ComplaintsforAveda Institute - Douglas J

• Initial Complaint

  10/29/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  I would like to know why the Aveda Institute of Chicago has not released my daughters government loaned funds. SallieMae funds that were borrowed by my daughter, ***** ******* (co-signed by me) have not been disbursed to my daughter yet. SallieMae agents have told me they sent my daughters money to the Aveda Institute in September. The school term is nearly 70% complete! How could they not make the disbursement yet? SallieMae agents I have spoken with have no explanation as to why my daughters money hasn't gotten to her yet. They in fact were surprised about it. I have asked SallieMae to open an investigation into the schools practices. My daughter is stressed over all of the collections calls from SallieMae for interest only payments on money that hasn't been disbursed yet. When I try to call the school I am told to call Douglas J in ******** (apparently the corporate offices for the Aveda Institute in *******). When I call Douglas J I simply get voice mail to leave messages and have yet to get an answer. My requests are the following: 1.) get my daughters loan money released to ***** ******* immediately, 2.) to get an answer as to why my daughters loan money has not yet been released, 3.) for the Aveda Institute/Douglas J to pay all late charges to SallieMae on behalf of ***** *******, 4.) explain how it is legal for a school to hold onto government loaned money that belongs to one of their students (***** *******), 5.) explain the delay in submitting the funds to student, 6.) contact SallieMae to explain that interest only payments have not been made due to Aveda Institute's delay and not my daughter 7.) describe how this practice will be avoided in the future. 

• Initial Complaint

  06/26/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Facilities Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  For the esthetician program at Douglas J Aveda, I paid $18,275 for tuition and my kit. For half of the program while we have been working in the spa in the basement, the air conditioning has been broken. Yet, we've still been expected to take clients and do physical labor like provide foot baths and a lot of massage during treatments. Working in the spa has been almost unbearable with the high temperatures and humidity that we've had. I as well as many other students get headaches throughout the day, feel lightheaded, get nauseous or just feel unwell overall because of these working conditions. We would have considered another school had we known the working conditions at Aveda would not be healthy or comfortable. We are taught the importance of good ventilation, yet we don't even have good ventilation for ourselves and the school hasn't seemed to care much even though corporate is aware of the problem. I had a guest once who almost passed out in the treatment room because of the heat and ended up throwing up. On the occasions when the spa has been closed, we've essentially had to beg them because we didn't want to get sick or feel sick after taking clients. Only after a lot of complaining and pleading did we close on those really hot days. It's been frustrating to feel like the students' health and wellbeing is not taken into consideration when several of us have expressed our disappointment and shared how sick we feel working here especially by the end of the day. Today is a "cooler" day - right now it's 75 outside but the humidity is over 70% in here even with the fans going because there simply isn't fresh air coming in. We assumed it'd be a healthy working environment when we enrolled so I believe there should be some compensation from our tuition. A comfortable and healthy environment should be the bare minimum for a school.

  Customer response

  06/26/2024

  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  The Business has addressed my concerns outside of addressing the BBB in reference to complaint ID ********. My issue is resolved and my complaint can be closed. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************

• Initial Complaint

  01/11/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  I called this business on January 4 at 10:40 am regarding my online booking from my account ( ************) and discovered that I was barred from using their online system. I was told the bar was there because I required a longer time for my hair services because my hair was too long and required more time. Despite my insistence that after COVID-19, I lost my hair and the note was outdated, they refused to remove the bar. Talking about my health and illnesses is not easy to me, the conversation was very aggravating and difficult. I reported my experience which only worsened their treatment.I talked to the manager, *****, today ( January 11 at ***** am) and asked them to remove the online booking/canceling and the bar from the online transaction. I explained again how, after *****, I lost most of my hair; their note on my client profile was inaccurate and misleading. To my surprise, this time, I was told that the bar was there because I had refused to give them my credit card information for booking!This business does not require credit cards for booking and has a courtesy cancellation policy. It does not restrict the number of appointments one may have. Until today, no one has asked for my credit card information .This business has no written policies and no recording of their conversations with their customer. They make up random policies and levy outrageous accusations to cover up their poor performance without accountability.Due to my job, my schedule can be very unpredictable. Due to this business' completely baseless excuses and bar, I could not book or cancel my appointments. I had to schedule a salon at the very last minute, pay $150 for a hair service that would cost only $40, and attend a business meeting without proper preparation. I am an educator and have had the best experiences with students of hair service providers. But the business managers ( ***** and *********) and front desk's ( *******) treatment of their customers is not only emotionally abusive, but their random policies deprive people of receiving the most health-appropriate ( due to the organic nature of AVEDA products they are one of few products I can use) and affordable services. I don't know what gives them confidence that their disrespectful and abusive treatments are acceptable. I hope this report will ensure that they are not and prevent others from having hours of mentally and emotionally hurtful conversations with this business.

• Initial Complaint

  07/17/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  I visited Douglas J Friday, July 14, 2023 at 1pm for a balayage appointment. I had been here before and had good and not so good experiences. This was by far the worst. My student stylist, *****, was rude from the start of our appointment. She was clearly in a bad mood and had zero interest in doing my hair. Lots of sighing and eye rolling while I explained what I wanted. I asked for a balayage and a gray tone to help blend my gray roots. Im trying to grow my gray hair out. She rudely told me that what I actually needed was all over dye and that she could feather the dye into my roots to blend. I decided to go with her recommendation and now I regret that decision. She was going to color match my roots which are gray and light ashy brown. What she actually did was put a bunch of black dye on my hair and leave me sitting there for an hour with the dye on my head (and face and neck which are now stained). She didnt explain how long the dye needed to sit, she just left. Hours later, I left with a crazy line of color around my head. I cannot believe how bad it was. I mentioned to the instructor who checked it that it seemed a little dark. She just said, well when you come back for your next appointment Id recommend going a few shades lighter on the color of dye. Cut to when I got home and saw how epically bad my hair was in natural light. I called to see if they could fix it, but they didnt have appointments available all week and wouldnt make time for me the next day. I could not walk around the world for weeks like this so I went out and bought dye remover and have been washing my hair over and over to try and get this permanent dye out that looks nothing like my natural color. Since they couldnt fit me into their schedule to fix their mistake, I asked for a refund. The response: our policy on refunds is that if we issue you one, you are never allowed to return for services ever again. The refund was issued, I also want to be reimbursed for dye remover.

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