage chair, all the tending to the nails, a scrub and rubdown of my legs, polish...  They do offer a spa pedicure - which idk what that entails or how much more it costs (maybe $15 more). But like $155 more dollars for what????

Infusion of gold flakes into the water that you soak your toesies in? Or maybe it's a stupid tax, like lottery tickets ;)

[lifejoy]

Did I mention we let our toes dry for three hours and I still have smudges from my socks? Agh! No more spas for me! I'm actually kind of grateful for such a poor experience there... All temptation to go back is GONE!

Ok that's just amateur on their part.  If you're putting socks on you need to rub oil over the toenails to stop the socks from indenting the polish.  (I'm not fatally sure why it works but it does.). The longest I've ever sat to dry is 1 hr.

My compromise with myself, btw, is that I do my own hands but pay someone to do my feet.

Yeah 3 hours is insane. Maybe they put really thick polish on? *shrug*

It's not a huge deal (like wow, what a first world problem) but for the amount we paid... I'm surprised that it's one of the worst mani/pedis I've had. Dents on my toe polish, and bubbles on the my fingernail polish... doesn't look as good as what I can do myself! So I'm kind of thrilled that I'll no longer be tempted to do the spa experience. Whew. Got that out of my system.

[MrsPete]

I had an elderly relative who made an interesting discovery about pedicures:  At near 100, she couldn't trim her own toenails, but her insurance would pay for her to have it done at the podiatrist -- she just needed to pay the co-payment, which was something like $30.  Or for the same price she could have a manicure AND pedicure, which included a foot soak and massage and nail polish. 

[lifejoy]

I had an elderly relative who made an interesting discovery about pedicures:  At near 100, she couldn't trim her own toenails, but her insurance would pay for her to have it done at the podiatrist -- she just needed to pay the co-payment, which was something like $30.  Or for the same price she could have a manicure AND pedicure, which included a foot soak and massage and nail polish.

That sounds awesome :)

Cool story!

[Bracken_Joy]

I had an elderly relative who made an interesting discovery about pedicures:  At near 100, she couldn't trim her own toenails, but her insurance would pay for her to have it done at the podiatrist -- she just needed to pay the co-payment, which was something like $30.  Or for the same price she could have a manicure AND pedicure, which included a foot soak and massage and nail polish.

Exactly this! My cousin works in a spa doing pedis. He has ended up with a niche, practically on accident. He helps a lot of older adults, but especially people with disabilities. There's a group home for folks with down's syndrome who bring all their residents there.

The things you never thing about, you know? I hadn't considered it much until I became a nurse- depending on your state, you're not actually allowed to do nail care on any patient with diabetes or pre-diabetes unless you have a special certification.

My only concern with all this is that the risk of infection is way higher in a spa setting than at a Drs office. But when you consider that people will probably go more often and maintain them better at a spa than the drs? Might be a wash on risk there! Official recommendations are usually for people at high risk of infection, like older adults and those with diabetes, to avoid spas though.

[TheGrimSqueaker]

I had an elderly relative who made an interesting discovery about pedicures:  At near 100, she couldn't trim her own toenails, but her insurance would pay for her to have it done at the podiatrist -- she just needed to pay the co-payment, which was something like $30.  Or for the same price she could have a manicure AND pedicure, which included a foot soak and massage and nail polish.

Exactly this! My cousin works in a spa doing pedis. He has ended up with a niche, practically on accident. He helps a lot of older adults, but especially people with disabilities. There's a group home for folks with down's syndrome who bring all their residents there.

The things you never thing about, you know? I hadn't considered it much until I became a nurse- depending on your state, you're not actually allowed to do nail care on any patient with diabetes or pre-diabetes unless you have a special certification.

My only concern with all this is that the risk of infection is way higher in a spa setting than at a Drs office. But when you consider that people will probably go more often and maintain them better at a spa than the drs? Might be a wash on risk there! Official recommendations are usually for people at high risk of infection, like older adults and those with diabetes, to avoid spas though.

Well, there's generally a lot of warm water in a spa, and that's like a life support system for bacteria and fungus. Unless the owner is very strict about cleanliness and the footh baths are sterilized for each customer, a foot soak is a great way to pick up athlete's foot or worse. Also, my cuticles are generally pushed back, but the one time I had a manicure in a spa the guy cut them away until they bled and there was a gap between my cuticle and my nail. I'm not the sort to go back for more of that. If it's customary I don't believe it would be good for someone with diabetes or poor circulation, especially on the feet.